skills/used-car-investigator/references/dealer-reputation.md

# Dealership Reputation and Transaction Risk

Use for every dealer listing. Keep this investigation small and evidence-led.

## Efficient research sequence

1. Identify the exact legal/trading name, location, franchise/independent status, and listing platform.
2. Check the applicable regulator or licensing body when a searchable official source exists.
3. Read the advertisement's written price, mandatory/optional fees, financing conditions, certification, warranty/CPO, exchange/return, and PPI terms.
4. Run one broad public-review search. Look for repeated themes, not dramatic single complaints.
5. Seek a second source only to corroborate a material theme that could change the transaction rating.

For Ontario, prioritize OMVIC information and written all-in pricing terms. Use BBB, Google-style review snippets, Reddit, marketplace ratings, and news as secondary signals.

## Reputation scorecard

Score each dimension 0–2 for internal consistency; show the conclusion, not arithmetic, unless useful.

| Dimension | 2 | 1 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensing/regulator | Verified, no material signal found | Status unclear | Material official action or mismatch |
| Price transparency | Clear all-in/optional terms | Some ambiguity | Mandatory undisclosed or conditional pricing |
| Inspection access | Independent PPI welcomed | Not stated | PPI/cold start/scan refused |
| Warranty/deposit | Clear written protections | Limited or unclear | Contradictory/non-refundable pressure terms |
| Review pattern | Broadly consistent, no costly theme | Mixed themes | Repeated specific costly practice across sources |

Interpretation:

- **Low concern:** 8–10 and no hard trigger
- **Mixed:** 5–7, weak evidence, or unresolved terms
- **High concern:** 0–4 or a hard trigger

Hard triggers include regulator action relevant to the sale, identity mismatch, material fee contradiction, false CPO/warranty representation, refusal of a reasonable independent PPI, or pressure to sign before written terms are supplied.

## Required output

Use a compact section:

| Dealer check | Finding | Evidence | Buyer action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identity/licensing | ... | Verified/Unknown | ... |
| Price and fees | ... | Written/Seller claim | ... |
| Warranty/PPI | ... | Written/Unknown | ... |
| Reputation themes | ... | Recurring signal/Weak signal | ... |

Finish with **Transaction concern: Low / Mixed / High — confidence: High / Medium / Low**.

Do not call a dealer dishonest from reviews. Describe the specific practice, source quality, and possible buyer cost. If reputation evidence is sparse, say so and rely more heavily on written terms and PPI access.