On-Line’s Inspection

Inspection Referral Service

Now that most classic cars are sold through the Internet, the Cars-On-Line’s Inspection Referral Service has become an essential tool for any buyer. Before you buy, you should have a pre-purchase inspection. A classic car inspection is a first step in our How To Buy A Classic Car Online suggestions. Never before has it been easier to get a classic car inspection or auto appraisal done. When you are dealing with online sellers you need a classic car inspector to act on your behalf. Remember, with Cars-On-Line’s Referral Service you get both a classic car appraisal and inspection.

Cars-On-Line’s Inspection service have changed the way cars are sold on the Internet. Cars On Line’s network of inspectors makes it easy to get an independent analysis of the condition, safety and quality of the classic car, truck, or street rod you are thinking of buying. Our contractors are inspectors who are not affiliated with any sales organization. Their loyalty is to you the buyer. They are a disinterested third party.

Cars-On-Line.com has standardized the process of inspection and appraisal so that you get the same type of service anywhere in the United States or Canada. Our inspector generates a four-page report on the vehicle. You also get a standard set of photos to document what we find out about each car. Plus each inspector is asked to take photos of anything he finds that is not right on the car, i.e. pitted chrome, bubbles in paint, rust in trunks or on frame etc. Click here to order an inspection

How It Works

Our inspector contacts the seller/owner of the classic car you want to have inspected, sets up the appointment and does the inspection. You receive a four-page report complete with an appraised value and supporting photos. You will receive the report via email

First we always ask you to contact the seller and tell him you want to have the vehicle inspected. That’s really important. If the seller objects to your request, he may be telling you something right there. We need the cooperation of the seller to do a good report for you. If sellers are not cooperating, our inspectors note that on the report. That’s always a bad sign.

Use the online Place Order form.

Provide the following

name, address, and daytime phone number of the person selling the vehicle or his agent.
the year, make and model of the vehicle to be inspected and any special issues you want us to investigate.
your name, address, phone number, and Visa or Mastercard information (see “What’s the Cost?” page.

Cars-On-Line.com Inspection Service
Call 1-800-880-5105

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Who uses It

Our inspection referral network does appraisals for private individuals as well as classic car dealerships. Anyone can make use of our network of inspectors. The car does not have to appear in Cars On Line ads for you to use this service. We do cars no matter where they are advertised. We inspect cars all over the Continental United States and Canada.

We inspect collector cars and trucks, from Model As to Ferraris, and everything in between. But we also do Harleys, recreational vehicles and even late model cars. Insurance companies and warranty companies even use our referral network.

Cars-On-Line.com Inspection Service
Call 1-800-880-5105

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What’s The Cost

What’s The Cost?

Our base rate for inspections and appraisals is $275. Our base rate applies in most of the large metro areas where we have coverage. Rural areas that require extra travel may also include extra mileage charges.

Compare our rates to traditional appraisal companies! Our low costs are making inspections more affordable. More classic cars are being offered for sale now through the Internet. But often those cars are too far away for you to physically inspect yourself. And you CAN’T afford to lay down your hard earned money on a car sight unseen.

That’s where the Cars On Line inspection service comes in. Most of our inspectors are ASE Certified Technicians or Certified Appraisers who do these inspections every day. We also use classic restoration shop technicians who have a good knowledge of building collector cars. These technicians can tell you if the electrical system has been jury rigged, if body panels are hung improperly, if a cylinder is popping oil or if a body mount is rusted out. These types of repairs could drop the car from being rated as a No. 2 condition car to a No. 4 condition car. That could be the difference of $20,000 or more.

We will also take digital photos of the vehicle and deliver them via email.

The Cars On Line Inspection Referral Service can allow you to take advantage of those great deals on the Internet. Although we will not find every problem with every car, we will help you determine the proper condition class to rate the car in, and in so doing you will know what price range the vehicle actually

belongs in. When buying over the Internet, the buyer is taking on all the risk. Most people use our service for “peace of mind.”

Cars-On-Line.com Inspection Service
Call 1-800-880-5105

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How Long Does It Take

We want to ask prospective clients to give us appropriate time to set up the appointment and to inspect the vehicle. Most inspections are set up within a couple of days. However some orders will take between four days and up to a week. We do not guarantee specific time frames to complete orders. Variations in time may be due to cooperation from owners and weather conditions.

Reports and photos are usually emailed for fastest delivery of the information. However we can also fax or deliver by regular mail (takes longer.)

Cars-On-Line.com Inspection Service
Call 1-800-880-5105

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Appraisals Included

When you have your classic car inspected, the appraisal value is part of our inspection process. And its included in the price of the inspection service.

Most appraisers will charge you $350 and up for a classic car appraisal. And they do not give you a written report on the technical-mechanicals of the car. They are concerned only with the value, not whether the rear seal is leaking or a cylinder is popping oil.

When you think about what the Cars On Line Referral Service offers for your “peace of mind” alone, you have to admit, its a great value for a basic price of just $275.

Our inspections/appraisals are welcomed by major insurance companies and banks because our inspectors are accurate in valuations and very specific in technical detail. If you are using the Cars On Line inspection report for a lending institution, be sure to ask for a separate appraisal letter to give to your bank.

Cars-On-Line.com Inspection Service
Call 1-800-880-5105

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Photos

Photos are an Important Part of the Inspection

Probably the most innovative part of Cars On Line’s approach to doing classic car inspections is the use of photos in the report. From day one, we recognized how important a set of photos taken by the inspector are. Remember, no matter how many photos the seller sends you, what you want to know is what the seller is “not showing you.” That’s where our inspection photos come in.

In every inspection we do a standard set of photos: all four corners of the exterior of the car, interior, top, carpeting, dash, trunk, back seat, windows, chrome, metal panels, doors and the frame rails and undercarriage of the car.

In addition to the standard photos, we ask the inspector to use his knowledge to identify in photo form anything that is “not right” about the vehicle, i.e. pitted chrome, rusted frames, cracks in the dash, saggy headliners, badly hung body panels, etc.

Cars-On-Line.com Inspection Service
Call 1-800-880-5105

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Disclaimer

Please read this disclaimer before placing an order. When placing an order we will ask you if you have read this disclaimer. When you click the submit button or place an order over the phone you are agreeing to the terms of this disclaimer.

Cars On Line does not do the inspection for you. Cars On Line is a broker that facilitates the completion of your inspection. It places the inspection with an independent inspection service or contractor in the area where the car is located.

The Independent Inspector provides a visual inspection of the car. That statement is not meant to imply that we warranty the car. We simply give you a good visual report on the car. No warranty is implied or given.

We like to say that the Independent Inspector is like having your best friend look at a car for you when you can’t physically look at the car yourself. It’s the next best thing to being there. The Independent Inspector is working for the buyer in this instance.

We are dealing with cars that are 40 years old or older in many cases. If you contract for an inspection you must understand that the Independent Inspector will not find everything wrong on a particular vehicle. If a car has a leak that is not constant (often called seeping,) the Independent Inspector might not detect it. He will not find every problem on a car. Often these cars have far more bondo in them than can be detected in a visual inspection. What this service should be used for is to make sure that a car that is advertised as being in No. 2 condition is not in fact a No. 4 condition car. In other words, the Independent Inspector will help to determine if you are buying a car that was grossly misrepresented based on its condition class and purchase price. (See the definition of condition classes at the end of each sample report.)

The Independent Inspector simply inspects the vehicle. We do not counsel the buyer. We do not make recommendations on whether to buy a vehicle. As in all cases, the buyer makes his or her own decision on whether to buy a vehicle. We suggest that the best way to use the Inspection Service is to have the inspector look at a vehicle and issue the report. Then if the vehicle seems to be what was represented to you by the seller, make a final inspection of the vehicle yourself. Because we are dealing with 30- to 50-year-old vehicles, we do not warrant the condition of any vehicle. That means we will be happy to look at the car to see if there are any visible problems, but we are not providing any guarantees or warranties on the car.

Understand in advance that if you buy a car and you find something wrong with the car after your purchase, we will not reimburse any expenses that you are charged to fix the car. This is not a mechanical warranty. Neither Cars On Line nor any of its contractors will reimburse you for mechanical failures or body work you have done after the purchase of a vehicle.

Read the Sample Reports area of this page (click button in the left column of this page.) These sample reports are actual reports that have been done. They show the areas of the car which are visually looked at in the report. The report covers only those areas. Do not assume that the Independent Inspector will inspect anything other than the areas covered by the report form.

The report will tell you what the Inspector finds at the time of the inspection. Please understand that after the Inspector leaves the vehicle we are not in control of what might occur to the vehicle, nor do we have control of parts that may be on the vehicle at the time of the inspection, but taken off or switched later.

The Independent Inspectors that provide services throughout the United States are working for or themselves constitute separate companies or firms that provide inspection services. Those companies agree to provide inspection services in their respective states. Cars On Line is a Wisconsin Corporation that does business only in Wisconsin.

When placing an order, either by clicking the submit button or by phoning the order in to our office, you are agreeing to the limitations of this disclaimer.

Cars-On-Line.com Inspection Service
Call 1-800-880-5105

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Availability

Cars On Line has a network of contractors in the United States and Canada. We can provide inspection services in many large metro areas of the country. Often we can cover nearby rural communities also for an extra fee to cover time and mileage.
Currently you will be able to use our services in most areas.

Cars-On-Line.com Inspection Service
Call 1-800-880-5105

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Sample Inspections