The BEST Online Car Auction Websites
Used car sales are expected to stay strong for the next few years. According to one article, the rise of interest rates and lack of incentives on new vehicles are pushing consumers to buy used. While the flood of used vehicles coming into the market may not be the best situation for used car dealers, there will be ample opportunity to sell volume. Perhaps at no other time has it been more important as a used car dealer to find the right inventory to put on the lot, and move it in an efficient, cost-effective manner. Every auto dealer knows a certain killer for your sales goals and your profits is unwanted vehicles sitting on the lot for weeks or months. You’ve got to have the right inventory at the right price for the market you’re in. It takes a special combination of both art and science, an ability to accurately analyze your market data to attract the right buyers for the vehicles you acquire.
Sourcing the right cars is a challenge every single auto dealer faces. If you struggle to analyze the options available to you, look no further. We’ve compiled our list of the best online auto auctions for used car dealers.
Finding the right Inventory for your Dealership
That’s the name of the game, right? Sell the vehicles, make a profit. In a market that has an excessive supply of used cars, getting the right ones becomes even more crucial to the success of your dealership.
Today’s auto dealers have more options than EVER for finding the best inventory. In years past you had to spend time and energy physically attending auto auctions. Today’s online market coupled with sophisticated inventory software saves time and money for used car dealers. Software provider Vauto.com describes it like this:
“Typically, the most sourcing-challenged used vehicle managers are doing “more of the same” — which often comes down to going more frequently to the same auctions looking for largely the same vehicles, or deploying more buyers at a wider array of physical auctions.
Yet, they still come up dry. Why? It’s because some of the more desirable vehicles simply don’t roll through conventional auctions anymore. The online wholesale marketplace is increasingly the “go to” venue to efficiently find and source vehicles, not physical auctions.
I’m not suggesting physical auctions don’t merit time and attention. They do. It’s just that used vehicle managers who rely most on physical auctions — and especially those who dismiss today’s technology and tools — are making sourcing more difficult than it needs to be.”
So head online and check out your options for some of the best websites for purchasing used vehicle inventory.
Best Online Car Auction Websites for Dealers
SmartAuction
As a service provider for SmartAuction, we absolutely had to include them on our list. They help thousands of dealers every day get the vehicle models they need at affordable prices in a convenient manner. This closed auction site has over 17,000 dealer postings daily, for both independent and franchised auto dealers. It is owned by Ally Remarketing, and offers dealer-consigned vehicles and more.
Dashub
It’s free to sign up as a Dashub member and you don’t have to be a licensed dealer. Their online portal is extremely straightforward and makes it easy to use. They feature all types of vehicles from motorcycles to SUVs, and also allow you to search by salvage title, clean title, or vehicles available to buy outright.
Capital Auto Auction
Capital Auto Auction is a public auction site that hosts both in-person auctions and online auctions. They have loads of frequently updated inventory, and they boast amazing prices. There is ample opportunity to find exactly what you need! They have five “‘live and drive” auctions each week in New Hampshire, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. as well as three online auctions each week at various times on Saturdays. Their offerings are repossessions, dealer consignments, government vehicles and donations.
Copart
Copart’s headquarters are in the same neighborhood as Crestline here in Dallas. They boast one of the largest online inventories with 200 locations in 11 countries. They are a juggernaut in the auto auction business. A big draw here is the ability to buy directly from their mobile app, and they also offer prebidding so you don’t have to sit through the live auctions online. The majority of Copart’s vehicles are insurance and salvage titles.
Adesa
Rather than one single auction, ADESA is a massive auction network connecting dealers with thousands of vehicles around the world. It is similar to SmartAuction, in that it is dealer-only and most of the vehicles are dealer consignments rather than salvage vehicles. You must have a dealer license to participate. ADESA also goes a step beyond in assisting dealers, providing services like repossessions and marshalling, title services, and inspections. They also have remarketing services available.
eBay Motors
The amazing buying experience the eBay offers is even better for dealers. It’s not really a dedicated online auto auction (offering both buy now and bid options), but since eBay Motors is now an integral part of the online car buying community, we would be remiss to leave it out on our list. eBay is continually bolstering the options available for dealers through their Dealer Center. The support is five star, and their dedicated professionals can help you with just about anything. eBay is becoming an attractive option for dealers to sell as well!
Bring a Trailer
Looking for vintage and classic cars? Bring a Trailer is one of our favorites. They have the most beautiful classic cars for sale on their auction site. Dream cars. Rare cars. They gained so much traction that they went from fixed pricing to an online auction in 2014.
Auto Auction Mall
Auto Auction Mall has it all…really, they have used, salvage, and insurance vehicles for sale on their global online marketplace. With low prices and low fees, it’s a great option for getting inventory at an excellent price. They boast over 200,000 live vehicle auctions at any given time.
How do you secure your inventory? How do you make good decisions with online auto auctions? We’d love to hear from you. Online auctions can be a great way to find the cars you’ve been looking for to supplement trade-ins on your lot.
One caveat of the online auto auctions is the shipping and logistics of your purchases. While some of our providers listed above offer shipping services, the majority leave it up to you. If you need a dedicated, trusted provider to bring your vehicles to the lot, get a free quote from Crestline. We offer discounts for our dealership partners as well as world class service. Give us a call today.
