If the seller says it was maintained by a dealer but lost the reciepts,a dealership can look up the service history using the VIN.
Pull the dipstick out,see if the oil on it is very black and gritty...but the seller could've wiped it clean. It's a little hard to tell by smell unless the sludge is really bad,and by then the vehicle usually smokes,runs horribly and check engine light is on.
The only real definite way to inspect is removing a valve cover. Maybe you can split the cost with the seller and have a mechanic inspect it for you.
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