Car Blog & Knowledge Database

User Accounts & Registration

• Are these auctions open to the public or only to car dealers with a Dealer License? Do I need a dealer-license to buy a car?

  Auto Auction Mall was built on one simple premise – The public should have access to dealer-only auctions that it would not otherwise have access to in order to save thousands on their car purchase. Think about it, dealers attend these dealer-only auctions to purchase cars at wholesale prices, then they clean up the car (including possibly making minor repairs) and then sell these cars to you, the public, for thousands more than what they paid. That’s how they make money!

  At Auto Auction Mall, we give you access to certain dealer-only auctions so that you can save money on your next car purchase. These auctions are not open to the public but since we have the dealer license, we give you the chance to attend these auctions and buy the car you want for a price well below retail.

• Why should I register with Auto Auction Mall?

  There are several benefits to registering with Auto Auction Mall:

  1. You came to Auto Auction Mall to attend a dealer-only car auction so that you could save thousands on your car purchase. In order to bid on and/or buy any car on our site you must first register here.
  2. Registration is 100% free and does not require any credit card or other payment information.
  3. Once you have registered, you have the ability to save vehicles that you are interested in to your Watchlist. Quick and easy access to all the cars you are considering and/or comparing is certainly a huge bonus!
• How do I register?

  Its quick and easy. Just go to https://www.autoauctionmall.com/signup and fill out the short form.

• What information do I need to provide in order to register?

  We understand why this is a common question. This is why we require very little personal information for registration. In fact, we only need 3 things from you:

  1. Full name;
  2. Email address; and
  3. Phone number.

  You will also need to set up a password which can be done on the registration page. It’s as simple as that so go ahead and Register!

• Do I need to have a Dealer’s License to bid on and/or buy these cars?

  No.  That is the benefit of Auto Auction Mall. We have the dealer license required to attend these major dealer-only vehicle auctions, like Copart, so you don’t need one. That means everyone is now able to buy these dealer-only auction cars!

  For this service and all the associated savings, we charge you a small flat fee of $299 (if the vehicle purchase price is under $3,500) or $349 (if the vehicle purchase price is $3,500 or above).  You only pay this fee if you have purchased a car.

• Do you require users to have a membership in order to bid on and/or buy these cars?

  No. Unlike like other sites, we do not require you to pay for a monthly or yearly membership on our site in order to bid on or buy cars. As mentioned, you can buy as many cars as you want so long as you are registered and have the required Buying Power

• Okay, so I have registered but when can I begin the process of bidding and buying the car I want?

  Once you have registered and have Buying Power, you are ready to begin placing bids, making offers and/or clicking the buy now button to buy the car you want. It’s that simple!

• Is there a limit to how many cars I can buy when I register?

  No. That’s the beauty, there is no limit!

  As long as you are registered, have the Buying Power and there is no outstanding balance on your account for previously purchased cars, you can buy as many cars as you wish.

  Whether you only need one car or want to buy many cars, we give you access to the dealer-only auctions so that you can buy for well below retail prices.

• Why is my account locked or suspended?

  We were really hoping it wouldn’t get to this, but you can correct this quickly!

  Your account could be locked or suspended because you have an outstanding balance on your account. The 3 most common reasons for this are:

  Scenario 1 – Have not paid the invoice – We have not received payment of the invoice amount for the car that you won.

  Scenario 2 – Late fees – All invoices must be paid within 2 days from the date of sale. You may have paid the invoice amount but we received the money after this 2 day time period and now the Auction Clearing House has charged a late payment fees for each day that the payment was late beyond the 2 days, which we must pass on to you. This amount must be paid before your account will be re-opened and the vehicle (along with title) will be released to you.

  Scenario 3 – Storage fees – If you did not pick up the car in the required time the Auction Clearing House will charge a storage fee for each additional day that the car is not picked up. This is a fee charged by the Auction Clearing House which we must pass on to you. This amount must be paid before your account will be re-opened and the vehicle (along with title) will be released to you.

  We really want to continue doing business together, but we need to be on the same page so please call 1-800-680-8010 or write to us at [email protected] to discuss making payment of outstanding balances.

Auction Process & Bidding

• How does the Auction Process work?

  This is not eBay or other similar online marketplace/auction platforms that shoppers may be accustomed to. Those are not wholesale dealer-only auctions like Copart or IAA, so they have a different process. Let us explain how the dealer-only car auction process works.

  On sites such as eBay when you find the car that you want, you can bid on that car until the auction timer goes down to 00:00. If you are the highest bidder (and have met the reserve, assuming there is one) you win the car. With dealer-only car auctions, the cars are listed on the site in advance of the actual live auction start time. That gives the buyers a chance to view the vehicle and do their research to determine if (and how much) they want to bid. Each car auction listing has a timer showing when the live auction starts (not ends like other auction sites). Once the timer reaches 00:00 the actual auction starts and this auction lasts about 2 to 3 minutes.

  Our site shows you all of the cars that are scheduled for auction in the upcoming hours/days/weeks. Each car listing page has an auction timer located in the top right of the page which shows you when the auction starts.

  If you find the car that you want and are interested in “attending” the actual live auction simply click the “Attend Live Auction” button under the auction timer in the car listing page or you can call us at 1-800-680-8010 or write to us at [email protected] so that we can put you on the schedule to “attend” the live auction with us. It’s really exciting and we look forward to working with you on your next car purchase!

• What can I do during the period before the auction starts?

  You are able to do several things, depending on the type of auction:

  Pre-Bidding – You can make preliminary bids (Pre-Bids) by pressing the Place Bid button in the car listing page. The bid that you enter here is your maximum bid amount, i.e. the most that you want to bid on this car, which could be the next higher incremental bid or several hundred dollars above that. We go into more detail about Pre-Bidding and strategy in the FAQ pages below. SPOILER ALERT – it’s not a great strategy.

  Buy Now – If the car has a Buy Now option and you are happy with the price, you can click the Buy Now button and purchase the car before it ever goes to live auction. This gives you certainty that you will get the car for the state price and also avoid the chance that the bidding will go above the Buy Now price.

  Make Offer – For most of the cars listed on our site, you can Make an Offer to buy the vehicle before it goes to live auction. This feature is available even when there is a Buy Now option and permits you to offer a price that is less than the Buy Now amount to see if the seller is willing to sell at this lower price.

• What are Pre-Bids?

  Pre-Bids are bids on the car before the auction actually starts for that vehicle. Once a Pre-bid is made it is binding.  We discuss more on this in the FAQ page below.

• Should I make a Pre-Bid?

  We recommend that you avoid pre-bids because only the Seller benefits from this. Each Pre-Bid is binding on the buyer and cannot be cancelled. So, when you place a pre-bid it raises the price of the car before the auction has actually started and makes the starting bid at the live auction the highest pre-bid. The more pre-bids on the car before the auction starts means that the opening price will be much higher.

  For example, if the highest pre-bid on a car is $5,000, the opening bid during the live auction will be $5,000 and can only go up from there. However, if there were no pre-bids on the car, the opening price of the live auction would be much lower. There is a chance that bidding on the car during the live auction will reach the same high pre-bid amount regardless of whether there were pre-bids on the car, but why jump the gun and give the Seller more leverage.

  In all, we highly recommend that you do not make any Pre-Bids on cars because you will drive up the opening bid of the car when the live auction begins, which could result in the car selling for more than you want to spend.

• Okay, so Pre-Bidding is not recommended, but how do I bid on and win the car I want?

  We recommend that you speak to our Auction Specialist about the vehicle you want to bid on and we can give you some valuable advice on the car so that you can decide if you want to buy the car and schedule a time to “attend” the live auction with our Auction Specialist. Don’t worry, you won’t have to leave the comfort of your home/office to attend the auction as our Auction Specialists will share their screen during the live auction so that you can see the bidding.

  When you pick the car that you want to bid on and buy you can either press the “Attend Live Auction” button under the auction timer in the car listing page or you can call us at 1-800-680-8010 or write to us at [email protected] so that we can put you on the schedule to “attend” the live auction with us. It’s really exciting and we look forward to working with you on your next car purchase!

• What is the Live Auction?

  As mentioned in the FAQ pages above, the live auction begins after the pre-bid period closes. In fact, on each of the car listing pages you can see the time when the live auction will start. The live auction is very quick and only lasts about 2 to 3 minutes.

• How do I attend a Live Auction?

  Any of our registered members that have a deposit on their account may attend a live auction. When you pick the car that you want to bid on and buy you can press the “Attend Live Auction” button under the auction timer in the car listing page and we can attend the auction together.

  We can attend the live auction with you in one of two ways, either over the phone during the auction or by sharing our computer screen so you can see the bidding live right as it happens. Remember, you don’t need to leave the comfort of your home or office to attend the live auction.

• How do we share a computer screen during the Live Auction?

  We use Skype for screen sharing. You will need to add Auto Auction Mall to your contacts on Skype so that we can call you via Skype and then enable screen sharing. If you do not have Skype, simply download and install it from https://www.skype.com. Once downloaded, set it up on your computer by following the prompts and then go to the Search bar and type in Auto Auction Mall. Once our name pops up, add us as a contact and send us a contact request.

  That’s it! Just find the car you want and press the “Attend Auction Button” under the auction timer and you’ll be ready to “attend” the live auction to get the car you want!

• What is the difference between an “Auction” car and a “Buy Now” car?

  Auction – A car that is available for Auction means that you can bid on this car and have a chance to win the car if you are the highest bidder. It’s really exciting!

  There are two types of car auctions: i) an auction with a reserve and ii) a pure sale (we explain both these concepts in the next FAQ pages).

  Buy Now – Some of our auctions will also include a Buy Now option. A car that is available as a Buy Now means that you can purchase the car for the Buy Now amount at any time up until about 1 hour before the auction starts. Although not the only way, it sure is the easiest way to buy a car on our site as you have certainty that you will get that car for the price listed without having to bid against buyers (at the live auction) and worry about whether you have met the reserve for the car.

  Auto Auction Mall makes it easy for you to find the type of sale you are looking for. We give you the ability to filter by sale type so that you can find auction cars or cars that have a Buy Now option. Use the “Sale Type” filters on the left side of the search page (https://www.autoauctionmall.com/used-cars-for-sale/dealer-auctions) to filter between Auctions and Buy Now sale types to narrow your search.

• What is the difference between an Auction with a Reserve and a Pure Sale Auction?

  An auction with a reserve means that the seller has placed a minimum dollar amount which must be met during the auction process in order to guarantee that the highest bidder will win the car. The seller will not advise us nor the bidders what the reserve amount is.

  Reserve Auction
  In reserve auction scenarios, if you are the highest bidder on the car but did not meet the reserve price set by the seller, the car is considered sold On Approval.

  This means that at the conclusion of the auction the seller needs to approve the sale of the car to you for the high bid amount since the reserve was not met. In most cases the seller will likely give you a counter-offer which is closer to their reserve price. You have the ability to provide a subsequent counter-offer to their offer or stay firm on your high bid amount. Since you were the highest bidder the seller is only allowed to negotiate with you and no one else. If s/he decides that s/he does not want to provide a counter-offer to your highest bid or does not accept your counter-offer to their offer, s/he can just re-list the car and send it back to auction.

  This negotiation process could take anywhere from 1 hour to just over 1 business day following the date you were the highest bidder (weekends excluded).

  Since the seller incurs additional auction listing fees every time he runs the car through auction, it is rare that the seller will not provide some sort of counter-offer to your highest bid. So, depending on how far apart your highest bid is from their reserve price, the seller may enter into negotiations with you.

  Pure Sale Auction
  A pure sale auction, means just that: Highest bidder for the auction wins the car regardless of the amount of the high bid. Please note that reserve auctions can also turn into pure sale auctions. This happens when the seller’s reserve price is met during the live auction bidding.

• How will I know if I won the Live Auction?

  If you are the highest bidder at the end of the auction, our Auction Specialist will let you know if the sale is on approval (i.e. the reserve was not met and the seller may give a counter-offer; see above FAQ pages) or final (i.e. reserve met or pure sale) and the next steps.

• How do I use the Buy Now button on the car listing page?

  Where you wish to use the Buy Now functionality on the vehicle, select the Buy Now button on the car listing page, review the total cost (including all the fees set out in the Buy Now summary view), accept the terms and conditions and confirm the purchase. Our Auction Specialist will then get in touch with you to send the final invoice. Payment is required 2 days following the purchase of the car.

• Your car listings permit me to Make an Offer. How does that work and is it practical?

  Some of the dealer-only car auctions allow the car to be sold before the car auction starts and below the Buy Now price if the Seller accepts an offer made on the car.

  It sounds easy and you’re probably thinking, “okay, so why don’t I make a low offer and see if the seller accepts the price” right? That probably won’t work, but you are on the right track. You see, the seller needs to be enticed to accept your offer before the car goes to auction. There is a strategy for this. If this is a reserve auction (as explained above) we need to make an educated guess what the reserve price would be and make an offer that is close to that price so that the Seller is willing to accept.

  Don’t worry though, we are here for you! Once you have registered on our site and found the car that you want to make an offer on you can click the Make Offer button and input your maximum offer or you can call our customer success team at 1-800-680-8010 or email us at [email protected] to discuss what the best offer would be for that car.

• What do the Bid and/or the Buy Now amounts include?

  The Bid and/or the Buy Now amounts set out in the car listing page only covers the current pre-bid or the Buy Now price of the vehicle. This amount does not include the additional fees related to the purchase of the vehicle.

  When purchasing a vehicle you will be charged the following fees: i) an Auto Auction Mall fee: $299 (if the vehicle purchase price is below $3,500) or $349 (if the vehicle purchase price is $3,500 or above), ii) Documentation fee ($90), and iii) the Auction Clearing House fee (this fee varies depending on the final sale price and is charged by the Auction Clearing House).  Transportation costs will be in addition to these fees and charged by the transport company.

  To see these fees (other than the transportation costs), you can click the Fee Calculator located on each car listing.

  Please note that the Auction Clearing House fee in the Fee Calculator is based on either the then highest pre-bid price or, if the car has a Buy Now option, the Buy Now price.  Also, the Auction Clearing House fee will change if the final purchase price of the vehicle is different than either of these amounts. Therefore, we have given you the ability to input the purchase price you want to pay for the vehicle in the Fee Calculator in order to see what the Auction Clearing House fee will be.

• Can I cancel or lower my bid?

  You cannot cancel a Pre-bid, nor a bid placed during the live auction. Every bid is final and binding. Make sure that you are confident in your bid before you place it. If you end up winning the auction based on the bid that you placed, you will be responsible for completing the entire sale.

• Can I cancel an Offer that I have made?

  You cannot cancel an offer made on the vehicle through the “Make Offer” option on the car listing. Make sure that you are confident in your offer before you place it. If the seller ends up agreeing to your offer which you placed by accident, you will be responsible for the vehicle and completing the sale.

• Can I cancel a Buy Now I placed on a car?

  You cannot cancel any Buy Now that you have exercised on the car. Make sure that you are confident that you want to buy the car before confirming the purchase of the car. Once you confirm the purchase of the vehicle, you will be responsible for the vehicle and completing the sale.

• If I don’t win the Bidding or my Offer is not accepted, can I get my security deposit back?

  Yes, you can! So long as you do not have any outstanding (open and highest) bids, purchases, offers or unpaid balances on your account you can request to have your security deposit refunded.

  You cannot cancel any Buy Now that you have exercised on the car and cannot get your security deposit back if you have exercised this option. Make sure that you are confident that you want to buy the car before confirming the purchase of the car. Once you confirm the purchase of the vehicle, you will be responsible for the vehicle and completing the sale.

• Can I buy a car located in a different State?

  Yes, you can. Auto Auction Mall has access to dealer-only auctions all across the United States and some cars may have better prices in one location of the US as compared to other parts of the country. That is the beauty of our service, we give you the chance to find the best price for the car you want either within or below your budget!

• Do you sell cars to international buyers?

  Of course we do*! You do not need to be located in the United States to buy the car. We have many customers located outside of the US who we work with.

  You can contact us to discuss the purchase of the vehicles on our site and also other topics such as shipping and transporting the vehicle to your country.

  *Please note – that we cannot do business with people and corporations who are located in sanctioned countries, do business with sanctioned people and/or corporations or who are themselves sanctioned by the United States.

Security Deposit

• Do I need a security deposit before I bid on, make an offer or buy a car?

  Yes. In order to bid on, make an offer or buy a car on our site you will need to make a security deposit.

• How much does the security deposit need to be?

  The deposit must be 10% of the amount you wish spend on the car, with a minimum deposit amount of $600.

  The deposit gives you Buying Power. Let’s explain Buying Power. If you wish to buy a car for $8,000 you will need to make a deposit of $800. However, if you wish to buy a car for $3,000, the deposit amount must be $600 because $600 is the minimum security deposit amount.

• Why do I need to have a security deposit?

  The security deposit acts as assurance that you will complete the purchase of the vehicle if you are the winner of the auction, if your offer is accepted or if you used the Buy Now option.

• Can I lose my security deposit?

  Your security deposit will be forfeited if you do not complete the purchase where you are the highest bidder at auction, make an offer that is accepted by the seller, use the Buy Now option on the vehicle or have any unpaid balance on your account. As such, it is important to bid carefully and only commit to purchases you intend to complete.

• How do I make a security deposit?

  In order to make a deposit, you need to click the “Add Funds” button at the top left of the webpage. From there you follow the instructions to complete the deposit.

  You can make a security deposit using one of two methods: i) through your credit card or ii) bank wire transfer.  We do not accept payments through PayPal.

  Generally, for credit card deposits, the maximum amount that we will accept is $2,500. If you require more buying power and need to make a larger deposit, please contact our Auction Specialists at 1-800-680-8010 or by email at [email protected] to discuss options.

  If you do not have a credit card and wish to make a deposit by way of a wire transfer, please contact our Auction Specialist (phone: 1-800-680-8010 or email: [email protected]) for wiring information.

  Domestic clients will be required to add $35 to their deposit if being paid by bank wire due to fees charged by the banks.  International clients will be required to add $40 to their bank wire deposit for the same reason.

• What types of Credit Cards do you accept for the security deposit?

  We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB and Diners Club cards.

• Why is my security deposit in pending status?

  If your security deposit did not pass our initial fraud checks, it will be placed in a “pending” status. You will receive a notification indicating that your security deposit is pending approval.

  In such case, we will ask for two things: i) a copy of a government issued ID which must match the name and the billing address on the credit card and ii) a copy of the credit card you used for the deposit (showing the full card including your name but covering all the digits on the credit card other than the last four digits of the card).

• Will my security deposit be applied to the purchase of the car?

  The choice is yours! If this is the only car you want to buy at the time you win the car you can use your security deposit against the purchase price of that vehicle.

  If you are looking to buy another car, you can keep your security deposit on your account and use it towards the purchase of the next car. You will need to pay for the first car you won in full before using the deposit towards the next car.

• Can I increase or decrease my security deposit?

  Yes, in certain circumstances and certain amounts. Let us explain:

  Increase – If you want to increase your buying power, you can do so by increasing your security deposit amount. We will accept increases in increments of $100 per increase up to a maximum security deposit of $2,500.

  Decrease – You can decrease your security deposit by requesting a refund so long as you do not have any outstanding (open and highest) bids, purchases, offers or unpaid balances on your account. Just remember, that we cannot decrease your deposit below the $600 minimum.

• Is the security deposit refundable?

  Yes. If you do not have any outstanding (open and highest) bids, purchases, offers or unpaid balances on your account, you can request a refund of your security deposit at any time.

  If your security deposit was made by wire transfer, there will be a fee for the refund in an amount of $40 for international customers and $35 for domestic (US) customers. This is due to additional bank fees for wire refunds.

• How do I request to get the security deposit back?

  It’s very easy. Please email us at [email protected] us with your request for a deposit refund. Within 1 business day (but usually on the same business day) of receiving your refund request we will initiate the refund from our end so long as you don’t have any outstanding balances, offers, bids or purchases on your account. See below FAQ pages regarding timing to get the deposit back.

  If you are sending an email with a deposit refund request, we would be very grateful if you would provide a reason for your deposit refund request so that we know what we can do to improve our service and/or products.

  PLEASE NOTE – If you request for a refund of your security deposit is received one (1) year after your original deposit was made, we are only able to refund your deposit via check or bank wire.  As above, we will process the request within 1 business day but it if a check is requested, it may take a few extra days for you to receive the check.

• How long does it take to get my security deposit refunded?

  Credit Cards – We initiate refunds within 1 business day from the day the refund is requested.  For a refund to show on your credit card it can take between 5 to 15 days after we have initiated the refund (depending on your financial institution).  This is wholly dependent on your bank and not Auto Auction Mall as we initiate the refund within 1 business day of the request.

  Wire – We initiate refunds within 1 business day from the day the refund is requested. When refunding wires, we cannot give an accurate estimate as some wire transfers (especially domestic ones) could be back in your bank quickly while others take longer.

  Check – We write the check within 1 business day from the day the refund is requested.  We then mail you the check.  Unfortunately, we cannot give an accurate estimate as this depends on the post office and their timelines to deliver your check.

The Vehicle – Search, Status, Title Status & Information

• How do I search for a car available at auction?

  We try to make searching for a vehicle as easy as possible. You can choose to search either by Body Type (if you are not sure what specific make and model you are interested in) or by Make and Model if you know what you want.

  If you are searching by Body Type, simply choose the body style you are interested in, the years you want to filter your selection and your zip code so that you can find cars close to you. Hint – sometimes to find the best deal, you should have a large search radius because some makes and models sell for cheaper in certain parts of the country. Even though you may pay a bit more in shipping, the savings could be significant.

  If you are searching by Make and Model, just pick the make and model, the year range and the geographic location and you will see all the relevant results. Then it’s just a matter of the finding the price that fits within your budget.

  When you see the search results, you can filter the results so that you narrow your search even more. We usually have over 100,000 cars on our site so to get specific results for what you are looking for will greatly help your car search.

  Finally, you are able to use the search bar to type in your search as well. This function is available on the search results page. Our search bar is intuitive and gives you the ability to search by year, make, model, location, VIN, title status, etc….

  In all, we try to make it as easy as possible for you to find the car that you want!

• Can I inspect vehicles prior to auction?

  You can inspect the vehicle prior to the live auction, making an offer or exercising the buy now option. The inspection would be at the location where the auction is being held and is done by a third-party inspection company at a cost. You will need to contact one of our Auction Specialist for more details and how to schedule the inspection by calling us at 1-800-680-8010 or emailing us at [email protected].

  You could also hire a third-party car inspector to inspect the car on your behalf. The vehicle inspection company will charge a fee for this service. These inspection companies must have the right to enter the auction location to inspect the vehicle.

• Where do I find the more information about the car that I am interested in?

  Each car listing page will have a wealth of information about the car.

  On the car listing page, you will find pictures of the car, the current bid for the vehicle, the buy now price (if applicable), the finance from price as well as the loan calculator, the title status, vehicle status, damage, mileage and its location. We also give you a list of known specs for the car on that page along with additional tools to help you decide if this car is right for you, such as information about market pricing for the vehicle and cost of ownership.

  Some of the items in the banner under the pictures provide you with additional important information. Each of the title, status, damage and mileage information have tooltips (i.e. ⓘ) which you can hover your mouse over and a pop-up will give you more information about that section (for the damage section, you need to click the tooltip for more information). For example, if you hover your mouse over the tooltip in the Status section you will get more information what that particular Status means.

  Please note all of this information comes from the Auction Clearing House so we cannot guaranty its accuracy.

• How do I know the Status of a vehicle?

  The status of the vehicle will be found in the car listing page under the pictures of the car in the section called “Status”. If you hover your mouse over the tooltip (i.e. ⓘ) beside the word “Status” you will get more information about the status of the car.

  Please note all of this information comes from the Auction Clearing House so we cannot guaranty its accuracy.

• What does Engine/Vehicle Starts mean?

  When the vehicle was checked-in to the Auction Clearing House’s lot, the engine/vehicle (a) started (either with or without a jump) and (b) was able to run at idle. There is no warranty, guaranty or representation that (a) the vehicle can be driven on the roads or highways within any state in the US or is roadworthy, (b) that the vehicle will start (either with or without a jump), (c) be able to run at idle and/or (d) move forward or backward when picked up from the Auction Clearing House or thereafter.

  Since all of the information provided on our site is from the auction clearing house, it is your sole responsibility to determine, confirm, research and/or inspect the vehicle prior to bidding on and/or buying the car. This vehicle is being sold “as-is, where-is” with all faults. Auto Auction Mall has not verified this information in any way.

  Also, keep in mind, and this is important, if the auction clearing house stated that the vehicle starts that means the vehicle started when the vehicle arrived at the auction facility and was only tested on that day (i.e. it was not tested again). Between that time and when the vehicle is delivered to you, it could stop working for various reasons. The auction clearing house does not provide any guaranty or warranty on this and neither can we.

• What does Run and Drive mean?

  When the vehicle was checked-in to the Auction Clearing House’s lot, the vehicle (a) started (either with or without a jump), (b) could be put into gear and (c) was capable of moving forward under its own power. There is no warranty, guaranty or representation that (a) the vehicle can be driven on the roads or highways within any state in the US or is roadworthy, (b) that the vehicle will start (with or without a jump), drive and/or move forward or backward under its own power when picked up from the Auction Clearing House or thereafter.

  Since all of the information provided on our site is from the auction clearing house, it is your sole responsibility to determine, confirm, research and/or inspect the vehicle prior to bidding on and/or buying the car. This vehicle is being sold “as-is, where-is” with all faults. Auto Auction Mall has not verified this information in any way.

  Also, keep in mind, and this is important, if the auction clearing house stated that the vehicle runs and drives that means the vehicle started and moved when the vehicle arrived at the auction facility and was only tested on that day (i.e. it was not tested again). Between that time and when the vehicle is delivered to you, it could stop working for various reasons. The auction clearing house does not provide any guaranty or warranty on this and neither can we.

• How do I know the Title status of a vehicle?

  The title status of the vehicle will be found in the car listing page under the pictures of the car in the section called “Title”. If you hover your mouse over the tooltip (i.e. ⓘ) beside the word “Title” you will get more information about the title.

  Please note all of this information comes from the Auction Clearing House so we cannot guaranty its accuracy.

• What are the different Title statuses of the cars?

  Not all cars listed on our site have the same title status. There are various title statuses that cars could have. Some of the main ones (which you may have heard of before) are Clean, Clear, Salvage and Rebuilt.

  Each State DMV may have different rules regarding what types of cars fall into the title category above, so we highly recommend that you check with DMV of the State that is issuing the title and the DMV of the State where you want to register the car for more accurate information.

• What is Clean Title and do you have Clean Title cars on Auto Auction Mall?

  Clean title is issued to a vehicle that has not been in an accident or, if it has been in accident, it has not been deemed a total loss by the insurance company. Remember, a Clean title vehicle does not mean that it has never been in an accident, just that the accident was not severe enough to count as a total loss. You need to check the vehicle history report to determine whether the vehicle was in an accident.

  Auto Auction Mall does have some clean titled cars on its site. In fact, in some of our listings when you hover over the tooltip (i.e. ⓘ) beside the Title you will see that the Auction Clearing House states that the title for that vehicle is commonly referred to as Clean or Clear title with no brands.

  Please note that clean titles are not guaranteed and may become salvage under new ownership transfer as per National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) regulations. To find out more, feel free to visit the NMVTIS site at https://www.vehiclehistory.gov.

• What is the difference between Clear Title and Clean Title?

  Good question. Clean title is explained in the FAQ pages above. Clear title (in auction terms) means that the vehicle has a history of damage that has been repaired. It could also have had a previous salvage title or brand and the car was rebuilt and has passed the particular State’s inspection process to be deemed roadworthy.

• A note about Rebuilt cars

  Some cars on our site will have a Rebuilt certificate of title or a clear title with a salvage brand stating that the car was rebuilt. This means that the car, which previously had a certificate of salvage, has been reconstructed or repaired and restored to operation. Cars with a rebuilt certificate of title may be registered in the state that issued such certificate and in most other states, but you will have to check with your local DMV. A reconstructed vehicle with a rebuilt title can be driven on highways. However, the guidelines for getting a Rebuilt certificate of title will vary from state to state.

• What is Salvage Title?

  Generally, Salvage title denotes that the vehicle has been damaged and/or deemed a total loss by an insurance company that paid a claim on it. Effectively, if the car was damaged to the point that the insurance company deemed the car to be a total loss, the car will then have a salvage title.

  The amount of damage that is required for a car to be deemed a total loss varies from State to State. Some States mandate that a total loss should equal 50% of the car value, others can go as high as 95% – 100% of the car value, while other States allow the insurer to decide its threshold for a total loss. Because of this, there is a risk that a car which is considered clear or clean in one state could be considered salvage in another state when brought over for registration in that other state. For example, if the car in a State where the salvage threshold is damage in the amount of 95% of the car value is brought to a State where the threshold is 50% that car would be clean or clear title in the first State but considered salvage in the other state.

  In addition, regulations in some states require a salvage title to be issued for stolen or vandalized vehicles.

  We highly recommend that you look up the rules and regulations of the State where the title is registered and the State where you wish to register the car to determine the rules and criteria they use in connection with salvage title and determination.

  We discuss Salvage vehicles and title in more detail under this “Understanding Salvage Titles” FAQ page below.

• Can a car with Salvage Title be issued a clear certificate of title?

  It is possible for a car which previously had a salvage title to be issued a certificate of title (clear title) with a salvage brand stating that it was rebuilt. This would happen in the case where extensive repairs were done by the owner of the salvage title vehicle and the State inspected the car and deemed it to be roadworthy. In this case, the car becomes “driveable” again and there is a good chance that insurance companies will look favorably on these types of cars from an insurance perspective.

  We highly recommend that you look up the rules and regulations of the particular State where you wish to register the car and also speak to insurers in that State to ensure that you won’t have any registration or insurance issues.

• What information do you have about the damage on the vehicle?

  Our customer service mission is to provide you with as much information about the car as we can. The damage information on our site is the information we receive from the auction clearing house. In addition, we provide you with pictures of the car (which we also get from the auction clearing house).

  In both cases (the damage information and the pictures of the car), we cannot and do not independently verify any of the information or the pictures. That is why all of the cars sold on our site are sold “as-is, where-is, with all faults”.

  You can see the damage information in the section called “Damage” found under the pictures of the car. Just click the tooltip (i.e. ⓘ) in the “Damage” section and you will see a pop-up with the damage information and, in some cases (if the auction house has provided this), information regarding whether airbags have been deployed.

  This information will help you make a more informed decision!

• Is there anything that I can do if the vehicle I purchased has more damage than shown in the pictures?

  Unfortunately, no. Since we do not independently verify the information about the car provided by the auction clearing house and do not see nor take possession of the vehicle before it is delivered to you, we cannot offer any forms of warranties, guarantees or representation as to the vehicle or its condition. This includes if your car has more damage than what the description or pictures on our site depicted.

  Please understand that the photos shown on our site do not generally include pictures of the undercarriage or latent defects. These are the only photos that the auction clearing house has provided of the vehicle and we cannot get any additional photos, nor do we inspect the car. Because of this we do not know if there is additional damage on the car not shown in the photographs or included in the damage report or if there have been previous repairs or not.

  As mentioned in the FAQ page above, all cars sold on our site are sold “as-is, where-is, with all faults”.

Post-Auction, Fees & Payments

• When will I be notified of the results of the auction?

  In most cases we try to “attend” the live auction with each of our clients (either by phone or sharing a screen via Skype). In such case, you will know the results of the auction right away and whether you were the highest bidder. Further, our Auction Specialist will let you know whether the auction was a pure sale or pending seller approval because the reserve was not met.

• What happens after I have won the car?

  If you have won the car at auction, your offer was accepted by the seller or you used the Buy Now option to buy the car, our accounting department will send you an invoice setting out the cost of the car (including all fees associated with the purchase). Please note that this invoice will not include Shipping costs as those are separate and paid to a third party.

• Do you offer Financing for the vehicle?

  Auto Auction Mall has partnered with lenders to offer financing to help you the purchase the car of your choice. You should have your financing approved before you bid on, make an offer or buy the car so that you have the funds to pay for the vehicle if you are successful in your purchase option.

  We make it super-easy for you to pre-qualify for financing. You could fill out the application on our site to see if you pre-qualify. Pre-qualification does not affect your credit score and will let you know the potential loan amount that you are pre-approved for.

  If you have further questions on Financing, please see our Financing FAQ pages.

• How much time do I have to pay for the vehicle I won/purchased?

  You will have 2 days from the day that you won/purchased the car to pay your invoice in full.

• Are there late payment fees?

  If you do not pay the invoice in full within 2 days from when you won/purchased the car, there will be late fees.  The late fee is generally a one-time $50 or $100 charge (depending on the Auction Clearing House), which is charged if we have not received your payment 2-days following the date of purchase of the vehicle.  Also, please note that if the vehicle is not paid for within 7 days from the date of purchase, the vehicle will be re-listed, your account will be suspended and your security deposit will be forfeited to pay for the late fees and other costs and expenses that we incur as a result of your non-payment.

  Keep in mind that these are charges from the Auction Clearing House which we pass on to you.

  In addition, if you are late paying for the vehicle that could mean that you will delay pick up of the car which could result in storage charges of $25 (or higher on certain auctions) per day. Again, this is a charge by the Auction Clearing House that we pass on to you.

  The moral of the story is that you should pay the invoice as soon as possible after you have made the purchase of the car to avoid any additional charges.

• How do I pay for the car that I won/purchased?

  Customers must pay the balance for the vehicle via Bank Wire Transfer only. We do not accept cash, checks no credit card payment for the balance of the purchase price (see also previous FAQ pages).

• What currency do you accept for payment?

  We only accept payment in United States Dollars.

• What fees does Auto Auction Mall charge?

  We charge the following fees: i) a flat fee of either $299 (vehicle purchase price below $3,500) or $349 (vehicle purchase price $3,500 and above), ii) a $90 Documentation fee which covers costs related to title transfer documentation and mailing and iii) a wire fee of either $35 (domestic wires) or $40 (international wires).

• Are there are other fees that will be charged or costs that I will incur?

  In addition to the fees mentioned in the FAQ above there are fees from the auction clearing house which you must pay.

  These fees include the Auction Clearing House fee, which is a sales fee that the auction house charges on each vehicle sold based on the final purchase price of the car.

  Finally, transportation and shipping of the vehicle will be an added charge. The transportation fee depends on the location of the vehicle and its final destination (i.e. within the US or overseas).

• What if I fail to make a payment as required?

  As mentioned above, if you do not make payment as required you will be charged late fees and your account may be suspended for non-payment.

  Suspended accounts may be reinstated upon payment of all outstanding balances.

  You will also forfeit your deposit if we do not receive payment to cover our costs and expenses related to non-payment of the car.

  Finally, we will send you an invoice for all charges we incurred not covered by your deposit and you will be required to pay this.

• What does a customer need to do to get the title to a vehicle?

  For non-Florida residents, the original title for the vehicle will be delivered with the vehicle. Please note that for car listings that have a “title pending” status (your Auction Specialist will let you know about these in advance of the auction or buy now), the title will not be delivered with the vehicle. See below FAQ for more information on this.

  The title will be in the name of Auto Auction Mall, so we will need to do a re-assignment. On the day that the vehicle is picked up, we will separately mail you the reassignment of title.

  You will then take the original title, the reassignment of title and your invoice (which is a bill of sale) to your local DMV office and complete the title transfer and registration services.

• The DMV is asking for a Bill of Sale, do I have that?

  The invoice that you receive from Auto Auction Mall for the purchase of your vehicle will act as the Bill of Sale that the DMV is requesting.

• How long does it take to get the ownership documents?

  If title is not pending and you are not Florida resident, the original title will arrive with the vehicle and reassignment of title will be separately shipped out the same day so should be with you in week or so (subject to delays).

• What if I am a Florida resident, how do I get the title and how long will it take?

  Since Auto Auction Mall is a registered dealer in the State of Florida, we provide the full DMV service for title transfer. In addition, if the car has clear or clean title and the client requests, we can also complete the vehicle registration and provide new or transfer plates.

  For the above work, you will need to pay the DMV fees as required by the State of Florida plus $40 for courier fees.

  The above process usually takes 7 business days to complete.

• What does Title Pending mean?

  For some vehicle auctions the Auction Clearing House has not received the title from the seller at the time the car is put on auction. However, the Auction Clearing House states that it should be in possession of title within 30 days from the date of the sale and it will then send the title to us. If you purchase a vehicle with a “title pending” status, we will courier the original title to you as soon as we receive from the Auction Clearing House.

  When you schedule your auction, make an offer or decide to use the Buy Now option, your Auction Specialist will let you know if the vehicle you are interested in has a Title Pending designation.

• How long before I get the original title in Title Pending circumstances?

  As mentioned in the previous FAQ, it will take approximately 30 days for us to receive the title from the Auction Clearing House. At that point, we will re-assign this title to you and mail the title certificate. It doesn’t always take 30-days for this process, but that is the timeline provided by the Auction Clearing House.

• Why did I receive a different title than the one that was listed on your site?

  You may receive an equivalent title type to the one displayed on the car listing page due to local law requirements by the State.

  Differences between title types and designations are usually minor, for example, Arizona Salvage Title certificate may be displayed in the online description on the car listing page, but you receive Nevada Salvage Title certificate.

  Local/Regional laws and regulations sometimes require the seller to transfer the title to the State in question. Differences in title Type/Designation bear no change in equivalence.

  Auto Auction Mall does not warrant or guarantee the title status nor the title type or designation that is listed on our site.

• Do you Issue Temporary Plates?

  No. We do not issue temporary plates. Customers are responsible for supplying their own plates.

Shipping & Delivery

• When can I pick up a car I have won at auction?

  Customers are advised to confirm payment with Auto Auction Mall before attempting to pick up a car they have won at auction.  Vehicles cannot be released until funds are confirmed and posted to your account and we have notified the Auction Clearing House that the car will be picked up.

• How do I pick up the car I purchased?

  You will need a tow truck or other transport company to pick up the vehicle. The vehicle cannot be driven off the auction lot as it will not have proper registration, tags nor insurance.

  If you have a transport company that could assist you with picking up the car, you are welcome to use them. You will first need to give us all the information regarding the company that will pick up the car so that we can notify the Auction Clearing House and arrange for its release.

  If you do not have a transport company to help, we can assist you with the transportation of your vehicle.  Please feel free to call our team at 1-800-680-8010 or email us at [email protected].

• What if I am sending the car overseas; how do I ship my car?

  For international clients shipping cars overseas, you will need to pick up the car from the auction location and get it delivered to a port in the United States for export to your country. The ground transportation will be as mentioned in the previous FAQ. In addition, you will need send your car by ocean freight to your country.

  Once again, if you have a customs broker and freight forwarder, you are welcome to use them for this.  However, if you do not, we will be able to assist you.  Please contact our team at 1-800-680-8010 or email us at [email protected].

• Are there storage fees if I cannot pick up my vehicle immediately?

  Once a vehicle is purchased, the Auction Clearing House provides a short a grace period within which to pick up the vehicle.  Generally, Auction Clearing House lots will give you 2-days of free storage (including the date that the vehicle was purchased) if the buy now option was used to purchase the vehicle and 3-days of free storage (including the date the vehicle was purchased/won) if you won the vehicle through auction.

  If the vehicle has not been picked up by this time, the Auction Clearing House will start charging a storage fee on a daily basis.  The storage fees can get as high as $30 – $75 per day (depending on the Auction Clearing House and each lot).

  We strongly recommend that you make payment and arrange transport for your car as soon as possible after you have purchased the car to avoid these unnecessary additional costs.

  Please keep in mind that if the vehicle is not picked up within 7-days from the sale date, the Auction Clearing House will re-list and sell your vehicle to cover their storage fees and if the sale price is not enough to cover the storage you will still be responsible for the balance owing to the auction clearing house.

• I have an agent working on my behalf can this person pick up my vehicle?

  Yes. Overseas customers often appoint a broker or an agent to pick up the vehicle on their behalf.

  Customers who are using someone to pick up the vehicle on their behalf must notify us in advance of the pickup and provide authorization for the pickup. The broker or agent picking up the vehicle must provide identification and an executed brokerage or agency agreement showing authority to work on the customer’s behalf.

Financing

• What vehicles can I finance on your site?

  EACH AND EVERY VEHICLE! Once you have been approved for the financing, you can use the funds you receive to purchase any vehicle you want on our site. You can also use these funds towards your deposit, shipping costs and any other services on our site.

  In fact, and here’s the trick, if you are interested in one of our cars but feel the auction bidding price will end up being higher than the funds you have available, get per-qualified now so that you are able to bid on (and win) that car.

• Who can get financing?

  Whether you have a great credit score or not, all types of credit scores and profiles will be considered. Our financing partners work with all types of customers to provide financing solutions. Fill out the application and see if you pre-qualify for financing.

• How do I pre-qualify?

  Fill out this short application and see if you qualify. The financing offers you get will depend on the financing institution and your credit history and profile.

• Does pre-qualification impact my credit?

  No, it does not affect your credit score. Our financing partners will perform a soft pull on your credit. This has no impact on your credit, but it will let you know what your potential loan amount is.

• Do I need to be based in the USA?

  Yes. This financing is only available to United States residents.

• How much down payment do I need to provide?

  You don’t have to put anything down! Your loan application does not require a down payment as part of the pre-approval (or approval) process.

• What will the lenders require from me for the financing?

  Each Lender has different requirements as part of their approval process. Once you accept your pre-approval offer, the Lender will advise you what additional documentation and/or information is required. Generally, this process should be straightforward.  You can check out the lender’s customer service page for more information.

• Okay, so how much can I actually borrow?

  Anywhere from $1,000 to $50,000 (and we are working with our financing partners to increase the maximum amount). The amount of the loan (as well as the term and the interest rate) all depend on your credit profile. See if you qualify: fill out the application here.

• What is the term of the Loan?

  The term is based on your credit history and profile, amount of the loan and other pertinent factors. Generally, these loans range anywhere from 6 months up to 60 months.

• What is the APR (annual percentage rate) of the loan?

  Again, this will depend on your credit history and profile, how much money you have requested, the term of the loan and any other relevant factors. Our financing partners provide financing at rates as low as 4.99% (for an excellent credit history and profile) and we have seen rates above 30%. If you are interested in seeing what you qualify for, fill out the application here.

• When will I know if I have Pre-Qualified for Financing?

  Usually you get results in minutes. Sometimes, it takes slightly longer, but generally the results are quick. You will get these results in your email so make sure to check your email (and junk mail in case it went there).

• What happens AFTER I have Pre-Qualified for Financing?

  Once you pre-qualify one of our Auction Specialists will contact you to discuss your car buying options and next steps.

• How long after final approval of the Financing will I get the Funds?

  Usually it takes two days for you to get funds following approval of financing. Remember, the time begins ticking after you have satisfactorily provided all the documents and/or information the Lender has requested.

• Should I get an auto loan through your site or through my bank/financier?

  Our main goal is to provide you with access to vehicles priced at or below dealer cost. The ability to get financing with our financing partners is simply a tool we’re providing you so that you can more easily buy these cars. We added this financing option so that you don’t miss out on the opportunity to buy the car you want at an unbeatable price! You are, of course, welcome to use financing from your bank or other sources you have; the choice is yours where and who you borrow from!

Understanding Salvage Titles

• What is NMVTIS and how is it used?

  NMVTIS is National Motor Vehicle Title Information System hosted by the US Department of Justice to protect consumers from fraud and unsafe vehicles and to keep stolen vehicles from being resold.

  All States’ DMVs report the data to NMVTIS and check against NMVTIS database every time the title is transferred so that unsafe and stolen vehicles are not resold. Each DMV has the right to deem any title branded according to the records in the NMVTIS database.

  Please note that all Clean title vehicles sold through salvage auctions have a chance of the title becoming salvage when processed by a DMV. Please refer to http://www.vehiclehistory.gov for details.

• Some general points on Salvage title

  Generally, Salvage title denotes that the vehicle has been damaged and/or deemed a total loss by an insurance company that paid a claim on it. Effectively, if the car was damaged to the point that the insurance company deemed the car to be a total loss, the car will then have a salvage title.

  The amount of damage that is required for a car to be deemed a total loss varies from State to State. Some States mandate that a total loss should equal 50% of the car value, others can go as high as 95% – 100% of the car value, while other States allow the insurer to decide its threshold for a total loss.

  A salvage vehicle cannot be legally driven on the road. Once the car has been repaired and declared roadworthy, it will get a rebuilt brand on the title.

  Some states have “junk,” “scrap” or “dismantled” designation that prevents the most heavily damaged cars from being rebuilt and retitled. Some will issue flood- or hail-specific salvage titles. Some States will issue salvage titles to stolen vehicles. The exact definitions and terms vary by state, and many people use the terms interchangeably.

  Sometimes you may hear a salvage title or rebuilt title referred to as a “branded title”.

• What are the various reasons that a vehicle gets a Salvage Title?

  Contrary to popular belief, the vehicle with a salvage title has not always been in a collision. Rather there are some other events in a vehicle’s history that can lead to salvage title designation either under state law or insurance carrier policy.

  Flood Damage: Flood-damaged vehicles are not always designated as a salvaged. Some states will use a special designation for flood damage while others simply include flood damage under the general category of “salvage title.”

  Hail Damage: Hail damage can range from a few dings to severe damage to a vehicle’s exterior. Some states have a specific “hail damage” designation or treat severe hail damage as a precondition for a salvage title.

  Theft Recovery: When a vehicle has been stolen the insurance company will reimburse the owner for its replacement value after a certain period. If the vehicle is eventually recovered, the insurance company will likely sell it to a salvager. Some states will then issue a salvage title for the car.

  States that issue a salvage title after a car has been stolen include: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma and Oregon.

  Repairable After Damage: The most common example involves a car with severe damage which can be repaired and made operable again. In these cases, the state will allow the vehicle to be repaired, on the condition that the title is labeled as “salvaged.”