Collection & estimate policy

Managed by the service

After store setup, nearby dealer discovery, public-access screening, inventory detection, and scheduled collection run automatically. Customers do not need competitor cooperation, source approvals, scraper configuration, or CSV uploads. Customers can choose their benchmark and pause dealer tracking.

Before first collection, the service checks public HTTPS access, robots rules, and up to three same-origin terms or legal links published by the source. These automated checks are refreshed at least every seven days when collection runs. Explicit automated-access restrictions, cross-domain terms requiring separate review, access denials, or uncertain conditions are routed to service operations. Operators can record a documented access or permission review with a reference and expiration. Screening is not a legal opinion or proof of permission, and a permissive robots file alone is not legal clearance.

Respect access restrictions

Collection uses public HTTPS pages, same-site inventory links, an identified DealerOperationsBenchmark user agent, bounded requests, and robots rules. Requests are spaced at least one second apart per normalized hostname across stores, with longer supported robots crawl delays honored. There are no rotating identities, credential sharing, or login, CAPTCHA, paywall, or anti-bot bypasses.

HTTP 401, 403, or 429 responses and detected login or challenge pages place the website on hold for operator review. Robots-disallowed paths are never fetched; an excluded starting path or redirect also holds collection. A store cannot override a service-wide hold. Website operators can submit an objection below. Requests are reviewed before a service-wide hold or release is applied; an unverified submission does not automatically change source access. A confirmed objection can pause the domain across all stores.

Retain facts and provenance

Saved evidence uses an allowlist of vehicle facts: identifiers, specifications, mileage, asking price, listing URL, availability, source, and observation time. Dealer photos and original descriptions are not republished. URLs link back to the source. Saved scans identify coverage problems; unsupported platforms and blocked access are disclosed rather than treated as zero inventory.

Estimated sales are not confirmed transactions

By default, a listing disappearing from one complete inventory observation is assumed sold for ballpark benchmarking, without dealer confirmation. An optional persistent-absence mode waits for three complete absences and at least 72 hours since last appearance; counted absences are at least six hours apart. Incomplete, failed, empty, collapsed, paused, or held scans do not qualify an absence. A transfer, auction, wholesale disposition, withdrawal, or website change remains possible.

The date is a midpoint between last observation and first complete absence, not a measured transaction date. The default modeled price is 97% of the last observed asking price, using an assumed 3% discount. The discount is configurable and is not learned from confirmed transactions. Prices exclude unknown taxes, fees, trade allowances, financing, and negotiated terms. Unknown asking prices stay unknown. There is no claimed accuracy percentage or calibrated probability of sale.

Relisting retracts current sale estimates. Possible transfers and duplicate VIN departures are held for review and excluded from totals. A source’s “sold” marker remains a listing claim, not verification of a transaction or its price.

Private workspaces and independent decisions

Benchmarks use observations and permitted advertised-inventory imports within the account’s own workspace. We do not pool confidential subscriber transaction records, margins, or planned prices to recommend a common price. Dealers must make their own decisions. AI-assisted market interpretation is a planned capability; today’s tracking and sales modeling use automated rules.

Report an issue

Submit a source objection, correction, or privacy request →

Include the source website and a description of your authority or the correction needed. Do not send credentials or confidential customer information. Keep the request reference; an operator must review it and no automatic response time or collection outcome is promised.