Federal Buyers Guide Instructions

Find out what type of Federal Buyers Guide your State Allows
Obtain Federal Buyers Guides
Complete Federal Buyers Guide
If you check the warranty box, complete what systems are covered
If you offer a warranty, give the buyer a separate warranty document
If the warranty is negotiated disclose the final terms of the warranty
Place Federal Buyers Guide prominently on vehicle before offering it for sale
If the transaction may take place in Spanish, post a Spanish Federal Buyers Guide
Include the following information in your sales contract
At the time of the sale, have customer sign the Federal Buyers Guide
Give customer an original, or copy of the signed Federal Buyers Guide

Find out what type of Federal Buyers Guide your State Allows

You will need to find out what type of Federal Buyers Guide is allowed in your State. Some States allow AS-IS sales, and some States require you to provide Implied warranties. Be sure to check with your State Attorney General's Office or call the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-382-4357 to find out what type of Federal Buyers Guide your State allows.

Obtain Federal Buyers Guides

You need to obtain the Federal Buyers Guide that is allowed in your State. Just click on Federal Buyers Guide link to download your Federal Buyers Guide. If you need a Spanish Language Federal Buyers Guide, then click here.

Complete Federal Buyers Guide

You must fill out the Federal Buyers Guide correctly. On the front of the Federal Buyers Guide you must fill out the type of vehicle you are selling, the model, the year of the vehicle, along with the vehicle identification number, or VIN. You may also enter a dealer stock number if you choose, although it is not required. Next, depending on what your State allows, you will check whether you are selling the vehicle AS-IS/Implied Warranty, or with a Warranty. If you are offering a warranty you will then check if you are offering a Full Warranty or a Limited Warranty. If you are offering a warranty be sure to include what systems are covered and for how long. If you are offering any type of service contracts, be sure to check the Service Contract box. Some States consider a service contract a type of insurance. If your State considers a service contract a type of insurance, then you will not check the service contract box. Check with your State's Attorney General's office to see if your State regards a service contract as insurance. On the back of the Federal Buyers Guide, be sure to enter your dealership name, address and the name of the person the buyer should contact regarding any repairs, complaints, or service to the vehicle.

If you check the warranty box, complete what systems are covered

When checking the warranty box you must list what systems are covered under the warranty and the length of time the systems are covered. Be very specific so there is no misunderstanding of what systems are covered and for how long.

If you offer a warranty, give the buyer a separate warranty document

If you have checked the warranty box, you will also need to give the customer a separate warranty document. When you are providing a warranty, the Federal Buyers Guide does not serve as your written warranty. A separate written warranty document must also be provided to the customer at the time of the sale. The separate warranty document should be provided by your attorney and must include all legal aspects of your warranty information in writing. You must also be able to provide this warranty document to the customer to examine before the sale, or you may post it on the vehicle next to the Federal Buyers Guide.

If the warranty is negotiated disclose the final terms of the warranty

If you have negotiated any warranty information before the sale, you must include this information on the Federal Buyers Guide and your separate warranty document. Always record any changes to the warranty and place them in writing before closing the transaction.

Place Federal Buyers Guide prominently on vehicle before offering it for sale

You must place the Federal Buyers Guide on any vehicle before offering it for sale. You may display it on the vehicle's window, hang it from the rear view mirror, place it under a windshield wiper, or even hang it from an outside turning mirror. Always be sure the front and back of the Federal Buyers Guide are visible to your customers. You may take the Federal Buyers Guide down during a customer's test drive but you cannot remove it from the vehicle. You must re-display the Federal Buyers Guide prominently after your customer has finished the test drive. You may never leave a Federal Buyers Guide in a glove compartment, or anywhere in the vehicle that prohibits your customers from viewing it.

If the transaction may take place in Spanish, post a Spanish Federal Buyers Guide

If a substantial amount of your dealership's sales take place in Spanish, you must provide a Spanish Language Federal Buyers Guide. Many dealers post English and Spanish language Federal Buyers Guide on every vehicle. If you are offering a warranty to Spanish speaking customers, you will also need a separate Spanish language warranty document. You may obtain a Spanish Language Federal Buyers Guide by clicking here.

Include the following information in your sales contract

According to Federal Law, you must include the following terms in your sales contract:

The information you see on the window form for this vehicle is part of this contract. Information on the window form overrides any contrary provisions in the contract of sale.

At the time of the sale, have customer sign the Federal Buyers Guide

You should always have your customer sign the Federal Buyers Guide at the time of the sale.

Give customer an original, or copy of signed Federal Buyers Guide

You must give your customer the original signed Federal Buyers Guide, or a copy of the signed Federal Buyers Guide. You should always keep a copy of the signed Federal Buyers Guide in your dealer files. Remember to keep several copies of all documents from every vehicle transaction.

If you have more questions about the Federal Buyers Guide, contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-382-4357 or visit www.ftc.gov or download the Federal Trade Commission Buyers Guide Compliance Guidelines

The information on FTCBuyersGuide.com is provided by the Automobile Dealer Training Association for reference purposes only. Please refer to the Federal Trade Commission Buyers Guide Compliance Guidelines or call the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-382-4357 for further details.