The headline price is often the first thing a buyer notices. The lines underneath decide what that price covers and when the next payment becomes due. A quotation should let you identify the seller, compare the vehicle with your requirement, and understand what happens between payment and handover. Start by saving the dated version you are reviewing and recording the questions that remain open.
Match the vehicle to your requirement
Check the make, model, grade, model year, build date, engine, fuel, transmission, drivetrain and steering side. Ask for an equipment sheet that identifies the quoted configuration. Record condition, mileage where relevant and any disclosed repairs or modifications. For multiple units, confirm that the quotation covers the same specification throughout or lists each variant separately.
If a VIN or chassis number is allocated, match it to the unit and supporting documents. If allocation will happen later, ask when you will receive the identifier and what evidence is required before the next payment. Agree how substitutions or specification changes will be handled. The vehicle specifications guide provides a comparison framework, and your destination agent should check eligibility against the exact configuration.
Review an illustrative quotation
The sample below is invented to demonstrate a review. Its figures and commercial terms are teaching assumptions. Ask your supplier to complete the corresponding fields for the actual transaction.
| Sample quotation entry | Question to settle before accepting |
|---|---|
| Two new pickups, specification attached | Does the attachment identify the exact grade, equipment, steering side and allocation process? |
| AED 70,000 per vehicle | Is the AED 140,000 vehicle subtotal correct, and which taxes or services are included? |
| Quotation valid for seven calendar days | From which date does validity run, and does acceptance reserve the units or price? |
| 20% deposit on acceptance | Is the assumed AED 28,000 deposit calculated on the vehicle subtotal or a different agreed total? |
| Balance before handover | What documents, inspection evidence and allocation confirmation must arrive before payment? |
| Collection at the seller's yard | Who loads, transports, insures and clears the vehicles for export? |
| Freight and destination charges excluded | Which separate quotations are needed to complete the budget? |
| Dispatch subject to stock allocation | What allocation date, dispatch milestone and response to delay are agreed? |
In this example the remaining vehicle balance would be AED 112,000 if the deposit applies only to the AED 140,000 vehicle subtotal. Additional services could change the amount due. Ask the supplier to show the arithmetic and payment basis explicitly. Save the specification attachment with the quotation so they can be reviewed together.
Define delivery and included services
Locate the named handover point. Ask who arranges collection, loading, inland transport, export formalities, freight and insurance. Where an Incoterms® rule is used, confirm the rule, named port or place and version. The International Chamber of Commerce's guidance explains how the named location relates to delivery, costs and risk.
Ask the supplier or forwarder to explain when risk transfers as well as how far the seller pays for transport. Under the C rules, the named destination is where the seller arranges carriage to, while risk transfers earlier at the applicable delivery point. The three-letter term should be read with its full wording and the rest of the agreement.
If insurance is included, ask for the cover, insured value, exclusions, excess and claims process. Mark all excluded services in your budget and obtain estimates from the parties responsible for them. Use the total import cost guide to reconcile the vehicle price with freight and destination costs.
Read deposit and cancellation conditions
Identify what the deposit secures and when the seller considers the order accepted. Ask what happens if the offered unit is unavailable, the specification changes, required documents cannot be supplied or the agreed timing slips. Request the conditions for cancellation and any refund, including the process and timing. Confirm them in the written agreement before you rely on them.
Set payment milestones against evidence you can check. That may include an allocated VIN list, inspection report, invoice and confirmation of the handover arrangements. Agree which party approves the evidence and how discrepancies are resolved. For a fleet order, establish whether the balance is paid by batch or for the full order.
Reconcile documents and payment instructions
Compare the seller's legal name and contact details across the quotation, invoice and agreement. Assign responsibility for the export and transport documents, using the export documents checklist as a starting point. Share destination requirements with the supplier early so that missing paperwork can be identified before dispatch.
Verify beneficiary details before instructing payment. The FBI's business email compromise guidance recommends checking payment changes and transactions in person or through a known telephone number. Confirm changed instructions through an established contact and investigate any beneficiary mismatch before proceeding. Keep the confirmation with the transaction file.
Request an itemised export quotation
Send the destination country and port, exact vehicle requirement, quantity and proposed timing. Include the inspection, document and delivery requirements you need the quotation to address. Ask the supplier to return a dated offer with its inclusions, exclusions and payment milestones clearly stated. Request a vehicle quotation.