The short answer
Give yourself ten minutes and daylight. Walk the vehicle clockwise with your pickup photos open, check every panel, wheel and glass surface, then open the hood, start the engine and confirm the odometer. Anything new goes on the delivery Bill of Lading in specific wording, initialed by the driver, before you sign. Signing a clean BOL is what closes the door on a claim.
- Inspect before signing — the signature, not the photos, is what the insurer weighs.
- Write "inspected at night, subject to daylight inspection" if the driver arrives after dark.
- Photograph the annotated delivery BOL, not just the damage.
- Report anything found the same day so the claim opens while the driver is still nearby.
The ten-minute script
- Stand back and look at the whole car for anything obviously different.
- Start at the driver's door, walk clockwise, panel by panel, comparing to your pickup photos.
- Check lower doors, rockers and both bumpers — the places road debris hits.
- Inspect each wheel and rim for new curb rash.
- Scan the windshield and all glass for chips and star cracks.
- Open the hood: fluid levels, belts, anything disconnected.
- Sit inside: odometer reading, warning lights, upholstery, electronics.
- Start the engine and let it idle while you finish.
- Check the trunk and any personal items you declared.
- Only then take the BOL and sign — or annotate and sign.
How to word an exception
Be specific and physical: "4-inch scratch, rear driver-side quarter panel" or "new chip, lower windshield, passenger side." Vague phrases like "possible damage" are easy for an adjuster to dismiss. Have the driver initial the note, then photograph the page with the signatures visible.
After a delivery exception
- Call us the same day; we open the claim with the carrier's insurer.
- Send the annotated delivery BOL and photos from three distances.
- Get a written repair estimate within a few days.
- Do not repair before the adjuster reviews the estimate.
Frequently asked questions
- What if my car is delivered at night?
- Inspect with a flashlight, photograph heavily, and write "inspected at night, subject to daylight inspection" on the BOL before signing. That preserves your position if something appears in the morning.
- Do I pay the driver at delivery?
- No. On our retail orders the card on file is charged in full when the vehicle is picked up, so nothing is owed at delivery.
- How long do I have to report damage?
- Report it immediately — ideally on the delivery BOL and by phone the same day. Claims filed within 24 hours with documentation are the ones that resolve cleanly.