Copart, IAAI and ADESA fees explained, with examples

What a car really costs at auction: the price, the auction's buyer fees and Carena's flat $100 fee, with worked examples.

At an auction the final bid is only part of the cost. Copart, IAAI and ADESA each add their own buyer fees, which grow with the price. Shipping is quoted separately after you win.

Carena's fee is a flat $100. Whatever the auction charges us for the vehicle, we add $100, and that is what you pay: no percentage and no markup. That makes Carena one of the best deals for buying auction cars through a broker.

Use the calculator on this page, or on any vehicle page, to see the full cost before you bid.

Worked examples

Copart: a $1,000 win costs about $1,550 ($450 in auction fees + $100 Carena fee), before shipping.
Copart: a $3,000 win costs about $3,820 ($720 in auction fees + $100 Carena fee), before shipping.
Copart: a $8,000 win costs about $9,180 ($1,080 in auction fees + $100 Carena fee), before shipping.
IAAI: a $1,000 win costs about $1,599 ($499 in auction fees + $100 Carena fee), before shipping.
IAAI: a $3,000 win costs about $3,784 ($684 in auction fees + $100 Carena fee), before shipping.
IAAI: a $8,000 win costs about $9,109 ($1,009 in auction fees + $100 Carena fee), before shipping.
ADESA: a $1,000 win costs about $1,375 ($275 in auction fees + $100 Carena fee), before shipping.
ADESA: a $3,000 win costs about $3,400 ($300 in auction fees + $100 Carena fee), before shipping.
ADESA: a $8,000 win costs about $8,525 ($425 in auction fees + $100 Carena fee), before shipping.

How you pay

The total (price, auction fees and the $100 fee) comes out of your Carena wallet when the win is confirmed. Shipping is quoted afterwards and also paid from your wallet. If your balance does not cover it, you owe the difference and wire it in.

If a vehicle is not paid for

Pay what you owe within 48 hours of a win or shipping charge; after that, late and storage fees start and are added to what you owe. If you don't pay what you owe for a vehicle you won (the price, the fees or shipping), the vehicle is abandoned and we have to return it to the auction. You are then charged an abandonment fee of $600 or 10% of the vehicle's price, whichever is greater.

Questions

Are the auction fees exact?

They are estimates from each auction’s published fee tables; the final charge is confirmed after the sale.

Does Carena charge a percentage?

No. Carena charges a flat $100 per vehicle you win.