The bottom line: If you have a sports car, a rare truck or a modified car that collectors want, from the 1980s to today, Cars & Bids is built for it. It’s an online auction site made for people who love cars.
Listing is free, and Cars & Bids takes no fee when the car sells, so the whole winning bid is yours.
The catch is that it’s selective. It wants performance cars, special editions and well-done custom builds, and turns away a daily commuter.
The bidders are car enthusiasts, and they ask about flaws and service history in public comments under your listing. You’ll need great photos, and you should be ready to answer those questions during the seven-day auction.
Compare offers from multiple services with Sell Car Advisor before deciding.
Cars & Bids auctions cool modern and late-model enthusiast cars
- Sellers keep 100% of sale price
- Over 80% sell-through rate
- SafePay handles money and title
- Listing help from the team
-
Audience match 30% 5/5
-
Sale price potential 25% 4/5
-
Listing cost / fees 20% 5/5
-
Process transparency 15% 5/5
-
Time to sell 10% 4/5
What We Like
- Sellers pay zero fees and keep 100% of the sale price
- Its team helps you write a listing that highlights what makes your car special
- Free vehicle history report included with every listing
- More than 80% of cars that go to auction actually sell
- SafePay handles money and title transfer so you don’t have to chase buyers
- Active comment section means buyers ask questions and compete against each other
- Doug DeMuro sometimes reviews cars on the platform, bringing exposure
- Once your listing is live, the auction runs just 7 days
- Professional photography service available for $199 to $329
- You get input on when to schedule your auction
- No-reserve auctions get more bids and more attention, Cars & Bids says
- The platform promotes your car across social media channels
What You Should Know
- Everyday commuter cars are turned down. It wants sports cars, oddballs, and special trucks and SUVs, such as a Miata, a Volvo 850R or a Land Rover Defender
- Buyers pay a 5% fee on top of the winning bid, which can affect how much people bid
- A winning bidder can back out, and none of the fee they forfeit comes to you
- You can only list the same car once per year, even if it doesn’t sell
- EVs and hybrids need a certified battery health report before listing
- Customer support can take 24 to 48 hours to respond
- Weekend support is limited, but most auctions end on weekday afternoons
Automated assistant: general info, not legal advice
Answers come from our state paperwork data and published guides. Confirm anything binding with your state DMV.
Compare Instant Offers
How Cars & Bids Compares to Other Options
Cars & Bids against three other places to sell:
| Website | Best for | Cost to list |
|---|---|---|
| Cars & Bids | Enthusiast cars from the 1980s on | Free |
| Bring a Trailer | Classic and exotic cars | $99, or $429 with professional photos |
| eBay Motors | Any car, sold nationwide | $34 if the price is $15,000 or less, $79 above that |
| Facebook Marketplace | Local sales | Free |
Both auction sites charge the winning bidder 5% of the bid, from $250 up to $7,500. The difference is what you pay: Cars & Bids lists your car for free, while Bring a Trailer charges $99, or $429 with professional photos.
If your car is from before the 1980s or is a high-end classic, Bring a Trailer might be a better fit. For modern performance cars and trucks, Cars & Bids has the right audience.
For regular cars that don’t fit either platform, try eBay Motors or Facebook Marketplace.
-
Buyer reach 25% 3/5
-
Safety features 25% 4/5
-
Listing cost 20% 3/5
-
Time to sell 15% 4/5
-
Ease of listing 15% 3/5
- Listing fee is $34 or $79
- 40 photos with either fee
- No percent fee on sale price
- 2.8% fee on deposits via eBay
-
Audience match 30% 5/5
-
Sale price potential 25% 5/5
-
Listing cost / fees 20% 3/5
-
Process transparency 15% 4/5
-
Time to sell 10% 3/5
- Reach car enthusiasts globally
- Specialists write your listing
- Bidding wars drive rare cars up
- Detailed Q&A in comment section
-
Buyer reach 25% 5/5
-
Safety features 25% 3/5
-
Listing cost 20% 5/5
-
Time to sell 15% 4/5
-
Ease of listing 15% 5/5
- Free to list, with no fee on a local sale paid in person
- Sell directly to buyers near you
- Post to a local buy and sell group at the same time
- Buyers see your profile and seller ratings
- You handle the payment and paperwork yourself
To see what different buyers offer for your car, use our free tool:
Compare instant offers before you accept one
How to List Your Car on Cars & Bids
1. Submit Your Car
Start by filling out a short form on its website. It takes about 10 minutes. You’ll enter your VIN, upload six quick photos, and write a description about your car’s history and condition.
Its team reviews every submission within one business day and tells you whether the car is accepted. The whole process from submission to live auction can take up to three weeks. Every auction starts at $0.
Step1
Step2
Step3
Step4
Enter full name and phone number
Enter VIN and other car details
Enter title info and add photos
Submit for review
To improve your chances of approval, lead with what makes your car special. Mention performance packages, rare colors, or factory options right away. Take clear photos in good light, not dark garage shots.
2. Build Your Listing
Once the car is approved, its team walks you through taking detailed photos. You’ll also shoot a walk-around video and gather all your service records.
Weak photos get called out in the comments, and that lowers the bids. A pre-sale inspection helps too, because it builds trust with buyers.
Take your car off other selling sites while you prepare the listing, because Cars & Bids doesn’t want buyers finding it listed elsewhere.
3. Run Your Auction
Your auction runs for seven days. During that week, Cars & Bids promotes your car on its site and social media. Most bids come in the last 30 minutes, when serious bidders start competing.
Bidders ask their questions in public comments under your listing, mostly about flaws and service records. Check in every day and answer within 24 hours. You can add extra photos or a video to a reply, and Cars & Bids says sellers who take part actively get more bids.
Don’t mention your reserve in the comments. Cars & Bids says that almost always slows the bidding.
4. Close the Sale
When the auction ends, you get the buyer’s contact info. Most sales go through SafePay, the payment service Cars & Bids offers, which handles the money, paperwork and title transfer.
SafePay costs the buyer $198 unless you agree to split it, and it helps most if your car still has a loan on it. The buyer pays SafePay before you hand over the car, so you never release it unpaid.
Tip: Cars & Bids pushes hard for no-reserve auctions because they get more bids. If you want protection, set a reserve, but keep it realistic: Cars & Bids may ask for a lower one before it accepts your car.
How Much Money Can You Get?
Cars & Bids works best for special vehicles. Because it accepts only interesting cars, its bidders are ready to pay for something unique. How rare your car is and its condition decide the final price.
Five cars that sold on Cars & Bids in October 2026, next to what Kelley Blue Book says the same car is worth in a private sale:
| Car | Miles | Sold on Cars & Bids | KBB private-party value | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 BMW 330i Sedan, 5-speed manual | 140,900 | $6,200 | $1,980 | +$4,220 |
| 2012 BMW 328i Convertible | 48,400 | $10,499 | $10,195 | +$304 |
| 2019 Mercedes-Benz E450 4Matic Wagon | 74,900 | $30,777 | $28,910 | +$1,867 |
| 2017 Tesla Model X 75D | 97,000 | $18,250 | $20,660 | −$2,410 |
| 2023 Lucid Air Pure | 15,600 | $31,750 | $40,020 | −$8,270 |
330i
328i
E450
Model X
Lucid
The car enthusiasts look for did best: the manual 330i sold for three times its Kelley Blue Book value. Both electric cars sold for less than theirs, so if you’re selling an EV, check what a private sale or an instant offer would bring before you list it here.
KBB values are for a car in Good condition at the same mileage, read in October 2026. You keep the price shown, and the buyer pays Cars & Bids’ 5% fee on top. Every past auction stays on Cars & Bids, sold or not, so you can search the results for your own model before you submit.
Cars & Bids Reviews: What Other Sellers Say
| Platform | Cars & Bids Rating | Good | Bad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,022 total reviews) | Smooth process, helpful support team | Pressure to drop reserve prices |
| Trustpilot | 4.2 out of 5 stars (459 total reviews) | SafePay deposits arrive fast, listing support responds quickly | Some bidders report accounts blocked unfairly |
| Reddit Reviews | Mixed | Good audience for the right cars | Platform may not reward fully honest sellers |
Google ★ 4.4 · 1,022
Trustpilot ★ 4.2 · 459
Reddit mixed
Reviews
Reviews
Reviews
Expand to see reviews from 2025
Trustpilot
Reviews
Reviews
Reviews
Compare instant offers before you accept one
Common Questions About Cars & Bids
What kinds of cars does Cars & Bids accept?
It wants enthusiast vehicles from the 1980s to today: sports cars, modified cars, special editions and rare trucks. Your everyday commuter car is likely to be rejected.
How long does it take to list my car?
It can take up to 3 weeks from when you submit until your auction goes live. That includes getting approved, taking all the photos, and working with its team on your listing.
What happens if the winning bidder doesn’t pay?
It can happen, though Cars & Bids says it’s very uncommon. It checks bidders beforehand, but it can’t force anyone to pay.
If the buyer backs out, Cars & Bids works with the next-highest bidder to agree on a sale, and may offer to relist your car for free. The bidder loses the 5% buyer’s fee and is banned from the site, but none of that fee comes to you.
SafePay doesn’t prevent a no-show, because the buyer pays into it only after you’ve both agreed to use it and confirmed who you are.
Are there any hidden costs?
Listing is free. But Cars & Bids recommends a professional photo shoot, at $199 to $329, while any inspection is the buyer’s to arrange and pay for. SafePay costs $198, plus $99 if the car has a loan, and the buyer pays it unless you agree to split it.
Can I set a minimum price?
Yes, you can set a reserve price. But Cars & Bids really pushes for no-reserve auctions because they attract more bids. If you want a reserve, keep it realistic or it might not approve your listing.
How does payment work?
Most sales go through SafePay. When the auction ends, you and the buyer get each other’s contact details, and the buyer pays SafePay once you’ve both confirmed who you are.
SafePay then handles the title transfer, and it can pay off your loan if the car still has one. You’re paid when the car leaves your hands and SafePay has the title or the loan payoff.
What paperwork do I need?
You’ll need a clean title, service records, and lots of photos. For EVs and hybrids, add a certified battery health report. If your car is modified, document all the changes with brand names and who did the work.
Can I end my auction early?
No. Once your auction is live, it runs the full seven days. There’s no pulling out early except in very unusual situations.
How is shipping handled?
The buyer pays for pickup or shipping. The buyer can book transport through Cars & Bids Shipping, and its team then calls you to set the pickup date and address. Otherwise, you work out pickup directly with the buyer after the sale.
What if my car doesn’t sell?
If bidding doesn’t meet your reserve, you can decline to sell. But here’s the catch: you have to wait a full year before listing that same car on Cars & Bids again. Use that time to list it on another enthusiast auction or adjust your price expectations.
Do I need to meet the buyer in person?
Not if you use SafePay. It handles payment and title transfer without needing a face-to-face meeting. You can sell to someone across the country without ever seeing them.
Can I sell a modified car?
Yes, and modified cars often do well here if the work is documented: list the parts’ brands and who installed them. Tasteful, well-done builds work better than extreme modifications.
What makes a listing stand out?
Great photos, complete service records, honest problem disclosure, and fast responses to comments. A cold-start video helps too. The community notices when sellers are engaged and responsive.
How do I get the best price?
Strong documentation, professional photos, and active participation in comments. Answer questions within 24 hours. For EVs, include that battery health report. Going no-reserve usually brings more bidders, which can push the price up.
Can I reject the highest bid?
Only if you set a reserve. If bidding doesn’t hit your reserve, you don’t have to sell. But if you went no-reserve, you’re selling no matter what the final bid is.
Is Cars & Bids legitimate?
Yes. The site was started by Doug DeMuro, a well-known car reviewer on YouTube. It launched in 2020 and has completed more than 36,000 auctions. In 2023, a major investment firm put $37 million into the company.
Cars & Bids Review
Cars & Bids is our 2026 top pick for specialty and auction platforms. Sellers pay zero fees and keep 100% of the sale price, which pushes the score to the top of the category. The main thing to know is that about 60% of submissions get rejected as the platform only accepts cool, interesting, and enthusiast vehicles.
Product Brand: Cars & Bids
4.7
Pros
- Sellers pay zero fees and keep 100% of the sale price
- More than 80% of cars that go to auction actually sell
- SafePay handles money and title transfer so you don't have to chase buyers
- Active comment section means buyers compete against each other
Cons
- About 60% of cars submitted get rejected for being too ordinary
- A winning bidder can back out, and none of the fee they forfeit comes to you
- You can only list the same car once per year even if it doesn't sell
Article Update History
Recent seller feedback added, with the wider model-year range, SafePay and the EV battery health check.
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
"Cars & Bids Reviews" Accessed Jan. 17, 2026
"Cars & Bids Reviews" Accessed Jan. 17, 2026
"Cars & Bids Reviews" Accessed Jan. 17, 2026
Found this useful? Show Sell Car Advisor first when you search on Google.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
