All buying guides
Exotic car buying checklist
Pre-purchase inspection, VIN and title checks, escrow, and how to avoid wire-fraud scams before you buy an exotic or collector car.
Vehicle history and title checks, explained
Which free government lookups exist (NMVTIS, NICB, NHTSA recalls) and what they can and can’t tell you.
Fake escrow and wire-fraud scams in high-end car sales
How the “buyer protection” and fake escrow scams work, the red flags the FBI lists, and what to do if you’ve paid.
How to verify a luxury watch before buying
Papers, serials, movement checks, seller checks, and when only the brand can confirm authenticity.
Pre-owned vs new Rolex or Omega: a checklist
Questions to answer before choosing an authorized retailer, a brand-certified pre-owned watch, or the open market.
Spotting fake diamonds and jewelry
Grading reports, treatments, metal stamps, and what the FTC Jewelry Guides say sellers must disclose.
Traveling abroad with a luxury watch or fine jewelry: register it, declare it, come home clean
How to prove the watch on your wrist was yours before you left, what U.S. Customs expects you to declare, and the overseas-service trap most collectors miss.
Chartering a yacht in U.S. waters: verify the captain, the vessel, and the contract
Six-pack, inspected vessel, or bareboat: how to tell a legal yacht charter from an illegal one, using Coast Guard rules and lookups.
Buying a pre-owned designer handbag: authenticity, payment, and exotic leathers
How to vet a resale seller, pay in a way you can dispute, and travel with a crocodile or alligator bag without a customs problem.
Importing a classic or exotic car into the U.S.: the 25-year rule, EPA, and customs
What makes a car legal to import, the NHTSA and EPA paperwork, duty and tax surprises, and why “it can be federalized” deserves skepticism.
Buying a premium or exotic motorcycle: title, recalls, the helmet, and the license
Why a dealer’s motorcycle may come without an FTC Buyers Guide, how to check mileage and open recalls, spotting a fake DOT helmet, and Illinois’s Class M rules.
Shipping an exotic or collector car: verify the broker, the carrier, and the paperwork
How to tell an auto transport broker from the carrier, check both in FMCSA’s public records, and protect the car with the bill of lading and a declared value.
Chartering a private jet: verify the operator and the broker
How to confirm an aircraft is legally authorized for charter, what a broker must disclose under DOT rules, and the FAA’s red flags.
Booking a five-star hotel, resort, or villa: the all-in price rule and the fees that still slip through
What the FTC’s fee rule makes hotels and rental platforms show up front, which charges can still be added, and what to do when the folio doesn’t match.