Independent buyer-side due diligence
Turn the listing into numbers you can question and evidence you can request. Start by separating the current bid, stated profit and the assets you would actually receive.
Deal Preflight is an independent buyer-side due-diligence tool. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Flippa.
Illustrative ecommerce listing
What changes the investigation
3 months at the bid.
10 months at buy-now.
6,000 ÷ 2,000 versus 20,000 ÷ 2,000. Neither establishes the final purchase price or verifies profit. Confirm the price basis before calling the listing a bargain.
First seller question: Which price would secure the business, and what records support the monthly profit after all recurring costs?
A listing is an entry point to diligence. First establish the price and reported period; then follow the cash, operating dependencies and source records. A missing answer stays open until evidence supports it.
01
Separate current bid, reserve, asking price, buy-now price and an accepted offer. A reserve being met does not make the current bid the final purchase price.
Ask for: Request the seller’s expected transaction structure, included assets and treatment of inventory.
02
A latest month, multi-month average and annualized run-rate can produce different multiples. Do not combine a recent revenue month with an older profit average.
Ask for: Request the monthly P&L, original order/billing exports, refunds and payout records for the same dates.
03
Check product costs, advertising, software, fulfilment, processing, support and owner work. Missing costs can be bundled in another line; establish that before adjusting profit.
Ask for: Ask which expenses continue, which expire, and what a buyer would pay to replace owner work.
04
A single product, customer, supplier or traffic source can dominate the deal. Inspect acquisition by channel and separate platform-attributed returns from blended store revenue.
Ask for: Request channel/customer breakdowns and direct analytics inspection; compare dates, definitions and concentration.
05
Domains, source code, monetization accounts, ad assets and supplier relationships may have different owners or handover requirements.
Ask for: Request an asset schedule, ownership evidence, provider requirements and a buyer-specific transfer or replacement plan.
06
A seller explanation helps direct the investigation but does not independently verify the claim. Keep discrepancies visible and ask what evidence would resolve each one.
Ask for: Record the answer, requested source and a decision gate. Get professional help for material financial, legal, tax or technical issues.
The free preview screens the supplied economics and major risks. The complete report adds prioritized seller questions, evidence requests and a private workspace. Reconcile records, link replies to findings and update the same deal’s report as evidence arrives.
Founding 100: first eligible complete report S$9 (about US$7). Limited to the first 100 successful buyers. Standard pricing: S$19 for one report or S$49 for five credits.
No subscription. Credits do not expire. Same-deal report updates included.
These Microns cases demonstrate the same method across different business models.
Case 01 · Education licence · Public marketplace
Not established
Buyer payback from transferred cash flow
The headline figures imply a two-month payback only if the seller's US$2,496 monthly profit transfers. The listing describes a licence package for an independently operated business.
Read the buyer-side teardownCase 02 · Web app · Microns
21.5 months
Payback on the recent average
Recent profit implies 21.5 months of payback. The full disclosed trading history implies 42.4 months. Both calculations can be right.
Read the buyer-side teardownCase 03 · Micro-SaaS · Microns
63.0 months
Revenue-only payback floor
A seller reports near-zero cash costs while hosting runs on credits. The buyer’s operating profit needs its own calculation.
Read the buyer-side teardownCheck what was verified, by whom, on which date and for which asset. Flippa’s own guidance recommends inspecting financial/traffic records and checking monetization and asset transferability. A badge should not be interpreted as verification of every cost, operating dependency or future result.
Public-page import is supported where the marketplace makes content accessible. If a link is gated or blocked, paste the visible listing text you are allowed to use. Deal Preflight does not bypass sign-in, NDAs or access controls.
No. Deal Preflight screens supplied information, calculates economics and helps organize your investigation. It does not independently authenticate private records or provide professional investment, legal, tax, financial or technical advice.
No. Deal Score concerns the supplied deal economics and quality inputs. Claim Verification separately reflects evidence coverage. A strong score with weak evidence is a reason to investigate, not a purchase recommendation.
Sources, reviewed 13 September 2026: Flippa’s due-diligence checklist and buyer checklist. Read our editorial method.
Continue with the SaaS acquisition guide or ecommerce acquisition guide.