4 Easy Steps to Buying a Car at Auction
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Join
To start bidding, you will first need to register for your AutoBidMaster membership and place a small refundable security deposit. You will be able to bid immediately once your deposit has been placed.Sign up -
Bid
Using our Vehicle Finder you will be able to search for the item you like, and start bidding right away. You will be able to bid online during Preliminary Bidding, Live Auction, or both. It’s up to you!Sign up -
Buy
Once you win, your payment is due the next business day after the sale. Your invoice will include all applicable auction fees, our transaction fee, and the final sale price of the vehicle.Sign up -
Ship
You can arrange fast, expert shipping, with AutoBidMaster, or you may pick up your car directly at the Copart location. Congratulations on your new purchase!Sign up
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- Step 1. Join
Joining AutoBidMaster is fast and easy! To get started go to our registration page, fill out the form, and confirm your information. You will be presented with two membership options: One Year of Preferred Membership, or our 30 day Starter Membership.
Preferred Membership
Our Preferred Membership allows you to purchase an unlimited number of vehicles, and bid on multiple vehicles at the same time. Preferred Members enjoy exclusive discounts on shipping with AutoBidMaster as well as free vehicle history reports whenever they’re available. These free vehicle history reports will help you understand more about the car you’re interested in, leading you to a more informed bid.
Preferred Members can create Watchlists and Saved Searches to help keep track of their most-wanted vehicles. Creating a Watchlist allows our members to receive email alerts when a saved vehicle is scheduled to enter the Live Auction. Our Preferred Members also have exclusive access to more than 85,000 vehicles each week, visit any Copart location, and view vehicles in person. With the benefits of unlimited purchases, free vehicle history reports, and discounted shipping the Preferred Membership is a great value!
Preferred Membership is $150 per year. This is nonrefundable and renews annually unless cancelled online.
Starter Membership
With a Starter Membership you have the ability to bid on one vehicle at a time, enabling you to buy one vehicle during your free trial.
A Starter Membership is free for thirty days. Your membership will be automatically upgraded to a Preferred Membership once the thirty day free trial ends. Your credit card will be billed $150, giving you an annual membership and immediate access to all of the benefits of our Preferred Membership.
Refundable Security Deposit
Both memberships require a fully refundable $400 minimum security deposit, or 10% of your allowed bidding limit. A deposit of $400 will allow you to bid on one vehicle up to $4000, and a deposit of $800 will allow you to bid on two vehicles up to $8000.
You can increase your bidding limit at any time once you have selected your membership option. If you haven’t purchased a vehicle or have fully paid for your purchase, you may request a refund of your security deposit at any time.
Please note: All bids are final. Deposits with AutoBidMaster will be forfeit by the member if they do not pay for a vehicle won in auction.
Sign up - Step 2. Bid
Your Membership will will be activated immediately after your deposit has been placed.
Each auction has two phases: Preliminary Bidding and the Live Auction. The Preliminary Bidding phase begins when the vehicle is assigned a sale date and continues until one hour before the Live Auction. During the Preliminary Bidding period you can submit your bid 24 hours a day. When the Preliminary Bidding period ends the vehicles are then moved to the Live Auction. If you are outbid during the Preliminary phase you will receive an email notification which will provide you with the opportunity to increase your maximum bid before the live auction begins.
Once the Live Auction starts you will be able to submit your bid in real-time. Live Auctions move very quickly, and hundreds of people from around the world watch each live auction.
As a convenience for our members, you can use the Bid4U feature. Bid4U is an automated bidding system that during Preliminary Bidding allows you to enter the maximum price you're willing to pay for the vehicle. To keep you as the top bidder, Bid4U will incrementally bid on the vehicle on your behalf, up to your maximum bid. Once your maximum bid is reached Bid4U stops placing bids on your behalf. This allows you to purchase a vehicle below your maximum bid if bidding does not meet or exceed your maximum.
Once a bid has been placed it cannot be retracted, lowered, or cancelled. If an auction ends with you as a high bidder you will be obligated to either purchase the vehicle or forfeiting your security deposit. For this reason it is very important to double check your bid amount and the lot number of the auction prior to submitting your bid.
Sign up - Step 3. Buy
Once you've won the auction an invoice and wire transfer instructions will be sent to you via email. Payments for all vehicles must be made by bank wire transfer only. We cannot accept payment by any other method. Trade-ins, credit cards, cashier's checks, counter deposits, and account to account bank transfers are not accepted.
We suggest that our customers order shipping the day they win their vehicles, so that both invoices can be paid via one wire.
Payment for won vehicles is due the next business day after the end of the auction by 5 PM for domestic customers, and by 5 PM the second business day after the end of the auction for international customers. For example, if you won an auction on Friday the 9th, you would need to make payment by 5 PM Pacific time on Monday the 12th. Each day that the payment is late will result in a $50 late payment fee.
Once you have won, you will be paying your final bid price, applicable auction fees based on the final sales price, and our transaction and documentation fees.
Sign up - Step 4. Ship
AutoBidMaster’s shipping experts know how to handle all the details of transporting your vehicle from the auction yard to domestic or international destinations. We pick up your vehicle within 1-7 days of receiving your shipping payment. When ordering shipping with us we guarantee you will pay no storage fees as long as the vehicle and shipping are ordered and paid for by 5 PM the following business day.
Our shipping staff works with the industry’s most reliable and bonded shippers. All vehicles are fully insured for both domestic and international destinations. Because of our strong relationships with our transporters we can save you money while ensuring your purchase arrives when and where you need it without hassle. Additional transportation charges may apply for inoperable vehicles, and you are responsible to arrange for unloading equipment at the delivery destination.
If you choose to not ship with AutoBidMaster and your vehicle remains at the auction for more than 6 days after the auction, you will be charged a $20 daily storage fee.
All vehicles must be towed or transported out of Copart auction yards.
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