Copart Removed Seller Info. How to Avoid Being Scammed. [Autohacker’s Digest]
Last edit: July 28 2024 • 201 view
Welcome to AutoHackers’ Weekly Digest – July 28th, 2024
Every week, I share insights from running insurance auto auction marketplaces and CARS4.BID. The goal of this digest is to help you avoid common mistakes when buying at auctions and to assist you in purchasing your dream car at the best possible price!
Copart Removed Seller Info
This week I’ve started to get lots of comments about the missing Seller field. Well, I have bad news, guys. Copart removed the info. They want to make more sales and help car dealers sell their crappy cars. Shame on them!
What can you do now to avoid SCAMS and FRAUD?
Every car at my web-site shows how many times vehicle has been at the auction. This is a complimentary preview from VIN.DOCTOR. If it shows multiple sales, you need to order report and verify them. Check lot numbers.
If you see “New lot,” it means the car was sold and put up for sale again, most likely by the dealer. As in the example below with the Audi, it took the car dealer just a week to put the car back on Copart with cosmetic fixes to bring in a few grand profit! Shame on them!
Do not forget AUTOHACKERS promocode to get a discount on all reports!
P.S. You need to be registered with VIN.DOCTOR to be able to use promocode.
Would mods increase the value of the car?
When you buy a dream car, you might start thinking about adding mods to make it look good (body kits, carbon fiber accents), adding a sport exhaust to make it sound good, doing a chip tuning to make it faster, etc.
What is my take on mods? I am against it.
Unless you are building a project car for car shows or sport competitions, mods are useless and do not increase the value of the car at all.
I prefer to buy a trim I like from the factory.
- It keeps its value really well.
- Lots of engineers spent hours making it perfect, so they can provide a warranty on their product.
The Chevrolet Camaro I purchased recently comes with an amazing 2SS package. There is no need to mod it to make it cooler than the ZL1.
So if you are looking for a car, spend some time researching trims. Read forums, see which ones are rarer, which ones more desirable amongst community, and which ones people desire more.
I also recommend ordering a window sticker. It shows the original build sheet for the car (useless for Teslas, by the way). The same cars with the same trim might have vastly different prices (especially true for Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and other premium cars). When I was hunting for a GLE for my wife, there were cars with a $20,000 price difference when they were new. This, my friends, increases the value of your car.
The Camaro I recently purchased comes with a 2SS package, but by running the window sticker, I found that it had some tasty mods from the factory. It added the Redline Edition package, which is worth $2,345 from the factory, Magnetic Ride Control for $1,695 (which makes the quality of the ride amazing), Performance Dual Exhaust for $895, 8-speed transmission with a oil cooler and remote vehicle starter $1,495, and other tasteful mods totaling $1,030. This results in a car with over $8,000 in additional options compared to the regular 2SS package. This is an advantage when marketing your car for sale and will become a competitive edge among similar cars with similar trims.
You can run a window sticker for some makes at VIN.DOCTOR, and using a promocode AUTOHACKERS, you can get it for just $4.50. Wow!
Cheapest buy of the week
Repossession damage (is it even a damage?), clean interior and run and drive condition. Sold $500. Very good deal for our customer!
My choice of the week
2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. Sold $8,600
Hail and minor rear damage. Excellent buy!
$25 deal
2016 NISSAN VERSA sold at Copart just for $25!
Another great buy from Hawaii location. Minor front damage. Run and drive condition.
Retail price: $6,853!
$60 deal
2006 VOLVO XC90 sold at Copart for $60.
High mileage and it will definitely require lots of repairs. But you cannot go wrong with $60 for a car!
$100 deal
2010 NISSAN MURANO sold at Copart for $100.
Impossible, right?! Well, great deal happens daily!
Thank you for reading my digest, and have a great day!
Andrew AutoHacker
P.S. If you enjoyed my digest, you might also like my Facebook community of Autohackers. I share my knowledge there daily. My primary goal is to assist you in finding your dream car at a 50% discount. Join the community and benefit from the valuable information and insights I provide!
