After completing the registration and placing your refundable security deposit, find the vehicle you are interested in. To bid in Preliminary Bidding, enter the maximum amount you are willing to pay for the vehicle in the field labeled "Enter Your Maximum Possible Bid," and press "Bid Now."

If you are a Starter, Premium or VIP member you can also bid during the Live Auction.

Bidders enter a maximum bid for the vehicle they would like to purchase.

Salvagebid will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid amount, to win you the vehicle at the lowest possible price, sometimes coming in below the bidder's maximum bid. To be represented at the Live Auction, the bidder must first bid online and have the winning preliminary bid. The bidder with the highest preliminary bid is then represented by the Salvagebid system at the Live Auction.

The Live Auction happens after Preliminary Bidding and is the final bidding period for every item. Participation in the Live Auction is available to Salvagebid Starter, Premium and VIP members.

When the Live Auction starts for the yard where the vehicle is located, an item number will be assigned for the vehicle in the order sequence of how the yard will be auctioning the vehicles.

The Live Auction screen is on the listing and will be in red for you. It will tell you what item number your vehicle is and the current item number that they are on. You will have to wait for your vehicle item number to come up. Once the vehicle comes up, the whole box will turn green and the button to place your bid will activate. You will simply have to click on that button to place your bid. The bid amount will already be preset for you for the next upcoming increment.

Some vehicles have a "Buy It Now" option, where the seller is willing to sell the vehicle immediately at the price listed. To be able to purchase a car using "Buy It Now" you will need to have a Salvagebid account. Buy It Now sales, like all Salvagebid sales, are final. All normal fees are still applicable with a "Buy It Now" purchase.

Once a bid is placed, it cannot be canceled or reduced in any way. Make sure that you are confident in your bid before you place it. If you end up winning the bid that you placed by accident, you will be responsible for the vehicle and completing the sale.

Your bidding limit is the maximum amount you can bid at any given time. It also restricts how many vehicles you can bid on. The bidding limit is determined by your security deposit as well as membership type. Only Starter, Premium and VIP members can have multiple bids at once.

Your security deposit must be a minimum of $600, or 10% of your intended maximum bid (if over $6,000), whichever one is more. If you would like to bid on multiple vehicles, you will need a separate deposit for each vehicle.

$500 security deposit = $5,000 maximum bid for one vehicle ($2,500 for Guest memberships)
$800 security deposit = $8,000 maximum bid accumulated between any two vehicles
$1,200 security deposit = $12,000 maximum bid accumulated between any three vehicles

To increase your bidding limit, add additional funds to your security deposit by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover or wire transfer.

To bid on more than one vehicle you must be a Starter, Premium or VIP member. To bid on multiple vehicles, you will need a separate deposit for each vehicle. Simply log into your account and pay an additional security deposit of $600 or 10% of your intended maximum bid per vehicle.

Each auction has a "Time Left" indicator at the top right of the auction box. This will inform you how long you have to place your bid before the live online auction begins.

With Salvagebid, you are able to purchase vehicles that are not normally available to the public. This includes vehicles that state Dealer Only.

If you win the preliminary bid, you will automatically be represented by the Salvagebid system in the Live Auction.

Salvagebid will bid, on your behalf, the next highest increment throughout the auction, against other bidders and the seller’s minimum price, if the seller as set a minimum price, until your maximum bid is reached, working to win you the vehicle at the lowest possible cost.

If you win the auction and your maximum bid amount is equal to or above the seller’s minimum, you will be awarded the vehicle. If you win the auction and your maximum bid is lower than the seller’s minimum price, your winning bid will be submitted to the seller for approval. The seller approval process can take two (2) business days.

All final winning bids have to be submitted to sellers for approval. A lot, but not all, of the sellers have a minimum amount that they are trying to receive for their vehicles. They have up to two (2) business days to decide to sell the vehicle.

If you see that your bid is Award Pending, you are welcome to reach out to us to try to negotiate the sale. Our representatives will reach out to the yard where the vehicle is stored and try to find out what can be done.

Most vehicles come with a reserve price, which is the term for the minimum price a seller will accept. If you were the highest winning bid at the Live Auction but your bid does not meet the reserve price, your bid gets submitted to the seller for approval. If the reserve price has not been met, there is a chance that they will still sell for a lower amount. At this time, we can try to negotiate with the seller for you for which you will just have to reach out to our customer service team.

The sellers have up to two (2) business days to accept, reject or negotiate the sale.

As a courtesy, we will notify you if your maximum bid is no longer the highest pre bid. For the best chance at winning the vehicle, enter the absolute MAXIMUM you are willing to pay for the vehicle.

If you were the high bidder during the Preliminary Bidding, Salvagebid represents you during the Live Auction and bids up to your maximum amount. There are other bidders participating in the Live Auction who may bid over your maximum bid amount.

You are welcome to participate in the Live Auction yourself. You just have to upgrade your account to a Starter, Premium or VIP membership.

Your deposit is not tied to a particular vehicle but your account in general. If you got outbid on a vehicle, you are welcome to start bidding on a different vehicle of your choice. You will not be charged any fees for making your bid.

Your deposit will be automatically released after thirty (30) days.

No. The bid amount ONLY includes the price you are willing to pay for the vehicle.

Auction fees, Salvagebid fees, documentation fees, and transportation costs are NOT INCLUDED in the bid and will be added on top of the bid amount. You can calculate the estimated fees for each vehicle at any time using the fee calculator provided below the auction box of each vehicle.

Salvagebid has a vehicle finder that allows you to filter your search to locate specific vehicles, or to search in specific locations. Just enter your zip code and the distance you would like to stay within; it will pull up yards nearest to the area specified.

Yes! With Salvagebid there are no restrictions on where you are able to buy. If you require help with shipping, we recommend EasyHaul.com for all your vehicle transportation needs!

Yes! We have many international customers all over the world. You are welcome to reach out to us for any specific details that you may have regarding shipping, export, as well as tips and tricks regarding bidding.

The auction does not sell parts off vehicles. If you are interested in something specific, you will have to purchase and remove the whole vehicle off the yard.