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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

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Where are you located?We are located 30 minutes outside of Milwaukee, WI in Sussex, WI.
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How long have you been in business? What experience do you have buying cars?Big Wave Auto as a business was formed in early 2024. My experience buying vehicles spans 14+ years with 25+ vehicles purchased personally. I have also assisted friends and family with vehicle transactions over the years.
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Where do you find your cars?Since we have our dealership license in Wisconsin, we are able to source vehicles from anywhere in the United States or even internationally. This includes dealer-only auctions, public auctions, other dealerships, local and national private party sales and wholesale dealer networks. This is the same pool of vehicles that your local dealer purchases from. Aren't cars from the Auction bad? As with everything in life, it depends. The quick answer is as long as you have us backing you in the process, it can be actually safer than buying at retail. There are millions of vehicles sold at Auctions every year. There are $100 crashed cars and $1,000,000 Ferrari's sold. In every color, condition, and trim level. You can feel confident that every option presented to you by us is THOUROUGHLY vetted.
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How long does a search take?Our intial questionnaire takes around 5 minutes to complete, followed by a 10 minute Orientation call. Depending on how specific and rare your request is, it may be 1 day or 1 month before we are able to find exactly what you want. You are free to move as slow or as fast as your needs dictate after that. If you find something that you like in the meantime at a dealer, NO PROBLEM. We will return your search fee. We are here to help you, not nickle and dime you.
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Are there certain cars that you will not buy?Our aim is to find vehicles for customers that have clean titles, clear Carfax/AutoCheck histories and some remaining manufacturer warranty left for piece of mind. Cars fitting the criteria above will be less than 4-5 years old and over $20,000. We are open to everyones particular situations and requirements but for most purchases we will stick to the above guidelines.
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Am I able to come see cars in person?Typically since we are purchasing across the US, vehicles may be located near you or 3000 miles from you. With extensive third party reports on each car provided, we can be confident in the vehicle's overall condition before purchase. Because of this, vehicles may not be able to be seen in person until purchased and they arrive at your door. If the vehicle arrives in a condition other than what was on the report, we are able to work to get any issues corrected. If you are local to Wisconsin, we have a small office with an indoor showroom to view cars that are in inventory or that we have purchased for you where you can take delivery of your car and complete paperwork onsite if you wish.
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I have some cash to put down but need to finance the rest. Can you help?As we are not a large franchise or dealer, we are not aiming to make money on financing like other dealers do. As such, we recommend and can assist you in getting pre-approval at local or national Credit Unions (which always have the best rates). You are free to bring your own financing from any bank or lender that you like. We can provide a purchase order for you to take to your lender for them to cut a check. It is our goal to get customers the best rates possible when searching for financing options.
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What is your return policy?Each vehicle comes with a guarantee that it will arrive in the condition represented on the inspection report. If it arrives with damage or in a condition different from the report, we can work to get money back to repair the damage or return the vehicle altogether. Some vehicles will be eligible for a no-questions-asked return policy which allows buyers the protection to return the vehicle for any reason. This is an additional fee that can be added if that is of interest to you.
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Do the cars you buy have a warranty?The majority of vehicles that we are purchasing for clients have some existing New Vehicle Warranty left from the Manufacturer. This means that any Manufacture defects will be corrected directly through the Manufacturer. Big Wave Auto will make every effort to disclose the remaining warranty on all vehicles. We also can offer Third Party Bumper to Bumper and Mechanical Warranties, but it is not something that we push to make you buy.
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What does shipping cost?Shipping vehicles from every corner of the US is very common and prices range from $500-$2500. These costs will be outlined in the ALL-IN price and will depend on vehicle location and customer location.
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Can I pick up my vehicle in person?You are free to save on shipping costs by flying, driving or walking to where the vehicle is located. We will assist in whatever way possible to help save on costs if you desire.
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