1. Fair and Transparent Resolution. Signal Technologies Inc. (“Signal”) aims to make arbitration fair and transparent for both the buyer (“Buyer”) and the seller (“Seller”) of vehicles sold through Signal’s Marketplace, including LiveLane auctions, or any other Signal platform sales channel (the “Signal Platform”). If a concern arises about a vehicle’s condition, Buyer and Seller agree to resolve it through Signal’s arbitration process, and Signal will work in good faith to reach a fair outcome on every valid claim covered by this Arbitration Policy. If this Arbitration Policy ever conflicts with federal, state, or local law, that law controls. This Arbitration Policy is a commercial process for resolving vehicle condition disputes between Buyers and Sellers. It is not an agreement to arbitrate under the Federal Arbitration Act or any state arbitration law.
2. Scope, Terms of Service, and Definitions. This Arbitration Policy works together with Signal’s Terms of Service, available at https://www.signal.vin/legal/terms-of-service (“Signal’s Terms of Service”).
a. Scope. This Arbitration Policy applies to every vehicle reserved, won at auction, or purchased through the Signal Platform for delivery to a Buyer in the United States, including vehicles reserved during a DOT Hold.
b. Eligible Buyers. Only licensed motor vehicle dealers may buy on the Signal Platform. By reserving, bidding on, making an offer on, or purchasing a vehicle, Buyer represents that it holds a valid dealer license and is buying for resale, not for personal, family, or household use.
c. Definitions. “Buyer” means the licensed dealer that reserves or purchases a vehicle through the Signal Platform. “Seller” means the party selling the vehicle through the Signal Platform. “Reservation” means Buyer’s commitment to purchase a vehicle before it is released for checkout, including a vehicle on DOT Hold. “DOT Hold” means the period, shown on the Signal Platform, during which an imported vehicle is held and cannot yet be released to Buyer. “Sale Date” means the date Buyer’s bid or offer is accepted or, for a Reservation, the date Signal notifies Buyer that the vehicle is released and eligible for checkout. Other capitalized terms have the meaning given in this Arbitration Policy or in Signal’s Terms of Service.
d. Acceptance and Effective Date. This Arbitration Policy takes effect for each Buyer on the date and time Buyer accepts it on the Signal Platform, and applies to every vehicle Buyer reserves, bids on, makes an offer on, or purchases after that acceptance. Buyer must accept this Arbitration Policy, and any Material Amendment (defined in Section 11), before reserving, bidding on, making an offer on, or purchasing its first vehicle after it is posted. Signal keeps a record of each acceptance. The version in effect for Buyer on a vehicle’s Sale Date governs that vehicle.
3. NAAA Arbitration Policy. Except where this Arbitration Policy says otherwise, Signal follows the NAAA Arbitration Guidelines (the “NAAA Policy”), as they may be updated from time to time. The current NAAA Policy is available at https://naaa.com/auto-auction-guidelines/.
4. When and How to Use Arbitration.
a. General. If a Buyer receives a vehicle with an undisclosed issue covered by this Arbitration Policy, the Buyer shall notify Signal through their remarketing rep. To be eligible for review, the Buyer must have paid for the vehicle and submitted an arbitration request before the arbitration window below expires. Signal will investigate every eligible claim and determine the appropriate resolution. Buyer must also complete checkout within twenty-four (24) hours after Buyer’s bid or offer is accepted and the vehicle is eligible for checkout (“Timely Checkout”); failing to do so may void Buyer’s right to arbitration.
b. Timing. Buyer has five (5) calendar days from the date of delivery to raise any concerns for arbitration (the “Standard Arbitration Window”). The date of delivery counts as day one. “Delivery” means the date the vehicle arrives at Buyer’s location, and delivery is capped at two (2) calendar days after pick-up from a Signal location. Any additional time Buyer takes advantage of through Signal Transportation’s grace period does not count toward, or extend, the Standard Arbitration Window. The Standard Arbitration Window replaces any general time limit in the NAAA Policy. If the NAAA Policy provides a longer period for a specific condition (for example, title-related or flood issues), that longer period applies to that condition.
c. Investigation. To investigate a claim and determine the right resolution, Signal may ask the Buyer to provide evidence and help diagnose the issue within a set timeframe. This may include the Buyer:
i. Submitting photos, video, or other evidence of the vehicle’s condition to Signal within two (2) calendar days of Signal’s request;
ii. Taking the vehicle to a third-party diagnostic facility designated or approved by Signal, and providing evidence that the facility received the vehicle;
iii. Allowing a Signal inspector or third-party inspector to inspect the vehicle at Buyer’s lot, or taking the vehicle to a third party if Signal requests it; or
iv. Providing any other evidence Signal requests.
If the Buyer cannot or will not provide the requested evidence within the required timeframe, Signal will close the arbitration and the Buyer may not reopen it.
d. Final Determination. Signal’s decision on any arbitration matter is final and binding on both Buyer and Seller as to the remedies available under this Arbitration Policy.
e. Possible Resolutions. Signal decides how to resolve each arbitration claim. Resolutions may include a payment or credit to Buyer (based on the vehicle’s diminished value and/or the cost to repair the covered issue, at Signal’s wholesale rates for parts and labor), cancellation of the sale, no further action, or another resolution Signal deems appropriate. Signal generally prefers to pay for parts and labor at wholesale rates rather than cancel a sale, but may choose to cancel the sale instead at its sole discretion. A Buyer’s total arbitration remedy will never exceed the price Buyer paid for the vehicle. Signal calculates repair cost using its own estimate of wholesale cost, meaning used, remanufactured, and/or aftermarket parts, plus a wholesale labor rate of $100 per hour for mechanical work.
f. One Arbitration Per Vehicle. Buyer should inspect the vehicle at delivery and report all concerns to Signal at the same time. Once Signal completes and closes an arbitration for a vehicle, Buyer may not raise new concerns about that vehicle.
g. Effect of a Credit or Repair Payment. Once Signal pays Buyer a credit or repair payment, the vehicle becomes Buyer’s property “as-is, no arbitration” and is not eligible for any further arbitration.
h. If a Sale Is Cancelled. If Signal decides, in its sole discretion, to cancel the sale after delivery, Signal, the Seller, or another third party will transport the vehicle to a new location. Until the vehicle is transported away, Buyer is responsible, at its own cost, for keeping the vehicle safe and secure, including any damage or theft that occurs. Signal will not pay Buyer’s or any third party’s storage or security fees incurred before the vehicle is transported from Buyer’s lot. Buyer and Seller agree to cooperate with any title transfer Signal may require as part of the cancellation, including promptly providing and processing the necessary title paperwork. Once Signal receives that paperwork, Buyer will be refunded the purchase price and Buyer fee paid for the vehicle. Only Signal may cancel a sale under this Arbitration Policy, and Buyer’s sole remedy for a cancellation is the refund of the purchase price and Buyer fee described above.
i. What’s Covered (Vehicle Condition). Buyer may request arbitration for a vehicle condition issue, and be eligible for a remedy, only if all of the following are true:
i. The issue was not disclosed in a vehicle history report (e.g., AutoCheck, CarFax, NMVTIS); and
ii. At delivery, the odometer reading is not 150 miles or more higher than the mileage shown on the Signal Platform; and
iii. The vehicle otherwise complies with the NAAA Policy’s arbitration guidelines and is not excluded under those guidelines.
5. Signal’s Discretion. Signal may interpret, waive, or vary any part of this Arbitration Policy or the NAAA Policy whenever it decides, in its sole discretion, where doing so is considered fair and reasonable under the circumstances, provided that any waiver or variation is made in writing for a specific claim and does not reduce a remedy Signal has already granted.
6. Seller’s Responsibilities. In addition to Seller’s obligations under the NAAA Policy, Seller agrees to the following.
a. Seller must comply with Signal’s Terms of Service.
b. If Buyer’s arbitration claim is approved, Seller must reimburse Signal for the wholesale parts-and-labor cost of repairing the undisclosed condition. If the transaction is cancelled because of the arbitration, Seller is responsible, at its own cost, for transporting the vehicle from Buyer’s lot.
c. If Seller has already been paid when an arbitration results in the transaction being cancelled, Seller must promptly return that payment to Signal or Signal may offset future payments against any amount owing.
d. Seller must disclose (and allow Signal to disclose) the complete, accurate condition and title of the vehicle, including its accident history and all items listed in Appendix 1 of the NAAA Policy. If Seller (or its employees or agents) fails to make complete, accurate disclosure; misrepresents the vehicle’s features or condition; tampers with or interferes with full disclosure; if the vehicle is damaged, stolen, or tampered with before or after the condition report is written; or if Seller otherwise acts with gross negligence or willful misconduct causing incomplete or inaccurate disclosure, Seller is responsible for all resulting costs. This includes arbitration costs, relisting costs, and all costs, liabilities, and losses suffered by Signal, Buyer, or any affected retail customer. If the transaction is canceled for any of these reasons, Seller must also: (i) promptly return the sale proceeds to Signal; (ii) remove the vehicle from Buyer’s lot or the storage facility, at Seller’s cost, within ten (10) calendar days of the cancellation; and (iii) refund any vehicle transportation expenses to Buyer or Signal incurred.
e. Regardless of Seller’s other disclosure obligations, Seller must always disclose: (i) a missing catalytic converter; (ii) emissions-related mechanical modifications, to the extent required by law; and (iii) a modified or inoperable catalytic converter, for vehicles with up to 125,000 miles.
f. Seller’s obligations under this Section 6 last for the full arbitration window described in Section 4(b), including any longer NAAA period that applies under that section.
7. Buyer’s Responsibilities.
a. Buyer must inspect the vehicle immediately upon arrival, verify Seller’s representations, and promptly notify Signal of any discrepancies within the timeframe this Arbitration Policy requires. Buyer must also verify the odometer reading upon arrival.
b. Before bidding on, making an offer on, or reserving a vehicle through Signal, Buyer must review all condition reports, pictures, and disclosures provided by Seller and Signal.
c. Buyer assumes all financial responsibility and risk of loss or damage starting at pick-up (by Buyer or its agent) or delivery (by a third-party transporter).
d. Buyer or Buyer’s agent (transporter or driver) must document any damage at pick-up, before removing the vehicle. Once the vehicle leaves the pick-up location, Signal and Seller are not responsible for damage that wasn’t documented in writing at pick-up.
e. Buyer must not have repairs performed before Signal validates the claim; arbitration will not cover repair costs incurred before validation. If Buyer makes any changes to the vehicle while arbitration is pending, Buyer is liable for that work and its results. Buyer is also not eligible for any arbitration remedy for a vehicle Buyer has already resold (wholesale or retail, valid or voided) before the claim is resolved.
8. Buyer’s Expectations.
a. When practical, Signal’s inspectors may drive the vehicle around Seller’s lot, but not at road speeds, and test driving is not meant to catch mechanical or drivability issues. Signal’s inspection of Signal Platform vehicles is a visual, on-site review of the exterior, interior, undercarriage, and frame (without lifting the vehicle).
b. The mechanical inspection also includes checking engine oil and coolant, starting and running the engine, and briefly driving the vehicle in the lot to confirm the transmission engages first gear and reverse.
c. Vehicles with more than 125,000 miles are not eligible for arbitration for an inoperable or modified catalytic converter.
d. Signal may word the same disclosure differently across vehicles, but however an issue is disclosed, it is not eligible for arbitration.
e. As a professional used car buyer, Buyer should expect that Signal Platform vehicles may have imperfections and will need some repairs before they’re retail-ready. Signal’s condition report may not list every normal wear-and-tear item typical for a wholesale vehicle of its age and condition; those items are not eligible for arbitration.
9. Seller Pre-Sale Certification. Some Sellers offer pre-sale certification on select vehicles sold through the Signal Platform; certified vehicles are identified as such at the time of sale. Sellers currently offering certification, and the applicable terms, are listed here. Signal’s decision on any arbitration matter involving a pre-sale certification is final and binding on both Buyer and Seller. If the certification terms conflict with this Arbitration Policy, Signal will resolve the conflict in its sole, reasonable discretion.
10. Conflicts. If this Arbitration Policy conflicts with Signal’s Terms of Service or the NAAA Policy: (a) on vehicle arbitration matters, including eligibility, claim deadlines, process and remedies, this Arbitration Policy controls; (b) on all other matters, Signal’s Terms of Service control; and (c) the NAAA Policy applies only where neither addresses the issue. No limitation of liability, disclaimer of warranty or similar provision in the Terms of Service limits the remedies available under this Arbitration Policy.
11. Amendment of the Policy. Signal may amend this Arbitration Policy at any time by posting the amended version on Signal’s website.
a. Material Amendments. A “Material Amendment” is any change that reduces Buyer’s or Seller’s rights or remedies, shortens a deadline, adds an obligation, or changes eligibility for arbitration. A Material Amendment applies to a Buyer only once Buyer accepts it under Section 2(d).
b. Non-Material Amendments. All other changes, such as clarifications, corrections, formatting, updated links or contact details, and changes that only expand Buyer’s rights, take effect when posted and do not require re-acceptance.
c. No Retroactive Effect. No amendment applies to a vehicle with a Sale Date before the amendment takes effect for that Buyer.
