The dealer-to-dealer new vehicle trade, start to finish

How does a dealer-to-dealer trade work on Locates.io? A seller lists a unit, a buyer finds it and agrees to a delivered price, and Locates.io finalizes the terms. Both dealers sign in either order, identities and VINs are released, the units transfer at invoice, and the amount over invoice settles through Locates.io. Selling is free; the buyer pays the $199 per unit platform fee.

A trade looks simple from the outside, but the details are where trades stall: who sees what, who pays what, who signs first, when the money moves and what happens if the unit arrives with a scratch. This guide walks through a complete trade step by step. Examples use made-up numbers; they are not market data or quotes. For the short version, see how it works.

Who is involved in a trade?

The selling dealer lists the unit and sets the price, or accepts an offer.

The buying dealer finds the unit and agrees to a delivered price.

Locates.io is the rep for both sides. We set up the terms with each side, generate the agreement, run the over-invoice part of settlement, and book freight if the buyer wants delivery.

There's usually also a carrier (or driveaway driver) if the unit is delivered. Carriers see the pickup and delivery details they need and nothing about the money.

The two dealers never talk directly. There's no dealer-to-dealer messaging; every conversation runs between a dealer and Locates.io.

Step 1: How does a seller list a unit?

The seller has three ways to get a unit onto Locates.io.

Forward the factory invoice to the store's private intake address. Locates.io reads the VIN and invoice amount, fills in the year, make, model and trim from the VIN, and creates a draft.

Use the listing form. Enter the VIN and invoice amount; the VIN fills in the rest.

Reply to the desk. Send the Locates.io desk your stock numbers, and the desk lists them.

Import a file. Upload a CSV or spreadsheet exported from the DMS. Locates.io guesses the column mapping, validates every row, shows the reason for any row it can't use, and lets the seller fix or skip those rows. Re-importing updates units already there instead of duplicating them.

Whichever route, the seller then chooses how each unit is listed:

• Listed with a price: at invoice, or invoice plus or minus an amount.
• Open to offers: buyers send blind offers against invoice.
• Private: the unit stays out of the marketplace; the seller can still use it in Hold vs Move math.

There's one active listing per VIN, so the same unit can't appear twice.

How is the listing protected?

Blind by default. Every listing hides the store's name, address, city, dealer code, the VIN and the exact distance. Buyers see the vehicle, a distance band (under 250, 250-500, 500-1,000 or 1,000+ miles) and an anonymous dealer profile.

Radius block. The seller can hide units from every dealer within 25, 50, 75 or 100 miles, store-wide or per unit. Dealers inside the radius never see those units, and nothing tells them anything was hidden.

Step 2: How does a buyer find a unit?

The buyer searches by what they need: year, make, model, trim, attributes. Results show individual units, not any store's inventory list. For each unit the buyer sees:

• The vehicle and its attributes.
• A distance band.
• An anonymous dealer profile.
• A delivered price estimate: the seller's price, plus a freight estimate range for delivery to the buyer's store, plus the platform fee.

Buyers can also use Buy Now for an estimated delivered total, build a multi-seller load in Mix Builder at one Plus per unit, save a search for instant alerts, send a request for something they can't find, or browse month-end deals.

Step 3: How do the dealers agree on a price?

If the unit is listed with a price, the buyer can request it at that price.

If it's open to offers, the buyer sends an offer against invoice. The seller can accept, counter or decline. When the numbers are close, the near-deal closer splits the gap: buyer up half, seller down half. Everything stays blind: the seller sees the offer, not the store behind it.

Either way, Locates.io handles the conversation with each side. Neither dealer can see or contact the other.

Step 4: When do the numbers lock?

When both sides have agreed on the vehicle price, Locates.io finalizes the terms. At that point each side sees its own numbers:

• The buyer sees: the itemized vehicle price, freight charge (if delivered) and platform fee, adding up to the delivered price.
• The seller sees: what they'll receive. Sellers pay no fee.

Neither side sees the other's numbers. A freight carrier sees no money at all.

How are the numbers built?

• Vehicle price: what the seller set, or the offer that was accepted.
• Freight charge: before terms, the buyer sees an estimate range. At terms, ops enters the carrier's real quote, and the charge is that quote split per unit plus Locates.io's flat $75 a unit. It is locked. If the buyer picks the unit up, there's no freight charge.
• Platform fee: $199 per unit, one time. It comes from the pricing rules in force when the terms are finalized, and a later change to those rules never touches a finalized deal. The buyer pays it. See pricing.

Step 5: How does signing work?

Locates.io generates a two-part agreement.

Part A, the terms, covers the units by alias, the money for each side and the counterparties by alias only.

Part B, the sealed schedule, holds both dealers' identities and every unit's VIN. It stays sealed until the agreement executes.

Buyer and seller sign independently, in either order, in the app or from an emailed link. Each signature is an e-signature, with a signed PDF and a certificate. The agreement executes only when both have signed the same current version. If the terms change after one side has signed, it becomes a new version and both sign again. A signed version is never edited.

When both have signed, Part B is released to both dealers.

Step 6: How does settlement work?

The invoice amount moves directly between the dealers. Units transfer at invoice, by floor plan swap or check. Locates.io never holds the invoice amount.

The amount over invoice runs through Locates.io. For each party, the direction is computed from the numbers. Whoever owes pays Locates.io directly, and Locates.io pays whoever is owed. For example, the buyer pays Locates.io the amount over invoice, and Locates.io pays the seller their amount over invoice. Locates.io pays the carrier.

Money owed to Locates.io is never routed through the other dealer.

The payout gate. Locates.io never records a payout until the incoming funds it depends on have been recorded as received. A seller is never paid with money the buyer hasn't sent yet.

Step 7: What happens with freight and delivery?

If the buyer wants delivery, Locates.io books a carrier or driveaway once the agreement has executed. The carrier's quote, the accepted cost and the final cost are tracked as separate numbers. None changes the freight charge on the dealers' deal, which was locked at terms. If the carrier's cost moves, Locates.io absorbs or keeps the difference. Details are in the freight guide.

At pickup, the carrier inspects the unit. Any damage is documented with photos.

At delivery, the carrier and the receiving store inspect it again, and document any damage with photos.

Those two inspections are the only photos on Locates.io. There are no listing photos. If the buyer picks the unit up, the buyer arranges it, and there's no freight charge.

Step 8: When is the deal complete?

When the units are delivered and the money has moved in both directions, the deal is completed. Every meaningful action, from listing to signing to each payment recorded, writes an entry in an append-only audit trail, so there's a record of who did what and when.

What does each side see at each stage?

What are common points of friction?

"I want to talk to the other dealer." There's no dealer-to-dealer messaging. Locates.io is the rep for both sides and handles every question.

"The other side changed something after I signed." Any change creates a new version, and both sides sign again.

"The freight came in higher than the estimate." The freight charge on your deal was fixed at terms. A carrier's actual cost doesn't change what you pay.

"The unit sold somewhere else after we signed." Locates.io marks it and freezes the deal: no pickup, no completion. Ops replaces the unit or drops it, and both dealers sign again.

"When do I get paid?" After the funds your payout depends on have been received. The deal shows who pays whom, and how much, before you sign.

FAQ

How long does a trade take from listing to signing?

It depends on how quickly both sides respond. A unit listed with a price can go from request to signed agreement in the same day if both dealers act promptly. Offers add time for each round.

Can I see who the other dealer is before I sign?

No. Names, addresses, cities, dealer codes and VINs are sealed until both dealers have signed the same version of the agreement.

Who pays the platform fee?

The buyer. Selling is free. The fee is $199 per unit, locked when the terms are finalized and charged only when a trade happens.

What is the delivered price?

The seller's price plus the freight charge plus the platform fee.

Is the freight estimate a quote?

No. A freight estimate is always a range, never a quote. The freight charge on your deal is locked at terms. Carrier quotes and final costs are tracked separately and don't change what you pay.

Who signs first?

Either side. The agreement executes only when both have signed the same current version.

Does Locates.io hold the invoice amount?

No. Units transfer at invoice directly between the dealers, by floor plan swap or check. Only the amount over invoice runs through Locates.io.

Can I be paid before the buyer pays?

No. Locates.io never records a payout until the incoming funds it depends on have been received.

What if the unit arrives damaged?

The carrier inspects at pickup and at delivery, and damage is documented with photos at those two points. The report is part of the deal record. More answers are in the FAQ.

Can I hide a unit from nearby dealers?

Yes. Set a radius block of 25, 50, 75 or 100 miles for your store or for a single unit. Dealers inside that radius never see the unit.