Copart Review 2024 – Should You Sell or Buy Your Car with Copart?

Copart is one of the world’s largest online virtual auction sites with thousands of monthly customers and a large inventory of used and salvage cars.

However, many people wonder whether buying or selling a vehicle on Copart is a good idea.

Is Copart worth it? Is it a legitimate platform to buy and sell cars? We provide you with a detailed review of Copart in this article, including the buying process, selling process, and quick comparison to other companies, and we also answer many of the important questions.

What Is Copart?

Copart is the world’s leading online car auction company, headquartered in Dallas, Texas. They’ve revolutionized the way people buy and sell vehicles, from classic cars to ATVs. Whether you’re seeking a dream ride or looking to offload a well-loved truck, their expansive platform has you covered.
Founded in 1982, Copart began with a single salvage yard in California. Today, they’ve expanded to over 200 locations in 11 countries, making them a truly global force in best auction sites.

How does Copart work? As a salvage vehicle auction specialist, Copart makes it easy for Members to find, bid on, and win the vehicles they want.  You can bid on classics, early and late model cars and trucks, motorcycles, industrial vehicles, and more. Their business model addresses the needs of a wide range of car sellers, including hobbyists, financial institutions, insurance companies, local municipalities, and charities.

Additionally, the target audience includes individuals, body shops, dismantlers, salvage buyers, car dealers, etc. Copart sells more than two million vehicles a year.

Copart Quick Stats

How Can You Sell Your Car on Copart?

Copart is an online vehicle auction website that works closely with the used car dealer CashForCars to make selling your old car as simple as possible. It does not matter whether the vehicle has high or low mileage, is new or old, damaged or not, running or not, Copart Direct buys it no matter what its condition is.

Copart buys all types of vehicles, including cars, SUVs, RVs, pickup trucks, work trucks, motorcycles, motorsports, boats, jet skis, and even exotics.

You can get cash for your car within 24 hours with the company’s free towing services and instant payment.

You can sell a car with Copart in three ways: as an individual, as a business, or as a dealer.

Let’s look at each method of selling your car with Copart in detail.

Selling Your Car as an Individual

If you are an individual who wants to sell your car with Copart, here are the steps you should follow:

Step 1: Get an Offer

Get an offer for your vehicle by visiting Copart and filling out some details.

This form asks for your contact information (email and phone), your Zip code, the VIN of your vehicle, the make, model, manufacturer, and trim of the vehicle, and its current condition.

Alternatively, contact Copart to request an offer. Whether you submit an online form or call a Copart agent, you will receive an instant quote. Furthermore, the offer is guaranteed – it won’t change when you pick it up.

Step 2: Schedule the Free Pick-up

After you accept Coparts’ offer, an agent will schedule a pick-up at a time that is convenient for you. Pick-ups usually take place within 24 – 48 hours of the scheduled appointment.

Step 3: Collect Your Money

As soon as we pick up your vehicle, payment is initiated and completed. Copart will hand over the cash as soon as the vehicle’s title and keys are handed over.

These three steps are all that it takes to sell your car to Copart.

What Is the Cost of Selling a Car on Copart?

Copart selling fees become different depending on how you sell a car:

Selling Your Car as a Dealer

The Copart Virtual Bidding Technology allows dealers to sell their cars online. A platform that facilitates online auctions for selling your car.

As a car dealer, you can sell your inventory to more than 750,000 buyers across 170 countries through Copart. You can sell a vehicle as-is, where it is, and avoid the hassle of getting right down to making money by selling cars. In addition, Copart will clean and vacuum your vehicle before auctioning it online through Copart.

You can sell your car through Copart in two ways:

1. Fill out the quick online form with your contact information. You will then receive a call from Copart’s representative who will guide you through the online auction process.
2. Alternatively, you can contact Copart by phone at 1-888-616-1237 to speak with an agent.

Selling a Car on Copart as a Business

A business is any institution or company from which Copart buys cars.

There are a variety of institutions involved, such as insurance companies, car rental companies, financial institutions, banks,, fleet operators, dealers, and charities. If you represent any of these institutions and are looking to sell a car, you can consider Copart.

Copart currently has more than 140 exclusive national agreements and is adding new sellers every year.

You need a Copart Seller Account before selling cars through Copart. You can also fill out the quick form with your contact information and a Copart representative will contact you shortly.

Pros and Cons of Copart

Can You Really Buy a Car on Copart?

Is Copart a good place to buy cars? Copart is the ideal online car purchasing platform for those looking to buy a new or used car. You can view available cars and purchase them from the comfort of your own home. Furthermore, Copart can help you find the perfect car for your needs!

How to Bid on a Vehicle on Copart?

How to buy cars at Copart? Here are the steps to bidding and buying a car at Copart’s auctions:

Step 1. Join Copart as a Member

Joining Copart is the first step toward bidding and buying with Copart. Investing in one of their memberships (basic or premium) is a great option if you intend to buy cars frequently.

Members who complete only the first step of the registration process will be considered Guest Members and will be able to search and watch vehicles, but will not be able to bid or buy. However, for bidding, you must upgrade to either a basic or premium membership.

Step 2. Submit Business Licenses or Find a Broker

Bidders who wish to bid on vehicles that require a business license must either register as a business or use a broker. Each state has its own requirements for obtaining a business license

Do not worry if you cannot obtain a business license! A broker can still help you bid on vehicles that require a business license. Alternatively, All Basic and Premier Members with valid government-issued ID can bid on No License Required vehicles.

• Here’s what Brokers can do for you

A broker can assist you in obtaining a vehicle that you may not otherwise be able to obtain. Also, they can answer questions about the auction process and arrange transportation if necessary.

There are some brokers who have a physical storefront you can visit. With the help of their experienced staff on hand, you can bid and buy on these Brokers’ computer kiosks.

Copart returns policy pledges that if you provide a Copart Registered Broker with a deposit, your deposit will be returned to you if the Broker does not purchase the vehicle and resell it to you as agreed.

Step 3: Finding Vehicles on Copart

Copart makes the process of searching for vehicles convenient and easy for its Members. You can begin your search on Copart by using the Search Toolbar. You can enter a description, VIN, or Lot Number in the toolbar at the top of any Copart page.

Remember to add vehicles to your Watchlist when searching for vehicles. The purpose of this feature is to keep track of the sale date, lot number, description, and current bid for your vehicles of interest.

Step 4: Join the Auction

If you’ve found a vehicle you’d like to bid on, you can submit a preliminary bid or participate in a live auction! In order to place a bid, you must be a Basic or Premier Member. Once you’ve signed in, click on the Auctions tab to see today’s live online auctions, where you can jump right into them, and the Auctions Calendar to view future auctions.

Step 5: Place Your Bid

To bid, Copart Members must have a valid government-issued ID on file in their Copart account and pay for Basic or Premier Memberships. If you’re interested in bidding, please upload any relevant documents in advance as it can take up to four business days for licenses and documents to be processed.

• Preliminary Bidding

Members can place pre-bids prior to and during the live auction as late as two minutes or two units before the vehicle is placed on auction. Pre-bids are placed prior to a sale as an incremental bid. During the live auction, your pre-bid will be shown, and it may be the winning bid if no other bidder submits a higher bid.

• Live Bidding

Members can experience the excitement of a live auction from the comfort of their homes, offices, or mobile devices using Copart’s patented online technology.

You can place a bid from your computer, your mobile device, or through a Broker by selecting one of the automatic increment options or by setting your own amount (Monster Bid).

• Buy It Now

Buy It Now vehicles are not subject to bidding. Although you can still bid on these vehicles, buyers can also purchase them immediately for a predetermined price.

Upon clicking Buy Now, you will be redirected to a Copart auction fees invoice that must be paid within two working days. The lot will be relisted if the invoice is not paid within 2 working days.

So make sure you have enough funds in your account to pay for the vehicle you intend to buy before you make the purchase.

Step 6: Pay and Pick Up

How Much Does it Cost to Buy a Car on Copart? When you buy a truck or car on Copart, you pay more than just the price. You lose nothing if you are outbid. There will, however, be additional costs if your bid is accepted and you become the new owner.

Fees associated with Copart include:

• (Non-refundable) Buyer’s fees
• Fees charged by sellers
• Fees for storage (varies by location)
• Fee for documents ($80)
• Fees for transportation ($99-$200)
• Sales tax (varies by location)

Things You Need to Know as a Private Buyer

It is common for Copart to target dealerships and other large car businesses, but many private buyers are also interested in bidding on certain vehicles.

If you decide to go with Copart’s basic membership, you can join for free. Upload a photocopy of your driver’s license to be able to fit it.

Which Types of Membership are Available?

Copart offers three levels of membership to buyers.

• Guest Membership

If you are new to Copart and want to browse inventory and create a watch list, this free membership is for you.

• Basic Level Membership

The annual fee for this membership is $59 per year. Members are limited in their purchasing power based on their deposits. With basic membership, you can bid up to $1200 without making a deposit.

You can bid on up to 5 vehicles at a time with a deposit. Normally, the deposit is 10% of the annual maximum bid that you wish to place.

As an example, if you are a basic member and plan to bid for $4000, you would have to deposit $400.

• Premier Membership

If you think the basic membership does not provide all the features you need, you can always upgrade to the Premier membership. Usually, this membership costs about $199, plus a refundable deposit of about $400.

Individuals and buyers have substantial purchasing power with this membership option. Each day, they can bid up to $100,000.

Vehicle Designations and Highlights

Learn the letter designations next to each vehicle listed on the cool part auction.

As an example, if you see the letter “E” next to a vehicle, it means that the vehicle has not been verified to run, so getting it moving will be a challenge unless you are buying it as an education project or to replace parts.

The letter “S” next to a vehicle signifies that it starts and then idles, indicating it may have significant problems.

Last but not least, if you see the letter “R” next to a vehicle, it means it is drivable and runs, meaning you can drive it immediately.

VB3 (Virtual Bidding Technology)

With Copart’s technology, you can hold online auctions. In this way, you can place your bids from a computer, a phone, or a tablet. Making a bid or selling a car through this site is free of arbitrations, red lights, or green lights.

In other words, virtual bidding technology saves you the hassles associated with selling cars in auctions.

Transport and Vehicle Delivery

With Copart, buyers can deliver their auction-purchased vehicles domestically and internationally.

If you have a preferred transporter, Copart can work with them to pick up your vehicle in transit or at the scheduled time.

Information about Licensing

To facilitate your bidding process, you must submit licensing information whether you are an individual, a business, or an international member.

As each state has its own requirements, you must familiarize yourself with them.

Conclusion

Copart is the place to go if you’re looking for a great deal on a car. However, do your homework before bidding on any cars. The cars are sold “as is,” so if there are any problems with the vehicle, it will be your responsibility to fix them.

Get in Touch!

Whether you are buying or selling a car with Copart, you’ll need someone who understands your requirements to transport your vehicle.

AutoStar Transport Express has been shipping cars to and from Copart for more than 15 years. For more information about vehicle transport services and car shipping costs, call 888-802-8250.

Click here to explore our across-country car shipping routes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bilal

Bilal Ahmed is a dedicated auto transport researcher, blogger, and digital marketing expert with over a decade of experience. Holding a degree from MIT, Bilal passionately shares insights and knowledge with the world. His journey in blogging began as a means to connect with like-minded enthusiasts. With an honest and relatable writing style, Bilal swiftly garnered a devoted following. Renowned for his candid discussions on challenging subjects, he aspires to empower others in finding their voice through his platform.

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