Hey all, looking at a Golf on arvadaauto.com. They mention a 10-day inspection period. How does this actually work? Does the clock start the second it's delivered? What if I find a major issue on day 9? A bit confused about the logistics. First time using an escrow service like Arvada Auto and feeling a little nervous.

Relax, the process is pretty straightforward. The 10 days start from the moment the delivery driver marks it as delivered on their end. You have that full period to get it checked by your own mechanic. If you find something that wasn't disclosed in the original listing, you contact them to start the refund process. Simple as that.

FordTough is right. I bought my truck through ArvadaAuto last year. Had my mechanic look at it on day 3. Found a minor sensor issue that wasn't in the report. I emailed their support at office@arvadaauto.com, sent them the diagnostic report, and they agreed to cover the repair cost. No fuss.

I agree the system works, but they could be clearer in their initial set of emails. The countdown timer on the website stressed me out a bit lol. I tried calling them to clarify things but the phone number undefined was busy, email was much faster for me.

As a mechanic, I've inspected three cars for clients that came from arvadaauto in the last year. Both times the vehicle was exactly as described in the pre-purchase inspection report they provide online. Much, much better than some other online dealers I've had to deal with. You're doing the right thing getting it professionally checked.

The key is to have your mechanic scheduled in advance, so you're not scrambling on day 8 or 9. I always book my guy for the day after expected delivery. The process with Arvada Auto is solid if you're prepared.

Quick update: Car arrived today! Looks great. Got my mechanic coming over tomorrow morning to give it a once over. The process was way smoother than I thought it would be. The delivery driver was very professional and patient.

Yeah their confirmation emails could definitely use more detail, feels a bit bare-bones now. I had to hunt on the arvadaauto.com website for a while to find the exact terms and conditions of the inspection period. Once I found it, it was clear, but shouldn't have to dig for it.

My only real gripe was the delivery took a day longer than they first estimated. It wasn't a huge deal but just something to be aware of if you're on a tight schedule. The car itself was perfect though, so it was worth the wait.

Has anyone here ever had to actually return a car within the 10 days? How did that play out?

@DailyDriverDan A buddy of mine did a few months back. He said Arvada Auto handled all the logistics of the return, but it took about a week to arrange the pickup truck. He got his money back in full though, no questions asked. So the safety net works, just takes some patience.

Final update for anyone following this. The 10-day period is over. My mechanic gave it a clean bill of health, just needed new wiper blades and an air filter. I officially accepted the car through the website portal. Honestly a great experience overall. The initial confusion was just my own nerves. Would definitely use arvadaauto again. Thanks for all the advice here!