Discussion
I'm looking for a cheap runaround and have been looking at possibly going down the Copart route.
Possibly going for a category U unrecorded with scratches/scrapes etc.
What have your experiences with Copart been like? As I've never bought from auction I'm hesitant in spending £60 on the registration fee...
Possibly going for a category U unrecorded with scratches/scrapes etc.
What have your experiences with Copart been like? As I've never bought from auction I'm hesitant in spending £60 on the registration fee...
Saleen836 said:
Probably better off looking on FB marketplace if it is a cheap runaround you want
I've been spending a good chunk of time on FB marketplace each day but have noticed a lot of crap cars for for well over £750 which should really be priced at £2-400 max.eBay isn't showing much available nor is Autotrader, I'm based up in Scotland.
Do some research on the made up mandatory fees they charge you after you win. If you buy a car that cheap you could easily, at least, double the cost. Gate fee, tax, delivery fee, recovery fee, credit card use fee (try paying cash, they make it really difficult) thrumpwobbler fee. They just keep coming and they really add up. Its almost impossible to figure it out based on their website prior to bidding.
Stigproducts said:
Do some research on the made up mandatory fees they charge you after you win. If you buy a car that cheap you could easily, at least, double the cost. Gate fee, tax, delivery fee, recovery fee, credit card use fee (try paying cash, they make it really difficult) thrumpwobbler fee. They just keep coming and they really add up. Its almost impossible to figure it out based on their website prior to bidding.
They charge the buyer additional fees on top of the registration fee?Sounds a bit dodgy, say I bought a car for £300, plus the £60 fee, what others fees do they tend to add?
Having looked on their website they also state no collection due to Covid, so they will charge for delivery...
my recollection was there was a fee for the bloke to pick it up on his forklift and dump it on the delivery drivers trailer. There was another "gate fee" which was presumably some pretense of covering the cost of someone handing a piece of paper to the driver. I bought something and the fees were over 10% of the hammer price, not including any taxes and I did pay by cash (drive down to the place and stand in a queue for about 2hrs), to avoid the credit card fee.
The reason I think this is important to you is that they were not a %age of the hammer price, they were fixed. So you might buy a car for £300, and end up paying £600 + mandatory delivery. I might be wrong but I would suggest you research it thoroughly and find someone who has bought a car at their location and ask them what fees they were charged. I DID research it and still fees appeared I did not expect -it's almost like they try really hard not to inform you about the real costs so they can make more money
The reason I think this is important to you is that they were not a %age of the hammer price, they were fixed. So you might buy a car for £300, and end up paying £600 + mandatory delivery. I might be wrong but I would suggest you research it thoroughly and find someone who has bought a car at their location and ask them what fees they were charged. I DID research it and still fees appeared I did not expect -it's almost like they try really hard not to inform you about the real costs so they can make more money
You’re not wrong, £15+vat loading fee is charged (for starters) although this is removed if you use Copart for delivery and in fairness they are doing a bit of a deal on delivery atm (can’t remember exactly what it is).
But yes, fees can and will add up.
The thing with the Cat U cars is they are usually there for a reason, i.e have issues so seller is looking for a quick easy sale with no comeback.
It could just be they have had a horrendous bill from a main dealer which could actually be sorted far cheaper by DIYing it but it is pot luck.
But yes, fees can and will add up.
The thing with the Cat U cars is they are usually there for a reason, i.e have issues so seller is looking for a quick easy sale with no comeback.
It could just be they have had a horrendous bill from a main dealer which could actually be sorted far cheaper by DIYing it but it is pot luck.
Copart was a pretty good place to buy a car a few years back but their fee structure makes it so that if you spend 750 on a car, you'll probably need to spend another 750 to get it out of the door. Classic cars are a bit of a minefield, there's a lot of shill bidding and people who take their cars to copart to be sold because they know that they would not have a hopes chance in hell to get it sold anywhere else.
I went down there to clear my sons van when it got T boned
Fork lift trucks with long forks picking up cars from the front, you can hear the forks sliding underneath across the bottom of the car
Not sitting on the forks right? Quick flick of the forks to make it drop
Saw two workers who got hacked off with a 3 series alarm going off, out with the bolt cutters straight through the battery cables.
If you buy from there I would have a very careful look underneath, undertrays,brake pipes, exhausts, it could add a few quid in repairs you didnt see
Fork lift trucks with long forks picking up cars from the front, you can hear the forks sliding underneath across the bottom of the car
Not sitting on the forks right? Quick flick of the forks to make it drop
Saw two workers who got hacked off with a 3 series alarm going off, out with the bolt cutters straight through the battery cables.
If you buy from there I would have a very careful look underneath, undertrays,brake pipes, exhausts, it could add a few quid in repairs you didnt see
Not sure where people are getting their ideas about fees from, but to suggest that you pay nearly £750 in fees on a £750 are nonsense.
Their fees are clearly listed online.
On a £750 car, the fees are around £150 off the top of my head. Regular purchased would get a discount off that. The £15 loading fee is standard.
Obviously you have to pay to be a member of Copart, so you can’t class that as a few on a vehicle and if you’re signing up just to for one vehicle then you have to factor that in. I think standard price is £50 for the year, but I joined for £25 on an offer and pay £25 for renewing each year. I very rarely buy from there, but for that price it’s worth it for the option when there’s a big Copart yard 20 minutes from me.
Yes, you have to check for forklift damage sometimes and yes, you have to question why some U vehicles are there sometimes. Often for mechanical issues rather than just an unrecorded scrape.
Their fees are clearly listed online.
On a £750 car, the fees are around £150 off the top of my head. Regular purchased would get a discount off that. The £15 loading fee is standard.
Obviously you have to pay to be a member of Copart, so you can’t class that as a few on a vehicle and if you’re signing up just to for one vehicle then you have to factor that in. I think standard price is £50 for the year, but I joined for £25 on an offer and pay £25 for renewing each year. I very rarely buy from there, but for that price it’s worth it for the option when there’s a big Copart yard 20 minutes from me.
Yes, you have to check for forklift damage sometimes and yes, you have to question why some U vehicles are there sometimes. Often for mechanical issues rather than just an unrecorded scrape.
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