Deal Preflight · TrailNest Gear (illustrative example) · Illustrative sample · Analysis engine 1.3

Deal Preflight complete report

TrailNest Gear (illustrative example)

The headline profit needs proof - and the agency-owned ad account does not come with the deal

INVESTIGATE

The working price is 1.99x annualized seller-stated profit with a 24.3% margin. Recent monthly revenue is declining, August is missing, and the fictional Meta inputs support 3x attributed ROAS against a 4x claim. The Meta account stays with its agency, creative rights remain unclear, and one supplier represents 72% of unit volume. Reconcile earnings and price an acquisition rebuild before relying on the headline payback.

Deal quality

68/100

Deterministic quality across supplied facts · 100% model coverage

Claim verification

16/100

Important claims backed by evidence you inspected

2 marked verified by you · 4 listing-only · 4 not provided · 0 not relevant

Headline economics

$165,000

Price basis

$28,400

Monthly revenue

$6,900

Monthly profit

23.9 months

Seller-profit payback

Weak proof coverage. These figures use the selected working inputs and remain subject to the evidence states below.

Five findings that drive the decision

1Repeated material marketplace questions have no visible answerThe buyer still lacks a seller position and source records for issues that other buyers considered material.
2Profit margin differs materially across the supplied listing figuresUnder the two interpretations, normalized profit and buyer payback can differ materially.
3The claimed inventory value exceeds the working purchase priceThe figure may use retail value, include unsaleable stock, sit outside the price, or contain an ownership or quantity error.
4Assets mentioned in the narrative are absent from the formal inclusionsThe buyer may price the deal assuming assets that the signed sale schedule does not deliver.
5Product or content provenance needs a rights checkMissing commercial, resale, assignment, trademark, copyright, data, or contractor rights can prevent lawful operation after closing.

Five unresolved seller questions

1Please answer each unresolved material marketplace question in writing and identify the record that supports the answer.
2Which margin is correct, what expenses are included in each definition, and what dates does each percentage cover?
3Is this landed cost, retail value, or another definition, and is all of the inventory owned, saleable and included without a separate payment?
4Are the following assets included in the sale: instagram? Who owns each asset, and what transfer or provider approval is required?
5Who created each relevant product, file, code, image, dataset, manuscript or design, and what transferable commercial rights does the selling entity hold?

Suggested next action

Request a 12-month Shopify order export, payment-processor payout export, monthly P&L, ad-platform spend exports, supplier invoices, and the draft asset-transfer schedule. Reconcile all six to the same dates before discussing price.

Report history

What changed since the previous report

10 changes recorded since the previous complete report.

Previous saved report: Sep 9, 2026, 9:00 AM. Listing changes are based on saved structured inputs; Deal Preflight cannot reconstruct content that was changed before it was captured.

New evidence

Risks resolved

Risks increased

Claims contradicted

Financial changes

Asking price changed in the saved listing input

Economics changed

175000 → 165000. This may be an ordinary listing correction or marketplace update. Reconcile the new value to the same source period before relying on it.

Listing views changed in the saved listing input

Deal update

1320 → 1840. This may be an ordinary listing correction or marketplace update. Reconcile the new value to the same source period before relying on it.

Listing watchers changed in the saved listing input

Deal update

24 → 37. This may be an ordinary listing correction or marketplace update. Reconcile the new value to the same source period before relying on it.

New listing statement: Material buyer question about supplier continuity

Deal update

A buyer asked whether the main supplier would continue after sale. No visible seller response was recorded after 12 days. Treat the new statement as a seller claim or marketplace observation until the relevant source is inspected.

New listing statement: Seller promise to provide evidence

Deal update

The seller replied that a detailed P&L would be uploaded, but the imported listing did not contain it. Treat the new statement as a seller claim or marketplace observation until the relevant source is inspected.

Claim Verification changed

Economics changed

2/100 → 16/100.

Meta - agency-managed campaigns: the ROAS claim does not match its inputs: Live records inspected by buyer

New evidence

Buyer inspected the fictional Meta Business Manager during a seller walkthrough and confirmed that the agency owns the ad account and it is excluded from the sale.

Revenue reconciliation added

Contradiction

shopify-payouts-feb-jul.xlsx: revenue from 2026-02-01 to 2026-07-31 averaged 23250; -18.1% versus the saved claim. Status: contradicted.

Seller explains the revenue difference

Deal update

Seller says the headline figure includes gross sales before refunds and one launch month outside the supplied payout period. Replacement export and refund detail have been promised but not received, so the explanation remains unsupported.

Largest supplier concentration is material: closing condition

Deal update

Buyer will require written continuity, price, MOQ, and lead-time confirmation from the 72% supplier before releasing funds.

Audit trail

Claims and evidence ledger

Each material claim or finding keeps its source, working or reconstructed value, evidence state, discrepancy, and next check together. Seller statements and arithmetic matches remain distinct from inspected evidence.

Repeated material marketplace questions have no visible answer

Open - evidence not yet resolved

highOpen - evidence not yet resolved

Finding or discrepancy

2 material public questions were recorded without a visible seller response. Public questions are not proof that the underlying allegation is true.

Next evidence action

Request source-system exports, agreements, ownership records, or other primary records matched to each unresolved topic. Preserve the response date and evidence supplied.

Profit margin differs materially across the supplied listing figures

Buyer status: contradicted

highBuyer status: contradicted

Seller stated

Displayed profit margin: 97 % · Seller-claimed net margin: 24.3 %

Sources

Seller description: 97 %

Seller description: 24.3 %

Finding or discrepancy

The marketplace summary displays 97%, while the narrative states 24.3%. Different periods or definitions may explain the difference, but that has not been established.

Next evidence action

Request the marketplace-connected financial source, monthly P&L, expense ledger, processor payouts, and bank deposits for the same dates. Recalculate gross and net margin separately.

The claimed inventory value exceeds the working purchase price

Open - evidence not yet resolved

highOpen - evidence not yet resolved

Seller stated

Included inventory landed cost: USD 182000 · Working purchase price: USD 165000

Sources

Seller description: USD 182000

Seller description: USD 165000

“Asking price USD $165,000”

Finding or discrepancy

USD 182,000 of stated inventory landed cost exceeds the USD 165,000 working price. This is economically unusual and requires a physical and accounting reconciliation.

Next evidence action

Request a dated SKU count, landed-cost invoices, ownership evidence, ageing, damage and sell-through reports, and a witnessed count before closing.

Assets mentioned in the narrative are absent from the formal inclusions

Buyer status: contradicted

highBuyer status: contradicted

Seller stated

Formal sale inclusions: Brand, domain, Shopify store, email list, supplier introductions, and saleable inventory. · Social audience mentioned in narrative: The narrative describes the Instagram audience and creative library as growth assets. · Transition support: Thirty days of email and video-call support is offered.

Sources

Seller description: Brand, domain, Shopify store, email list, supplier introductions, and saleable inventory.

“Sale includes the brand, domain, Shopify store, email list, supplier introductions and inventory.”

Seller description: The narrative describes the Instagram audience and creative library as growth assets.

“Our Instagram audience and creative library provide a strong base for growth.”

Seller description: Thirty days of email and video-call support is offered.

“Seller will provide 30 days of email and video-call support after closing.”

Finding or discrepancy

instagram is mentioned outside the formal sale-inclusions claim but not listed in that formal claim. This may be a drafting omission; inclusion and transfer remain unestablished.

Next evidence action

Request a definitive asset schedule with owner, identifier, included rights, legal transfer permission, transfer method, tested handover and remedy for every omitted asset.

Product or content provenance needs a rights check

Open - evidence not yet resolved

highOpen - evidence not yet resolved

Finding or discrepancy

The supplied listing includes language connected to Contractor-created. This is an investigative lead, not a conclusion that any right has been infringed.

Next evidence action

Request creator records, contractor IP assignments, source files, licences, commercial and resale rights, trademark permissions, takedown history, and the transfer clause for each material asset.

Largest supplier concentration is material

Open - evidence not yet resolved

highOpen - evidence not yet resolved

Seller stated

Largest supplier concentration: 72 %

Sources

Seller description: 72 %

Finding or discrepancy

Largest supplier is 72% of supply or purchasing.

Next evidence action

Request supplier-level spend, SKU mapping, purchase orders, supplier contracts, lead times, minimum order quantities, pricing, qualified alternative suppliers and written transfer/continuity confirmation.

Largest acquisition channel concentration is material

Open - evidence not yet resolved

highOpen - evidence not yet resolved

Seller stated

Largest acquisition channel: 58 % of customers / traffic

Sources

Seller description: 58 % of customers / traffic

Finding or discrepancy

Largest acquisition channel is 58% of customers or traffic.

Next evidence action

Request monthly acquisition channel-level exports showing contribution to revenue or traffic, contribution profit where available, and the contracts or access needed to retain this source.

Largest product concentration is material

Open - evidence not yet resolved

highOpen - evidence not yet resolved

Seller stated

Largest product: 41 % of revenue

Sources

Seller description: 41 % of revenue

Finding or discrepancy

Largest product is 41% of revenue.

Next evidence action

Request monthly product-level exports showing contribution to revenue or traffic, contribution profit where available, and the contracts or access needed to retain this source.

Meta - agency-managed campaigns: the ROAS claim does not match its inputs

Live records inspected by buyer

highLive records inspected by buyer

Sources

Buyer input: Meta - agency-managed campaigns: 2026-07-01 to 2026-07-31; spend 3000 USD; attributed revenue 9000; account owner agency; continuity blocked.

“Fictional July Meta export: spend 3,000; attributed purchase revenue 9,000; 120 purchases. Distinct new customers not supplied.”

Evidence recorded for this version

Buyer inspected the fictional Meta Business Manager during a seller walkthrough and confirmed that the agency owns the ad account and it is excluded from the sale.

Finding or discrepancy

Claimed 4x; supplied attributed revenue divided by spend gives 3.00x for 2026-07-01 to 2026-07-31.

Next evidence action

Request Meta campaign exports, attribution settings, change history, refunds and a deduplicated store/customer export for those dates. Separate click-through/view-through credit and returning buyers.

Meta - agency-managed campaigns: acquisition continuity is unresolved

Open - evidence not yet resolved

highOpen - evidence not yet resolved

Sources

Buyer input: Meta - agency-managed campaigns: 2026-07-01 to 2026-07-31; spend 3000 USD; attributed revenue 9000; account owner agency; continuity blocked.

“Fictional July Meta export: spend 3,000; attributed purchase revenue 9,000; 120 purchases. Distinct new customers not supplied.”

Finding or discrepancy

Account owner: Agency. Tracking owner: Agency. Audience owner: Unknown. Creative owner: Another account holder. Reported as blocked / not included. Illustrative agency-owned account excluded from sale. Creative licence and tracking reuse are not established; price a rebuild before relying on July returns.

Next evidence action

Request live ownership/permission screens, account-standing and restriction history, campaign exports, creative licences and the agency agreement. Put each critical component and any required provider approval into the asset handover plan.

Meta creative files and reuse licence: confirm inclusion and handover

Open - evidence not yet resolved

highOpen - evidence not yet resolved

Sources

Buyer input: Meta creative files and reuse licence: included unknown; owner third_party; handover unknown.

Finding or discrepancy

Included: unknown. Owner: Another account holder. Not established. Fictional contractor created the ads. Source files and buyer usage rights have not been supplied.

Next evidence action

Request the signed asset schedule and ownership/rights evidence for Meta creative files and reuse licence, together with a named transfer or replacement method. Inspect the relevant contract, account controls or licence; do not exchange personal passwords as a substitute for transfer.

Promised evidence was not subsequently visible

Open - evidence not yet resolved

mediumOpen - evidence not yet resolved

Finding or discrepancy

1 material public response promised evidence that was not recorded as supplied in the imported listing.

Next evidence action

Request the original promised document or live source access and reconcile it to the related listing claim.

Seller asking price

seller stated

Seller stated

USD 165000

Working value

USD 165000

Sources

Seller description: USD 165000

“Asking price USD $165,000”

Finding or discrepancy

Seller-stated price used as the confirmed working calculation basis.

Average monthly revenue

seller stated

Seller stated

USD 28400

Working value

USD 28400

Sources

Seller description: USD 28400

“Monthly Revenue USD $28,400 AVG”

Evidence recorded for this version

shopify-payouts-feb-jul.xlsx: revenue from 2026-02-01 to 2026-07-31 averaged 23250; -18.1% versus the saved claim. Status: contradicted.

Finding or discrepancy

Displayed in the marketplace 12-month financial summary.

Average monthly profit

seller stated

Seller stated

USD 6900

Working value

USD 6900

Sources

Seller description: USD 6900

“Monthly Profit USD $6,900 AVG”

Finding or discrepancy

Displayed in the marketplace 12-month financial summary.

Original asking price

seller stated

Seller stated

USD 250000

Working value

USD 250000

Sources

Seller description: USD 250000

Owner workload

calculated

Reconstructed

14 hours / week

Working value

14 hours / week

Sources

Deal Preflight calculation: 14 hours / week

“Requires approximately 12-16 hours per week”

Finding or discrepancy

Midpoint of the seller's 12 to 16 hour weekly range.

Normalized monthly revenue

calculated

Reconstructed

28400

Working value

28400

Sources

Deal Preflight calculation: 28400

Finding or discrepancy

Calculated deterministically from the selected working inputs for this saved analysis.

Seller-stated monthly profit used in calculations

calculated

Reconstructed

6900

Working value

6900

Sources

Deal Preflight calculation: 6900

Finding or discrepancy

Calculated deterministically from the selected working inputs for this saved analysis.

Calculated monthly profit margin

calculated

Reconstructed

24.3

Working value

24.3

Sources

Deal Preflight calculation: 24.3

Finding or discrepancy

Calculated deterministically from the selected working inputs for this saved analysis.

Annualized revenue

calculated

Reconstructed

340800

Working value

340800

Sources

Deal Preflight calculation: 340800

Finding or discrepancy

Calculated deterministically from the selected working inputs for this saved analysis.

Annualized profit

calculated

Reconstructed

82800

Working value

82800

Sources

Deal Preflight calculation: 82800

Finding or discrepancy

Calculated deterministically from the selected working inputs for this saved analysis.

Annualized profit multiple

calculated

Reconstructed

1.99

Working value

1.99

Sources

Deal Preflight calculation: 1.99

Finding or discrepancy

Calculated deterministically from the selected working inputs for this saved analysis.

Annualized revenue multiple

calculated

Reconstructed

0.48

Working value

0.48

Sources

Deal Preflight calculation: 0.48

Finding or discrepancy

Calculated deterministically from the selected working inputs for this saved analysis.

Listing forensics

Listing integrity and seller conduct

This section preserves observable marketplace signals and separates them from proof. A public buyer comment is an unverified third-party statement. A deletion marker is recorded without guessing what the comment said or why it was removed. These signals do not change the Deal Score by themselves.

Material public questions

2 have no visible answer

Visible response rate

33%

Based only on imported material marketplace questions

Typical response time

Not established

Median when an elapsed response time was supplied

Evidence promises open

1 deletion marker observed

Marketplace identity signal

Seller identity shown as marketplace-verified; company ownership and asset authority still require separate evidence.

Listing engagement

Views: 1,840Watchers: 37Bids: 4Days on market: 63Seller prior transactions: 3Prior transaction value: USD 420,000Last visible activity: 3 days before this illustrative importListing status: Open - price reducedPrice change: -34.0% from supplied original

Material comment and response register

materialbuyer

Revenue and profit

2026-08-20

A buyer asked whether refunds and taxes were deducted from the revenue headline. No visible seller response was recorded after 16 days.

Unverified third-party public statement

Effect: The issue remains unresolved until the seller answer and source record reconcile.

No response visible

Request a written answer about revenue and profit and the matching source record. Do not treat the public comment as proof.

materialbuyer

Inventory and suppliers

2026-08-24

A buyer asked whether the main supplier would continue after sale. No visible seller response was recorded after 12 days.

Unverified third-party public statement

Effect: The issue remains unresolved until the seller answer and source record reconcile.

No response visible

Request a written answer about inventory and suppliers and the matching source record. Do not treat the public comment as proof.

materialseller

Revenue and profit

2026-08-26

The seller replied that a detailed P&L would be uploaded, but the imported listing did not contain it.

Marketplace observation

Effect: The issue remains unresolved until the seller answer and source record reconcile.

Evidence promised

Request the promised source record for revenue and profit, with its reporting period and source identified. A promise is not proof.

informationalseller

Top positives

Short headline payback

At the seller-stated USD 6,900 monthly profit, the USD 165,000 working price implies a 23.9-month payback before tax, transaction costs, replacement labour, reinvestment, or decline.

Headline averages exceed the prior comparison

Supplied headline revenue is 12.7% above the prior comparison and profit is 11.3% higher. However, the separate February–July series declines for three months after April and August is missing. Higher headline averages do not establish current growth; align the reporting periods first.

Most implied costs are itemized

The listed expense lines explain USD 18,580 of USD 21,500 in costs implied by revenue less profit. That is useful for reconciliation, although USD 2,920 per month remains unexplained.

Priority risks

Repeated material marketplace questions have no visible answer

2 material public questions were recorded without a visible seller response. Public questions are not proof that the underlying allegation is true.

high

Buyer consequence

The buyer still lacks a seller position and source records for issues that other buyers considered material.

See the seller question, evidence request and decision gate

Profit margin differs materially across the supplied listing figures

The marketplace summary displays 97%, while the narrative states 24.3%. Different periods or definitions may explain the difference, but that has not been established.

high

Buyer consequence

Under the two interpretations, normalized profit and buyer payback can differ materially.

See the seller question, evidence request and decision gate

The claimed inventory value exceeds the working purchase price

USD 182,000 of stated inventory landed cost exceeds the USD 165,000 working price. This is economically unusual and requires a physical and accounting reconciliation.

high

Buyer consequence

The figure may use retail value, include unsaleable stock, sit outside the price, or contain an ownership or quantity error.

See the seller question, evidence request and decision gate

Assets mentioned in the narrative are absent from the formal inclusions

instagram is mentioned outside the formal sale-inclusions claim but not listed in that formal claim. This may be a drafting omission; inclusion and transfer remain unestablished.

high

Buyer consequence

The buyer may price the deal assuming assets that the signed sale schedule does not deliver.

See the seller question, evidence request and decision gate

Product or content provenance needs a rights check

The supplied listing includes language connected to Contractor-created. This is an investigative lead, not a conclusion that any right has been infringed.

high

Buyer consequence

Missing commercial, resale, assignment, trademark, copyright, data, or contractor rights can prevent lawful operation after closing.

See the seller question, evidence request and decision gate

Largest supplier concentration is material

Largest supplier is 72% of supply or purchasing.

high

Buyer consequence

A supplier interruption can leave the buyer unable to fulfil orders. Replacement lead times, product quality and higher landed costs can reduce profit even if customer demand holds up.

See the seller question, evidence request and decision gate

Seller profit vs owner-adjusted profit

The adjusted case subtracts only the additional owner-replacement cost entered by the buyer. The seller figure remains unchanged, and the unexplained expense gap is not deducted again.

Seller-stated economics

$6,900 / month

23.9 month payback

After additional owner replacement

$5,400 / month

Subtracts $1,500 per month · 30.6 month payback

What the supplied numbers actually support

Reconstructed from the saved deal facts. Comparable dates and currency are assumed for monthly inputs; confirm them before relying on these comparisons. Arithmetic consistency is not independent verification.

Net profit margin: 24.3 %Claimed: 24.3 %

Formula: Monthly profit ÷ monthly revenue × 100

Inputs: 28,400; 6,900

Uses the seller's profit definition; owner replacement and unlisted expenses may change buyer earnings.

Verify: Reconcile the same reporting dates and currency to order/payment exports, the complete expense ledger, and bank deposits. Seller-entered figures are not independent proof.

Gross product margin: 67.96 %

Formula: (Monthly revenue − monthly product COGS) ÷ monthly revenue × 100

Inputs: 28,400; 9,100

Before advertising, staff and overhead. A high product margin is not the net profit margin. Check what the COGS line includes.

Verify: Reconcile the same reporting dates and currency to order/payment exports, the complete expense ledger, and bank deposits. Seller-entered figures are not independent proof.

Blended revenue / advertising spend (MER): 4.58 x

Formula: Total monthly revenue ÷ total monthly advertising spend

Inputs: 28,400; 6,200

This is blended MER, not platform-attributed ROAS. The listing also mentions organic, direct or repeat business, so total revenue may include sales that were not attributed to paid ads. A match to a ROAS claim establishes arithmetic consistency only.

Verify: Request separate Meta, TikTok, Google or other named ad-platform exports: spend, attributed purchase revenue, attribution windows, refunds and dates. Reconcile to store orders and check cross-platform double counting.

Simple profit payback: 23.91 months

Formula: Seller asking price ÷ monthly profit

Inputs: 165,000; 6,900

Assumes flat supplied profit, excludes transaction costs and additional working capital; this is not a return forecast.

Verify: Reconcile the same reporting dates and currency to order/payment exports, the complete expense ledger, and bank deposits. Seller-entered figures are not independent proof.

Annualized profit multiple: 1.993 x

Formula: Seller asking price ÷ (monthly profit × 12)

Inputs: 165,000; 6,900

Annualizes the supplied monthly figure; does not establish market value or a realizable purchase price.

Verify: Reconcile the same reporting dates and currency to order/payment exports, the complete expense ledger, and bank deposits. Seller-entered figures are not independent proof.

Expense coverage - 5 categories to clarify

These are coverage questions, not extra deductions. An unidentified cost may be included elsewhere or not apply. Confirm inclusions, explicit zero costs and owner replacement before normalizing profit.

Product cost (COGS): Included in supplied inputs - confirm scope
Inbound/outbound freight and fulfilment: Included in supplied inputs - confirm scope
Payment and platform fees: Not separately identified
Refunds, returns and chargebacks: Not separately identified
Advertising and acquisition: Included in supplied inputs - confirm scope
Staff, contractors and support: Not separately identified
Software and tools: Included in supplied inputs - confirm scope
Inventory losses and write-offs: Not separately identified
Non-recoverable business taxes/duties, where applicable: Not separately identified

Behind the average: monthly financial history

Current evidence

Source: Illustrative seller P&L, February–July 2026 (fictional) · USD · Review date: 2026-09-11. These are supplied figures, not authenticated financial records. The saved review date keeps this report version consistent.

Missing reporting periods: 2026-08. Request these monthly statements before extrapolating the average.

The latest populated complete month is 1 closed month behind the review date. Check whether trading has changed since then.

Revenue

Latest complete: 24,400 USD (2026-07)

Average of 6 supplied complete months: 28,400. Unknown values excluded.

26.1% below the supplied peak of 33,000 in 2026-04. 3 consecutive monthly decreases ending 2026-07.

Seller-reported net profit

Latest complete: 5,600 USD (2026-07)

Average of 6 supplied complete months: 6,900. Unknown values excluded.

32.5% below the supplied peak of 8,300 in 2026-04. 3 consecutive monthly decreases ending 2026-07.

Cost of goods

Latest complete: 8,100 USD (2026-07)

Average of 6 supplied complete months: 9,100. Unknown values excluded.

22.9% below the supplied peak of 10,500 in 2026-04. 3 consecutive monthly decreases ending 2026-07. Falling costs alone do not establish an improvement; compare revenue and margin.

Advertising spend

Latest complete: 5,400 USD (2026-07)

Average of 6 supplied complete months: 6,200. Unknown values excluded.

27.0% below the supplied peak of 7,400 in 2026-04. 3 consecutive monthly decreases ending 2026-07. Falling costs alone do not establish an improvement; compare revenue and margin.

All other operating costs

Latest complete: 5,300 USD (2026-07)

Average of 6 supplied complete months: 6,200. Unknown values excluded.

22.1% below the supplied peak of 6,800 in 2026-04. 3 consecutive monthly decreases ending 2026-07. Falling costs alone do not establish an improvement; compare revenue and margin.

Next check for this history: Ask the seller what changed between 2026-04 and 2026-07, when revenue fell 26.1% from the supplied peak. Request order and advertising exports for both months to separate lower demand, lower spend and one-off campaigns.

A short series or a single spike does not establish seasonality. Compare the same months across multiple years. Monthly rows do not overwrite the selected headline averages or Deal Score; reconcile reporting periods before changing those facts.

Inspect monthly figures, margins and source rows

All amounts in USD. “-” means unknown, never zero. Net margin = supplied net profit ÷ revenue; gross margin = (revenue − cost of goods) ÷ revenue.
Month	Status	Revenue	Seller-reported net profit	Cost of goods	Advertising spend	All other operating costs	Gross margin	Net margin
2026-02 Fictional February P&L: revenue 25,000; profit 6,100; goods 8,000; ads 5,200; all other operating costs 5,700.	complete	25,000	6,100	8,000	5,200	5,700	68.0%	24.4%
2026-03 Fictional March P&L: revenue 27,500; profit 6,500; goods 8,800; ads 5,800; all other operating costs 6,400.	complete	27,500	6,500	8,800	5,800	6,400	68.0%	23.6%
2026-04 Fictional April P&L: revenue 33,000; profit 8,300; goods 10,500; ads 7,400; all other operating costs 6,800.	complete	33,000	8,300	10,500	7,400	6,800	68.2%	25.2%
2026-05 Fictional May P&L: revenue 32,000; profit 8,000; goods 10,200; ads 7,200; all other operating costs 6,600.	complete	32,000	8,000	10,200	7,200	6,600	68.1%	25.0%
2026-06 Fictional June P&L: revenue 28,500; profit 6,900; goods 9,000; ads 6,200; all other operating costs 6,400.	complete	28,500	6,900	9,000	6,200	6,400	68.4%	24.2%
2026-07 Fictional July P&L: revenue 24,400; profit 5,600; goods 8,100; ads 5,400; all other operating costs 5,300.	complete	24,400	5,600	8,100	5,400	5,300	66.8%	23.0%
2026-08 No August P&L supplied in this illustrative example.	missing	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Profit bridge - 2026-07

Latest complete month with revenue. All cost lines must refer to this same month and exclude overlap.

Revenue: 24,400 USD
Less cost of goods: 8,100 USD
Less advertising: 5,400 USD
Less all other reported operating costs: 5,300 USD
Reconstructed reported profit: 5,600 USD
Seller-reported net profit: 5,600 USD
Reconstructed minus seller-reported profit: 0 USD
Additional monthly owner replacement (buyer assumption): 1,500 USD
Buyer-adjusted profit, before tax / finance / deal costs: 4,100 USD

Cost completeness is a buyer description of the source, not independent proof. Unexplained differences are not deducted again. Verified cash earnings remain unestablished until sales, expenses, refunds, timing and settlements are reconciled to inspected records.

Can the buyer keep acquiring customers?

Advertising performance and ownership are separate checks. These inputs and inspections are recorded by the buyer; they are not independently authenticated by Deal Preflight.

Do not add attributed revenues across platforms: several platforms may claim the same purchase. ROAS is attributed revenue ÷ spend; CPA is spend ÷ attributed purchases. Paid-media CAC uses distinct new paying customers and excludes agency fees, creative production and salaries. None of these ratios proves incremental profit.

Meta - agency-managed campaigns · Meta

2026-07-01 → 2026-07-31 · 7-day click / 1-day view; purchase events
Source: Fictional July Meta export: spend 3,000; attributed purchase revenue 9,000; 120 purchases. Distinct new customers not supplied.

Attributed ROAS

3×

Cost per attributed purchase

25 USD

Paid-media CAC

Not established

Seller claims 4× ROAS; the supplied figures give 3×. Reconcile the difference before relying on the claim.

Inspect the inputs and acquisition assets

Spend: 3,000 USD
Attributed purchase revenue: 9,000 USD
Attributed purchases: 120
New paying customers: Not supplied
Seller-claimed ROAS: 4×
New customers deduplicated: Not confirmed
Account owner: Agency
Pixel / tag owner: Agency
Audience rights: Unknown
Creative rights: Another account holder
Agency dependence: yes
Historical restrictions: unknown
Handover: Reported as blocked / not included

Campaign history: Seller supplies July only. Request the preceding six months and campaign change history.

Remaining conditions: Illustrative agency-owned account excluded from sale. Creative licence and tracking reuse are not established; price a rebuild before relying on July returns.

Continuity risk: The supplied account/asset handover is blocked. One or more acquisition assets belongs to an agency or another account holder. Request the owning entity’s cooperation and a documented transfer or rebuild path; past ROAS does not establish performance after rebuilding.

A seller’s transfer promise remains a claim. Record inspected inclusion and handover evidence in the asset plan. Questions and decision gates are included in the report’s prioritized seller questions.

Google Shopping · Google

2026-07-01 → 2026-07-31 · 30-day click; purchase conversions
Source: Fictional July Google export matched to an illustrative first-order customer list. Buyer confirms 60 distinct new paying customers.

Attributed ROAS

4×

Cost per attributed purchase

20 USD

Paid-media CAC

30 USD

Inspect the inputs and acquisition assets

Spend: 1,800 USD
Attributed purchase revenue: 7,200 USD
Attributed purchases: 90
New paying customers: 60
Seller-claimed ROAS: Not supplied
New customers deduplicated: Buyer says yes - inspect records
Account owner: Seller / selling entity
Pixel / tag owner: Seller / selling entity
Audience rights: Seller / selling entity
Creative rights: Seller / selling entity
Agency dependence: no
Historical restrictions: none reported
Handover: Conditions remain

Campaign history: Three months of fictional campaign exports supplied; earlier history requested.

Remaining conditions: Buyer invitation, billing and Merchant Center access still need a tested handover.

What is actually included, and how does it hand over?

Primary website domain · Conditions remain

Seller says included: yes · Buyer checked inclusion: No

Current owner: Seller / selling entity

Transfer / replacement: Seller to initiate registrar transfer and prove buyer DNS control before closing.

Evidence: Fictional sale schedule lists the primary domain; registrar transfer still pending. · seller statement

Importance: critical · Notes: None entered

Meta creative files and reuse licence · Not established

Seller says included: unknown · Buyer checked inclusion: No

Current owner: Another account holder

Transfer / replacement: Not specified

Evidence: Not supplied · none

Importance: critical · Notes: Fictional contractor created the ads. Source files and buyer usage rights have not been supplied.

Buyer cash plan

Total cash required

The purchase price is only one part of the cash needed to take control and keep the business operating. This arithmetic uses buyer-supplied assumptions. Missing costs are omitted and are never silently treated as zero.

Acquisition price

$165,000

Working price basis used by this report

Estimated day-one cash

$184,500

Price plus supplied closing and immediate transfer costs

First 90 days

$249,500

Adds supplied operating, retention, rebuild and working-capital needs

Conservative 90-day cash

$264,500

Includes the buyer-supplied contingency reserve

Buyer-supplied cash itemAmount

Acquisition price$165,000

Escrow, marketplace and legal costs$4,500

Inventory paid separately$0

Account or monetization rebuild$8,000

Software and data migration$2,500

Tax, VAT or GST setup$1,500

Currency-conversion buffer$3,000

Immediate inventory reorder$22,000

Advertising restart budget$12,000

Initial working capital$25,000

Staff or contractor retention$6,000

Contingency reserve$15,000

Budget test

Buyer budget: $245,000. After the conservative 90-day cash requirement, the plan has $19,500 shortfall.

This section does not change the Deal Score. Confirm taxes, legal and escrow fees, foreign-exchange costs, inventory terms, replacement marketing, staffing and working capital with appropriate specialists before committing funds.

Price basis for every return calculation

Seller asking price: $165,000.

Confirmed basis

Financial snapshot

24.3%

Monthly margin

$340,800

Annualized revenue

$82,800

Annualized seller profit

1.99×

Seller profit multiple

0.48×

Revenue multiple

23.9 mo

Seller-profit payback

How Deal Score was calculatedShow details

Score breakdown

Deal quality is calculated from supplied inputs. Missing inputs remain unknown, reduce coverage, and are listed for follow-up.

Financial quality77/100 category100% of category inputs known

Profit margin80/100

Input: 24.3%. Compared with Deal Preflight's ecommerce margin bands.

Comparable profit growth52/100

Input: 11.3%. Scores from 0 at -20% growth to 100 at +40% growth, capped at both ends.

Positive monthly profit100/100

Input: 6900. Positive supplied profit receives 100/100.

Why this score: The model combines profit positivity, the supplied 24.3% monthly margin, and any comparable profit growth.

What to check next: Request a 12-24 month monthly P&L and reconcile revenue and expenses to payment-processor and bank statements.

Acquisition / traffic quality77/100 category100% of category inputs known

Ad-spend share of revenue78/100

Input: 21.8%. Lower supplied ad-spend share scores better; the factor stays unknown unless both revenue and ad spend are supplied.

Refund rate76/100

Input: 4.8%. Zero refunds scores 100 and 20% or more scores 0; missing stays unknown.

Why this score: The model used monthly ad spend 6200; refund rate 4.8%. Missing inputs remain unknown and reduce score coverage.

What to check next: Request channel-level sales, ad spend, CAC/ROAS, refund data, and read-only Shopify/analytics access for the same period.

Defensibility78/100 category100% of category inputs known

Operating history100/100

Input: 38 months. 36 months or more scores 100; missing stays unknown.

Repeat-customer rate55/100

Input: 22%. A 40% or higher repeat-customer rate scores 100.

Why this score: The category averages operating history (38 months) and repeat-customer rate; neither alone proves defensibility.

What to check next: Confirm the launch date, repeat-customer or retention history, brand/IP ownership, and whether competitors can reproduce the offer.

Operational burden65/100 category100% of category inputs known

Owner workload65/100

Input: 14 hours/week. Zero hours scores 100 and 40 or more scores 0; missing stays unknown. Treat seller claims as unverified until a task log is checked.

Why this score: 14 owner hours per week were supplied; lower documented workload scores better.

What to check next: Ask for a task-by-task weekly operating schedule, contractor costs, SOPs, and a transition plan.

Concentration / platform risk28/100 category100% of category inputs known

Largest disclosed concentration0/100

Input: 72%. Zero concentration scores 100 and 60% or more scores 0; missing stays unknown.

Platform dependence55/100

Input: medium. Low scores 100, medium 55, high 15, and missing stays unknown.

Why this score: Largest supplied concentration is 72%; platform dependency is medium.

What to check next: Request revenue/traffic by channel, customer, supplier, product, and geography, then confirm account transferability.

Transferability68/100 category100% of category inputs known

Platform dependence55/100

Input: medium. Low scores 100, medium 55, high 15, and missing stays unknown.

Inventory included80/100

Input: true. Included scores 80 and excluded scores 45; unknown stays outside deal quality because quantity and condition still need proof.

Why this score: The score reflects founder dependence (not supplied) and relevant account, inventory, IP, or platform-transfer inputs.

What to check next: Ask for an asset schedule covering domain, code/content, trademarks, inventory, supplier agreements, platform accounts, credentials, and seller support.

Growth / retention quality47/100 category100% of category inputs known

Comparable revenue growth47/100

Input: 12.7%. Scores from 0 at -20% growth to 100 at +50% growth, capped at both ends.

Why this score: Comparable monthly revenue implies 12.7% growth; SaaS/app scores also consider supplied churn.

What to check next: Request monthly revenue and profit by month, not cumulative headline totals, and investigate any step changes or seasonality.

Price attractiveness100/100 category100% of category inputs known

Annualized profit multiple100/100

Input: 1.99x. Up to 2x scores 100; 3x scores 85; 4x scores 65; 5x scores 40; 7x scores 20; above 7x scores 5. Missing stays unknown. A price below one month of profit is capped at 50 when revenue or profit proof is unverified; this is a plausibility guardrail, not a market valuation.

Why this score: The working purchase-price basis equals 1.99× annualized supplied profit. This describes price attractiveness before transaction costs and downside, not independent market value.

What to check next: Confirm the transaction-price basis, what assets/inventory are included, and recalculate the multiple using verified normalized profit.

Deal math audit

This reverses the listing math. Using the working purchase-price basis shown above, choose a comparison period to see the monthly profit required to recover that amount. These are arithmetic reference points, not valuation advice or market comparables.

Profit needed each month

$4,583

Price at this payback period

$248,400

Difference from stated profit

33.6% profit headroom

You selected this comparison period. It is an arithmetic reference for your buyer-side review, not evidence that the business is worth this price.

Claimed annual profit divided by the working purchase-price basis equals a 50.2% pre-tax cash yield before transaction costs, financing, replacement labour, reinvestment, and any decline.

Profit-to-expense bridge

Revenue minus profit implies total monthly costs. Deal Preflight compares that implied amount with the expense lines actually listed so the buyer can see whether the cost story is complete.

Implied total costs

$21,500

Monthly revenue minus monthly profit

Expenses itemized

$18,580

86.4% of implied costs explained

Unexplained difference

$2,920

Do not subtract this again unless evidence shows extra costs were excluded from profit

How to verify the three core claims

Run these checks for the exact reporting period used in the listing before relying on the score or discussing price.

Verify the revenue claim

Listing claim only

Ask for: Ask for read-only store and payment-processor access, plus a monthly sales export covering every month used in the listing.

How to test it: Match monthly gross sales to processor payouts and bank deposits, then reconcile refunds, taxes, discounts, and timing differences.

Warning sign: Treat screenshots, a single strong month, or totals that do not reconcile to cash received as unresolved.

Rebuild the profit claim

Listing claim only

Ask for: Ask for a monthly profit and loss statement plus invoices or exports for every material cost shown in the listing.

How to test it: Recalculate profit after product cost, shipping, refunds, ad spend, apps, contractors, staff, payment fees, and a fair cost for the owner's work.

Warning sign: Profit is unresolved if expenses are omitted, unusually low, mixed with personal costs, or based on a different period from revenue.

Connect traffic to sales

You marked this verified

Ask for: Ask for GA4 and store analytics for the same period, broken down by channel, country, device, and conversion rate.

How to test it: Compare month-by-month traffic with orders or paying users. Inspect concentration, sudden spikes, paid versus organic mix, and whether the claimed conversion trend is repeatable.

Warning sign: Traffic is unresolved if access is not live/read-only, date ranges differ, or visits cannot be connected to customers and revenue.

What must keep working after closing

Each dependency needs a continuity path. A platform account, supplier relationship, traffic source, or owner capability can affect value even when the headline financials are accurate.

Largest supplier

72% of disclosed supply or purchasing

critical

Detected - confirmfulfillment supplierTransfer or recreation neededReplaceability: unknown72% of supply

Business domain

Customer access, brand continuity, email, and website control

critical

Detected - confirmdomainTransfer or recreation neededReplaceability: difficult

“https://example.com/”

Shopify

Storefront, orders, apps, and possibly payments

important

Detected - confirmcommerce platformTransfer or recreation neededReplaceability: unknown

“largely hands-off.. A passive, hands-off ecommerce business. Formal sale inclusions: Brand, domain, Shopify store, email list, supplier introductions, and saleable inventory.. Sale includes the brand, domain, Shopify store, email list, supplier introductions a”

Meta Ads

Paid customer acquisition

important

Detected - confirmtraffic sourceTransfer or recreation neededReplaceability: unknown

“e used. Marketplace marker: seller deleted a comment; the original text and reason are unavailable. Meta Ads: Meta - agency-managed campaigns Google Ads: Google Shopping Owner workload: 12 to 16 hours per week across ads, supplier coordination, and customer es”

Google Ads

Paid customer acquisition

important

Detected - confirmtraffic sourceTransfer or recreation neededReplaceability: unknown

“a comment; the original text and reason are unavailable. Meta Ads: Meta - agency-managed campaigns Google Ads: Google Shopping Owner workload: 12 to 16 hours per week across ads, supplier coordination, and customer escalations.. Requires approximately 12-16 ho”

trailnest.example.net email domain

The listing uses trailnest.example.net for email, separately from the business website. Confirm this domain, mailbox rights and routing are included in the acquisition.

important

Detected - confirmdomainTransfer or recreation neededReplaceability: unknown

“Email domain mentioned in listing: trailnest.example.net”

Current owner

Operating knowledge, recurring work, relationships, or product maintenance

important

Detected - confirmkey personTransfer or recreation neededReplaceability: unknown

Google organic search

Organic discovery and customer acquisition

important

Detected - confirmtraffic sourceReplaceability: unknown

“ed 2025-07 to 2026-06. Connected analytics organic share: The connected analytics summary shows 61% organic traffic from 2026-01 to 2026-07.. Connected analytics: organic share 61%, 2026-01 to 2026-07.”

Time-stamped source checks

What DealPreflight checked automatically

These checks use public website responses, registration data, and current provider documentation. They narrow the next investigation step; they do not verify seller ownership, private account data, revenue, or future provider approval.

Public business website response

Illustrative result: the fictional business website responded over HTTPS. A real report records the response code, final address, title, basic security headers, source, and exact check time.

Observed

A successful response confirms availability at that moment only. It does not verify ownership, traffic, revenue, or transferability.

Illustrative public website response · Checked 11/09/2026

Shopify supports store ownership transfer with prerequisites

Shopify documents a store-transfer flow. The current owner must initiate it, while billing, payouts, tax details, apps, and third-party payment accounts still need separate review.

Conditions

Make buyer acceptance, payout changes, and third-party account handover explicit closing conditions.

Shopify Help Center - change or transfer ownership · Checked 11/09/2026

What could change this specific deal?

These cases use the listing's actual concentration, owner-work, and transaction-price facts. Missing assumptions stay unknown.

Owner work is replaced at the buyer's entered cost

Subtracts the additional monthly replacement cost entered by the buyer while leaving the seller-stated profit visible.

Assumption: USD 1,500 additional monthly replacement cost

Monthly profit: $5,400
Payback: 30.6 mo
Profit change: -21.7%
Price at 36-mo reference: $194,400

Decision implication: Compare the owner-adjusted profit and payback with the seller-stated case before accepting the price or workload claim.

Largest disclosed revenue source is lost

A conservative case that removes the explicitly disclosed revenue share while holding the remaining cost base unchanged.

Assumption: 41% of monthly revenue is exposed

Monthly profit: -$4,744
Payback: Unknown
Profit change: -168.8%
Price at 36-mo reference: Unknown

Decision implication: Treat the revenue source as price-sensitive until source records show the exposure is smaller, costs fall with revenue, or continuity is protected.

Generic profit-decline referenceShow reference table

What if monthly profit falls by a fixed percentage?

This is a stress test, not a prediction and not a negative-profit label. “Profit falls 10%” means supplied monthly profit is multiplied by 90%, while the working purchase price stays the same. Deal Preflight then recalculates annual profit and payback time.

Profit falls 10%

Monthly: $6,210
Annual: $74,520
Payback: 26.6 mo

Profit falls 25%

Monthly: $5,175
Annual: $62,100
Payback: 31.9 mo

Profit falls 50%

Monthly: $3,450
Annual: $41,400
Payback: 47.8 mo

Scenario	Monthly profit	Annual profit	Payback
Profit falls 10%	$6,210	$74,520	26.6 months
Profit falls 25%	$5,175	$62,100	31.9 months
Profit falls 50%	$3,450	$41,400	47.8 months

Business and compliance checks

Each check explains what to ask for, how to verify it, and which warning signs to escalate to a lawyer, accountant, or technical reviewer. This is not legal or compliance advice.

Seller identity, ownership, and authorityClick to view request and verification stepsLawyer

Ask for

Ask for the seller's legal name, entity registration, beneficial owners, and written authority to sell each asset.

How to verify

Match the contracting party to company records, domain and account ownership, invoices, bank records, and the proposed sale agreement.

Warning sign

A different person or entity receives payment, owns key assets, or cannot show authority to transfer them.

Asset and intellectual-property ownershipClick to view request and verification stepsLawyer

Ask for

Request a complete asset schedule covering domains, trademarks, content, designs, code, data, customer lists, social accounts, and third-party licences.

How to verify

Confirm ownership records, employee and contractor IP assignments, licence transfer rights, and exclusions from the sale.

Warning sign

Key material was created by a contractor without an assignment, uses a non-transferable licence, or is omitted from the agreement.

Contracts, accounts, and change-of-control termsClick to view request and verification stepsLawyer

Ask for

Request customer, supplier, platform, payment, advertising, software, and contractor agreements plus any account-transfer guidance.

How to verify

Identify assignment restrictions, consent requirements, termination rights, personal guarantees, minimum commitments, and change-of-control clauses.

Warning sign

Revenue or operations depend on an account or contract that cannot move to the buyer on acceptable terms.

Tax, accounting, and undisclosed liabilitiesClick to view request and verification stepsAccountant

Ask for

Ask for monthly financial statements, tax filings, GST, VAT or sales-tax records, bank statements, processor statements, debt, refunds, and unpaid obligations.

How to verify

Reconcile revenue and expenses to cash, confirm the correct selling entity, and determine which historic or ongoing liabilities can follow the assets or transaction.

Warning sign

Filings do not match the listing, liabilities are not quantified, or the seller resists a period-by-period reconciliation.

Privacy, data protection, and securityClick to view request and verification stepsLawyer

Ask for

Request privacy notices, consent records, data-processing agreements, breach and complaint history, retention rules, subprocessors, and cross-border data flows.

How to verify

Confirm the buyer can lawfully receive and continue using customer or user data and that required notices, consents, contracts, and security controls exist.

Warning sign

Customer data was collected without a clear basis, a material breach is unresolved, or transfer to the buyer is restricted.

Claims, disputes, and regulatory historyClick to view request and verification stepsLawyer

Ask for

Ask for threatened or current disputes, refunds, chargebacks, takedowns, platform warnings, regulator contact, insurance claims, and settlement obligations.

How to verify

Search the relevant official records and ensure all known issues and continuing obligations are disclosed in writing.

Warning sign

The seller's written disclosure conflicts with platform notices, customer complaints, public records, or payment disputes.

Product, advertising, and consumer complianceClick to view request and verification stepsLawyer

Ask for

Request product specifications, safety or conformity records, substantiation for marketing claims, refund terms, warranties, recalls, and complaint history.

How to verify

Check the rules in every material sales market and confirm listings, labels, testimonials, promotions, and refund practices comply.

Warning sign

Products lack required records, marketing claims are unsupported, or refunds and complaints point to recurring quality issues.

Inventory title, condition, and landed costClick to view request and verification stepsAccountant

Ask for

Request a dated SKU-level inventory count, purchase invoices, ageing, damaged or returned stock, storage location, liens, and landed-cost calculation.

How to verify

Perform or observe a count, confirm the seller owns the stock, test saleability, and separate inventory value from goodwill and the stated purchase price.

Warning sign

Inventory is obsolete, held by an unverified third party, pledged, double counted, or valued at retail rather than cost.

Supplier, fulfilment, and marketplace continuityClick to view request and verification stepsBuyer

Ask for

Ask for supplier terms, recent invoices, lead times, quality history, fulfilment SLAs, account-health records, and written transfer or replacement steps.

How to verify

Speak with critical suppliers, confirm pricing and continuity after sale, and test whether store, ad, fulfilment, and payment accounts can continue.

Warning sign

One supplier or personal marketplace account is essential and has no confirmed continuity plan.

Missing evidence

Customer / product / channel concentration
Supplier agreements
Marketplace/store account transfer

Prioritized seller questions

Use these to move from claims to evidence.

01Please answer each unresolved material marketplace question in writing and identify the record that supports the answer.

Why it matters

The buyer still lacks a seller position and source records for issues that other buyers considered material.

Decision gate

Pause commitment until the material questions are answered and the answers reconcile to suitable evidence. Non-response alone is not proof of wrongdoing.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: 2 material public questions were recorded without a visible seller response. Public questions are not proof that the underlying allegation is true.

Evidence to request

Request source-system exports, agreements, ownership records, or other primary records matched to each unresolved topic. Preserve the response date and evidence supplied.

02Which margin is correct, what expenses are included in each definition, and what dates does each percentage cover?

Why it matters

Under the two interpretations, normalized profit and buyer payback can differ materially.

Decision gate

Use the lower supported net margin for pricing until the definitions and periods reconcile.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: The marketplace summary displays 97%, while the narrative states 24.3%. Different periods or definitions may explain the difference, but that has not been established.

Evidence to request

Request the marketplace-connected financial source, monthly P&L, expense ledger, processor payouts, and bank deposits for the same dates. Recalculate gross and net margin separately.

03Is this landed cost, retail value, or another definition, and is all of the inventory owned, saleable and included without a separate payment?

Why it matters

The figure may use retail value, include unsaleable stock, sit outside the price, or contain an ownership or quantity error.

Decision gate

Exclude unsupported or unsaleable stock from value and make the final counted saleable inventory a closing condition.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: USD 182,000 of stated inventory landed cost exceeds the USD 165,000 working price. This is economically unusual and requires a physical and accounting reconciliation.

Evidence to request

Request a dated SKU count, landed-cost invoices, ownership evidence, ageing, damage and sell-through reports, and a witnessed count before closing.

04Are the following assets included in the sale: instagram? Who owns each asset, and what transfer or provider approval is required?

Why it matters

The buyer may price the deal assuming assets that the signed sale schedule does not deliver.

Decision gate

Do not value a narrative asset unless it is included in the signed schedule and has a lawful, tested handover or costed replacement path.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: instagram is mentioned outside the formal sale-inclusions claim but not listed in that formal claim. This may be a drafting omission; inclusion and transfer remain unestablished.

Evidence to request

Request a definitive asset schedule with owner, identifier, included rights, legal transfer permission, transfer method, tested handover and remedy for every omitted asset.

05Who created each relevant product, file, code, image, dataset, manuscript or design, and what transferable commercial rights does the selling entity hold?

Why it matters

Missing commercial, resale, assignment, trademark, copyright, data, or contractor rights can prevent lawful operation after closing.

Decision gate

Make established ownership and transferable commercial rights a closing condition. Walk away if a revenue-critical asset cannot be lawfully transferred or replaced.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: The supplied listing includes language connected to Contractor-created. This is an investigative lead, not a conclusion that any right has been infringed.

Evidence to request

Request creator records, contractor IP assignments, source files, licences, commercial and resale rights, trademark permissions, takedown history, and the transfer clause for each material asset.

06Which supplier accounts for the disclosed exposure (Largest supplier concentration is 72 %), which products depend on it, and can the buyer retain the terms?

Why it matters

A supplier interruption can leave the buyer unable to fulfil orders. Replacement lead times, product quality and higher landed costs can reduce profit even if customer demand holds up.

Decision gate

Confirm a transferable supplier relationship or test a viable alternative and its effect on margin before closing. Pause if critical stock cannot be sourced on workable terms.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: Largest supplier is 72% of supply or purchasing.

Evidence to request

07Which acquisition channel drives this exposure (Largest acquisition channel is 58 % of customers / traffic), and how has its share changed over the same financial period?

Why it matters

A decline or loss in the dominant source can reduce revenue faster than fixed costs and extend the buyer's payback.

Decision gate

Model a decline or loss of this acquisition channel before making an offer. Require a viable retention or diversification plan if the downside makes the buyer's required payback unworkable.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: Largest acquisition channel is 58% of customers or traffic.

Evidence to request

Request monthly acquisition channel-level exports showing contribution to revenue or traffic, contribution profit where available, and the contracts or access needed to retain this source.

08Which product drives this exposure (Largest product is 41 % of revenue), and how has its share changed over the same financial period?

Why it matters

A decline or loss in the dominant source can reduce revenue faster than fixed costs and extend the buyer's payback.

Decision gate

Model a decline or loss of this product before making an offer. Require a viable retention or diversification plan if the downside makes the buyer's required payback unworkable.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: Largest product is 41% of revenue.

Evidence to request

Request monthly product-level exports showing contribution to revenue or traffic, contribution profit where available, and the contracts or access needed to retain this source.

09For Meta - agency-managed campaigns, can you reconcile spend, attributed purchase revenue, purchases and distinct first-time paying customers for 2026-07-01 to 2026-07-31, with the attribution window shown?

Why it matters

Blended store revenue and repeat purchases can overstate what this paid channel contributes. A short campaign window may not represent repeatable acquisition costs.

Decision gate

Use attributed ROAS only after matching definitions and dates. Use paid-media CAC only for deduplicated new paying customers; include agency, creative and other acquisition costs separately.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: Claimed 4x; supplied attributed revenue divided by spend gives 3.00x for 2026-07-01 to 2026-07-31.

Evidence to request

Request Meta campaign exports, attribution settings, change history, refunds and a deduplicated store/customer export for those dates. Separate click-through/view-through credit and returning buyers.

10Who controls each Meta - agency-managed campaigns account, pixel/tag, audience and creative asset, and which can the buyer keep if the agency or present account holder stops cooperating?

Why it matters

The buyer may need to rebuild campaigns, tracking or creative permissions. Historical returns do not prove equivalent performance after a new account or operator takes over.

Decision gate

Pause reliance on this channel until the buyer has a documented handover or costed rebuild path, including tracking and campaign testing. Shared access is not proof of ownership transfer.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: Account owner: Agency. Tracking owner: Agency. Audience owner: Unknown. Creative owner: Another account holder. Reported as blocked / not included. Illustrative agency-owned account excluded from sale. Creative licence and tracking reuse are not established; price a rebuild before relying on July returns.

Evidence to request

11Is Meta creative files and reuse licence included in the sale, who owns it, and what consent or practical steps are still needed for the buyer to take control?

Why it matters

An asset being mentioned in the listing does not establish that the selling entity owns it or that the buyer can use it after closing.

Decision gate

Confirm included rights separately from a tested handover path. Resolve outstanding consents, restrictions and replacement costs before relying on this asset.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: Included: unknown. Owner: Another account holder. Not established. Fictional contractor created the ads. Source files and buyer usage rights have not been supplied.

Evidence to request

12Can the seller provide the promised record now, with the exact reporting period and source system identified?

Why it matters

An explanation or promise does not resolve the claim until the buyer inspects the promised record.

Decision gate

Keep the related claim unverified until the promised record is inspected and any differences are explained.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: 1 material public response promised evidence that was not recorded as supplied in the imported listing.

Evidence to request

Request the original promised document or live source access and reconcile it to the related listing claim.

13What was organic traffic, new customers, revenue and conversion for one identical recent period across the listing and connected analytics?

Why it matters

A buyer cannot tell whether the headline organic share describes the current acquisition mix or an older blended period.

Decision gate

Do not price organic durability until the same-period acquisition and revenue data reconcile and concentration is understood.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: The listing organic claim covers 2025-07 to 2026-06, while the connected-analytics statement covers 2026-01 to 2026-07. The percentages are not treated as contradictory until the same date range and definitions are compared.

Evidence to request

Request read-only analytics and Search Console access plus landing-page, source/medium, country, query and conversion exports for the same start and end dates as the financial period.

14When and why was the price changed, and did the financial period, asset inclusions or transaction terms change at the same time?

Why it matters

The earlier valuation rationale may no longer match current performance, inclusions, seller urgency or market feedback.

Decision gate

Value the deal using current verified normalized profit and current inclusions, not the earlier asking price.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: The supplied original price was USD 250,000, compared with a USD 165,000 working price, a 34.0% reduction. A price change can be ordinary and no motive is inferred.

Evidence to request

Request the dated price history, earlier and current sale schedules, and same-period financial exports used for each valuation.

15Who performs every recurring task, how many hours did each task take in the last four representative weeks, and which costs are already deducted from profit?

Why it matters

Unpriced owner or contractor work can reduce buyer-operated profit and make the handover harder than the headline suggests.

Decision gate

Recalculate normalized profit after replacement labour and require a buyer-run operating handover before closing.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: The supplied listing uses passive or hands-off language while also describing recurring operating tasks. Different staffing arrangements could explain this, but the replacement cost is not established.

Evidence to request

Request task logs, support volume, campaign history, content calendar, inventory/replenishment records, SOPs, staff and contractor agreements, and payment records.

16What changed between 2026-04 and 2026-07, and does the seller expect the lower 2026-07 run-rate to continue?

Why it matters

A falling recent run-rate can make the listing headline average overstate the earnings a buyer is likely to inherit, extending payback even if the historical arithmetic is accurate.

Decision gate

Base price and payback on a reconciled current run-rate. Pause or reprice if the decline persists, the missing periods are not supplied, or the seller cannot explain the change with comparable source records.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: Revenue fell 26.1% from USD 33,000 in 2026-04 to USD 24,400 in 2026-07. Profit fell 32.5% from USD 8,300 in 2026-04 to USD 5,600 in 2026-07. 3 consecutive monthly decreases end in 2026-07. Missing or partial periods: 2026-08.

Evidence to request

Request order or billing exports, payment settlements, complete monthly P&L, advertising or traffic records, refunds, and bank deposits for 2026-04 through 2026-07, including 2026-08. Reconcile identical dates and definitions month by month.

17What records support revenue, who produced them, and can the buyer inspect the original source?

Why it matters

The conclusion remains provisional until the missing evidence is supplied and reconciled.

Decision gate

Keep revenue unverified until relevant source records are inspected and any differences explained. Do not release funds if an essential claim remains unsupported.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: The figure may be usable for an initial buyer review, but it has not been independently evidenced.

Evidence to request

Request comparable-period monthly P&L, the itemized expense ledger, source-system sales/payment exports and matching bank deposits. Explain fees, refunds, taxes and timing differences.

18What records support profit and operating costs, who produced them, and can the buyer inspect the original source?

Why it matters

The conclusion remains provisional until the missing evidence is supplied and reconciled.

Decision gate

Keep profit and operating costs unverified until relevant source records are inspected and any differences explained. Do not release funds if an essential claim remains unsupported.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: The figure may be usable for an initial buyer review, but it has not been independently evidenced.

Evidence to request

Request comparable-period monthly P&L, the itemized expense ledger, source-system sales/payment exports and matching bank deposits. Explain fees, refunds, taxes and timing differences.

19What records support supplier agreements, who produced them, and can the buyer inspect the original source?

Why it matters

The conclusion remains provisional until the missing evidence is supplied and reconciled.

Decision gate

Keep supplier agreements unverified until relevant source records are inspected and any differences explained. Do not release funds if an essential claim remains unsupported.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: This important claim requires evidence before relying on it.

Evidence to request

Request original records specifically supporting supplier agreements, with ownership, dates and definitions. A seller explanation or promise to send records is not verification.

20What records support accounts and asset transferability, who produced them, and can the buyer inspect the original source?

Why it matters

The conclusion remains provisional until the missing evidence is supplied and reconciled.

Decision gate

Keep accounts and asset transferability unverified until relevant source records are inspected and any differences explained. Do not release funds if an essential claim remains unsupported.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: The figure may be usable for an initial buyer review, but it has not been independently evidenced.

Evidence to request

Request original records specifically supporting accounts and asset transferability, with ownership, dates and definitions. A seller explanation or promise to send records is not verification.

21Who controls each Google Shopping account, pixel/tag, audience and creative asset, and which can the buyer keep if the agency or present account holder stops cooperating?

Why it matters

The buyer may need to rebuild campaigns, tracking or creative permissions. Historical returns do not prove equivalent performance after a new account or operator takes over.

Decision gate

Pause reliance on this channel until the buyer has a documented handover or costed rebuild path, including tracking and campaign testing. Shared access is not proof of ownership transfer.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: Account owner: Seller / selling entity. Tracking owner: Seller / selling entity. Audience owner: Seller / selling entity. Creative owner: Seller / selling entity. Conditions remain. Buyer invitation, billing and Merchant Center access still need a tested handover.

Evidence to request

22Is Primary website domain included in the sale, who owns it, and what consent or practical steps are still needed for the buyer to take control?

Why it matters

An asset being mentioned in the listing does not establish that the selling entity owns it or that the buyer can use it after closing.

Decision gate

Confirm included rights separately from a tested handover path. Resolve outstanding consents, restrictions and replacement costs before relying on this asset.

What would worry us

This finding remains unresolved: Included: yes. Owner: Seller / selling entity. Conditions remain.

Evidence to request

Request the signed asset schedule and ownership/rights evidence for Primary website domain, together with Seller to initiate registrar transfer and prove buyer DNS control before closing.. Inspect registrar control, DNS, email routing and renewal responsibility.

Documents and evidence to request

Copy this list into your seller message or data-room request.

Shopify monthly orders export

Rebuild gross sales, discounts, taxes, refunds, order count, AOV, products, channels, and geographies for the listing period.

Payment-processor balance-transactions export

Reconcile store revenue to fees, refunds, chargebacks, payouts, and cash received for identical dates.

Monthly P&L plus general-ledger detail

Rebuild normalized profit and identify the USD 2,920 monthly cost gap and any owner or one-off adjustments.

Ad-platform read-only access and monthly exports

Test the 58% channel concentration, spend, attributed revenue, CAC, ROAS, contribution margin, and account status.

Supplier continuity pack

Confirm the 72% concentration, pricing, MOQs, lead times, quality history, termination terms, and post-sale continuity.

Inventory count and landed-cost schedule

Verify quantity, age, ownership, damage, sell-through, landed cost, and whether all saleable inventory is included in the price.

Asset, account, IP, and credential transfer schedule

Give every promised asset an owner, identifier, consent requirement, transfer method, handover date, and failure remedy.

Four-week task log, SOP index, and contractor cost list

Normalize the owner's 12 to 16 hours, expose exception work, and price replacement labour into profit.

Operational burden

The seller states 12 to 16 hours per week, but that workload excludes the cost of replacing the owner's ad management, supplier coordination, and customer escalations.

Normalize replacement labour

Obtain a four-week task log, assign each task to owner, contractor, or agency, and price the hours at the buyer's realistic replacement cost before accepting the stated profit.

Separate routine work from exceptions

Ask for ticket volume, refund handling, stockout frequency, campaign-change frequency, and the last three supplier problems. A weekly average can hide episodic workload.

Transferability

Several assets are promised, but Shopify, advertising, supplier, email, creative, domain, and inventory transfer steps must each be documented separately.

Build a closing asset schedule

List the legal owner, account identifier, transfer method, required consent, handover date, and failure remedy for every promised asset.

Make support measurable

Convert the 30-day support promise into named sessions, response times, included topics, credential handover, and a signed completion checklist.

Walk-away conditions

Walk away if the 12-month revenue and payout exports cannot be reconciled to bank cash within explained timing, refund, tax, and fee differences.

Unreconciled revenue makes profit, valuation, and payback unreliable.

Walk away if the lead supplier will not confirm buyer continuity or no practical replacement source exists at comparable landed cost and lead time.

A 72% supplier dependency can interrupt the business immediately after closing.

Walk away if critical storefront, advertising, domain, creative, customer-data, or supplier rights cannot transfer or be recreated before payment.

The buyer must receive the assets that generate and fulfil revenue.

Pause or reprice if normalized monthly profit falls below the USD 4,583 needed for a 36-month payback.

That threshold is the deterministic price divided by 36 months, before transaction costs or financing.

Negotiation issues

Supplier continuity as a closing condition

Require written supplier confirmation before closing, or use a holdback tied to successful onboarding and first deliveries.

Price based on verified normalized profit

Recalculate the price after the USD 2,920 cost gap, replacement labour, refunds, and channel costs are resolved.

Asset-transfer completion before release of funds

Tie payment or escrow release to the domain, store, creative, email, data, inventory, and account checklist.

Defined transition support

Convert 30 days of support into named sessions, response times, deliverables, and a signed completion standard.

Suggested next action

Send the eight-item evidence request, then run one live reconciliation session before discussing price.

Start with revenue, payouts, profit, ad spend, and supplier continuity. Rebuild normalized monthly profit, compare it with the USD 4,583 36-month payback threshold, and only then decide whether to proceed, reprice, or stop.

1. Send now

Send the first three prioritized seller questions and request their listed evidence before scheduling another call.

• Please answer each unresolved material marketplace question in writing and identify the record that supports the answer.
• Which margin is correct, what expenses are included in each definition, and what dates does each percentage cover?
• Is this landed cost, retail value, or another definition, and is all of the inventory owned, saleable and included without a separate payment?

2. Reconcile

Match the requested records to the same period and definitions used for this report. Recalculate profit after omitted costs.

• Shopify monthly orders export
• Payment-processor balance-transactions export
• Monthly P&L plus general-ledger detail

3. Set the decision gate

Do not change price or commitment until material inconsistencies are resolved, repriced, or written as closing conditions.

First walk-away gate: Walk away if the 12-month revenue and payout exports cannot be reconciled to bank cash within explained timing, refund, tax, and fee differences.

Appendix

Listing sources and extracted claims

Reference material is kept here so the report starts with the decision, risks, calculations, and buyer actions. Open a section only when you need to trace a figure or statement back to the listing.

Where the populated figures came from (5)

Working purchase price

Seller stated

Displayed as the listing asking price.

Show exact listing text

“Asking price USD $165,000”

Average monthly revenue

Seller stated

Displayed in the marketplace 12-month financial summary.

Show exact listing text

“Monthly Revenue USD $28,400 AVG”

Average monthly profit

Seller stated

Displayed in the marketplace 12-month financial summary.

Show exact listing text

“Monthly Profit USD $6,900 AVG”

Owner workload

Calculated from seller figures

Midpoint of the seller's 12 to 16 hour weekly range.

Show exact listing text

“Requires approximately 12-16 hours per week”

Additional owner-replacement cost

Calculated from seller figures

Illustrative buyer assumption for replacing the seller's recurring work; not included in seller-stated profit.

Seller-stated expense lines (4)

Goods

Show exact listing text

“Goods USD $9,100 /month”

$9,100 / month

Paid advertising

Show exact listing text

“Paid advertising USD $6,200 /month”

$6,200 / month

Shipping and fulfilment

Show exact listing text

“Shipping and fulfilment USD $2,800 /month”

$2,800 / month

Software

Show exact listing text

“Software USD $480 /month”

$480 / month

Important claims extracted from the listing (14)

Owner workload: 12 to 16 hours per week across ads, supplier coordination, and customer escalations.

Replacement-cost input

Buyer action: Request a two-week task log, SOP coverage, named operators, hourly cost, and a live handover. Recalculate profit using a market replacement cost.

Why it matters and exact listing text

The stated workload changes normalized profit if the buyer must perform it or hire someone after closing.

“Requires approximately 12-16 hours per week managing ads, suppliers and customer escalations.”

Passive operation claim: The seller describes the business as passive and largely hands-off.

Replacement-cost input

Buyer action: Request a two-week task log, SOP coverage, named operators, hourly cost, and a live handover. Recalculate profit using a market replacement cost.

Why it matters and exact listing text

The stated workload changes normalized profit if the buyer must perform it or hire someone after closing.

“A passive, hands-off ecommerce business.”

Formal sale inclusions: Brand, domain, Shopify store, email list, supplier introductions, and saleable inventory.

Closing schedule item

Buyer action: Put the asset, owner, transfer method, credentials, required consent, handover date, and remedy for failed transfer into the closing schedule.

Why it matters and exact listing text

The claim matters only if the seller owns the asset and it can legally and technically transfer without breaking operations.

“Sale includes the brand, domain, Shopify store, email list, supplier introductions and inventory.”

Social audience mentioned in narrative: The narrative describes the Instagram audience and creative library as growth assets.

Closing schedule item

Buyer action: Put the asset, owner, transfer method, credentials, required consent, handover date, and remedy for failed transfer into the closing schedule.

Why it matters and exact listing text

The claim matters only if the seller owns the asset and it can legally and technically transfer without breaking operations.

“Our Instagram audience and creative library provide a strong base for growth.”

Supplier concentration: The lead supplier provides roughly 72% of units.

Replacement-cost input

Buyer action: Request a two-week task log, SOP coverage, named operators, hourly cost, and a live handover. Recalculate profit using a market replacement cost.

Why it matters and exact listing text

The stated workload changes normalized profit if the buyer must perform it or hire someone after closing.

“Our main supplier fulfils approximately 72% of unit volume.”

Transition support: Thirty days of email and video-call support is offered.

Closing schedule item

Buyer action: Put the asset, owner, transfer method, credentials, required consent, handover date, and remedy for failed transfer into the closing schedule.

Why it matters and exact listing text

The claim matters only if the seller owns the asset and it can legally and technically transfer without breaking operations.

“Seller will provide 30 days of email and video-call support after closing.”

Marketplace identity verification: Seller identity shown as marketplace-verified; company ownership and asset authority still require separate evidence.

Marketplace observation

Buyer action: Ask the seller the underlying material question in writing and request the specific source record needed to resolve it. Preserve the response and evidence in the workspace.

Why it matters and exact listing text

This records what was publicly visible at the time of import. A buyer comment is an unverified third-party statement, and a deletion marker does not reveal the deleted text or motive.

“Identity verified by marketplace.”

Material buyer question about revenue: A buyer asked whether refunds and taxes were deducted from the revenue headline. No visible seller response was recorded after 16 days.

Marketplace observation

Buyer action: Ask the seller the underlying material question in writing and request the specific source record needed to resolve it. Preserve the response and evidence in the workspace.

Why it matters and exact listing text

This records what was publicly visible at the time of import. A buyer comment is an unverified third-party statement, and a deletion marker does not reveal the deleted text or motive.

“2026-08-20 buyer question about revenue definitions; no visible seller response after 16 days.”

Additional context-only items (6)

Seller growth idea: Launch wholesale and expand Google Shopping.
Material buyer question about supplier continuity: A buyer asked whether the main supplier would continue after sale. No visible seller response was recorded after 12 days.
Seller promise to provide evidence: The seller replied that a detailed P&L would be uploaded, but the imported listing did not contain it.
Marketplace deletion marker: The marketplace displayed a seller-deleted-comment marker. The original content was unavailable.
Organic acquisition claim: The seller says 90% of acquisition was organic from 2025-07 to 2026-06.
Connected analytics organic share: The connected analytics summary shows 61% organic traffic from 2026-01 to 2026-07.

Due-diligence boundary

This report is generated from information supplied by the user and deterministic calculations. Seller-claimed information may be inaccurate or incomplete. Deal Preflight does not provide legal, tax, financial, technical, investment, or professional due-diligence advice and does not determine whether a seller is fraudulent. Engage qualified professionals before committing capital or signing transaction documents.

See exactly what a buyer receives before making an offer

TrailNest Gear (illustrative example)

What changed since the previous report

Claims and evidence ledger

Listing integrity and seller conduct

Top positives

Priority risks

Seller profit vs owner-adjusted profit

What the supplied numbers actually support

Behind the average: monthly financial history

Revenue

Seller-reported net profit

Cost of goods

Advertising spend

All other operating costs

Profit bridge - 2026-07

Can the buyer keep acquiring customers?

Meta - agency-managed campaigns · Meta

Google Shopping · Google

What is actually included, and how does it hand over?

Total cash required

Financial snapshot

Score breakdown

Deal math audit

Profit-to-expense bridge

How to verify the three core claims

What must keep working after closing

What DealPreflight checked automatically

What could change this specific deal?

What if monthly profit falls by a fixed percentage?

Business and compliance checks

Missing evidence

Prioritized seller questions

Documents and evidence to request

Operational burden

Transferability

Walk-away conditions

Negotiation issues

Send the eight-item evidence request, then run one live reconciliation session before discussing price.

Listing sources and extracted claims

Watch one claim move from listing to decision.

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