Winning Tips to get that Used or Salvage Vehicle at Auction

Whether you’ve been a Member of Copart UK for years, or recently joined us, you’ve more than likely discovered that you may not win every Lot you bid on, and there’s nothing more frustrating than when you miss out on a vehicle you had high hopes of winning.

So, to try and aid you in your efforts, we’ve put together some key tips which we think could help to increase your chances of success…

1. Familiarise yourself with the website or the App

If you’re a new Member or perhaps not that confident navigating around the website or even the App, now is the perfect opportunity. Some key areas include your Dashboard, the Auction Dashboard, Ways to Pay, How to Buy and the FAQ section.

2. Observe live auctions

Just watching a live auction with no intent to bid will give you a great idea of how everything works and what to expect from an auction so when you find a vehicle you like, you’re ready to bid.

3. Use your Watchlist

Add vehicles to your Watchlist – this will allow you to keep a close eye on the sale date, Lot number and current bid amount.

4. Place preliminary bids

If you plan to bid on a vehicle, we recommend placing a preliminary bid any time up to one hour before the start of the live auction. This could be the winning bid if no other bids placed before the live auction exceed yours.  

5. Be prepared

Try logging into your account at least 15 minutes before the live auction so there’s no last-minute rush and you don’t end up missing out on the vehicle you’ve been waiting to bid on.

6. Participate in our live online auctions

Pre-bidding is a great way to increase your chances, but there’s no guarantee that the highest pre-bidder will stay the winning bidder when the live auction rolls around. If your pre-bid is matched in the live auction, the winning bid will automatically go to the live bidder.

7. Know the difference between Pure Sale, On Approval and Minimum Bid

If you’ve bid on a vehicle before, and were confused to learn that you didn’t win the Lot when the auction finished, you were probably bidding on an ‘On Approval’ or ‘Minimum Bid’ vehicle. If you place the highest bid at auction on these Lot types, it does not secure an automatic win, as the bid needs to be discussed and/or approved with the Seller. However, ‘Pure Sale’ items don’t have minimums or require approvals.

For any questions please take a look at our FAQ section.

Not a Copart UK Member? You must be a Member to bid at auction so register today!