1. What is preliminary bidding?
Preliminary bidding establishes the starting price for the live virtual sale. During the preliminary bidding period, buyers may log onto Copart's website at
www.copart.com and submit bids electronically. The highest preliminary bid will compete against virtual bids via BID4U during Virtual Bidding. See Virtual Bidding
2. When is the preliminary bidding period starts?
The preliminary bidding period starts two business days prior to a scheduled sale and ends at 11:00 a.m. (local time of the Copart facility where the vehicle is stored) the day of the sale.
3. What is BID4U?
Copart uses BID4U to make the bidding process easier and more efficient. BID4U represents the highest preliminary bidder during the virtual sale. Simply enter the maximum price you are willing to pay for the lot during preliminary bidding and BID4U will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid during preliminary bidding and during the virtual sale. BID4U will only bid one increment over the current bid to maintain your position as the highest bidder. This allows you to purchase a vehicle below your maximum bid if bidding does not meet or exceed your maximum bid. If you select the bid increment option, BID4U will bid one additional increment over your maximum bid to break a tie. If a bidder with a higher maximum out-bids you, Copart notifies you via email. As a security precaution, no one, including Copart associates can see your maximum bid. It is 100% confidential!
4. What is increment bidding?
Increment bidding authorizes Copart to increase your bid by one and only one increment if a live virtual bidder matches your bid. Your bid will not be incremented if it is the highest bid.
5. How do I get to the bid entry page for preliminary bidding?
You place your preliminary bids on the Lot Display page. To get to the Lot Display page, select the Search Menu tab. From the Search Menu tab, you may find a vehicle via Sale Lists, Car Finder, or Calendar. All these options will display the Lot Detail page where you can place a bid.
6. What is interactive online counter bidding?
Counter bidding may occur when the vehicle seller has placed a minimum bid or bid-to-be-approved (BTBA) restriction on a vehicle. If you are the high bidder, the seller may accept your bid or counter your bid.
7. How do I counter bid a seller's minimum offer?
Select the Bid Status Menu tab. Under the Open Items page, click the lot display hyperlink. You will then be given the options to accept the seller's minimum, keep your current bid or counter bid for the selected lot.
8. What is virtual bidding?
Virtual bidding is the process of submitting live bids over the Internet during a Copart VB2 Virtual Sale. Buyers may log onto Copart's website at www.copart.com during VB2 Virtual Sales to submit bids electronically, in real time over the Internet, to compete with the highest preliminary bid and other virtual bids.
9. How do I join a virtual bidding sale?
After logging into the Buyer Access website, click on the Virtual Sales Menu tab. The resulting page displays all the virtual bidding sales for that day.
10. Can I participate in more than one virtual bidding sale?
Yes, but the performance of your machine may degrade as you join more virtual bidding sales due to increased traffic.
11. Can I join a sale that has started?
Yes. The current item available for bidding displays and you may start bidding.
12. How do I bid?
There are three buttons in the bidding window that will help you place your bid. You can place a valid next increment bid or jump ahead by placing a valid five-increment or a ten-increment bid.
13. I placed an Internet bid and received the following message: Current status does not allow on-line bidding. Contact your local Copart yard to clear this status. What does this message mean?
Call your local Copart facility to help you determine why you are not able to bid when you receive this message.
14. I placed an Internet bid and received the following message: Unexpected Error occurred. What does this error mean?
If you receive this error message, check the sale date of the lot on which you placed a bid. If there is no sale date, Copart pulled the lot from that sale. If there is a sale date contact technical support by sending an email to webmaster@copart.com
15. I placed an Internet bid and received the following message: Invalid bid amount - Enter digits (0-9) only. What does this message mean?
Check the amount you entered. There should be no punctuation and no 00 for cents. For example, if you want to enter in $1000.00 (one thousand) you would enter it as 1000.
16. How can I see all my previously entered bids?
From the Bid Status Menu tab, select Current Bids. Your top bid on each lot is displayed.
17. How long can I check my bids?
Under the Bid Status Menu tab, bids will appear on the Current Bids page until the vehicle is sold. Once the vehicle is sold, the bid will appear on the Lots Won page if the vehicle was awarded to you. For a Premium Service, if the vehicle was not awarded to you, the bid will appear on the Lots Not Won page.
18. How will I know if my bid was the highest sale bid?
Under the Bid Status Menu tab, your bid will display as the highest bidder on the Current Bids page.