Questions and answers — Auto Beat

How buying works

Who buys the car at the auction?

Auto Beat Inc is a licensed motor vehicle dealer in the State of North Carolina, USA. It bids at US auctions such as Copart, IAAI or Manheim under its own dealer registration and with its own money at risk, then resells the car it won to you. The buyer at the auction is Auto Beat Inc; you buy the car from Auto Beat Inc, not from the auction.

Can I get auction access and bid myself?

No. The auctions forbid passing on a dealer login or registering a client as the dealer’s representative; a breach ends the dealer’s access for good. That is why only Auto Beat Inc bids, and you name the lot and your price ceiling.

How do I ask the dealer to bid on a specific lot?

Send Auto Beat Inc the lot number and your ceiling through the enquiry form, and say that it is the ceiling for the car itself, before fees and shipping — the most you will pay for the car. It is a request to the dealer, not a bid at the auction: the dealer decides whether to take it and does not promise a win, because bidding is competitive. To withdraw the request, tell Auto Beat Inc before it bids; once it has bid, you cannot. If your portal has a “Bid requests” section, you can also send and withdraw requests there. If the car is won at or below your ceiling, you are committed to buy it.

Can I buy a car for use in the US, or wholesale?

Yes. When you register you say how you plan to buy: for export, for yourself in the US, or wholesale as a dealer, and Auto Beat Inc sets up your portal when approving it. If the car stays in the US, the portal has no “At customs” stage and no port choice — only the steps the car will actually go through.

Is there a warranty? What if the car is not as described?

Auction cars are sold “as is”, with no warranty from the auction or from the dealer. Mileage, keys, run-and-drive status and photos are the auction’s description, and a car can have damage no photo shows. If something does not match, tell Auto Beat Inc straight away with photos: the only remedy is the auction’s arbitration, only the dealer can file it, and the deadlines are short. The details are in Auto Beat Inc’s terms of service.

Price and payment

What makes up the price?

Under the terms of service the invoice covers: the lot price, auction fees, the dealer’s fee (agreed before bidding), and US inland transport and ocean freight where the dealer arranges them. If the auction charged a late or storage fee because of a delay on your side, that is added too. Import duty and clearance in the destination country are not part of the dealer’s invoice.

How accurate is the calculator on the site?

The calculator gives an estimate for planning, not a quote, and no figure in it is a promise. Shipping comes from carrier rates where the route has them; the rest comes from Auto Beat Inc’s tariffs. Duty rates and exchange rates change, and the final duty is set by the customs of the destination country. For an exact figure, use “Request an exact quote”.

How and whom do I pay?

Pay Auto Beat Inc directly, using the details in “Payment details” in your portal; if they are not there yet, ask the dealer. The money has to arrive by the date on the invoice — a transfer started on the last day does not count, because auctions must be paid quickly. After the transfer, tap “I have paid”: it is a message to the dealer, not a payment, and the dealer checks the transfer and confirms it.

Shipping and timing

How long until I get the car?

Nobody can promise an exact date in advance: carriers, shipping lines and ports only give estimates, and weather, port congestion and customs checks cause delays. Your portal shows the facts — the date of every stage passed. Once the car is in a container, the shipping line’s voyage data with its expected arrival date may also appear there — that is the line’s estimate, not a promise.

How do I know where my car is?

Each car in your portal has a route: “Won at auction” → “Purchased” → “In transit” → “At customs” → “Delivered”, with the date of every stage passed. For a car that stays in the US there is no customs stage, and some stages are named slightly differently, such as “On its way from the auction” and “Handed over”. Once known, it also shows “Where it is now”, the container number with tracking, and the carrier’s contact. The dealer and the carrier mark each step when it actually happens, not by guesswork.

Who chooses the destination port?

You do, on the car’s page in your portal, if the car is shipped abroad. The list of ports appears once the dealer assigns a carrier, and the shipping cost depends on the port you choose.

I have picked up the car — what now?

Tap “I have received the car” on the car’s page in your portal. The dealer will see it as handed over.

Customs and export

Who pays the import duty and clearance?

You do. Duty, excise, VAT, clearance and broker fees in the destination country are not part of the dealer’s invoice. The calculator on the site estimates them; the exact amount is set by customs and the broker. Whether Auto Beat Inc can help with a broker in your country — ask in your enquiry.

Which countries does the calculator cover?

The ones Auto Beat Inc has set up — you can see the countries and ports in the calculator itself. If yours is not there, send an enquiry.

Can anyone promise the car can be registered in my country?

No, nobody can: the auction does not warrant that a car can be registered or exported. Whether your customs and registration authority will accept a particular car is your risk, so check it before you ask the dealer to bid.

Why does the dealer ask who the real buyer is and where the car goes?

US export rules and the auctions’ terms require it. The buyer is checked against US sanctions lists, an export filing is made for the car, and the original title goes to the carrier in advance — at least 72 hours before export. So the buyer’s name and the destination country have to be true; where there is doubt, the dealer cancels the order.

Documents and title

When will I get the title?

The title does not travel with the car: the auction issues it after the sale, and several weeks is ordinary. The title or the export documents are handed over once the invoice is paid in full. The car’s page shows where it is (“Awaiting from the auction”, “At the dealer office”, “Sent to you” and so on) and the tracking number when it is mailed to you.

What documents do I get and where are they?

In the Documents section of your portal and on the car’s page: invoices, the bill of sale and title files the dealer has shared with you. If Auto Beat Inc has prepared a bill of sale for signing, you sign it right in the portal — with a finger on your phone or with a mouse. Once the car is delivered or the invoice is settled, everything downloads as one PDF package.

Your portal and contact

How do I get access to the portal?

Fill in the registration form on the site and accept the terms of service — or Auto Beat Inc can open the account for you and send you the sign-in. The dealer approves every request by hand; you then get an e-mail and can sign in. One account per client — do not share your password: anything done under your login counts as done by you.

What can I see in the portal?

Your cars with their stages and dates, invoices and statement, payment details, documents, and photos added by the dealer and the carrier. Need more pictures? Tap “Ask for more photos” on the car’s page. The portal works in your phone’s browser.

Can I get text message updates?

Yes, if Auto Beat Inc has SMS set up and you opt in yourself: Profile → Notifications, your phone number and the checkbox. Messages are only about your cars — status updates, invoices, titles and replies to your questions, no marketing; message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. The details are on the SMS consent page.

Who gets my data?

Only those your own shipment needs — carriers, the customs broker, the shipping line, the bank — and authorities where the law requires. Your data is not sold or passed to other clients. You can ask Auto Beat Inc for a copy of what is held about you, or for a correction, at any time.

Didn’t find your answer?

Send an enquiry from the enquiry page — Auto Beat Inc will reply to the contact you leave. The more precise the request — make, model, years, budget or a lot link — the more precise the answer. Other ways to reach Auto Beat Inc are on the Contacts page. If you are already a client, your cars, invoices and delivery status are in your portal.

Selling your car

Can I sell my own car through Auto Beat Inc?

Yes. Auto Beat Inc can list your car at auction under its own dealer registration — running, damaged or written off by the insurer. Tell Auto Beat Inc about the car on the Sell your car page (a VIN fills in make, model and year), and the dealer comes back with a price guide and the fees — not a promised sale price. Once the buyer pays, you receive the money minus the commission agreed in advance.