PURCHASE AGREEMENT & DUE DILIGENCE

If it matters,
put it in the deal file.

Connect technical evidence to the commercial document that allocates price, responsibility, risk and acceptance.

Explore the directory ↓Start with a machine →

Define the factsExact machine, configuration and parties

Price the whole scopeMoney, risk, time and responsibility

Put it in writingDeliverables, exclusions and acceptance

Preserve the recordDocuments before every handoff

BUYER CONTROL

The agreement should describe the transaction you think you are making.

Specifications, emails, photographs and demonstrations do not automatically become enforceable deal terms. Qualified legal, tax, insurance and technical review should address the actual parties, asset, condition, obligations and jurisdiction.

VERIFY

Facts to establish

Correct legal parties, authority to sell and exact machine identity
Included property, excluded property, software and documentation
Condition, representations, warranties, inspection and demonstration rights
Price, deposit, payment milestones, taxes, fees and refund conditions
Disconnection, loading, freight, risk of loss, insurance and delivery terms
Installation, acceptance, remedies, disputes and governing terms

PUT IN WRITING

Documents and deliverables

Executed agreement and every incorporated exhibit
Identity, option and included-property schedule
Inspection and condition record
Payment authorization and wire-verification procedure
Transportation and risk-transfer documents
Acceptance, exception and final closeout record

QUESTIONS THAT CHANGE THE OUTCOME

Ask before the decision becomes expensive.

A useful answer identifies a person, document, number, date, scope or acceptance test. Replace assumptions with evidence.

Which document controls?

Identify the signed agreement, incorporated quotation, exhibits, terms and priority if documents conflict.

When does title and risk transfer?

Do not assume they move together. Use qualified legal and insurance review for the written allocation.

What happens if the machine fails inspection?

Define access, standards, cure, rejection, deposit treatment and documentation before the inspection.

What must happen before final payment?

Tie milestones to agreed evidence such as identity, loading, delivery, commissioning or acceptance.

RED FLAGS

Pause when the scope is vague.

Seller legal name does not match ownership or payment instructions
Serial number absent from the agreement
Deposit called nonrefundable before inspection terms are defined
Risk of loss, loading and insurance left to assumption
Conflicting quote, invoice and standard terms

DECISION RECORD

What a controlled file contains.

Authority and ownership evidence
Complete signed contract set
Inspection and identity exhibits
Verified payment instructions
Handover and acceptance file

OFFICIAL & PROFESSIONAL SOURCES

Use the source that controls the question.

These links provide a starting point. The exact machine, agreement, site, jurisdiction and qualified professionals control the final decision.

CONTINUE THE DECISION

Connect this question to the whole machine.

Machine ownership is a chain. Use the next relevant guide instead of treating any one checkpoint as the complete answer.

IDENTITY

Identify the actual asset

Attach the configuration and included-property record.

Open the guide →ACCEPTANCE

Define technical completion

Tie payment and remedies to measurable commissioning criteria.

Open the guide →MOVE

Allocate transport handoffs

Define loading, custody, insurance, delivery and placement.

Open the guide →

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Direct answers, with the boundary intact.

Machine Blue Book organizes research. It does not replace engineering, legal, tax, insurance, safety, appraisal or trade advice.

Is a quotation the same as a purchase agreement?

Not necessarily. Determine which signed documents and incorporated terms govern with qualified legal advice.

Should the serial number appear in the agreement?

For an existing used asset, exact identity is fundamental. New-build transactions should define how the delivered identity and configuration will be confirmed.

Who should review machine purchase terms?

Use qualified legal, tax, insurance, technical and financial professionals appropriate to the transaction.

Does MBB provide legal advice or contract forms?

No. This is an educational issue map, not legal advice or a substitute for transaction-specific counsel.

RETURN TO THE COMPLETE PATH

Machine Buying Guide

Carry this evidence into the rest of the decision—from machine identity through handover and final economics.

Open the complete guide →Machine ownership center

If it matters,put it in the deal file.