Certification Terms

Draft notice. This document is a working draft prepared before counsel review. No certification will be issued under it until counsel has reviewed it. Bracketed items are open points.

1. What a certification is

A Go to Hammer Certified statement (a "Certification") is a written record, prepared by Go to Hammer and reviewed by a designated reviewer, of:

1. the identity of the vehicle (year, make, model, trim, VIN, mileage at release);
2. what we found when we inspected it, including faults, wear, prior repairs, and non-original items we observed;
3. the work we performed or had performed, with before-and-after photographs where taken;
4. a condition grade on our published scale, with a plain-language summary;
5. the items we identified but did not address, whether because the seller declined them, they were outside the scope of the job, or they were not economical to fix;
6. the date of release, the reviewer's sign-off, and a public verification code.

A Certification describes the vehicle as we found it and left it, on the date shown. It is a point-in-time inspection and work record. It speaks to what a competent enthusiast shop observed and did. It does not speak to anything that happens after release.

2. What a certification is not

A Certification is not:

• a warranty or guarantee of the vehicle's condition, performance, reliability, roadworthiness, or value, express or implied;
• insurance or a promise to pay for any repair, defect, or loss;
• an appraisal for insurance, lending, tax, estate, or legal purposes, and it states no value;
• a title, lien, theft, or history search. We decode the VIN and record the title status the seller reports and what the title document shows at intake. We do not run title history, lien, or theft checks unless a line for that service was approved and is listed;
• a safety, emissions, or roadworthiness inspection under any state law, and it does not substitute for one;
• a substitute for a buyer's own pre-purchase inspection. Bidders who want an independent opinion should get one;
• an authentication of provenance, matching numbers, race history, or originality claims beyond what is expressly stated in the findings;
• a statement by or on behalf of any auction venue, and it carries no venue endorsement.

3. Limits of the inspection

Our inspection is visual, functional, and non-destructive unless the Certification lists a specific procedure (for example, compression test, paint-depth readings on listed panels, lift inspection, cold-start recording, road test of a stated distance). We do not disassemble components to inspect them unless listed. Hidden conditions, intermittent faults, and conditions that require specialist equipment we did not use may not be found. Where the Certification says an item was not inspected, it was not inspected.

4. Condition grade

Our grade is an opinion on a five-point scale. It weighs cosmetic condition, mechanical condition, originality, documentation, and presentation against reasonable expectations for a car of that age, type, and mileage. Two cars with the same grade can differ in ways the findings describe; read the findings, not just the number. [Publish the scale definitions on /certified and keep them versioned with these Terms.]

5. Review before release

Every Certification is reviewed by a designated reviewer before it is released and becomes verifiable. A draft that has not been released is not a Certification and may not be used as one. We may decline to issue a Certification for any vehicle, including where we believe the seller has withheld material information.

6. Verification

Each released Certification carries a ten-character code and a public page at gotohammer.com/verify/<code>. The page shows the current status of the Certification (released, or revoked with the reason), the release date, and the content in Section 1. If the page and a document a seller shows you differ, the page is authoritative. A document without a working verification page is not a Go to Hammer Certification.

7. Use by the seller

The seller may attach the Certification document to their auction listing, link to the verification page, and quote the summary and findings in full and unaltered. The seller may describe the vehicle as "Go to Hammer Certified" while the Certification status is released. The seller may not:

• edit, crop, summarize selectively, or otherwise alter the Certification or its photographs in a way that changes its meaning;
• omit the "not addressed" items when quoting the findings;
• use the Certification for a different vehicle, or for the same vehicle after a change that makes it inaccurate (for example, an accident, a component swap, or substantial mileage);
• present it as a warranty, guarantee, or venue endorsement;
• use it after it has been revoked.

We may offer a Go to Hammer Certified badge image for listings; its use is licensed only while the Certification is released.

8. Reliance by bidders and buyers

A Certification is published so that bidders can see what an independent shop found and did. We want them to trust it, which is why it is honest about what is wrong. However, a Certification is information, not a contract between Go to Hammer and any bidder, buyer, or venue. We do not know who will read it or what they will do with it. Any bidder relying on a Certification does so as one input among others, and remains responsible for their own diligence, including a pre-purchase inspection if they want one. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Go to Hammer has no liability to any bidder, buyer, or other third party arising from a Certification, except for statements we knew to be false when released.

9. Changes after release

A Certification is accurate as of its release date and mileage. It becomes inaccurate as the vehicle is used, stored, or altered. We do not update a released Certification. A seller who wants a current statement can request a re-inspection, which results in a new Certification with a new code.

10. Errors and revocation

If we discover that a Certification contains a material error, or that the seller supplied false information that affected it, or that the vehicle has been altered so that it no longer matches, we may revoke the Certification. The verification page then shows it as revoked with the reason and date. We will tell the seller by email. Where an error is ours, we will issue a corrected Certification at no charge and, where practical, tell any venue we know it was listed on.

11. Fees

The certification fee is shown on the Pricing page and as a line on your estimate. It is charged when the Certification is released to your account. It is not refundable on revocation for seller-supplied false information.

12. Relationship to other terms

These Certification Terms are part of the Terms of Service. The disclaimers, limitation of liability, governing law, and dispute provisions of the Terms of Service apply to Certifications.

13. Contact

Questions about a Certification, or to report one you believe is being misused: use the contact form or write to hello@gotohammer.com with the verification code.