Your first auction purchase

1. Set your buying boundaries

Start with your destination, available cash, repair capability, and intended buyer. A low auction price is not enough if transport, title work, or repairs make the vehicle unsuitable for your plan.

Buying Rules and buyer settings help keep your searches and estimates relevant. Confirm the auction's buyer eligibility and the title's registration requirements before committing; requirements depend on the vehicle and location.

• Set aside money for fees, transport, repairs, and unexpected work.
• Choose vehicles you can inspect, repair, and realistically resell.
• Confirm who will collect the vehicle and how quickly it must leave the auction.

2. Start with the exact vehicle

Open Check Deal and load the VIN or supported auction link / lot. Match the VIN, trim, mileage, location, seller, title, and operational status to the auction listing. Use the gallery to review more than the attractive front-quarter photo.

An archived auction record can help with research, but it does not establish current availability or a current bid. Missing mileage or condition details are questions to resolve, not zeros to accept.

• Match the VIN on the listing and available documents.
• Review front, rear, both sides, interior, and underhood photos.
• Note damage that is outside the main impact area.

3. Check history before falling in love with the price

A vehicle can appear at auction more than once. Compare earlier photos and reported damage with the current listing: a tidier exterior does not establish that the underlying repair is complete. Look for mileage discrepancies, changes in title descriptions, and unanswered questions about prior work.

A repeat listing alone is not evidence of fraud or a bad vehicle. Use history to decide what to ask and inspect, not to accuse a seller. A missing record is not a clean history.

4. Build a complete estimate

Review all five Deal analysis sections. Check the resale assumption against comparable vehicles with a similar trim, mileage, title, and market. AI repair lines are a starting scope: confirm parts, fitment, labor, paint, and shipping.

A parts-pending warning means the repair total is incomplete. Verify auction fees at your proposed bid and review taxes, transport, title / registration, inspection, and other applicable costs. Keep a separate allowance for selling, financing, and holding costs.

1234

1. 1
   Conditional ceiling

   The safe range changes with your costs, resale assumption, and target profit.

2. 2
   Your scenario

   Editing the bid recalculates the estimate. It does not place an auction bid.

3. 3
   An incomplete repair total

   The plus sign and parts-pending notice mean some costs are still missing.

4. 4
   Not final net profit

   Expected profit is before selling, financing, and holding costs.

5. Set a limit before the auction

Your bid is an editable scenario, not an instruction to place an auction bid. Change it to see how the estimated investment and remaining margin move. The safe bid range depends on the resale, cost, and target-profit inputs you have provided.

Try a less favorable resale estimate and a higher repair allowance. If the deal only works under the most optimistic assumptions, resolve those uncertainties before buying. Save the evaluation to Watchlist so you can revisit the same assumptions.

6. Keep the story after you buy

Record the purchase from Watchlist and continue in My Garage. Keep the acquisition evaluation alongside actual expenses and documents. Update transport, inspection, repairs, title work, and sale preparation as work happens.

These activities do not need to happen in a strict sequence. Title work can start immediately, a vehicle may need no repair, and a wholesale sale may not need a public listing. Record what actually applies to this vehicle.

• Record actual purchase and fee amounts rather than leaving estimates unchanged.
• Attach relevant receipts and documents in the available vehicle workspace.
• Prepare accurate photos and listing copy; review every claim before publishing.
• Record the sale and reconcile remaining expenses before treating the result as final profit.