Are you interested in buying a vehicle at an online car auction? You’re certainly not alone. If you have been tossing around the idea of purchasing a used or salvage car online, now is the time to do it. In fact, many consumers contemplate the same thing and then follow through with the decision.

Affordable cars wait for you on the web, but, you must know which sites to visit to buy the cars and there are many sites out there that are not worth your time at all. In fact, some of these sites can actually be dangerous to use, so you want to proceed with caution and KNOW where you will be buying your next used or salvage car from.

Below, we will introduce you to the top 10 best online car auction sites where you can get yourself a used or salvage car for less money than you expected.

Top 10 List of Car Auction Websites

1. eBay Motors

This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning eBay Motors. A subsidiary of the world’s largest online auction site, eBay Motors connects buyers of all types with sellers offering everything from boats to cars, motorcycles and much more. There are two types of sellers here – private sellers and automotive dealerships. This is one of the popular car part auctions, so you can also purchase parts and accessories.

That being said, eBay Motors does NOT offer the same types of deals you’ll find with other online auction sites. Still, buyers can find parts cars here, as well as some affordable vehicles. Getting a “great deal” has become harder to do, though, as more and more people have mastered the art of eBay bidding and waiting until the last second to place a bid. This can dramatically increase the price.

2. ADESA

ADESA is a connection point where buyers can locate and access a number of different car auctions around the nation and the world. Like SmartAuction, it is primarily used for dealer consignments, off-lease vehicles, fleet vehicles and rentals. While it doesn’t specialize in salvage vehicles, they do show up from time to time. However, you must be a licensed dealer to become a member.

Interestingly, members have access to a wide range of additional automotive remarketing services, including title services, marshaling, floorplan financing, transportation, and inspections.

3. Auction Auto Mall

If you are looking for an all-in-one option with a large selection of vehicle choices, you definitely want to check out Auction Auto Mall. This is the LARGEST database of salvage, pre-owned, and used cars. Consumers can search for virtually any type of car or motorsport vehicle that they want. With an unlimited number of options to help you customize what you are looking for, you will find that you can get just what you need.

Auction Auto Mall offers some of the best customer service and support, which can be hard to find on other sites. Their customer support team is available to walk you through the entire process and help get you into a used car that you WANT. From helping you understand the bidding process to setting up an account for you to advising you when you are bidding, the team here really does have your back.

One of the reasons consumers love Auction Auto Mall is because they have a HUGE database of cars to browse through. Their buyer agents are some of the most experienced and trained in the business – which means you can find virtually any type of car you want.

Unlike other sites, Auction Auto Mall has teamed up with some of the best lending partners to help you finance the vehicle you want. You can take advantage of the many different financing offers and specials that are available such as NO down payments, LOW monthly payments, and even LOWER interest rates. If you want to pre-qualify for one of our financing deals, simply fill out our short application and you will receive offers in minutes. The best part? Your credit score does not take a hit.

You are a VIP and when you work with the team at Auction Auto Mall, you will definitely feel like one!

4. Copart

Founded in 1982, Copart Auto Auctions is one of the largest car auction houses in the world, operating in 11 countries. Although some of the vehicles sold at Copart auctions are clean title used vehicles, the vast majority of the cars sold through Copart are salvage titled vehicles, repossessed, vandalized or rebuilt cars and other vehicles with some history of damage. Copart sources most of its vehicles from insurance companies, financial institutions and banks. In addition, through Copart Direct, Copart purchases vehicles from the public for resale through its various marketing arms. Finally, Copart’s newest initiative, Drive Auto Auctions, sells exclusively clean titled cars that come with third-party condition reports, seller announcements, industry run lights and arbitration.

Copart Auto Auctions, like most salvage car providers with big insurance/bank contracts requires you to have a full dealers’ license in order to attend or participate in the sales.

5. Dashub

Members who sign up for an account at DASHUB have access to about 200,000 cars and many of them are just a fraction of the retail cost. Since bidders from all over the world can bid, many of the used cars are auctioned off and won by car dealers.

6. Abetter.bid

A Better Bid has around 100,000 cars in their inventory, which is lower than some of the other options we have seen here, but they offer a new inventory of vehicles for sale daily. You will find that their inventory is packed with electric cars, sedans, salvage title cars, ATVs, motorcycles, and much more. NO dealer license is needed to bid here.

7. SmartBid

Salvagebid.com is another site among good car websites that promises a large selection of vehicles from which to choose. It also connects buyers with auctions throughout the US and around the world. One of the interesting benefits here is that you can easily search by make, model and year if there’s something specific you want to purchase. Finally, Salvage Bid represents the buyer, meaning that you don’t need a dealer license to work with them. This is one of the best websites to sell cars.

8. OVE.com

OVE.com (cars auction) is a subsidiary of Manheim, and it is a membership only car auction site. Here, you’ll find a very wide range of vehicles on offer, from a massive selection of 4×4 trucks to salvage, totaled and inoperable vehicles. There are regular specials available only to members as well, including the 10k & Under Sale. Like SmartAuction, OVE.com is only open to members, and you must be a dealership/licensed dealer to sign up.

9. Auto Trader

If you have been to Auto Trader, you may have noticed that it is an array of different things. You can receive advice from their experts and you can learn more about available cars in your area. While this site is not an online car auction site per say, it does allow you to connect with both dealerships and private sellers across the US. The website allows you to search for a vehicle based on your preferences such as make, model, features, and year. Auto Trader is open to ALL buyers.

10. Insurance Auctions USA Inc.

An Inc. 500|5000 member, Insurance Auctions USA, Inc. works strictly with insurers across the US. The company specializes in selling salvage vehicles only, and you will find a very wide range of conditions, from repairable but totaled to completely inoperable and “parts only”.

Also you can visit ally smart auction and GMAC SmartAuction. These are just a few of the many car auction sites online. Remember that not all sites are worth your time, and many don’t work with private buyers, but only with licensed dealers. It’s recommended that you work with a partner that connects private buyers with car auction sites online so you don’t have to worry about the licensing process or costs.

SmartAuction is a closed auction site created and managed by Ally Financial, Inc. It is accessible to members/dealers only, and is heavily used by dealerships in the American Southeast, as well as throughout the rest of the nation. It is owned by GMAC/Ally Remarketing and specializes in dealer-consigned vehicles, as well as off-lease, fleet and rental vehicles.

Not All Online Car Auction Websites Are the Same 

In addition to the 10 online used car auction sites above, you will find many others online, but do keep in mind that not all of them are safe for you to use. Prior to bidding on any of the sites that you come across, do make sure you verify the accuracy of the site, as not all are worth your time. Since many online car auction sites do sell to dealers only, it is recommended that you use a site that is open to all buyers or work with a partner that can be the middleman for you between the site and your bid.  The above 10 online car auction sites are some of the best on the market with Auction Auto Mall being one of the top choices for consumers and dealers abroad.

Good luck and happy bidding!

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