How to run a MAP spot check: a log template and record builder
A MAP spot check is a by-hand check of a small, fixed set of listings: your priority part numbers at your priority dealers. For each listing, confirm the exact part, record the price as the page shows it with the date, time and a screenshot, and compare it with the MAP in effect that day. The log template and record builder below keep each record complete.
Key takeaways · if you read nothing else
- Keep the set small and fixed: 10 priority part numbers at 5 dealers is up to 50 listings, and checking the same ones each time makes results comparable.
- Confirm the exact part number and variant before you look at the price. A different finish or kit isn’t a comparison.
- Record the price as the page shows it, where it appeared (on the page, in the cart, with a coupon), the date and time with the time zone, and a screenshot.
- Compare with the MAP in effect on the day you checked, not today’s price list.
- Every result is one of five readings: a potential below-MAP observation, at or above MAP, a policy question, not this part, or could not check.
- A spot check is a snapshot. It shows what a page displayed when you looked, not what it showed in between.
On this page6 sections · record builder
What is a MAP spot check for?
To find out, with records you can rely on, whether there’s a pricing problem worth watching. It answers “what did these pages show when I looked?” It doesn’t answer “what have they shown all month?”, and it isn’t a legal finding.
A screenshot shows what a page displayed. Your policy and its exceptions decide what that means, and whether a record breaches the policy is your decision under its terms, with counsel where needed.
Which listings should you check?
Your priority part numbers at your priority dealers, and the same set every time.
- Pick the part numbers that matter most: best sellers, the ones dealers complain about, new releases.
- Pick the dealers. The readiness kit has a dealer list template with a priority column.
- Count the listings. Part numbers × dealers is the most it can be: 10 × 5 is up to 50. The scope calculator does the sum and shows checks a week.
- Find each product page on each dealer’s site, by searching for the part number. If a dealer doesn’t list a part, record that: it’s a result too.
How do you check each listing?
Seven steps, in this order, for every listing.
- Confirm the exact part. The page should show your part number and the variant on your MAP row: finish, size, kit. If it doesn’t show the part number, mark the match “probable” and don’t compare yet.
- Record the price as displayed. Copy the text, such as “Our price: $849.99”, not a number you’ve worked out.
- Note where the price appeared: on the product page, only in the cart, with a coupon, as part of a bundle, or only after signing in. If the price only appears after a step like that, screenshot each step, or record your screen.
- Take a screenshot that shows the page address, the part number and the price. Name the file with the date, dealer and part number.
- Write down the date and time, with the time zone. Prices change, and “2:15” means little without “CT”.
- Look up the MAP row in effect on that date. If your MAP changed last month, an ad seen before the change is compared with the old MAP. The MAP pricing policy guide explains why price lists keep old rows.
- Record failures too. A page that’s blocked, won’t load or doesn’t list the part goes in the log as could not check. Leaving it out makes the results look cleaner than they are.
The spot-check log template
One row per listing per check. The columns that overlap with the check log we import use the same names, so a log kept this way lines up with ours if you later start a diagnostic.
Illustrative example: fictional dealers, part numbers and prices on reserved .example addresses.
| Column | What goes in it | Example |
|---|---|---|
collected_at | Date and time you checked, YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM | 2026-10-06 09:14 |
time_zone | Your time zone | CT |
dealer | The dealer’s name | Dealer One |
url | The full link to the product page | https://www.dealer-one.example/products/exm-cat-1001 |
mpn | The part number on your MAP row | EXM-CAT-1001 |
match | exact, probable or different | exact |
price_text | The price exactly as displayed | Our price: $849.99 |
price_context | displayed, cart_only, coupon, bundle or sign_in | displayed |
availability | in_stock, out_of_stock, backorder or unknown | in_stock |
result | ok, blocked, not_found or other_error | ok |
error_detail | What you saw when a check failed | Access denied page |
map_price | The MAP in effect on that date | 899.00 |
map_effective_from | The date that MAP took effect | 2026-10-01 |
difference | Advertised − MAP, when there’s a comparison | -49.01 |
evidence_url | Where the screenshot is saved | A link to a private folder |
evidence_note | Anything the screenshot doesn’t show | Price shown only after adding to cart |
reading | Your reading of the row (see below) | potential_below_map |
Build a spot-check record
Potential below-MAP observation
$49.01 below MAP: −$49.01 (−5.5% of MAP). Check your policy’s exceptions before treating it as more than that.
2026-10-06 09:14,CT,Dealer One,https://www.dealer-one.example/products/exm-cat-1001,EXM-CAT-1001,exact,Our price: $849.99,displayed,unknown,ok,,899.00,2026-10-01,-49.01,https://drive.example/evidence/2026-10-06-d1-1001.png,,potential_below_map
How do you read the results?
Each row gets one of five readings. Only the first is a comparison that’s worth taking further, and even then your policy’s exceptions decide what it is.
| Reading | What it means | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Potential below-MAP observation | Exact part, price shown on the page, below the MAP in effect that day | Check your policy’s exceptions; keep the record |
| At or above MAP | Exact part, price at or above MAP | Nothing; keep the row so the next check has a comparison |
| Policy question | Cart-only, coupon, bundle or sign-in price; an unclear price; or no MAP in effect that day | Your policy’s wording decides; note the question |
| Not this part | A different finish, size or kit | Take the page off your list or find the right one |
| Could not check | Blocked, not found or wouldn’t load | A coverage gap, never a clean result; try again |
The MAP pricing violations guide shows six worked examples and the review classes we use, if you want a finer split. To test the arithmetic on several prices at once, use the MAP price difference checker.
When does checking by hand stop working?
When the number of checks outgrows the time you have. Time yourself on the first ten listings, then multiply.
Illustrative example: the 3 minutes per listing is an assumed figure, not a measurement. Use your own.
At 3 minutes a listing, 50 listings is 150 minutes, or 2.5 hours, for one round. Weekly, that’s 2.5 hours a week. Daily, it’s 17.5 hours a week.
Two other limits don’t go away with more time:
- It’s a snapshot. Don’t assume a price stayed the same between two checks: it can drop and recover in between.
- Consistency. Results only compare over time if each check is done the same way, with the same listings.
At that point the options are software, a managed service or both. The MAP pricing software guide compares them, and how MAP monitoring works explains what changes when checks are scheduled.
FAQ
Is a screenshot enough?
On its own, no. Keep it with the page address, the date, time and time zone, the price as displayed and the MAP row in effect that day. Whether a record breaches your policy depends on the policy’s terms, with counsel’s advice where needed.
Should I contact the dealer about what I found?
That’s your decision under your policy, ideally with counsel. This guide stops at the record. Price Axle doesn’t contact dealers either.
Can I send you my log?
Don’t email it. If you request an assessment, mention that you’ve run a spot check. If a diagnostic is a fit, we arrange a secure exchange.
This is general information, not legal advice. MAP policies and their enforcement can raise antitrust issues; talk to qualified counsel about your policy.