WHITE LIGHT - POWERTRAIN POLICY Effective

WHITE LIGHT - POWERTRAIN POLICY
Effective April 16, 2015
Dear Friends,
I want to make you aware of some important changes to our rules and policies that will
be implemented next week (April 16th). It is always our goal to provide the best possible
environment for sales here at DAA Northwest, and toward that end we have modified our
policies over the years in response to changes in the marketplace that include vehicle design,
diagnosis and repair, and most importantly, feedback from our customers. It has become clear
to us that the “Limited Drive Train” announcement that we have used for partial powertrain
coverage over the last few years has contributed to some confusion regarding condition
expectations and the arbitration process. Effective next week, we will no longer use the Yellow
Light / Limited Drive Train nomenclature. Instead, we will reinstitute the “White Light” to
indicate that a vehicle is subject to “Powertrain” coverage as described below.
Please note that we have developed the recommended guidance based on what we think is
appropriate representation of a vehicle’s age and mileage. Ultimately, we believe that sellers
can and should choose how to represent / offer their vehicles for sale. We want to emphasize
that sellers should bear in mind that offering a vehicle for sale at a higher guarantee level than
is recommended should only be done based on prior knowledge that the vehicle will pass the
chosen level of guarantee.
In addition to the “White Light” Powertrain policy, there are other minor changes in the
policies that will be effective April 16th. All customers are encouraged to read and be familiar
with the policies prior to buying or selling. The policies can be found at www.daanw.com.
- Greg Mahugh
In the event a seller fails to specify the light color at the time of sale, the Auction will add the light
based on the standard definitions below.
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Green Light: Appropriate for vehicles newer than 10 years and having under 100k miles.
Yellow Light / Announcement: Appropriate for vehicles that meet the Green Light criteria with
defined exceptions
White Light: Appropriate for vehicles that are generally operational but are over 10 years old
or have more than 100,000 miles.
Red Light (AS-IS): Appropriate for vehicle over 10 years old and have more than 150,000 miles.
WHITE LIGHT - POWERTRAIN POLICY
Effective April 16, 2015
Vehicles represented as “White Light” by the seller are subject to arbitration only for
malfunction of the primary power train components. In addition vehicles must be road worthy
and function well enough for all covered components to be road tested and the vehicle safely
test driven. Specific considerations include:
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“White Light – Powertrain” vehicles are fully subject to arbitration under the “Structural
Damage” policy and all non- mechanical considerations (see matrix for specifics)
Arbitration under the “White Light” policy is subject a $500 per singular defect threshold
Covered components are engine, transmission, transfer case and differentials
For the purpose of this policy “road worthy” includes, but is not limited to:
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safe operational brakes
electrical system that may require jump start but will then operate without further
intervention
suspension, steering, hubs and axles that function well enough to test drive the vehicle
(these components are not covered and any arbitration would be based on extreme /
infrequent circumstances)
Note: Systems not covered include but are not limited to:
- all accessory equipment (windows, locks, sunroofs, convertible tops, radios, nav systems,
HVAC, etc...)
- hubs, axles, u-joints, power steering, etc… subject to “road worthy” requirements
listed above
Required announcements for “White Light” vehicles include:
- Salvage history, title brands, lemon law, flood, odometer discrepancy (non-exempt
vehicles), structural damage, industrial/off road use