Process
How a sale works
Both sides get the same document. Nobody is guessing what happens next, and nobody sends money to a stranger.
Our own stock
We own it, we ship it
Anything listed as our own inventory has been bought outright and is held here. There is no escrow and no third party, because there is no other seller. You pay us, we ship, and you have seven days to send it back if it is not as described.
Consigned machines
Owned by someone else
Larger machines usually stay where they are until sold. Those are consignments, and the five steps below apply: escrow, inspection at the owner's premises, and release on your acceptance. Every listing states which of the two it is.
For consigned machines
- 01
Listing
You send the make, model, year, location, hours, and whether the machine is currently under power. We publish it. There is no fee, no exclusivity, and you can withdraw it or sell it privately at any time.
We ask up front whether there is a lien, lease or loan outstanding. Encumbered equipment sells perfectly well; it just needs a payout figure before closing rather than after.
- 02
Buyer introduction
When a buyer is serious, we confirm the commission schedule in writing before either party learns the other's identity. This is standard in brokerage and it protects both sides: the seller is not approached directly and undercut, and the buyer is not shopped around.
- 03
Escrow deposit
The buyer deposits the purchase price into a commercial law firm trust account. The money does not pass through our account at any point. The firm holding the funds is named, with its address and Law Society number, in the written escrow instructions — and the buyer reads and agrees to those instructions before sending anything. Nobody is asked to wire money to an account they have not seen identified in writing.
For larger machines a partial deposit with written confirmation of funds is often used instead, so the seller knows the buyer is real without the buyer wiring the full amount before seeing anything.
- 04
Inspection at the seller's premises
The buyer inspects in person against the specific representations the seller made in writing: hours, that it powers on and runs, listed tooling present, no undisclosed faults.
Inspection is pass or fail. If the machine matches what was represented, the sale proceeds at the agreed price. If it does not, the buyer walks and escrow returns the funds in full. Price is not renegotiated on the shop floor, which keeps a normal disagreement from turning into a standoff.
- 05
Release, then transport
On the buyer's acceptance, escrow releases the funds to the seller less commission. Title and risk pass at the seller's premises.
Rigging, loading and freight are the buyer's responsibility and are arranged directly with a rigger. We can give you names of riggers who work this kind of machinery; we do not contract them or mark them up.
Commission
Plainly stated
- We are a broker, not the manufacturer. No manufacturer warranty transfers on resale.
- Equipment is sold as described by its owner. We publish what we are told and what we can verify.
- We never hold your money. Escrow is a third party with its own obligations.
- We are not currently GST/HST registered, so no sales tax is charged.
- Commission is payable if a buyer we introduce completes a purchase within 12 months, whether or not the sale closes through us.