Copart – Car Auction
In this section, we present detailed instructions that will help you understand how the Copart website works. With it, you will learn key terms and specifications necessary to facilitate finding and purchasing your desired vehicle.
Table of Contents
Copart is one of the largest car auctions in the USA, where over 50 thousand buy/sell transactions are completed daily. The company has over 140 trading locations in various countries. The annual auction turnover reaches 1 million vehicles.
Copart specializes in selling vehicles that fall under insurance cases, such as accidents, theft, vandalism, flooding, factory defects, etc. Therefore, vehicles with various types of damage are presented at auctions. Vehicles are distributed into several subgroups, each with a specific certificate. In addition to cars, Copart sells watercraft, motorcycles, agricultural and other special equipment. Auction participants include insurance companies, certified dealers, and banks.
1. Authorization and Language Selection
Copart is a multilingual website. Russian is among the languages available. By default, the interface language is English. To change the language, find the "Language" button in the upper right corner. Click it, select the language you need from the list, and then click "Yes, I understand".
Then click the "Sign In" button. Select "Member" from the list. In the window that appears, enter the login and password required for authorization on the site. After selecting the language and logging into your account, the main page of the Copart website will open.
2. Vehicle Search
Now it's time to get acquainted with the subsections, categories, and other site parameters. Already on the main page, you will see the "Vehicle Search" section. It contains all lots available for purchase, which are distributed by specific groups.
There is also another way to access the vehicle search section. To do this, hover over "Find Vehicles" in the site header and click on the first link from the list.
3. Vehicle Groups on Copart
Featured Items
Classics — includes vintage and classic cars
Pure Sale Items — vehicles with complete documentation (this subgroup should be studied first)
Offsite Sales — vehicles sold outside the auction
New items — recently added lots
Featured Vehicles — vehicles that will be allowed for sale after some time
Run and Drive — vehicles with some damage, but they start and can move
Sealed Bid Repossessions — lots for which bidding was postponed or rejected
Fleet/Lease — watercraft
Hot items — "hot" offers (aimed at quick sale)
Exotics — contains very rare or exotic vehicles. Usually, their cost is quite high
Recovered Thefts — stolen vehicles with special damage (e.g., vandalism)
No License Required — vehicles without permits
Hybrid Vehicles — vehicles with hybrid engines
Municipal Fleet — vehicles previously operated by municipal structures
Buy It Now — vehicles not put up for bidding but available for immediate purchase. This is a very important subgroup for managers
Additional Groups
- Vehicle Types — Vehicle type
- Popular Makes — Most popular brands
- Lots With Bids — Lots with previous bids
- Not Bids Yet — Lots without bids yet
- Damage — Subgroup with lots sorted by damage types
Other Lot Categories
- Impound — Confiscated
- Donations — Social items
- Repossessions — Returned vehicles
- Rentals — Rental lots
4. Damage Classification
At American auctions, most offered vehicles have some damage. Therefore, it's important to know the damage classification used at Copart. It will help you decide whether you need this specific vehicle or whether you should look for another option.
The technical description of the lot contains information about visible damage. There's no reason to doubt its accuracy. So, if a vehicle has problems, for example, with the transmission or engine — it's really true.
engine fire occurred
interior fire occurred
indicates multiple damage
fire damage
biological/chemical hazard or blood traces
vehicle has damage history
front side damage
hail damage
body damage
minor defects (scratches, chips, dents)
incomplete or partial repair
mechanical damage
natural wear of the vehicle
repair was rejected
vehicle rolled over/tumbled
side damage
top or roof damage
rear side damage
trim is damaged or missing
VIN code is missing or altered
unknown damage
underbody impact or chassis damage
vehicle damaged by flood or was submerged
VIN code was restored or replaced
vehicle was vandalized or intentionally damaged
5. Selecting and Buying a Car at Copart Auction
Vehicle search should start from the site's main page. To set the required search parameters, use the special "Vehicle Search" filter located on the right side of the site.
First, pay attention to the "Types" line, where you need to select "Automobile". Now go through the list: specify the years of interest, select the make and then the vehicle model, select the location (search is conducted by specific locations) and click the "Search" button.
- Specify the years of interest
- Select the make and then the vehicle model
- Select the location (search is conducted by specific locations)
- Click the "Search" button
6. Vehicle Search by VIN Code
On the Copart website, you can also search for vehicles by VIN code. To do this, enter the code in the special "VIN Search" field located below the main search filter, and click "Search by Vehicle VIN Number".
There is another way to find a specific vehicle. It requires having a lot number. If you have one, look for the "Lot Search" line below, enter the required number there and click "Search by Lot Number".
After you've set the desired parameters, the site will redirect you to a special page with a list of lots that were selected according to your search filters. A more detailed filter is displayed on the left side of the site. With it, you can select a vehicle in a narrow range. For example, by color, engine type, transmission, etc.
Lot List Information:
- Image — clicking on the preview allows you to view lot photos
- Lot — the section includes lot numbers, which are displayed as links
- Lot Year — you can see the vehicle's year of manufacture
7. Vehicle Icons
Below the year of manufacture, there is a small icon with letters. It has great significance.
Icon Description:
H (Hybrid) — vehicle with hybrid engine (bioethanol, natural gas, electric motor, etc.)
R (Run & Drive) — upon acceptance at Copart, the vehicle started and could move, but the company does not guarantee its serviceability
S (Start) — vehicle starts and can idle
O (Offsite Sales) — vehicle was at the preliminary inspection site. However, it is currently not at the auction site
E (Engine) — at the time of arrival at the auction, the vehicle had engine damage. Therefore, there's no guarantee that the vehicle will start. Mileage is also not confirmed
Card Fields:
Make — make
Model — model
Item — position under which the vehicle is planned to be sold
Yard Location — location from which the vehicle will be sold
Sale Date — date and time of bidding start for the lot
Mileage — mileage (in miles). A — actual confirmed, N — not confirmed
Price Fields:
Est. Retail Value — estimated value for a complete vehicle. This price will help you assess the equipment level and bid size
Damage Desc — about the main damage
Doc Types — types of trade document
Current Bid — current bid. The "Bid Now" button is also located here
8. Vehicle Card on Copart Website
To get detailed information about the selected vehicle, you need to follow the lot number link. The product card contains vehicle photos. To enlarge a photo, hover over it with the mouse cursor. In addition, here you will find the technical characteristics of the lot, which are entered by auction employees.
To the right of the image block, there is a special column with vehicle information, namely the LOT NUMBER.
Document type or title. The title type refers to ownership documents transferred to the auction participant. Each American state issues its own type of documents confirming ownership.
Car Details:
Key Features — small but important details are indicated. For example, that there was painting, minor repair, etc.
Odometer — the field may show 0 miles. This is possible if mileage is not relevant or could not be confirmed
VIN Number — vehicle VIN code is indicated
Primary Damage — main vehicle damage is indicated
Secondary Damage — minor damage is indicated
Est. Retail Value — approximate price of a complete vehicle, giving the buyer an opportunity to evaluate the lot's equipment
Body Style — body type of the specific vehicle
Color — main color
Engine Type — engine type
Cylinders — number of cylinders
Transmission — transmission type
Fuel — fuel type the vehicle runs on
Keys — presence/absence of vehicle keys
Important to remember! Copart auction does not guarantee key preservation. Therefore, even if keys are present in photos, the vehicle may be delivered to the terminal without them.
Sale Statuses:
pure sale — Does not involve any reserved price or minimum bid. The lot goes to the participant who offered the highest bid at auction close
on approval — Seller has the right to approve the maximum final bid offered at auction. The seller has until 5:00 PM (Pacific time) the next day after bidding to approve the bid
minimum bid — Seller reserves a price for a specific vehicle. If the minimum bid is not exceeded during bidding, the seller can approve the bid by 5:00 PM the next day
security deposit — Making a security deposit is a requirement of all brokers. Without it, there's no way to get an auction participant account
current bid — Maximum current bid is displayed
your max bid — Shows the size of your bid for the lot
Copart also offers the option to purchase a vehicle without participating in bidding. To do this, you need to offer the amount indicated under the "Bid Now" button.
9. What to Pay Attention to When Choosing a Vehicle?
First of all, you need to get as much information about the lot as possible. You don't have the opportunity to see the vehicle in person. Therefore, the main sources of information are photos and information provided by Copart.
Studying photos will allow you to assess the condition of the selected vehicle, as well as get an idea of possible problems not in the description, and find out if this vehicle meets your needs and budget.
Selection Tips:
- When viewing photos, pay close attention to the body condition, including panel gap alignment
- Assess the degree of damage and information about the vehicle's storage location
- Letters like S, R, etc. are usually on the front and rear glass. They help you learn about the vehicle's condition
- Be sure to check whether airbags were deployed or not
- It's better to choose a vehicle where you can see the mileage and understand that it's running
- Look for lots where the vehicle is running at the time of photographing and the dashboard is fully visible
The most critical is Check Engine. This indicator points to a malfunction of either the engine or main components.
Equally important is the photo showing the body number — VIN code. You can preliminarily check the vehicle using it.
10. Official Copart Website Menu
The Copart website is notable for its functionality and ease of use. Everything here is intuitive and logical. Therefore, working with the resource is very easy.
On the main page, you can see a menu field. Click on "Dashboard", and you'll get to a page with a list of expected auctions and a list of tracked items, as well as lots awaiting payment.
11. Watchlist
Here are lots that you marked as "favorites". This is a convenient option that allows you to stay informed about all changes in lots you're interested in.
12. Saved Search Queries
For managers tracking specific or rare vehicles, this section is very important. Enter specific search parameters here and you will be notified when vehicles that exactly match your queries arrive.
It's better to save search filters. This eliminates the need to constantly search for specific vehicles by required parameters.
13. Auto Alerts
These are mailings about vehicles you're interested in. This menu has filters that allow you to receive daily news about recently added lots according to your search queries.
The mailing will be useful when searching for several models of different brands simultaneously, when you don't want to spend your time on daily vehicle searches. The mailing will help find specific vehicles with minimal time spent.
14. Auction Calendar
Schedules by days and weeks when and which auctions will be held. There are days when auctions are not held. Usually, these are public holidays.
15. Dashboard
Allows you to track the bidding process in live mode.
Menu Sections:
My Bids — this is also a large menu with 3 sections. It displays active bids
Current Bids — lots you've placed bids on are saved
Open Items — lots with bids placed but bidding hasn't been held yet
Won Items — lots you've won
Lost Items — lots you've lost
Payments:
Awaiting Payment — won but not yet paid lots
Sale Price (Bid) — amount you paid for the vehicle
Buyer Fee — first auction fee, $500
Virtual Bid Fee — second auction fee, $79
Gate — third auction fee, $59
Late Payment — late payment penalty, $50
Storage — additional fee for parking and vehicle storage
16. How to Earn on Copart?
Let's look at a specific example. Lot 41910807 Toyota Camry Hybrid. Price $11,800. In the "Won Items" section, the final cost will be $12,968. Plus you need to add late payment and storage fees.
At the same time, earnings from companies vary. We offer clients small tariffs only due to the auction fees column, which is smaller compared to other companies.
My Account Menu:
Message Setting — personal message management
Account Setting — ability to change contact information, language and other settings
Updates and Deposits — allows you to control updates and deposits, withdrawing and replenishing finances
Membership Fees — Copart has a tariff grid. In case of independent purchase, the client will receive column B Fee Bid. With WESTMOTORS it will be column A
17. What to Remember?
If the client refuses to pay for the lot, the $400 deposit is cancelled or 10% of the lot price is deducted
If you deposited $400, vehicles up to $4,000 are available to you
If you want to buy a vehicle for $6,000, the deposit must be $600, i.e., 10% of the vehicle cost
At first registration, you must deposit $200 and $400 as insurance deposit
The "Locations" section lists all Copart locations. The site provides the ability to contact representatives of any location directly.
18. Sell a Vehicle
The menu is designed for individuals and legal entities who intend to sell a vehicle at Copart auction. Our company provides this service "turnkey".
We will pick up your vehicle from the parking lot and deliver it to the auction, where photos will be taken and the vehicle will be put up for bidding.
19. Benefits of Buying Cars on Copart
- A damaged vehicle on Copart, even considering repair, delivery and customs costs, will still be cheaper than the same one bought locally
- Copart auction offers a huge selection of vehicles, among which you will definitely find the optimal option
- Copart auction guarantees reliability, as it works only with verified dealers
20. Why Contact WESTMOTORS to Buy a Vehicle?
WESTMOTORS will save you time and money. Working with us will allow you to get a vehicle that exactly matches your requirements. You will free yourself from the need to pay unclear private individuals and resellers.
First, the client submits an application. Then our employees select vehicle options
Then we purchase the vehicle selected by the client at auction. This stage involves checking all required documentation
We deliver the vehicle and help with customs clearance
WESTMOTORS provides "turnkey" services. The client won't have to worry about anything. We take on all the hassles associated with paperwork, negotiations, transaction preparation, freight forwarding, purchasing necessary parts for repair in the USA, transporting the vehicle to the auto service, etc.
You don't spend your time studying thousands of ads, reviewing vehicle accompanying documents, deciphering specific designations, checking the lot, selecting a transport company. You won't need to contact customs service to fill out various forms.
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