Auction Buying
Carfax After the Sale: Why a Total Loss Can Show Up Late
You checked the history and it was clean. Weeks later, the total loss shows up. Why reports lag, how that bites flippers and buyers, and how to protect yourself either way.
Auction Buying
40 articles
Auction Buying
Why the Facebook Marketplace Truck Can Be Cheaper Than Copart After Fees
Auction prices look low until you add the fees, the tow, the title wait and the repairs. When a private-sale truck beats an auction truck, and when the auction still wins.
Auction Buying
Broker Fees on Top of Copart, and When You Can't Bid Yourself
Many salvage lots are open only to licensed buyers. A broker can bid for you, for a fee. What brokers charge, what they do, and how to keep the fee from eating…
Auction Buying
Storage Fees: What Happens If You Don't Pick Up Your Copart Car on Time
You get a few days to pay and pick up. After that, storage fees run every day. How to line up a tow before you bid, and what to do when the…
Auction Buying
The Seller You Don't See: Why the Insurer's Name Shows Up on the Title, Not the Listing
Copart and IAA listings often don't name the seller. You find out it was an insurer when the title shows up. Why it matters, and what the seller type tells you about…
Auction Buying
Run the VIN: How a $14,000 'Clean' Car Turns Out to Be a $6,000 Copart Total
Plenty of cars sold on Marketplace and small lots came through a salvage auction. How to check a VIN for auction history before you buy, and what the photos tell you.
Auction Buying
Buying a Salvage Tesla? Autopilot, FSD and Supercharging May Not Come With It
Salvage Teslas are all over Copart. Tesla limits support on salvage-titled cars: Supercharging, warranty and driver-assist features can be cut off. What to know before you bid on one.
Auction Buying
IAA's Fees in 2026, Next to Copart's
IAA added a service fee, environmental fee and title-handling fee from July 1, 2026. How they stack up against Copart's gate and environmental fees, and why you compare all-in, not by line.
Auction Buying
Wire or Card: The Buyer-Fee Gap on the Same Copart Car
Copart charges a higher buyer fee when you pay with an unsecured method. On a $3,000 bid it's $175 more; on a $10,000 bid, $390. Here's why, and how to plan for…
Auction Buying
Copart Says the Title Is Coming 'Tomorrow.' What to Do When It Doesn't
You paid, the car's in your shop, and the title is late, or lost. Why auction titles get delayed, why a bill of sale won't register the car, and the steps that…
Auction Buying
What a $3,000 Copart Bid Really Costs After Fees and a Tow
The bid is not the price. A $3,000 Copart win, line by line: buyer fee, gate, environmental, internet bid fee, transport, and what's left before the first part.
Auction Buying
Hyundai and Kia Theta II Engines: What to Know Before You Bid
Millions of Sonatas, Santa Fes, Optimas and Sportages got the Theta II engine, and plenty of them end up at auction with a blown motor. The recalls, the settlement, the knock sensor…