What's Cars & Bids?

Frequently Asked Questions

Buyer Questions

• What are the fees for the buyer on Cars & Bids?

  In addition to the final purchase price paid to the seller, buyers pay a 4.5% buyer’s fee to Cars & Bids. The buyer’s fee has a minimum of $225, and a maximum of $4,500.

• How do I register to bid?

  In order to register, first sign up by clicking the “Sign In” icon in the upper right corner of the screen – then click “Sign up here” in the box that subsequently pops up. Once you create a username and password, you’ll be prompted to verify your email address. After you’ve done that, you can return to Cars & Bids and you’ll be prompted to register to bid.

  If you don’t want to register just yet, no problem – you can do it later. Once you find a car you want to bid on, click “Place Bid” on the car’s listing page, and you’ll be prompted to register before you can bid. You will have to enter your credit information, as we place a hold on each bidder’s credit card until the conclusion of the auction.

• How do I place a bid?

  In order to place a bid, you first have to register, which we’ve explained above. Once you’ve registered and you’ve found a car you’re interested in buying, bidding is easy – just click the “Place Bid” icon on a vehicle’s listing page. Then, you’re prompted to enter your bid amount.

  Your bid must be higher than the previous bid, of course – and depending on the current bidding level, there may be a minimum increase over the previous bid. Once you’ve submitted your bid, we place a hold on your credit card for 4.5% of your bid amount until the duration of the auction, in case you end up as the winning bidder.

• How do bid increments work?

  Bid increments increase as follows:

  • Minimum bid of $100 to start the auction
  • $100 increments up to $14,999
  • $250 increments from $15,000 to $49,999
  • $500 increments at or above $50,000

• What currency does Cars & Bids use?

  All bids on Cars & Bids are in United States Dollars (USD), including on vehicles located in Canada.

• Can I bid if I live outside of the United States or Canada?

  Yes, however you will need to pay in full for the vehicle promptly following the close of the auction, just like all other buyers. Additionally, any logistics, import fees, transportation, legal dues, and/or other items needed to export/import the vehicle are entirely the buyer’s responsibility. Please ensure you’re aware of all these rules and you have everything fully in place prior to bidding. The close of the auction is not the time to begin researching transportation logistics and import regulations.

• How do I contact a seller privately?

  You can contact the seller privately through the auction description page for the seller’s vehicle. Just click the “Contact the seller” link next to the seller’s name, and you’ll be able to send the seller a private message that won’t appear on the auction itself.

• Is there proxy bidding?

  No. If you are outbid, you will need to manually input your next bid. Note that the price of the vehicle will immediately progress to your bid amount. For example, if the current high-bid is $30,000 and you input a $35,000 bid, the current high bid will immediately go to $35,000.

• Why do you place a hold on my credit card when I bid?

  We place a hold on your credit card when you bid in order to account for the possibility that you may have to pay the buyer’s fee, should you end up as the winning bidder. The hold is for 4.5% of your initial bid amount, with a minimum of $225 and a maximum of $4,500. If you aren’t the winning bidder, the hold is released from your credit card at the conclusion of the auction.

• What’s the reserve price of the car I want to buy?

  If a listing doesn’t have a reserve, you’ll see a “No Reserve” tag along with a “No Reserve” text near the bidding box. If you don’t see this text, that auction has a reserve price. Reserve prices are not published, and we ask that buyers refrain from asking sellers about reserve pricing during the auction. The only time you’ll know if the reserve is met is if the car sells at auction close.

• What if the reserve isn’t met?

  If you’re the high bidder on a car where the reserve isn’t met, we’ll work with the seller and the buyer in an attempt to find a sale price that’s suitable for both parties. If we’re able to reach an agreement, we’ll put the buyer and seller in contact – and our fee drops to 2.5%.

• Once the auction is over, how do I complete the transaction?

  At the conclusion of the auction, both the buyer and seller are given each other’s contact information to complete the transaction. Read more about Finalizing the Transaction.

• How do I arrange financing?

  The information provided in the listing is often sufficient for pre-approval for that specific vehicle, but if other information is required by your lender, please use the “Contact” button to reach out to the seller!

  Keep in mind that the time to get approved for a loan is prior to bidding! If you need a lender, we recommend checking with your local credit union, although keep in mind that certain lenders may have cut-offs for mileage, model year, and other criteria.

• How do I pick up the vehicle?

  Transportation costs are always the buyer’s responsibility, so we recommend gathering personal travel and/or shipping cost estimates prior to placing your bid. Some common strategies for collecting a vehicle include:

  • Booking a one-way flight and/or car rental and taking a road-trip home – after all, what better way is there to get to know your new car?
  • Using a shipping company to pick up and deliver the vehicle to your location

  As you review these options, please be sure to verify that a general timeline would work for the seller prior to bidding. Some sellers may be happy to store the car briefly to allow you time to pick it up, and may also be willing to bring the car to a nearby location for it to be loaded onto a shipping truck. Note that title transfers, paying off loans, etc. may take a little bit of time. When in doubt, contact the seller and make sure the timing works for them!

  To facilitate the process of finding an auto transporter and getting various quotes, we have provided links to a few shippers below. They both provide instant quotes, which can be helpful in understanding the approximate cost of shipping. Make sure to consider these costs prior to bidding!

  • uShip
  • EasyAutoShip

• How do I pay the seller safely?

  We recommend wire transfers or cashier’s checks for payment, but there are many possible options. We do recommend discussing the potential timeline with the seller as early as possible to ensure that you’re both comfortable with the timing and steps.

  Note that some states can take several weeks to reissue a title once the loan has been satisfied. Additionally, some states require titles to be notarized by the seller before it can be transferred to you, so pay attention to those rules – and reference state DMV websites – before sending important documents.

  Read more about Finalizing the Transaction.

• Are there rules to follow in the comments?

  Yes! Aside from common-sense rules like language and personal attacks, the conversation should be focused on the vehicle being sold, so as to be fair to the seller and bidders. We want to ensure the Cars & Bids community remains an open and positive place to spend time with fellow enthusiasts. A partial list of things that are frowned upon (and will be moderated accordingly) include:

  • Foul language
  • Personal attacks
  • Attempting to share your personal contact information
  • Spamming
  • Asking the seller about their reserve
  • Calling out the price you think the vehicle will sell for
  • Inappropriate images or descriptions in your profile
  • Plugging your personal business, website, social media handles, etc.
  • Sidetracking the conversation about other vehicles or topics unrelated to the vehicle being offered
  • Linking to inappropriate videos/webpages/content
  • Linking to other vehicle for sale ads

Seller Questions

• How much does it cost to sell a car on Cars & Bids?

  We charge sellers $89 to sell their first car on Cars & Bids. If you’ve sold with us before, we drop that fee to $49. We’ll also drop our listing fee to $49 if you sell your car with no reserve.

• How do you choose which cars you’re looking for?

  We’re focused on cool cars, trucks, and SUVs from the modern era – which we’re defining as the 1980s through the present day. If you’re looking to sell a cool car from the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, or 2020s, we might be interested in listing it. Our definition of “cool” ranges from traditional sports cars (Mazda MX-5 Miata, Porsche 911) to oddball vehicles (Subaru BRAT, Infiniti M30, Volvo 850R) to more obvious high-performance sports cars (Porsche Cayman R, Ferrari 360 Modena) to special trucks and SUVs (Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Land Rover Defender). We don’t list every car we’re offered, but we’re certainly interested in your submission to see if it’s a good fit for Cars & Bids.

• Can I sell a vehicle if I live outside of the United States or Canada?

  Currently, Cars & Bids only offers vehicles for sale located in the US and Canada. We may look into adding international sellers in the future, so please check back often!

• Can I sell a vehicle if I live in Puerto Rico?

  Currently, Cars & Bids does not offer vehicles for sale in Puerto Rico, but we may expand to vehicles here in the future.

• How do I submit my car for sale?

  To submit your car for sale, go to the “Sell a Car” link in the header. In order to sell your car, you’ll need to provide us with some important information – like the make, model, year, VIN, a few photos, and some other relevant details. If we’re interested in selling your car, we’ll get in touch with you. Then we’ll ask you for a more detailed set of questions so we can make sure our auction description is accurate – and you’ll pay the listing fee.

• What information do I need to provide in order to sell my car?

  We start with just the basics: we can let you know if we’ll accept your car if you just give us the make, model, year, VIN, some photos, and a few other details. If we accept your car based on this information, we’ll then need to gather more details – we’ll ask about your history with the car, features, and other items that help us craft our listing.

• How do I take the best pictures of my car?

  Our data and experience confirms that pictures are one of the most important elements of a listing – and we can’t emphasize enough how important they are to a successful auction.

  Most of all, we ask that you be thorough and honest in your photos, including showing any flaws or imperfections – transparency is the key to any successful auction and sale! Want more information? Watch our video tutorial!

• Should I take a video?

  Yes! We’ve found that taking a video detailing the exterior condition, interior, engine bay, and also showing the engine start and run, really raises interest and increases buyer confidence. This can be broken up into several videos, or all in one.

  We suggest filming in landscape mode, with the phone held horizontally, not vertically, and using YouTube or Vimeo to host the video. Want an example? See here!

• Who writes the listing description for my car?

  After you provide us with all of the pertinent information about your car, we’ll write the actual auction description. We won’t go live without your approval, and we do our best to make our auction descriptions simple, objective, and direct, focusing on only the most important details to help bidders make their decisions.

• Can I schedule when my car’s auction starts?

  Although we don’t offer the ability to precisely schedule your auction, we allow our sellers to provide preferences. If you’d prefer a certain start date, or if you’d prefer if your auction wasn’t live during a certain week (for example, due to a vacation or business trip), let us know and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.

• How long does an auction last?

  All auctions last for seven days. However, the exact duration can fluctuate. That’s because within the last minute of an auction, each new bid resets the auction clock to one minute remaining. This simulates a traditional auction, where bidding continues until bidders stop – rather than some online auctions, which end at a set time and favor last-second bids.

• Can I edit my auction once it’s live?

  You can’t edit your auction yourself – but throughout the duration of your auction, you’ll be in touch with Cars & Bids. If you need to edit your auction, just reach out and let us know what you need to have changed. You can also leave comments, which include additional photos – and you can answer questions to help improve the clarity of your listing.

• How do I respond to questions/how should I engage during the auction?

  We strongly recommend being an active participant in the comments section, and we ask that you respond to any questions submitted there, in your auction’s Q&A section, or directly from users through the Contact Seller option. Sellers who participate actively are the most successful. As always, staying positive and constructive with your answers will only increase confidence from potential bidders.

  Keep in mind that the buyer is a car enthusiast just like you, and they likely wouldn’t be asking unless they’re seriously interested in your car!

• Can I put a reserve price on my auction?

  Yes, we offer sellers the choice between a “reserve” and a “no reserve” auction. A “reserve” is a minimum price that a seller is willing to accept for a car, which is unknown to buyers during the auction. A “no reserve” auction has no minimum price, meaning the car will sell for the amount of the high bid.

  If you choose a reserve auction, we will ask you to suggest a reserve price – but we may ask for a lower one before we’re willing to list the car for sale. If we can’t agree on a reserve price, no hard feelings – of course, you’re free to sell the car elsewhere. If you select a “no reserve” auction, our seller’s fee drops from $89 to $49.

  If you decide later that you want to adjust your reserve, you can lower it at any point during the auction. Simply click the “Lower reserve” icon in your auction listing page, and enter your new reserve. Of course, we only allow sellers to use this tool to lower their reserve price, so the new reserve you enter must be lower than your current reserve price.

• Should I disclose my reserve price?

  We recommend never revealing your reserve, especially in the public comments or Q&A sections. We’ve found that disclosing a reserve price almost always slows down bidding, especially as the auction nears or reaches that value.

• Can I try to make a deal outside of the auction?

  No – vehicles listed on Cars & Bids are for sale exclusively through the auction. If a buyer or seller attempts to make a deal in an attempt to subvert the auction, we will permanently ban you from the site. Instead, if you want to buy a car on Cars & Bids, simply bid the maximum you’re willing to pay – it’s the best way to ensure you’ll end up with the car you want.

• What if my reserve isn’t met?

  If your reserve isn’t met, we’ll get in touch with you and with the highest bidder on your auction, and we’ll try to negotiate a price that will satisfy both parties. If we reach an agreement, we’ll then put the seller and buyer in contact – and we’ll drop our buyer’s fee to 2.5%.

• How does the buyer get in contact with me and make payment?

  Once the auction is over, completion of the transaction is between the buyer and the seller. Cars & Bids provides the buyer and seller with each other’s contact information, and the two parties can complete the transaction via e-mail or telephone. Read more about Finalizing the Transaction.

• How do I get paid safely?

  In general, Cars & Bids recommends wire transfers and cashier’s checks as the safest form of payment, although each transaction is unique and other strategies may be preferable to you. If the buyer is local, for example, meeting at their local bank branch to draft a cashier's check, withdraw the funds directly, or complete an electronic money transfer are also common practices. In each of these cases, please perform your due diligence, potentially including verifying a cashier’s check with your bank, or waiting until funds are received before signing over the title.

• How should I prepare for selling my car?

  We recommend researching the timeline and steps for title transfers in advance of the auction to ensure that you know the appropriate selling process. Note that potential buyers are encouraged to reach out to discuss the post-sale arrangements, in case they are the top bidder. Please engage with them to develop a suitable plan, and be up-front about your expectations!

  If there is a loan on a vehicle, please research the necessary steps to pay off the loan and transfer the title, and have a plan ready to do so upon the close of the auction – the more prepared you are, the more efficiently you can sell the car!

  Note that some states can take several weeks to reissue a title once the loan has been satisfied. Additionally, some states require that you notarize the title before it can be transferred to the buyer, so pay close attention to those rules – and reference state DMV websites – before sending important documents.

• Do I need a Bill of Sale?

  We always recommend drafting up a Bill of Sale that describes the Make/Model/VIN of the vehicle being sold, the purchase price, and the terms of the transaction (ie date(s), if any additional items come with the car, etc.). Both the buyer and seller should sign and date the Bill of Sale and each should keep a copy for their records.

  Your state’s DMV website may have vehicle Bill of Sale templates. Additionally, we recommend a simple and free service such as https://eforms.com/bill-of-sale/.

• What if the winning bidder doesn’t follow through with the purchase?

  It’s very uncommon that a winning bidder fails to follow through on Cars & Bids. In the unusual event that it occurs, the winning bidder forfeits their 4.5% buyer’s fee — and they’re permanently banned from Cars & Bids.

  If your buyer fails to follow through, we’ll immediately work with the next-highest bidder(s) in an attempt to sell your vehicle at an agreed-upon price. In the event that we can’t strike a deal, we may offer to re-list your car free of charge, or we will pay you half of the collected buyer’s fee after 90 days.