Remote Vehicle Appraisal BC: How an Online Appraisal Works
A remote vehicle appraisal is a written opinion of what a vehicle is worth, prepared from photographs and documents instead of a physical inspection. In British Columbia it is completed by a qualified appraiser and is most often used to support a FIN-320 Motor Vehicle Appraisal Form when registering a private sale or claiming a PST refund.
Why buyers use this page
- Prepared from photographs and documents, with no shop visit
- Available anywhere in British Columbia, including the Island and the Interior
- Produces the FIN-320 form that Autoplan brokers and the Ministry of Finance accept
- Not a mechanical inspection and not a safety certification
Remote Vehicle Appraisal BC
Remote and online vehicle appraisal describe the same thing: the appraiser never sees the vehicle in person and works entirely from what the owner supplies. The evidence is photographs, the odometer, the transfer paperwork and a written account of condition. For an ordinary private sale in British Columbia that is usually enough, because the question being answered is what the vehicle is worth on the day it changed hands, not whether it is mechanically sound.
How does a remote vehicle appraisal work in BC?
You send photographs, the odometer reading, the signed transfer form and a description of the condition, and the appraiser returns a completed FIN-320. There is no appointment and no driving. The appraiser reviews the identity of the vehicle against the VIN plate, checks the odometer against the transfer form, reads the condition evidence in the photographs, and forms an opinion of what the vehicle is worth. Everything that opinion rests on has to be visible in what you sent, which is why the photograph set matters more than anything else in the process.
What photos are needed for a remote vehicle appraisal?
Identity, distance travelled and condition. Miss any of the three and the file cannot be completed.
Identity and odometer
The VIN plate through the windscreen, and the instrument cluster showing the odometer. These two tie the paperwork to the actual vehicle, and an appraiser cannot certify a form without them.
Every exterior angle
Front, rear, driver side and passenger side, taken square on in daylight. Overcast light is better than bright sun, because shadow hides exactly the panel damage that lowers the figure.
Damage, wear and the interior
Close photographs of rust, dents, cracked glass, worn tyres and torn upholstery, plus a general interior shot. Every defect that is photographed can be counted; a defect only described in words carries much less weight.
Is a remote appraisal valid for the FIN-320?
Yes. The FIN-320 does not require the appraiser to see the vehicle in person.
What the form asks for
The FIN-320 Motor Vehicle Appraisal Form asks for the vehicle description, the odometer on the inspection date, an appraised retail figure, a condition rating and general comments, signed by a person whose business it is to appraise motor vehicles. Nothing on it requires a physical examination.
What the appraiser certifies
Part 5 is a certification that the information provided is true and complete, and the Ministry audits these. A remote appraisal must therefore say plainly what it rests on. It should never claim an inspection that did not happen.
Where it is used
Present it to an Autoplan broker when you register, so PST is charged on the appraised figure rather than the book figure. After registration, it supports a FIN-355MV refund claim instead, and that has a strict 30 day window.
What does a remote vehicle appraisal cost in BC?
A certified FIN-320 is $75 plus GST and PST, which is $84.00 all in. There is no separate charge for being remote.
One flat figure
The price does not change with the vehicle, the distance or the value. A truck in Fort St John and a hatchback in Victoria cost the same, because the work is the same and nobody is driving anywhere.
When it is worth doing
It is worth doing when the book figure exceeds what you paid. If the two are close, the PST saved may not cover the fee, and the honest answer is to say so before you order rather than after.
When do you need an in-person inspection instead?
When the question is mechanical condition, when a third party requires physical attendance, or when the evidence cannot be photographed.
Mechanical and safety questions
A remote appraisal cannot road test the vehicle, measure frame alignment, scan for fault codes or judge internal engine condition. If that is what you need, a qualified technician has to see it in person.
A recipient who demands attendance
Some insurers, lenders and courts specify a physical inspection or a particular report format. Ask what they require before ordering anything, because their rule decides the scope, not the appraiser.
Evidence a photograph cannot carry
Hidden structural repair, an intermittent electrical fault, or a claim about provenance on a rare vehicle. Where the value turns on something a camera cannot show, say so and get it examined.
A worked example
A 2013 Mercedes GLK 350 bought privately on Vancouver Island for $4,500.
What the buyer faced
ICBC would have charged PST on its own book figure rather than the $4,500 actually paid. On a vehicle with two recorded accidents and 122,809 km that gap was the whole problem.
What was sent
Photographs of all four sides, the VIN plate, the odometer, the damage, the interior, plus the signed transfer form and the bill of sale. No appointment, nothing dropped off.
What came back
A signed FIN-320 at $4,500 with the condition rated Poor and the documented defects listed in the comments, delivered by email about forty minutes after the file was accepted. The buyer took it to the broker with the transfer form.
Sources
The rules behind all of the above are published, and you can read them directly.
FIN-320 Motor Vehicle Appraisal Form
The form itself, on the BC Ministry of Finance site, at www2.gov.bc.ca under sales taxes and forms. It sets out what an appraisal has to contain and who may sign it.
Bulletin PST 308, PST on Vehicles
The Ministry bulletin that sets the PST rates and the bands for private sales and purchases from a GST registrant. Also on www2.gov.bc.ca, under sales taxes and publications.
ICBC vehicle registration and the transfer form
ICBC publishes the Transfer/Tax Form (APV9T) and its registration guidance at icbc.com. The transfer form must reach an Autoplan broker within ten days of the sale date written on it.
How long does a remote vehicle appraisal take?
Send the vehicle details, the photograph set, the odometer reading and the transfer paperwork through the online form. Most people do this from a phone in about ten minutes.
The file is reviewed for completeness. If a photograph is missing or the VIN does not match the paperwork, you are asked for it before anything is charged.
Once the file is accepted and paid, the appraisal is prepared and the signed FIN-320 is emailed back, usually within about an hour.
Take the FIN-320 to an Autoplan broker with the transfer form when you register, or keep it for a FIN-355MV refund claim if you have already registered.
Remote Vehicle Appraisal BC FAQ
Is a remote vehicle appraisal accepted by ICBC?
The FIN-320 is a Ministry of Finance form and Autoplan brokers accept a properly completed one. The form does not require the appraiser to have seen the vehicle in person, so a remote appraisal is accepted on the same footing as any other.
What is the difference between a remote and an online vehicle appraisal?
Nothing. Both mean the appraiser works from photographs and documents you supply rather than attending the vehicle. Some people also say appraisal without inspection, which describes the same process. In-person appraisals are available by appointment in our service areas.
Can I get a remote appraisal anywhere in British Columbia?
Yes. Because nothing has to be driven anywhere it works the same in Prince George, Nanaimo or Surrey. Rural and Island owners tend to benefit most, since the nearest appraiser may otherwise be hours away.
What if I already registered the vehicle and paid the tax?
You can still claim the difference back using the FIN-355MV refund application, supported by the appraisal. The Ministry must receive that claim within 30 days of the registration date, and it is receipt that counts rather than postmark.
Does a remote appraisal check whether the vehicle is safe to drive?
No. It is an opinion of what the vehicle is worth, formed from the evidence supplied. It does not road test the vehicle, certify roadworthiness or replace an inspection by a qualified technician.
What happens if my photographs are not good enough?
You are asked to retake them before the file is accepted. It is better to ask than to guess, because an appraisal that rests on evidence nobody can see is the kind the Ministry queries.
Helpful next steps
Use these supporting pages to keep moving.
Start a remote appraisal
A certified FIN-320 is $75 plus tax, $84.00 all in, anywhere in British Columbia. The one hour turnaround begins once your file has been reviewed and accepted.
Start Your Appraisal