How to buy a used car from a US auction

Buying a used car from the USA is a process that consists of several stages. Collaborating with Auto4Export ensures a stress-free experience in shipping your car from the USA. We find the most advantageous offers for clients at American auto auctions, purchase the car, provide its documentary support, and arrange delivery.

The purchase of a used car consists of the following stages:

1. Searching for a car and calculating the final cost

2. Contract signing

3. Checking the car's history

4. Participating in online auctions

5. Car delivery from the USA

6. Customs clearance and vehicle registration

1. Search for a car and calculation of the final cost

By turning to us, you can get answers to your questions about purchasing cars at US auctions. After determining the budget, requirements, and preferences for the vehicle, we start searching for suitable offers at US auto auctions: Copart, Manheim, IAAI, and others. We will send you the best options in a way that is convenient for you, from which we will together select the most suitable ones for purchase.

You can also independently choose a car on the auction page.

For the offer that has sparked the most interest, a calculation of the final cost is conducted. It includes all expenses, including mandatory auction fees, shipping and customs costs, our services, and, if necessary, repairs. Thus, even before purchasing the car, you will have a list of all expenses in hand. You will immediately see what amounts and for what you will have to pay, and based on the calculations, you can decide whether to buy the car or not.

2. Contract Conclusion

When you decide to cooperate with us, we enter into a service agreement. The document outlines the rights and obligations of the parties and carries legal force. Why is this necessary? The agreement ensures that both parties fulfill their commitments. Without it, we cannot participate in auctions or carry out the necessary procedures for purchasing a car.

Simultaneously with the contract conclusion, a security deposit is made.

We work without prepayment: What is a security deposit?

We do not charge a prepayment for the car or our work, but a security deposit is required to participate in auctions, amounting to 10% of the planned maximum bid (minimum $600).

The security deposit serves as insurance against your refusal to purchase a car already won at auction (for refusal to pay for the won car, auctions impose penalty sanctions amounting to 10% of its value, which automatically falls on our company since we are the buyer of the car).

Return of the security deposit - Subsequently, after purchasing a used car at auction, the security deposit is included in the total cost of the won lot. If you change your mind about buying the car before it is purchased at auction, the security deposit is refunded to you in full. We do not charge for consultations, selection or inspection of the car, or for participation in the auction if we were unable to buy the car at the agreed price.

3. Vehicle History Check

We enter bidding for a car only when we are 100% confident in its condition. The inspection is carried out in several stages:

- Visual assessment based on the auction photos of the lot;

- Study of the Carfax and Autostat technical reports;

- Checking the car through our own channels;

If necessary, we order an expert assessment of the car by a specialist on-site in the USA, where they additionally check and evaluate the car's condition according to a checklist.

Our experience allows us to find offers requiring minimal repair or no repair at all. Photos allow us to assess damages. Carfax and Autostat technical reports contain all the information from the US national database based on the car's VIN code. They include data on each inspection, insurance case, owner, mileage, technical condition of the car, and more. The check allows us to understand the real condition of the car.

4. Participation in online Auctions

The next stage of buying a used car from the USA is bidding. You don't necessarily need to follow the auction's progress because we will discuss the maximum possible bid in advance. If the allowable amount is exceeded, we withdraw from the auction. In this case, we return to finding a suitable car. We will continue until a suitable car (at the agreed price) is purchased for you. This can happen on the 5th or 10th attempt because the purchase takes place at an auction, and it's impossible to predict how many other people will be bidding for the same car as us.

After winning the car, it is necessary to pay for its cost and the auction fee. To do this, you go to the bank and make a SWIFT payment to the auction's account.

5. Car delivery from the USA occurs in several stages:

1. Transportation from the auction site to the nearest shipping port.

2. Sea voyage to the arrival port. The cost of delivery to other ports can be checked using our free online car shipping rate calculator.

3. Rail transportation to your country.

The average delivery duration is from 2 to 6 weeks. The shipping cost depends on the state in the USA where the car was purchased, its dimensions, and the final destination.

Also, thanks to our established logistics connections, our company can deliver cargo to any point in the world using any convenient method for you.

6. Customs Clearance

Upon arrival of a used car from the USA, it must be properly cleared through customs. To do this, it is necessary to contact the customs authority, fill out an application, and provide a package of documents, which must include a passport and an invoice. During the customs clearance procedure, the following fees are paid:

- Customs duties

- Customs duties and taxes, which are calculated based on a unified rate multiplied by the engine displacement in cubic centimeters.

Do you have questions about how to buy a car in the USA?

If you have questions regarding:

- How to buy a used car in the USA?

- How the purchase process works at Copart, Manheim, IAAI auctions?

- How to ship a car from the USA

- Which cars are advantageous to buy

Contact us, we will advise you on any questions and help you buy a used car from USA inexpensively.

Are you interested in buying a car from US auctions?

With this being said – you can still export vehicles and save up a few thousand dollars with Auto4Export. We have an inventory of over 150k plus vehicles with titles you can export for you to choose from. Once you have placed your bid and won the auction a Bill of Sale document is then emailed to you as proof of purchase – after full payments have been made. 

To gain access and get started on your purchase, sign up for free. 

Further Reading

How do US auto auctions work?
Buy Salvaged Cars from the USA. What's the Meaning and Benefit?
Types of Vehicle Titles: What You Can and Can’t Export