Purchase Process
Support and Consultation
Delivery, Shipping, and Documents
Formal Aspects and Regulations
Payments and Related Issues
Deposit

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Purchase Process

The process of purchasing vehicles through the BidCars platform is characterized by its ease and transparency. Key is having basic website navigation skills, which include tasks such as placing auction bids, depositing a security deposit, and carrying out international transfers in U.S. dollars (USD) and euros (EUR) through your own bank. We handle all the formalities for the client: from contacting the auction house, managing documentation, organizing transport in the United States, container loading, unloading, to customs clearance and delivering the vehicle to the specified address.

When using our service, the bidding process differs slightly from traditional live auctions. As a user, you do not bid in real-time personally. Instead, you delegate the bidding on our site by entering the maximum amount you are willing to offer on the page of the selected vehicle. This amount is confidential, visible only to us at BidCars, and is not disclosed before the start of the live auction at the auction house.

If the amount you specify is higher than the starting bid of the live auction (i.e., higher than the closing bid of the preliminary auction), then we will represent you up to your specified maximum amount during the live auction. However, it's important to remember that due to technological limitations, users cannot participate directly in the bidding during the live auction. You can only specify the maximum amount you are interested in bidding for a particular vehicle. It's worth noting, though, that there is an option to increase this amount up to 10 minutes before the final live auction.

From our experience, this method of purchasing a vehicle tends to be more considered, as it eliminates the factor of emotion that often comes into play during live bidding. A purchase made without emotional involvement usually proves to be more successful and satisfying.

The fee calculator on the BidCars website is considered accurate, providing precise estimates of the costs of importing a vehicle. However, there are several factors to keep in mind that might affect the final cost:

  • The calculator is based on the average exchange rates from the National Bank of Poland (NBP) on the day of the auction, which may differ from the actual exchange rate used by the client.
  • It does not include fees for transferring money to the USA, which range from 10 USD to 50 USD depending on the bank.
  • It omits fees listed on the Penalties and Additional Charges page, mainly depending on when the client completes the transfer.
  • It does not cover costs related to additional document processing if the documents provided by the auction house are insufficient.

On the BidCars website, we display all vehicles from IAAI and Copart that have a set sale date. We do not show vehicles without a sale date, marked as: Auction not assigned, Upcoming lot, or Future sale. Due to technological reasons, we also do not display vehicles from IAAI offered by sellers such as Ally Financial, Title Max, Avis, Enterprise Vehicle Exchange, or Enterprise Fleet Management Exchange.

To bid on a vehicle on BidCars, you first need to use the search engine to find an interesting car from the USA. Then, by creating an account on the platform, you must deposit a required refundable deposit, which will allow you to participate in auctions. The bidding process begins on the page of the selected vehicle, where you enter your maximum bid and click the "Place Bid" button. The auction takes place in two stages: preliminary and live. During the latter, BidCars represents the user, bidding the vehicle up to the set maximum amount. This gives users a chance to purchase a vehicle at an attractive price. For more information and details about the auction process, visit https://proces.bid.cars.

The auction process at the auction house is divided into two main phases:

1. Preliminary Bidding Phase (Pre-Bid/Preliminary Bidding): This is a multi-day auction that usually starts at $0.

2. Live Auction: After the preliminary bidding phase ends, the live auction, a fast-paced auction, begins. This phase starts from the highest bid from the preliminary auction.

If your offer as a BidCars user exceeds the highest bid from the preliminary auction at the auction house, our team will represent you during this live auction. We represent you up to the maximum amount you have set for yourself. This ensures the highest efficiency during the auction and the possibility of purchasing the vehicle at an optimal price.

After winning an auction on the BidCars platform, your bid status will change to "Vehicle Won." This means that your offer has been accepted by the seller and you have successfully purchased the vehicle. There's a possibility that the final amount you pay may be lower than the maximum bid you offered, thanks to BidCars' efforts to purchase the car at the most favorable price during the live auction. Within a few hours after the auction ends, you will receive an email with transaction details, including the account number, the exact amount due, and the transfer title. Payments are made in USD, directing funds directly to the auction house, be it Copart or IAAI.

To finalize the payment for the vehicle you've won at auction, you need a USD currency account and the ability to make international bank transfers. Although the payment information we provide is clear and understandable, if you have any doubts about conducting the transaction on your own, you can print the email we send you, along with the attached PDF file containing the transfer details, and seek assistance at your local bank branch.

The BidCars commission is set at a fixed rate, regardless of the value of the purchased vehicle, and amounts to 450 USD plus VAT. The final amount is converted according to the current exchange rate of the National Bank of Poland (NBP) and is required to be paid in Euro a few days before the vehicle's arrival in Europe.

Unfortunately, we cannot definitively determine the final price of a vehicle that will be put up for auction. For our clients, we have prepared a tool named "Estimated Cost," which uses data from past auctions to present an estimated price range for a specific vehicle model. This allows you to estimate the amount for which a particular vehicle might be auctioned off. For more detailed information, you can also review our price archive. An exception are offers with a "buy now" option, where the price is fixed and the vehicle can be purchased without participating in the auction.

After winning an auction marked as "on approval" or "minimum bid," you typically wait for the seller's response for up to 24 hours. However, under certain circumstances, the waiting time may extend up to 3 days. All updates regarding the status of your offer will be available directly on the page of the selected vehicle and in the "Auctions" tab on your BidCars account.

Every client, by registering an account on the BidCars platform, accepts our terms and conditions, available at https://bid.cars/en/terms, as well as the general order conditions, which can be found here: https://bid.cars/en/too. This acceptance has the same legal effects as signing a contract in paper form. We do not require clients to sign an additional paper contract, as the electronic version is fully sufficient for us.

The individual whose account is registered on the BidCars platform does not have to be directly associated with the person or company for whom the vehicle will be cleared through customs. Information regarding who will be the owner of the vehicle is provided in a specially prepared form. This form is automatically sent to the client before the vehicle arrives in Europe. In the form, you can declare that the vehicle will be cleared for a company and provide detailed information about that company. It is important that the company has a VAT-EU number and an EORI number, which are necessary for these types of transactions.

Unfortunately, due to technological limitations, we are unable to offer the possibility of simultaneously bidding on two or more vehicles with the option to cancel the bid on the second after winning the first. In a situation where a client decides to bid on two vehicles whose auctions are happening simultaneously or at a close time, they must accept the risk of potentially purchasing both vehicles.

In the case where multiple people through BidCars commission the auction of the same vehicle and more than one person wins the auction, priority is given to the person who first placed the auction order. This principle, outlined in the general terms and conditions, ensures fair treatment of all clients in such a situation. More information on this can be found in the General Terms and Conditions available here.
Support and Consultation

To find the vehicle you're interested in on our site, simply use the advanced search engine located on the homepage. There, you can specify whether you're looking for a car, motorcycle, quad, or jet ski. Then, choose the brand, model, and generation of the vehicle you're interested in. Moreover, thanks to our platform, you can find vehicles from both Copart and IAAI in one place. This saves you time from having to search through two separate auction portals to find the perfect deal.

Unfortunately, BidCars does not offer vehicle searching services or purchase consultancy. We are a platform that provides tools for independently browsing available offers. The client must fully and consciously choose the vehicle that meets their expectations and interests on their own.

Unfortunately, the information available on the website is all the data we have on a given vehicle. Buying at auctions in the USA requires relying mainly on the provided photos, which can be challenging and requires some experience in estimating potential repair costs. However, for our users who have decided to make a deposit, we offer the possibility of generating an additional vehicle history report. This can provide more information, such as the vehicle's service history or any previous damage.

Yes, we offer free vehicle history reports. Each user who has paid a deposit receives 5, 10, or 20 free reports each month, depending on the amount of the deposit paid. These reports are generated automatically on the vehicle's page, allowing for a quick check of the vehicle's history, the number of previous owners, any collisions, and service history.

Unfortunately, we do not offer purchase consultancy, assistance in vehicle selection, or estimation of repair costs or vehicle repair services. Our main area of operation is acting as a broker, providing clients with comprehensive logistical support from the moment of purchase to the delivery of the vehicle to the customer. The decision to choose a specific vehicle and determine the maximum amount you are willing to pay during the auction rests solely with the client.

Unfortunately, our company BidCars does not deal with the import of car parts. Our platform specializes in services related to vehicle auctions and importation.

To sell a vehicle purchased through BidCars without paying income tax, one must wait 6 full months from the purchase date. If the vehicle was purchased on January 15th, its sale without income tax is possible from August 1st. The difference between the purchase and sale price does not affect the tax obligation then. However, it's important to note that we cannot guarantee this rule will be accepted by all tax offices, as they may interpret the legal regulations differently.
Delivery, Shipping, and Documents

The cost of importing a vehicle with BidCars is easy to estimate thanks to the built-in calculator available on the page of each vehicle. Our platform recognizes the location of the vehicle and, based on this, determines from which port it will be shipped - we have five locations where we pack vehicles into containers. The calculator accurately calculates the costs associated with land transportation and sea freight. Detailed information regarding costs can be found on the vehicle page - on the right side in the desktop version and slightly lower in the mobile version.

For our customers in Poland, we provide delivery of the vehicle to a specified address in any region of the country. We regularly, 2-3 times a week, pick up vehicles from Rotterdam. Additionally, we offer the option of delivering cars to other countries, such as Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, or the Czech Republic.

Our offerings are primarily directed to the port in Rotterdam, through which we deliver 95% of our vehicles. It is there that we provide comprehensive customs clearance services and deliver the vehicle directly to the client's specified address. In addition to Rotterdam, upon client request, we can organize shipping to ports in Bremerhaven, Klaipeda, and Gdynia. However, it should be emphasized that in the case of these additional locations, all formalities related to customs clearance and vehicle collection are the responsibility of the client.

The documents related to the vehicle will be sent to you by courier (DPD or GLS) to the address you provided during the authorization for customs clearance. After the vehicle's arrival in Poland, we typically need 14 to 30 days for the documents to reach our office and be forwarded to you. The receipt of the documents by our office and their subsequent dispatch will be confirmed by an SMS message.

To check the status of your vehicle, log in to your account on the BidCars platform and go to the "Transport" tab. In this section, you will find all the necessary information about the progress of your vehicle's transport - from the moment of pickup from the auction, through its arrival at the loading terminal in the USA, container loading, departure and arrival dates, to the container number. Additionally, you will be able to check if the container with your vehicle has already been received by the customs agency in the Netherlands. For some vehicles, there is also the option to track the ship in real-time on a map. You can also check the current average duration of each transport stage on the website https://status.bid.cars.

Unfortunately, we do not offer the option to request additional inspections or photos at the client’s request once the vehicle is at the port terminal. Photos taken at the terminal are solely intended to document the vehicle’s condition upon arrival, rather than to provide a detailed view of damages that might assist in ordering parts. The terminal’s additional responsibility is to protect the vehicle from weather conditions as much as possible.

Unfortunately, we do not offer the option to use our export services for vehicles that were not purchased directly through BidCars. This is necessary to ensure we have full control over the payment process, document circulation, and to effectively resolve any issues without needing authorization from other parties. Purchasing a vehicle through our platform guarantees a smooth and hassle-free execution of the entire export process.
Formal Aspects and Regulations

For all vehicles directed to Rotterdam, our main port, we offer comprehensive logistical support. This includes not only customs clearance but also the delivery of the vehicle directly to the client's address. As a result, the entire process of importing a car is made as comfortable and hassle-free as possible for our clients.

Yes, this is possible. A few days before the vehicle arrives in Europe, you will receive a customs clearance form in which you must provide the details of the individual (or company) to whom the vehicle will be cleared. Additionally, a signed authorization will be required. The details of the BidCars account owner are not considered relevant.

As the only company in the market, we have created a unique compendium of sales documents, comprising over 1,000 items. On our website, next to each vehicle's sales document name, a dot is placed in green, yellow, or red. This color indicates the possibility, limitations, or lack of possibility of registering the specific vehicle in Poland. The complete list of sales documents, along with explanations for the dot colors, can be found at: https://bid.cars/sales-documents.

After the vehicle is delivered to Poland, it is necessary to pay excise tax. To accurately calculate its value, we recommend using the services of a car appraiser. A correctly prepared appraiser's report minimizes the risk of the tax office questioning the paid amount and accurately assesses the value of the vehicle in its damaged state. Based on this valuation, you should then submit the AKC-US declaration. If you encounter difficulties with this process, we recommend using the services of a local vehicle registration office. For a small fee, specialists from such an office will help in handling all the necessary formalities. You will surely find such an office in close proximity to your place of residence.

Due to being a member of the European Union, a vehicle that has been cleared through customs in another EU member state does not require VAT and customs duty to be paid again in the destination country. However, there is an exception for fiscal clearance, which occurs when a vehicle is imported by a company. In such a case, VAT is not charged in the country where the customs clearance took place (e.g., in the Netherlands), but must be paid in the country where the company is registered.

It is also worth noting that in the case of importing a vehicle to Poland, in addition to VAT and customs duty, it may be necessary to pay excise duty. This excise duty is calculated based on the opinion of an appraiser who assesses the value of the vehicle in its damaged state.

There are no time constraints imposed on the registration of a vehicle imported from the USA, unlike vehicles imported from the European Union. You can register such a vehicle immediately after its arrival in the country or after a longer period, for example, after completing extensive repairs.
Payments and Related Issues

The schedule and detailed payment plan for the vehicle purchase and transport process are available on the website https://harmonogram.bid.cars. There, you will find all the necessary information regarding the successive stages of purchase, transport, customs clearance, and delivery of your vehicle. Understanding this information will help you better navigate and complete the entire import process with BidCars. Additionally, we encourage you to visit https://status.bid.cars, where you can check the current average times for the completion of each transport stage.

On the statement we receive, there may be additional charges not included in the fee calculator. These charges are imposed by the auction house in special cases:

  • Underpayment in Transfer - if a client makes a transfer with a cost option other than OUR or due to another issue on the part of the sending bank. In such cases, funds are recorded in an amount less than the amount sent. The underpayment usually ranges from $10-$30,

  • Late Payment Penalty - recording funds at the auction house after the deadline. This is caused by the lack of an Overnight option in the bank (e.g., mBank) or another issue on the part of the sending bank. In case of a penalty, it is $50 for Copart and $50 or 2% (whichever is higher) for IAAI,

  • Fedex Courier Document Shipping Fee - a charge of $20,

  • Storage Fee - not every vehicle can be collected within the auction house's set timeframe. This is related to the short vehicle collection period at the auction, payment delays on the client's part, or simply the remote location of the branch. Storage fees at Copart/IAAI are settled as follows: up to 2 business days after recording the payment for the vehicle at the auction house, the client bears 100% of the storage fees, after 3 days from the payment recording date to the time of vehicle collection from the Copart/IAAI branch, the client bears 50% of the storage costs. We cover the remaining 50%.

Congestion at the Port of Los Angeles - Information Regarding Purchases from the West Coast

Due to recurrent issues with vehicle shipping at both the Port of Los Angeles and other ports in the United States, we reserve the right to transport and ship the vehicle from a port other than the one nearest to the specified Copart and IAAI branch location. All additional costs of land transportation and additional vehicle storage at the Copart/IAAI branch are borne by the client. In such cases, the cost of land transportation from the Los Angeles area to Houston increases from $400 to $1400, but the freight cost is reduced by $350. In reality, the client incurs an additional cost of +$650 compared to the calculator estimate and 100% of the vehicle storage cost at Copart/IAAI. The surcharge amount may change depending on the auction house branch location.

For making transfers to the auction house, we recommend using Alior Bank's currency exchange service. It offers currency exchange at favorable rates and allows you to transfer funds to the auction house under preferential conditions. Transfers made before 1:30 PM are processed on the same day. After the payment is processed, you will receive an SMS notification, and the vehicle pickup order will be sent to the selected transport company within a few minutes of the payment being recorded.

To check if your payment has been recorded, visit the page https://payments.bid.cars. There, by entering the VIN number of the vehicle and the PIN you received in an email after winning the auction, you will be able to see the status of your payments. This will inform you whether the transfers for the vehicle, transport, and customs clearance have been recorded. On the same page, you can also upload confirmations of the transfers you've made, which we will request after the transactions are completed. If you still have doubts or need additional information, please contact us.

I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing difficulties with the transfer. Please be assured that the transfer details we provided are correct. The account number and other recipient details are consistent and sent to all our clients in the same format. If you are encountering difficulties with making the payment online, we recommend visiting your bank in person to carry out the transfer.
Deposit

We offer three deposit plans:

Basic Plan: A deposit of 4,000 PLN / 1,000 USD / 900 EUR allows bidding up to $10,000 and simultaneous bidding on 5 vehicles.

Professional Plan: A deposit of 10,000 PLN / 2,500 USD / 2,250 EUR enables bidding up to $50,000 and simultaneous bidding on 10 vehicles.

Enterprise Plan: A deposit of 20,000 PLN / 5,000 USD / 4,500 EUR allows for bidding up to $200,000 and simultaneous bidding on 20 vehicles.

To make a deposit, log in to your account on BidCars and go to the "Increase Purchasing Power" or "Purchasing Power" tab. After selecting the appropriate plan, an account number designated for the deposit payment will appear. Please log in to your bank account and make the payment of the indicated amount, ensuring that you enter the transfer title correctly, which should include your user ID (this is crucial for the correct recording of the payment). Deposits are automatically recorded every 15 minutes during our working hours. In the case of an elixir transfer, within 15 minutes, you will gain the ability to place bids in auctions.

To withdraw your deposit, log in to your account and go to the "Deposit Refund" tab. Once you submit a request for a refund, transactions are processed within up to 72 hours from the moment of requesting the return.

The deposit cannot be used to settle other fees or be accounted for in any way. After winning the auction and making the payment for the vehicle at the auction house, you can request a refund of your deposit using the "Deposit Refund" tab.

The deposit is refunded in full, regardless of whether you successfully bid for a vehicle or not. We do not charge additional fees for using our service. However, if you purchase a vehicle and fail to settle the payment, the deposit may be deducted or entirely forfeited to cover the penalty costs charged by the auction house.

BidCars support team is available from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM CET, Monday through Friday.