The six checks every car passes before we list it

Listing a car is easy. Listing one that will not become a problem is something else. This is the route every unit takes before it gets a price on the site.

1. The VIN is decoded and cross-checked

The 17-character VIN carries make, model, year, plant and engine. We compare it against what the supplier's listing claims. When they disagree, something is being sold as something it is not.

Guatemala has cars built from two different vehicles. The VIN is the one document that cannot be dressed up.

2. The damage history is reviewed

Not just the type: also the date, the state where it was recorded, and whether there was more than one event. Two hits on the same side tell a different story than one.

3. The mechanical side is checked

Engine, transmission, suspension, brakes. What cannot be tested is declared untested. A car that does not start is listed as a car that does not start.

4. It is documented with real photos

Exterior, interior, engine bay, dashboard powered on, odometer and the ugly details. The pretty angle does not help anyone decide.

If a unit has a scratch, it goes in the gallery. When the buyer sees it in person and already knew, there is no surprise.

5. The paperwork is checked

Title, supplier invoice, import policy and the customs filing. Without clean paperwork the car cannot be legalised, and that is the most expensive problem of all because it does not get fixed with fast money.

6. The final price is calculated, not the pretty one

The number we publish includes bringing it over, nationalising it and getting it ready. A price that later grows with "additional costs" is the fastest way to lose a buyer's trust.

What that means

Sometimes a unit is dropped even when the auction price is good. It is dropped because the real cost of making it right makes it a bad deal for the buyer, and selling that costs more than not selling it.

The catalogue is short for that reason. Not for lack of supply.