Step 1 · Ownership Plan
Start with the plan: are you buying or leasing, and how long will you keep it? The 8-Year Rule keeps you in a car's best reliability-and-value window.
A brand-new car is 0. A 2023 bought in 2026 is about 3.
Step 2 · Equity Assessment
Do you have a current vehicle to trade in or sell? Any equity (what it's worth minus what you owe) can go toward this purchase.
Buyer search profile
The rules everything else follows. Hard limits are never crossed automatically; soft targets can be widened in Expanded Search. New accounts start completely blank.
Marketplaces list cars by model line (E-Class), not trim (E350). Leave this the same as the model for cars like Camry or F-150.
Phone / GHL calling (per buyer)
The GHL car-shopping number. Calls go out on this, never a personal cell. Required before any call.
Optional n8n URL that creates/syncs the dealer contact in GHL. Leave blank to use a saved contact ID.
Budget calculator
The full budget for the whole purchase: the car, taxes, title, registration, dealer/doc fees, transport, inspection, history report, and immediate repairs.
Money set aside for everything outside the car's price: taxes, DMV/title/reg, dealer/doc fees, transport, inspection, history report, and immediate repairs.
Auto-calculated: all-in budget minus the reserve. The most you can pay for the car itself.
Market snapshot
Two searches. Snapshot leaves color open to learn true market pricing. Buyer match applies your preferred color. Open the marketplaces, sort low→high, and record the low and high you actually see.
A · Market snapshot searches color open
Every link opens used-only results, filtered to your car and sorted price low to high, near your ZIP.
B · Buyer-match searches your color
Record what you found
Do not auto-pick the cheapest — the lowest is often salvage/title trouble and the highest is often just overpriced.
Save search & alerts
Save this profile as a named search and turn on alerts on each marketplace (new listing, price drop, entered your range). Use the marketplace's own "save search" on the pages above for live alerts.
Expanded search
Only if your budget falls outside the market range. Widen soft targets (mileage toward ~15k/yr, larger radius). Hard limits stay locked unless you approve.
Hard limits (locked)
Suggested expansions
Listing collector
Add every serious listing as a standardized record. Paste the listing URL and fill what you can. Duplicate VINs collapse into one vehicle. Each gets a Green/Yellow/Red status with the reason.
Add / import a listing
Top 5 candidates
Scored on price, mileage, year, service history, accident/title, distance, seller and buyer-match — not just the cheapest. For Jack, maintenance history outweighs mileage.
Market report
The whole picture: your limits, the market ranges, every unique vehicle with its status, and the top candidates.
Compare & filter
Step 6 · Paperwork & Protection
Once you have agreed on a car, work its paperwork here: buyer's order, title, odometer disclosure, warranty, deposit and delivery agreements. Each vehicle is checked before payment is authorized.
Step 7 · Delivery & Final Acceptance
The final check before you accept the car: delivery photos, VIN and odometer match, keys and accessories, final paperwork and any shipping or damage evidence.
People Helping Me
Invite someone you trust to help with this car-buying profile. They use their own Car Scope account and must accept the invite before they get access. You can change or revoke it anytime, and revoking cuts them off immediately.
Invite a helper
A helper can never change your password, email, or delete your account. They only see this one profile.
Current access
Recent activity
Everything a helper does on your profile is recorded here. This history can't be changed or erased.
Customers I'm Helping
Invitations people have sent you, and the profiles you can help with. You always use your own account. When you enter someone's profile, a banner stays on screen so you know whose search you're in.