MATS is a ministry who operates very much like a car dealership. We are able to purchase any make and model of vehicle for you at wholesale facilities all over the country. Because of the unique nature of our operations, our low overhead costs and the trustworthiness of our partners (you!), we are able to save you significant money from retail pricing.
There are three varieties of sources that we use to find the right vehicle for you:
Once we know the range of vehicles that you are interested in, we will give you a list of the different ones available at the auctions or dealers near you. At a minimum, this information will include year, mileage, exterior and interior color. The best thing is to be as flexible with these details to allow us to buy you the vehicle with the best value. After the vehicle is purchased, the paperwork and a temporary license plate will be mailed to you. In addition, a temporary receipt/buyer's order will be emailed to you to allow you to take care of insurance and financing (unless you'd like us to help with financing). At this point, please mail us a check for the total amount due. If you are financing with us, please mail a check for the amount of your down payment. We are happy to do your financing for you with our partnership bank or you may finance on your own in your area. After you receive the permanent paperwork and temporary license plate, you will then be able to go to the auction to pick up the vehicle.
The first thing we do is read a pre-auction inspection report that will tell us any dents, dings, or scratches on the vehicle and their severity. The inspection also gives an overall rating of the vehicle's condition. We do not buy any vehicles that are below average. Also, almost every vehicle that we buy sight-unseen is still under factory warranty. Therefore, if there is an unseen mechanical problem, the manufacturer will fix the problem at no cost to you. Lastly, if you desire additional protection, we have warranty options listed below.
This is a common misconception, primarily because small local auctions can be that way. However, almost all of the vehicles that we purchase are coming straight out of rental or lease and are low-mile, well maintained, low risk vehicles. You may not know it, but these are the exact vehicles that end up on the lot of your local car dealers. The only difference will be that they may have had a few small dent repairs and will be charging around $1500 more than we will.
In addition to the basics mentioned above, we would be happy to provide a detailed options list and any dents reported on any vehicle that you are particularly interested in from the original list.
If you are buying something from our inventory in Indiana, of course you can. But if we are getting it at another dealer or at an auction, you cannot. On some of the vehicles, we can get pictures, but you have to be a dealer to go into the auction.
If the vehicle is under factory warranty, any mechanical issue will be fixed by any dealer of that manufacturer. As far as condition, we counsel people to be prepared to spend $400-500 reconditioning the vehicle. Considering that you're most likely saving over $1000 by purchasing this way, this is still well worth it. Most people pick the vehicle up and spend only $5 on a car wash and are completely satisfied. However, some find it necessary to get the vehicle detailed (around $100) or take it to a paintless dent repair shop (approximately $50/dent) to remove a few dents. If damage is more significant than $400 and we were not aware of this, we will work with you to get the issue resolved. In the end, we will ensure that you are still better off financially by choosing MATS over your next best option. If the vehicle is an absolute disaster, you will not be forced to purchase.
MATS International always strives to give our ministry customers the lowest possible price on any vehicle. However, we also understand that customers want to have confidence that they are getting the highest quality vehicle possible. This, of course, is a difficult combination if MATS is to maintain financial solvency as a non-profit ministry.
For this reason, we have developed a new warranty policy that we feel is in the best interest of both the ministry buyer and MATS. We have developed a list of warranty options that are available on almost any vehicle:
After you give us the word to purchase the vehicle on your behalf.
You can, but we strongly recommend against it. This would certainly be a way to get a high-mile vehicle for a lower price than you could elsewhere, but we could not vouch for the mechanical quality whatsoever. If you are willing to take on 100% of the risk, we are happy to purchase for you.