Everything You Need to Know About Online Car Auctions

Dec 15, 2022 4 min read
Everything You Need to Know About Online Car Auctions

Looking for a dependable online auction to buy salvage cars? Check out the best auction sites across the USA and know the advantages of buying from them.


Car auctions are becoming one of the most popular ways to buy cars online. Each year, more than 9 million cars are sold through auto auctions. The reason why so many people prefer to buy from auction platforms is that they can access a vast vehicle inventory. Moreover, auto auctions provide vehicles at affordable rates, as they have clean title cars, salvage cars, rebuilt title cars and more.

When purchasing your next car from an online auction platform, you will have access to exclusive vehicles. Public auction marketplaces, such as A Better Bid, allow you to bid and buy cars at wholesale prices. So, if you’re looking for a vast selection of vehicles in Las Vegas, or any other State, check out online auctions.

If you want to become a part of a live auction and bid on classic vehicles, you should conduct thorough research to find the most dependable auction. It will help you separate authentic platforms from scammers and ensure the car listing description matches the vehicle's current condition.

The Most Dependable Online Car Auctions

To have a smooth and worry-free car purchase process, you need to register to dependable and authentic auto auctions, such as the following:

A Better Bid

A Better Bid, or ABB, is a completely online auction marketplace with more than 300,000 vehicles. It lists multiple types of vehicles for sale, such as cars, SUVs, trucks, motorcycles, boats, RVs, and so much more.

As Copart registered brokers, ABB allows their members to bid directly and purchase cars that are usually only available to car dealerships. As a result, there is no middleman, and you buy at a more economical price.

ABB’s auction is open to the public; so, you don't need a dealer's license to register and place bids. Vehicle listings are updated daily, and you can check them to select your dream car. The platform also conducts live auctions every day so that you don't have to wait for weeks to participate in the bidding contest and place a winning bid on your selected vehicle.

Another advantage of buying salvage cars from this auction is that you don't have to pay any registration fee. Moreover, you can request a vehicle history report (available for pro and premium members) to check previous owners, accidents, repairs, mileage, and other technical information about the vehicle. This will help you make an informed decision by correctly estimating the repair cost.

ACV Auctions

ACV Auctions is a wholesale dealer-only platform that allows you to buy and sell vehicles in auction. However, you have to have a dealer’s license to participate in the bidding process. In addition, there is a $500 buyer fee to be able to bid up to $50,000.

Once the bidding and purchase process is completed, you can choose to use ACV transportation service to deliver your car to your home. However, you have to pay extra delivery charges, and ACV is not responsible for any damage that occurs to your vehicle during transportation.

BSC America Bel Air Auto Auction

BSC America offers vehicle auctions to dealers and the public. The public auction is hosted every Thursday at a physical location, and you have to provide a bidder's deposit to participate in the bidding. You can buy more than one vehicle but have to deposit a separate $1,000 in cash for each additional vehicle.

Fairway Auto Auction

Fairway Auto Auction is only open for car dealers. As a public buyer, you cannot take part in it. Moreover, the buyer is responsible for verifying the vehicle identification number (VIN) and other information, such as mileage and repairs, by themselves.

How to Register on Car Auction Platforms

Each platform has different requirements for registration. However, if you want to bid on an online-exclusive platform, ABB is the perfect option. The ABB registration process is very convenient and consists of the simple steps mentioned below.

  1. Open A Better Bid’s website and click on the registration button
  2. Input your name, email, country, and state
  3. Select the membership account that is better suited to your buying needs. You can choose from premium ($199/year), pro ($349/year), and standard (free)
  4. Attain buying power to place bids
  5. Upload a government-issued ID to prove your identity
  6. Select your vehicle and join the live auction to bid
  7. Place a winning bid manually or by an automatic bidding system
  8. Pay the total amount of the vehicle and order shipping

Your car will be delivered to your doorstep if you are in the USA or at your country's port, as ABB provides global vehicle delivery.

Key Features of a Good Online Car Auction Site

If you want to purchase an automobile from a reliable car auction, make sure to check for these key features:

Registered Cars

A reliable auction site is registered with a global vehicle auction provider. This means that the platform is not a scam and does not sell cars under false titles.

Vehicle Inventory

An honest auction marketplace is constantly holding live auctions and selling hundreds of vehicles daily. Therefore, it has a vast vehicle inventory to cater to all buyers.

Vehicle History Report

The vehicle history report mentions a vehicle's history, such as previous owners, car accidents, damages, past maintenance reports, mileage, and recalls. A salvage car's vehicle history report alerts you about the possible damages and problems of the vehicle. As a result, you can estimate how much money you will have to spend to make the car functional again.

High Site Traffic

A high site traffic rate means that the auction is making good sales. It also means that they are a recognizable name in the industry and provide economical rate vehicles with honest vehicle reports. For example, ABB receives around 105k site visitors per month.

Wrapping Up

Auto auctions are one of the best places to purchase clean, rebuilt, and salvage cars at an affordable price. However, you need to find a dependable auction site to eliminate the risk of scams. For example, ABB is a Copart registered broker that provides public buyers the opportunity to purchase vehicles that are exclusively available to dealers.

While you are searching for a reliable online auto auction site, make sure to check if they have the key features mentioned above. Following those tips will help you find a dependable online vehicle auction.

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