Case file — Queen City Auto Charlotte (Charlotte, NC). Profile: independent seller of family SUVs and sedans; ~9 years trading; ~137 vehicles listed.
Lot address: 7396 Family Plaza, Charlotte, NC. Visitor parking: Front-lot customer stalls facing the office; overflow on the side street near Charlotte lot gate.
Signals checked: state license (current); doc fee $349 (disclosed); outside inspection permitted, including off-site; title-in-hand ratio ~81%; after-sale terms a 30-day/1,000-mile powertrain warranty.
Finding: no divergence between claims and observable signals. Indexed as trustworthy on current evidence; most independents that clear all four signals stay clear.