FAQS

Are all the coaches that you market directly owned and sold by you?

Short answer some are, but no not all. That said, be sure to read the long answer below as it is good for you in the way that we do things, and you will see why in great detail below!

Long answer is this is BY FAR better for YOU the buyer for it to be done this way! Why is that you ask? Most coaches we market not only remain with the current owners/sellers until purchased, but also remain in service/use within the current owners/sellers fleet until they are purchased which means they (current owner/seller) are responsible to maintain the coaches within DOT compliance, cosmetically, and mechanically until purchased. Almost always coaches we market remain in active DOT fleets and service on trips until purchased. So, this means they are on trips with the current owners/seller's passengers so they should be ready for your passengers as well. Coaches that sit for longer periods of time before use, say on a more traditional dealer's lot, can develop unknown issues that happen shortly after becoming active again. Our motto is "a sitting coach is not a good coach" for many reasons, but this is a main one. This was proven during covid when operators worked to bring coaches back from sitting for periods of time and had to work through many issues before things were smooth again. Luckily that is behind us for the most part, but make sure any coach you're considering has been put back in service since being parked from covid for at least 15-30 days before you buy to ensure your post purchase experience will be smoother with the least amount of surprises possible. Also make sure that any coach that has been sitting on say a traditional dealer lot for longer than 14 days is taken on a longer test drive to make sure no issues have developed. (Rest assured in knowing when we have coaches onsite with us, they are started weekly and ran for 30-60 minutes and driven on a test drive route every other week. We are able to do this as we try to limit how many coaches we have at any given time onsite with us so that we can give the attention needed to keep them in correct running order while with us and until purchased.) Though let's be honest with each other here, test drives are fun, right? So, make sure to thoroughly test drive any coach you're looking at before buying as it is always good to make sure you are starting off with a solid purchase before completing the transaction.

Will I ever be able to talk with the current owner/seller or only you?

Yes of course! Once we get a coach or coaches narrowed down that you are interested in purchasing, we will facilitate and set up a time for you to not only meet in person with the current owner/seller to ask questions and confirm information, but also to see the coach in person to inspect and test the unit out. This is ANOTHER GREAT BENEFIT to the way we do things as this allows you to meet with the current owner where you can ask them questions about the history of the coach, but also allows you to look over and often times take copies of the coach's history with you post purchase. This is a VERY IMPORTANT benefit often times that is lost when purchasing through a more traditional dealer route. So, as you see the way we do things you get the best of both worlds. You get the personal private party experience, but with the access to the professional dealer network for all your coach sourcing, financing, insurance, delivery, and so much more for your wants and needs.

Why are coaches in different locations?

As stated above we look to do things differently than most in an attempt to represent coaches right out of active charter service so that we and our buyers can feel more confident the coach is ready to go for their use. Usually coaches on our site are used weekly if not daily while they remain for sale. This helps ensure that the coaches represented by us should not only be DOT compliant, but also trip ready and we feel there is no better way than to put that on full display than by having the coaches stay on the road until purchased.

Why are there not miles on your listings?

This is for a multitude of reasons, but see below for a couple of main reasons. As well, we like to take the time with each customer to provide the information to save them from being misled, misinformed, or deceived, and give as many details on the miles as we know and how the number we give was obtained.

1. Again as previously mentioned most of the coaches we list for sale are still in service until sold. So because of that the mileage today is different from the mileage tomorrow and this is amplified if a coach is listed more than a few days or weeks especially during busy seasons.

2. Commercial vehicles, unlike your personal car per say, don't have detailed auto history reports that can catch mileage discrepancies. It is very common on larger passenger vehicles for the odometers, ECMs, and other mileage tracking devices to either roll over (1,000,000) where many start back at 0, be replaced due to failure of the odometer, failure of other gauge in the cluster resulting in the dash cluster to be replaced, other mechanical failures in mileage tracking devices thus starting mileage back at 0, or be replaced when either the engine or transmission are replaced to track the mileage of the more important drivetrain. On older coaches most parts on the coach have been replaced due to age or failure so miles are relative depending on what part is being discussed such as body, engine, transmission, shocks, and etc.. Further some ask can the odometers or ECM be trusted if they match? When they match that is a good sign, but still not a guarantee. Lastly during the "covid times" many parts were hard to get and some owners had to resort in replacing parts like gauge clusters (including odometer) and ECMs with used parts thus showing inaccurate information for the coach in question.

So with these couple of reasons and several more we don't want to list mileage if we can't 100% be certain as we don't want to be misleading like other sellers who post miles or photos of miles that they know are likely not real in hopes to deceive somebody. It should be noted as the most important take away being without full maintenance records from new (day 1) to present, nobody can be certain on the miles on the coach.

Why are your photos photoshopped and/or blurred on the listing photos?

As previously stated, many if not all the coaches represented by us are still in active service until sold. Once a deposit or commitment is made the decals will either be removed or a decal removal credit can be negotiated in its place. Furthermore, the decals are either photoshopped or blurred in an attempt to hide the identity so that the owner/seller client of ours is not bombarded with calls as they have exclusively hired us to handle the marketing and facilitate the sale of the coach. With our marketing methods, listings on average are put in front of over 50,000 people monthly.

Can I bring my own mechanic or hire a 3rd party for a pre-purchase inspection?

Yes, absolutely and as well we actually encourage that you do that. In addition, if you don't know of one in the area of the coach(es) we will we be more than happy to find a few options in the area to recommend to you.

Can you tell me more about a coach as I don’t see the information I am looking for?

Yes, 100% we can tell you anything you want to know about the coach. While our website and 3rd party listing services are limited in the amount of information we can post, just drop us a quick call, text, or email and we will be happy to answer all your questions and more. We can tell you everything we know about the particular coach(es) you are interested in, but also obtain further information to meet and exceed your wants, needs, and expectations.

Are the prices listed negotiable?

Short answer is yes, you are always welcome to make an offer and all reasonable offers are presented and considered. Long answer is, before we list coaches, we reference many coach value tools as well as we use custom data we manage internally by following recent coach listings, recent coach sales, and current coach listings all over the industry to come up with a fair market value. So with that we list each coach with a pre-negotiated price for you in an attempt to save you, the seller/owner, and us time. We understand what it takes to run a charter business and we want you to not lose focus on that while trying to grow your fleet. We want to make each transaction as hassle-free as we can for all.

What are all the benefits of utilizing your services when buying or selling a coach that makes you stand out better than the rest?

OUR NETWORK! We have built a solid network to include, but not limited to, financing options, insurance options, delivery options, start-up assistance, and so much more. As well we use our teams combined decades of experience to help consult with our clients to help them grow and meet/exceed their goals.

Furthermore for both our buyers and sellers: We use our extensive experience and robust network we have built over the decades to best serve you at only the highest level possible. Between our website and all the other platforms we pay to list on we reach around 50,000 views monthly. This draws both new buyers and sellers in at all times. This high level of exposure can’t be obtained quickly and is due to our years of marketing efforts to build this expansive reach to where it is. As well Matthew has been in the coach industry since he was born. The affiliated charter side of the business and family is involved in almost every if not every industry organization currently or at one time or another for the past 40+ years. Most of that time they are as well serving in leadership roles of many of the organizations. As you see this network built is unprecedented and is the main key to our success at serving you at only the highest level. So call today and put our network to work for you at little to no cost until your coach(es) sell and at little to no cost to our buyers aside from the purchase price of the coach.

Additionally for buyers: When buying from us, you get to utilize our network and experience at little or even no cost to you as any money you pay is applied to the purchase price of the vehicle you buy.

Additionally for sellers: We market your vehicles where we take not just the upfront listings costs off your plate, but also handle all the time-consuming duties that come with marketing, finding the right buyer, and selling the coach(es), the paperwork, and so much more.


What options do I have to sell a coach with you?

1. Your best option for you, the buyer, and Holiday Coach and Auto Sales is for us to consign, broker, or represent the coach. This is the best method for you as the coach can remain in service with you where it earns money until sold. It is also the best method for the buyer as they can meet with you and ask questions about the coach before purchasing as well as know it is ready to go into service for them since it is working for you and your customers until they buy. Lastly it is best for us as it cuts down on the time and expenses of getting the coach to our site and as well maintaining a coach that is no longer in operation. All this usually not only leads to keeping all 3 parties the happiest, but also comes out better on the bottom line for all 3 parties. For you the seller the revenue earned in addition to the same sale price and quickest sale option is great. For the buyer and Holiday Coach and Auto Sales as we don’t have to pay the fees associated with getting the coach to our site and other additional expenses. So, as you see this option is the best for everybody. It is also the most selected and utilized option among our clients.

2. Trade the coach in towards the purchase of your next coach if buying through us.

3. We are also a licensed dealer so we can buy your coach outright, so you don’t have to buy your next coach with us if we don’t have what you want and need at the time or you are looking to downsize or even needing quick cash. For this we can either come to you and purchase or you can bring the coach to us. Either way we will inspect the coach thoroughly before making an offer and paying. The latter option will net you the highest offer from us.

Financing, Insurance, Delivery, Start Up Assistance and More!

As discussed previously we have built an extensive network for all your wants and needs. Please contact a Holiday Coach and Auto Sales LLC sales associate with your wants and needs and we are standing by ready to put our extensive network to work for you!

How much insurance do I need?

This is a question best answered by an insurance company or your legal team as it may vary by the type of use, type of business, and many other factors. That said, because it is asked so much and often times, we have found the insurance companies are not getting the right polices done for our charter/for hire clients we wanted to provide some brief insight for conversations with your insurance company. The following is not official advice, but just general opinion and sharing of information as it has been told to us and based on our own experience. A minimum of $5,000,000 is required for all charter/for hire transportation companies that plan to operate the coach in multiple states. Please make sure your total insurance from 1 of more polices equals this amount. When seeking a loan through our financing options and most others we have seen this is a requirement they will verify before funding a deal and is one of the most common holdups we experience in the deal.

Can I bring my own outside financing or do I have to use yours?

Yes, you can bring your own outside financing and we will even connect with them directly to get them everything they need and as well work just as hard with both them and you to get the deal done just as if it was our financing partner. It makes no difference to us if you use your own outside financing, pay in full, or use our financing as in the end we get you in the coach you want and that is all that matters to us. That said, there are many benefits to using our partnered financing company. For example, we have a personal relationship with them and can call on them all hours of the day (even after normal business hours) to pull last minute items off more quickly and efficiently. As well being that we work with them on a daily basis we know exactly what they need which helps expedite your transaction. That all said we just want to help you and are here to do what is best for you no matter what that may be when it comes to the payment of your purchase.

Warranties?

This one is tricky as both sellers and 3rd party warranty services can provide warranties. If a seller claims they are offering a warranty, be sure to get all the details and agreement in writing, but even with this, it can be hard to enforce. With 3rd party warranty companies, options are limited, but more reliable as they are regulated. However, the costs can be high (contact sales associate for more details).

You should safely assume all units sold by any seller be it private party, auction, dealer, broker, agent, or any other type of seller including, but not limited to Holiday Coach and Auto Sales LLC unless otherwise noted on the bill of sale are sold "as is" with no warranties of any kind. (For more details on this from Holiday Coach and Auto Sales LLC please check the listing, check with a sales associate, or check out our disclaimers page.)

What is the difference between an Allison and ZF transmission?

The best way to describe a ZF transmission is that it is a manual transmission with an automatic clutch. The gears change automatically. When shifts happen, you will get the sensation as if you are changing gear manually. The power comes completely off, the shift happens, then the power comes back all the while your foot stays on the gas pedal. The Allison transmission is no different from your car's automatic transmission whereas the ZF could be compared to some sporty cars where they have a “manual” mode where you can shift gears with either paddle shifters or using the gear shift with no clutch.

Do passenger counts include the driver or only physical passenger count?

Our listed passenger count is how many actual passenger seats are on the coach which of course does NOT include the driver's seat.

Do I need a CDL or is this coach California compliant?

Both of these questions are asked a lot and while due to legality we can't answer these questions with 100% certainty, we will give you as much information as we can. More importantly we will send you links to information for your local state resources to help you find the answers you are looking for.

Are we a licensed, bonded, and insured dealer?

Yes we are! There are many people out in the coach resale market right now that are doing it as a side gig/hustle with no license, bond, insurance, or physical location. While you may wonder why that is an issue, I can say from my opinion this allows them to disappear quickly in the event of an issue. We have a large physical location, a trackable license, a trackable bond, insurance, and so much more that shows we are set up and here to stay for the long haul. You may think that when buying and selling coaches you can handle issues on your own or even prevent them. However, I can tell you from experience that issues can and do arise and when they do, we don’t flee as we do everything we can to help resolve issues quickly and effectively for our clients where we can within our power and network. This also allows for us to act as a traditional dealer where we can buy or take in on trade your coaches when you need out quickly in order to buy the coach or coaches you are looking for.