Case file — Palmetto Coast Motors (Charleston, SC). Profile: independent seller of late-model luxury cars; ~19 years trading; ~84 vehicles listed.
Lot address: 4660 Premier Ln, Charleston, SC. Visitor parking: Front-lot customer stalls facing the office; overflow on the side street near Charleston lot gate.
Signals checked: state license (current); doc fee $599 (disclosed); outside inspection permitted, including off-site; title-in-hand ratio ~77%; after-sale terms a 3-month/3,000-mile limited warranty.
Finding: no divergence between claims and observable signals. Indexed as trustworthy on current evidence; most independents that clear all four signals stay clear.