A buyer’s order may be labeled a purchase agreement, vehicle order or retail worksheet. The design varies, but the document should reveal the vehicle, selling price, taxes, fees, products, trade and transaction total. Read it before focusing on the financing contract.
Verify the vehicle and selling price
Check the VIN, year, make, model, trim, mileage and whether the vehicle is new, used or demonstrator inventory. Confirm that the selling price matches the written quote and that every promised dealer discount appears as a separate line.
Find the tax and government section
Look for sales or use tax, title, registration, plate and inspection charges. Ask which amounts are estimates and whether the dealer will refund or collect a difference after registration. Do not assume every charge grouped under “fees” is a government fee.
Read every dealer and product line
Documentation fees, electronic filing, delivery, market adjustments, reconditioning and add-on products should be visible. Service contracts, GAP coverage, maintenance plans, theft products and appearance protection are not the same thing. Ask for the price and terms of each product before accepting it.
| Section | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | VIN, trim, mileage and condition |
| Price | Negotiated amount and discounts |
| Tax and government | Rate, taxable base and official fees |
| Dealer/products | Every fee and optional add-on |
| Trade | Allowance and lender payoff |
| Total | Purchase total before financing interest |
Keep trade and cash down separate
The trade allowance, payoff and net equity should be traceable. Cash down is also separate from the purchase total. If the worksheet jumps from vehicle price to monthly payment without showing those layers, ask for a clearer itemization.
Then read the financing disclosure
The retail installment contract should show the APR, finance charge, amount financed, total of payments, payment schedule and any products financed with the loan. Compare the amount financed with the output from your purchase worksheet.
Do not sign a screen that only shows signature boxes. Ask for a readable copy of every page and take time to compare it with the written quote.
Save the final documents
Keep the advertisement, messages, buyer’s order, financing contract, warranty documents and product agreements. A clean record makes later questions easier to resolve.
Pause when the document changes
Dealership systems may regenerate the buyer’s order after a lender decision, trade appraisal or product discussion. Compare the revised version with the previous copy instead of assuming only one number changed. Recheck the selling price, trade allowance, fees, products and cash due after every revision.
Use the totals as a cross-check
The purchase total minus cash down and net trade equity should be close to the amount financed, allowing for any financed products or timing differences. If the figures do not reconcile, ask the finance manager to walk through the arithmetic line by line before signing.