I want to take the guesswork out of selling your car. I analyze market data, decode DMV title laws, and test out online car buyers to give you a straight answer on whether it's worth holding out for a higher price or if you're better off taking the most convenient offer and moving on.
Published:Apr 16, 2025
Last Updated:Aug 3, 2026
✓ Fact Checked:Mar 8, 2026
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The bottom line: There is only one mainstream online car auction platform that charges private sellers truly zero fees: Cars & Bids.
Sellers list for free, pay nothing when the car sells, and keep 100% of the final price. The catch is that about 60% of submissions are turned away. Cars & Bids only accepts enthusiast vehicles from the late 1970s to today.
If your car doesn’t qualify, eBay Motors is the lowest-cost alternative. Since April 15, 2026, it charges $34 for vehicles listed at $15,000 or less and $79 above that, with no percentage taken from your sale.
Bring a Trailer and Hemmings don’t take a seller commission either, but both start at $99 to list. None of these listing fees come back if your car doesn’t sell.
One cost is easy to miss. Cars & Bids, Bring a Trailer, and Hemmings all charge the buyer 5% on top of the winning bid, and buyers count that when deciding what to bid. You can compare offers from multiple buyers before you pay anything to list.
is the only mainstream online car auction with zero seller fees. You list free and keep every dollar of the sale price.
rejects about 60% of submissions. Only enthusiast vehicles from the late 1970s to today are accepted. Everyday commuter cars will be turned down.
is not free, but charges a flat $34 or $79 upfront with no final value fee and no buyer fee, making it the lowest-cost backup for cars that don’t fit Cars & Bids.
and both charge sellers listing fees of $99 or more, making Cars & Bids a standout exception.
Three of the four charge buyers 5% on top of the winning bid. That fee never reaches your bank statement, but bidders subtract it from what they offer.
If your car doesn’t qualify for any auction platform, compare instant offers from online car buyers to see if a direct sale gets you more money faster.
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Cars & Bids is the only major online car auction where private sellers pay nothing to list and keep 100% of the final sale price. Founded by automotive personality Doug DeMuro in 2020, the platform focuses on enthusiast vehicles from the late 1970s to today and has completed over 36,000 auctions.
Fee Structure
Listing is completely free. Sellers keep the full sale price when their car sells. The platform makes money by charging buyers a 5% fee on the winning bid, with a $250 minimum and a $7,500 maximum. Sellers pay nothing, ever.
Listing Process
You submit your car through a short online form. Their team reviews it within one business day. If approved, they work with you to build the listing using your photos and details. Cars & Bids includes a free vehicle history report with every listing and all auctions run for seven days, starting at $0.
What We Like
The audience is made up of serious buyers who understand the cars they’re bidding on. This drives up prices for desirable vehicles. The platform also uses a time-extension feature in the final minutes to prevent last-second bid sniping. No-reserve auctions tend to attract about 40% more bids.
What You Should Know
About 60% of submitted vehicles are turned down. Everyday commuter cars and economy vehicles will be rejected. You can only list the same car once per year, even if it doesn’t sell. Winning bidders can also back out without major consequences, so using SafePay ($99 optional) is worth considering for high-value sales.
Best For
Enthusiast vehicles from the late 1970s to today: sports cars, imports, modified builds, rare trucks, and special-edition models with collector appeal.
eBay Motors: Lowest-Cost Backup When Cars & Bids Won’t Accept Your Car
2. eBay Motors
eBay Motors lists your car to 11 million monthly shoppers
Auction or Fixed PriceAutoCheck Included3 Packages
eBay Motors is not a zero-fee platform. It charges a flat listing fee based on what you list the car for. But unlike most platforms, it takes no percentage of your final sale price and charges your buyer nothing extra.
That flat structure makes it the most affordable paid option for private sellers who don’t qualify for Cars & Bids.
Fee Structure
eBay changed how it charges sellers on April 15, 2026. Vehicles listed at $15,000 or less cost $34. Vehicles listed above $15,000 cost $79. There is no percentage taken from your sale price.
On auction listings, the price that sets your fee is the highest of your starting bid, your reserve, or your Buy It Now price. The $79 tier includes 40 photos, auctions up to 10 days, fixed-price listings up to 30 days, and an AutoCheck report on cars and trucks.
If you set up an auto-relist before April 15, 2026, the older package prices of $19, $49, and $79 still apply to those listings.
What We Like
eBay Motors accepts all vehicle types with no approval process. You can list within a day and reach about 11 million monthly car shoppers. You choose between auction-style or fixed-price format, and cars and trucks include a vehicle history report.
What You Should Know
The listing fee is non-refundable even if your car doesn’t sell. There is also a 2.8% fee on deposits, but only if you require a deposit and the buyer pays it through eBay’s platform.
You handle all photos, listing descriptions, buyer questions, and shipping arrangements yourself.
Best For
Any vehicle type that doesn’t qualify for Cars & Bids. Everyday cars, older vehicles, high-mileage cars, and anything outside the enthusiast niche.
How Every Major Auction Platform Compares on Seller Fees
Cars & Bids is a genuine outlier. Every other major auction platform charges sellers something upfront, and three of the four charge your buyer a percentage on top. Here’s how the main options stack up.
Buyer Fees Can Affect What People Bid on Cars & Bids
On Cars & Bids, sellers pay nothing. But buyers pay a 5% fee on top of their winning bid, with a $250 minimum and a $7,500 maximum. Buyers often factor this extra cost into how much they’re willing to bid.
On a $20,000 sale, that fee is $1,000. A buyer with a $20,000 budget can only bid $19,000, so the money comes out of your price even though you never pay it.
The minimum matters more than the percentage on cheap cars. At $250 on Cars & Bids and Bring a Trailer, and $500 on Hemmings, the fee works out well above 5% on a low-priced vehicle.
Most Cars Won’t Be Accepted by Cars & Bids
Cars & Bids turns down about 60% of submitted vehicles. They want cars with genuine enthusiast or collector appeal. Basic commuter cars, high-mileage daily drivers, and anything without a compelling story will be declined.
If your car is rejected, eBay Motors is the most practical next step since it accepts all vehicle types with no approval process. It’s also the only one of these four that will list a car with damage, mechanical problems, or one that won’t start.
For a car in that condition, it’s worth checking what buyers who specialize in damaged cars would offer before you pay to list.
eBay Motors’ Fee Is Upfront, Not Conditional
The $34 or $79 listing fee on eBay Motors is non-refundable. You pay it when you list, whether or not your car sells.
This is different from a percentage-based model where you only pay after a completed sale. If there’s any chance your car won’t sell, factor that upfront cost into your decision before listing.
The same applies on Bring a Trailer and Hemmings, where the fee starts at $99 and is also gone if the car doesn’t sell. Hemmings does roll an unsold auction into a six-month Make Offer listing at no extra charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cars & Bids truly free for sellers?
Yes. Cars & Bids charges sellers nothing to list and takes no percentage of the final sale price. You keep 100% of the winning bid. This is confirmed on their own website.
The optional SafePay service costs $99 if you want secure payment and title transfer handling, but that’s your choice, not a required fee.
How much does eBay Motors charge sellers in 2026?
eBay Motors charges $34 to list a vehicle priced at $15,000 or less, and $79 for anything above that. This structure replaced the older $19, $49, and $79 packages on April 15, 2026.
There is no percentage taken from your final sale price and no buyer fee, which makes it the cheapest paid option after Cars & Bids.
What if my car doesn’t qualify for Cars & Bids and I don’t want to pay a listing fee?
Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are free to list on, but they aren’t auction platforms. You set a fixed price and negotiate directly with buyers.
Can I set a reserve price so my car doesn’t sell for too little?
Yes on both platforms. Cars & Bids strongly encourages no-reserve auctions since they attract about 40% more bids, but a reserve is allowed.
On eBay Motors, your reserve can change what you pay. The listing fee is based on the highest of your starting bid, your reserve, or your Buy It Now price, so a reserve above $15,000 puts you in the $79 tier.
What documentation do I need to sell through an online auction?
For Cars & Bids specifically, EVs and hybrids also need a certified battery health report.
What happens if my car doesn’t sell?
On Cars & Bids, if bidding doesn’t meet your reserve price, you don’t have to sell. Keep in mind the one-per-year rule: you can only list the same car once every 12 months on that platform.
On eBay Motors you can relist, but the fee applies again and the original one is non-refundable. Hemmings moves an unsold auction into a six-month Make Offer listing at no extra charge.
Article Update History
Fact-checked
Seller fees for every platform in this article were verified against each company's official website. Cars & Bids confirmed zero seller fees on their listings page. eBay Motors' flat fee structure and Hemmings' listing fee plus commission model were cross-checked through their current fee pages.
