At acquisition: establish identity and scope
Match the vehicle and documents before ordering checks. Record the stock reference, current registration and mileage with the observation date. Keep VINs in the appropriate private workflow.
Decide which questions each source will answer: MOT results, servicing, original equipment and separate provenance checks have different scopes. A combined layout must not imply that an unavailable module was checked.
During preparation: connect observations to work
Ask the workshop to keep supporting invoices or job sheets with the actual work date and mileage. If historical MOT notes prompt a question, record the follow-up rather than assuming the old note is a current defect.
Identify missing service evidence early enough to contact the source. Keep unresolved claims out of an advert until the supporting detail is available.
Before advertising: substantiate the description
Compare important equipment claims with reliable specification evidence and the physical car. A build record can describe original fitment, while a demonstration shows something about current operation.
Use service-history descriptions that the documents support. A repair, inspection or workshop remark should not silently become a scheduled service.
At handover: give a dated, appropriate report
- Identify the report source and retrieval date.
- Explain unavailable results and unresolved history gaps.
- Exclude VINs and unnecessary personal information from customer-facing reports.
- Keep original private documents separate from the customer copy.
- Record later checks or work as new evidence rather than overwriting the history.
How the FMSH portal fits
The dealer workspace supports stock files, team access, saved checks and a printable report template. Paid supplier checks and dealer billing remain disabled while launch requirements are completed.
Trade pack pricing is still to be confirmed. The workflow should be useful before a subscription is sold, with every future paid lookup backed by a verified payment or a properly funded entitlement.