Know what to check before you arrive.
Quick answer
Choose a product category and add the checks specific to the listing. The builder creates a checklist you can tick, copy or print before collection. Use the linked buying guide for the detailed procedure, and arrange specialist inspection when ordinary buyer checks cannot establish the condition.
Make it yours
Make your inspection checklist
Choose a category, then add anything specific to the item you are considering.
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Make the checklist specific to your purchase
The useful questions depend on the item. A monitor needs the right input and a screen check. A tent needs its poles and rainfly. A bicycle needs the correct fit, provenance and attention to structural and mechanical condition.
Choose the closest category, then add anything particular to the listing: the charger the seller mentioned, a dimension you still need, an accessory that changes the price or a function you want demonstrated.
The generated checklist links to a more detailed guide. Its checkboxes help organise the visit; they do not replace the procedure in that guide.
Do some checks before travelling
Ask for the exact model and a clear view of its label. Confirm what is included and whether a normal demonstration is possible. If a recall lookup or ownership-transfer step matters, prepare it before the meeting.
Use the product-check directory to find an appropriate resource. A missing result in one database is not a universal clean bill of health.
Leave room to change your mind
A collection appointment should still allow inspection. If the item differs from the description, a component is missing or the seller cannot demonstrate the agreed function, pause before paying.
For heavy or installed equipment, understand which checks require a qualified person. Do not improvise disassembly or tests that go beyond the manufacturer’s normal operating instructions.
Use the list at the handover
- Read the full list before setting off and bring any ordinary testing equipment you need.
- Check the item’s identity against the listing and your notes.
- Complete the relevant inspection with the seller.
- Confirm all accessories and included parts.
- Tick only the checks you actually completed and record unresolved questions.
Your checked items remain on the current page while it is open. Copy or print the result if you want a record to keep. Reset clears the current checklist.
A completed check is different from a completed purchase
For an illustrative used monitor, your notes might look like this:
| Check | Record at the meeting |
|---|---|
| Exact model | Matches the label and listing |
| Stand and power supply | Present; model compatibility confirmed |
| Housing and screen surface | Checked; small housing mark noted |
| Required video input | Not checked: no suitable source connected |
Leave the input test unchecked. Seeing a power light does not answer whether that input works. Ask to complete the agreed test with compatible equipment, arrange another inspection or pass. The unchecked item is useful information, not a task to tick just to finish the list.
Plan the rest of the collection
Inspection is one part of the trip. The pickup planner covers timing, transport, helpers and measurements. The total-cost calculator makes it easier to decide whether a repair or missing accessory changes the purchase.