Frequently Asked Questions
Select a topic below to explore some common questions about IAA.
- Register as a Buyer with IAA.
- Search for and research the vehicles you want to buy.
- Use any of our flexible bidding options to participate at the auctions where you meet licensing requirements. Or, purchase any vehicle from the Buy Now list.
- When you purchase a vehicle, pay with any of our flexible payment options.
- Claim your vehicle and transport it yourself, or use the services of one of the transportation and shipping vendors listed on our site for your convenience.
At IAA, we offer flexible bidding options:
- Proxy Bidding: Pre-bid online up to ONE HOUR (local time) before the auction with proxy representation of the winning pre-bid at the live auction.
- Live Bidding: Bid live, in person, at any of our nationwide auction facilities where you meet licensing requirements.
A public auction is an auction at which any Public Buyer can participate and bid on inventory available to them. Public auctions are indicated with a Public Auction icon found on the Auctions page.
IAA lists a number of Licensed Brokers on our site to help you buy vehicles where you may not be eligible to bid. These brokers are licensed in all 50 states and can also help with transportation and shipping. They typically charge a fee for their services and may also require a security deposit.
You can place pre-bids (also known as proxy bids) online once a vehicle has been assigned a sale date. To pre-bid, enter a starting bid and a maximum bid amount. An automated system manages the bids up until the pre-bidding period ends one hour (local time) before the live auction. The winning pre-bid will then be represented by proxy at the live local auction. Your maximum bid amount is not known to the auctioneer. If bidding ends before you reach your maximum, you will be awarded the vehicle at the price where bidding stopped.
Live internet bidding is available through any Internet connection, allowing you to bid in real time along with live local bidders and other Internet bidders — just as the auction is happening.
Live online bidding enables registered Buyers to join a live auction through any Internet connection and bid in real time along with the live local bidders and other internet bidders.
To bid in real time, registered Buyers must log in to the IAA Auction Center just before or during a live auction. Once connected, the bidder's screen will provide all of the information needed to bid in real time along with the live local auction.
This is a Web Browser based program. No installation required
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Login Prompt
The same login information you use to access the Auction Center and place proxy bids also allows you to participate in live online bidding. If you ever receive a prompt to log in for online bidding, you will need to log out of the website altogether and then re-log back in to the website before trying to access online bidding again. -
Other
For additional help with online bidding please contact Buyer Services.
Buy Now is an immediate online purchasing option that allows you to buy select vehicles for a set price. These are vehicles that have run through at least one auction, but have not yet been sold. You can purchase these vehicles anytime up to 8:00pm the night before the vehicle’s next scheduled auction. View the Buy Now list here. Simply accept the stated price and the vehicle will be instantly invoiced to your account. All standard buyer fees apply.
Yes. Preview dates and times are identified on the Branch Information page for each auction facility.
- You cannot cancel a bid placed for an auction, but you can lower your maximum bid if the pre-bidding period has not closed and your maximum bid exceeds the current high bid.
- You cannot cancel a bid or lower your maximum bid at any time during the auction.
- You cannot cancel a bid placed and accepted for a Buy Now purchase.
‘Award Pending’ is the term used when you have the high bid for a vehicle, but we need to secure seller approval for your bid before the vehicle is officially sold and invoiced to your account.
The reasons for a vehicle not showing in either your Award Pending or To Be Paid listing may be that conflicting bid entries have been entered by our auction clerks and need to be verified.
As the high pre-bidder, your winning bid will be represented at auction by proxy. If someone at the live auction out-bids you, you will not be awarded the vehicle.
Our auction rules reside on our Web site. To review them, simply click here..