Vehicle Acquisition Program

Is there a special vehicle you wish to own but either cannot locate or lack confidence in pursuing yourself? We've located hundreds of classic, exotic, unusual and of course common vehicles for our clients since 1975. Our acquisition program starts with a simple consultation and evolves into a wide ranging search with thorough hands-on research and pre-purchase inspections. We handle everything from the purchase and transportation, to the servicing, prepping and title work. Best of all, we often hand you the keys to your car for a cost less than the average retail price! Here's how it works:

#1 The initial consultation involves clear communication between you and I as to what vehicle you wish to acquire. We discuss year(s), make, model, color and options choices, mileage, condition expectations, time frame and other important factors. Also we will discuss your budget and from there I will deduce if your available funds are appropriate for the level of vehicle you are seeking. 
 
#2 I begin a search through various outlets which will run 24 hours a day until a potential vehicle is found. Upon locating a vehicle, I will email you as much detail as I can. Depending on where the vehicle is presented, I may ask you to personally view the info on my business computer as sometimes it contains more info than I am allowed to forward via email.

#3 If we are both in agreement that the vehicle is a candidate, then a one page contract is signed and a fully refundable $1000 deposit is required for cars under $15,000 before I pursue the purchase. Cars expected to sell over $15,000 will require a 10% deposit. See notes below for details.

#4 In most instances, vehicles are purchased through reputable dealer-only auctions. In almost all cases I will be inspecting the vehicle in person and will make a final phone call to you while I'm with the vehicle, making note of any issues, cosmetic faults or expected repairs that I can visually see. If we both agree to pursue it, then I begin negotiations or bidding.

#5 If I end up taking possession of the vehicle, I then take care of pre-sale paperwork, transporting it home, detailing and minor servicing. We also take care of all your Safety and Emissions testing, purchase paperwork, tags, title and registration. Your $1000 deposit is applied to the purchase price and then you are off!

Payment and Title: Depending on the vehicle and its value, we require payment within 3 days of the actual day I acquired the car from the auction or selling dealer. The paperwork and delivery doesn't have to happen that fast but the payment is needed by that time. There are several reasons that the sale can be delayed. First, the title to the vehicle can take up to 21 days to delivered to us from the selling dealer, as per auction rules. When the title is delivered, there is a possibility it may not be Pennsylvania title. In that case, I physically run the title to Manheim, Pa. and hand it to their title department with the appropriate forms to have it transferred into a Pa. title. This process can take an additional 5-6 days. While this long of a delay is very rare, it does happen. Title delays up to 30 days from the point you have paid us for the car are not a reason to forfeit the sale. On the 31st day without a title at our location, you may rewind the sale and we will refund 100% of all money you paid us. Second, there may be repair work needed on your vehicle that we need to schedule. 

Deposit:
Your deposit is fully refundable up until the point of the final phone call on the day of potential purchase. I make every attempt to inspect and study said vehicle before buying and you will be made aware of any obvious issues, mechanical or cosmetic. The only time when a deposit is not refundable is if I have actually purchased the car and you decide not to buy it from us without a valid reason for an undisclosed fault. In other words, unless you find a major undisclosed problem I failed to locate, your deposit will be forfeited. This does not mean minor cosmetic issues, an extra ding, scratch or stain, or anything deemed relatively insignificant. We've located countless vehicles for all types of buyers and not one has found any substantial issue we didn't previously disclose prior to me taking possession of the car.

Warranty and Recourse:
Most times, the auction has already performed a basic condition check of the vehicle which provides a buyer with information such as paint and body condition, interior cleanliness, tire tread depth and other inspections. This initial report is important to me in helping weed out the neglected vehicles than fit your criteria. I then personally inspect each car (if they are local) to verify the report, taking note of any additional concerns. After a successful high bid of the vehicle, I can purchase post-sale inspections through the auction which will cover most mechanical defects previously not checked. These inspections vary in cost (usually between $125 and $250) and also offer up to 14 days of warranty should a covered part fail. Once you own the vehicle, we offer warranties up to 3 years and unlimited miles through Preferred Warranties Corporation.

EXTRAS:
After my personal inspection and during my pre-purchase phone call, We'll discuss any repairs needed. We usually replace worn wiper blades and perform oil and filter services as part of our fee. Tire replacement, brakes, or any other substantial repair that was visibly noticeable will be discussed before purchase and the bid will be adjusted if needed.

FEES:
We don't offer a structured fee schedule because every vehicle is a case by case purchase. My goal is to put the keys in your hands for less than average retail. The biggest factor in determining our fee is how much research I have to do, searching for very specific options and colors, and how many auctions I must attend to acquire your new car. A recent example was a $900 fee for a Ford Fusion with very few specifics needed and was found within 5 days. A specific colored low mileage Porsche Boxter took 5 weeks and 7 auctions so the fee was higher. Either way, I'll be in continual communication with you as to where the fees are at any given point in the search, and there will be no surprises. To go one step further, auctions typically charge a buyers fee upon successful final bids and their post sale inspections, as mentioned, run between $125 and $250. Tags, title work and taxes are to be considered as none of this is covered in our fee. Our fee is for our time searching, inspecting, communicating with you, bidding, auction paperwork, transportation of vehicle back home, detailing, safety and emission inspecting and minor servicing.

When you are ready to step up into something new or different, give me a call at 610-779-3555 and ask for Rolf. Or email me at RM@mairscontinentalmotors.com