How to Buy a Car at Copart From Abroad: A Step-by-Step Guide

Copart is the largest online vehicle auction in North America. At any moment it lists well over 100,000 lots — insurance write-offs, rental returns, fleet and bank repossessions, and a surprising number of clean, lightly damaged cars. For a buyer in Germany, Poland, the UAE or Kazakhstan, it is one of the cheapest ways to get a recent vehicle. It is also a place where a careless purchase can cost more than buying locally. This guide walks through the process the way we run it for clients.

1. Why you need a broker account

Many Copart lots are restricted to licensed dealers, and almost every lot requires a registered US or Canadian buyer with a deposit on file. A broker like 7 Motors bids on your behalf under its own licence. You get access to the full inventory, including dealer-only lots, and you avoid opening a US company or bank account.

You can browse live lots yourself in our inventory — every lot shows photos, damage, mileage, auction date and the estimated landed cost to your country.

2. Choose the right lot, not the cheapest one

The price you see on the lot page is only the starting point. Before you pick a car, check:

• Primary and secondary damage. "Minor dents/scratches" and "hail" are usually cosmetic; "front end" can mean anything from a bumper to a damaged frame rail.
• Run and drive status. "Run & Drive Verified" means the car started and moved at check-in — not that it is roadworthy.
• Title type. Clean, salvage and certificate-of-destruction titles are treated very differently at export and at registration in your country. See our guide to US title types.
• Keys and odometer brand. Missing keys add cost; "Not Actual" or "Exempt" odometer readings lower resale value.
• Location. The yard decides the inland transport cost and which port the car ships from.

3. Get the lot checked before you bid

Photos are taken by the auction and do not show everything. For lots near our yards in Pennsylvania and Montreal we inspect in person; elsewhere we use partner inspectors. We also pull the VIN history (Carfax / AutoCheck) to see previous accidents, flood records and mileage readings. This step regularly saves clients from buying a flooded or previously rebuilt car. More on this in our inspection service.

4. Set a hard maximum bid

Work backwards from the price the car must not exceed once it is in your country. The landed cost includes:

• the winning bid;
• Copart buyer fees and virtual bid fees (they rise with the price — on a $10,000 car expect several hundred dollars);
• transport from the yard to the port;
• ocean freight and insurance;
• import duty and VAT in your country, plus local registration costs;
• repairs, if the car is damaged.

Our import cost calculator and the calculator on every lot page do this math for your country. We then bid up to your limit — never above it.

5. Auction day

Copart runs a pre-bid phase followed by a live online auction. Most competitive lots are decided in the last seconds of the live sale. We place your bid in the live auction and report the result the same day, win or lose.

6. Payment and pick-up deadlines

After a win, Copart expects payment within a few business days and charges storage if the car is not collected on time. We pay the auction, arrange a licensed carrier and collect the title. You pay us in one transfer against an invoice that lists every item.

7. Export, shipping and customs

The car goes to our yard or directly to the port, where it is photographed, loaded into a shared container (or shipped ro-ro) and cleared for export with an electronic export declaration. Typical door-to-door times are 4–6 weeks to Western Europe and 6–9 weeks to the Gulf and the CIS. The shipping page for your country lists ports, transit times, duty and VAT.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Bidding on a lot without checking the title type for your country.
• Ignoring buyer fees — they are not included in the displayed bid.
• Choosing a far-away yard to save $300 on the bid and then paying $900 more for inland transport.
• Assuming "run and drive" means "no mechanical problems".

Want us to find one for you?

Send us the make, model, budget and destination country. We shortlist suitable lots within 24 hours, check them and bid within your limit. You pay only if we win.