Verify equipment before you buy it
Found a tractor, excavator or trailer for sale three hundred miles away? Before you wire money or send a truck, have a third-party independent agent confirm the machine exists, matches the listing and is where the seller says it is.
What a verification tells a buyer
- The machine exists and was at the stated location on the date of the visit.
- The serial number, VIN or PIN on the plate, read and photographed by the agent.
- The hour meter or odometer reading that day.
- Its visible condition, in photos taken by someone with no interest in the sale.
- The seller's answers to standardized questions, recorded on camera.
Compare the serial number and hours against the listing. If they match, you know you are buying the machine in the ad. If they don't, you found out before the money moved.
Warning signs in a listing
- A price well below similar machines
- No clear photo of the serial plate or hour meter
- A seller who won't allow anyone to see the machine
- Pressure to wire a deposit right away
- Photos that look copied from another listing
How to order one on a seller's equipment
- Get the seller's agreement to a verification visit. A seller who refuses is telling you something.
- Fill in the request form. Choose "No, someone else owns it" when asked if you own the asset, and enter the seller's name and phone number.
- A coordinator confirms access with the seller and schedules the agent.
- You get the certificate, and can check it at ironmarket.com/verify.
Need a mechanical check too?
The agent documents visible condition. For engine, transmission or hydraulic testing, have a mechanic or dealer technician inspect the machine as well.
Common questions
Related
Get your equipment on record
Choose Basic, Expert or Lot and tell us where the asset is. A coordinator schedules a certified agent to it.
