Auction tools · Copart & BCA · UK
Check any auction car before you bid.
Salvage and trade lots hide their real cost behind the hammer price. CarMate reads the damage, estimates the repair, totals every fee, and hands you a maximum bid, so you go in knowing your number.
What CarMate checks on a lot
- Damage assessment Reads the damage category and the primary and secondary damage, and flags Cat A or B lots that can never legally return to the road.
- Repair estimate A realistic repair cost for the stated damage, so you know what you are actually taking on before you bid.
- All-in cost at your bid Hammer price, VAT, buyer’s fee, lot retrieval and transport, totalled at your target bid, not just the headline number.
- Max bid recommendation Works back from the post-repair value so you walk in with a ceiling instead of getting carried away in the heat of a live sale.
- History check add-on Finance, write-off, stolen and mileage records from the reg, so a "bargain" lot is not quietly carrying someone else’s debt.
- A clear go or no-go One straight call on whether the lot is worth bidding on, not a wall of numbers to decode yourself.
Screenshot the Copart or BCA lot page and drop it into CarMate. It reads the details straight from the image, so there are no fragile auction links to break. Cat A and B lots are flagged as un-roadable automatically.
Copart and BCA are trademarks of their respective owners. CarMate is not affiliated with them; fees shown are independent estimates.
Fee tiers are approximate and include VAT. Verify current rates on the auction platform before bidding.
Before you bid, check the car's history
The fees are only half the cost. A Copart lot can still carry outstanding finance or hidden write-off markers on top of the damage category. A History Check reveals finance, write-off, stolen and mileage records from the reg, backed by a data guarantee from £10,000.
Checking a lot of cars this month?
If you're buying to sell, running each one manually adds up. CarMate Trade lets you check a whole list of regs at once and keeps them in one place, with the verdict, the numbers and where each deal's at. It's not live yet. Want it? Tell us and we'll let you know first.
What an auction check actually tells you
A fee calculator tells you what you will pay. An auction check tells you whether you should bid at all. Here is what CarMate reads on a Copart or BCA lot.
The damage, in plain terms
Auction listings describe damage in shorthand: primary, secondary, and a category. CarMate reads it and tells you what it means for a repair, and it hard-stops on Cat A and Cat B lots, which can never legally return to the road no matter how tidy they look.
Runner or non-runner
Whether a lot starts and drives changes everything: your transport cost (a low-loader for a non-runner is far dearer than a drive-away), and the risk that the damage is hiding something mechanical. The analysis factors driveability into the real cost.
The cost you cannot see
The hammer price is the headline, not the bill. Buyer's fee, VAT on the hammer, lot retrieval, transport and the repair itself routinely add 30 to 60% on top. CarMate totals the lot at your target bid so the real number is in front of you before you commit.
Finance and write-off history
Damage you can see in the photos. Outstanding finance you cannot. Add a history check and CarMate reveals finance, write-off, stolen and mileage records from the reg, so a cheap lot is not quietly carrying a debt a lender could still chase.
A maximum bid, not a guess
The number that matters is the most you can pay and still come out ahead. CarMate works back from the post-repair value, minus repair, fees, VAT, transport and a safety buffer, so you walk into the sale with a ceiling instead of a feeling.
Copart and BCA, both covered
Each house charges differently, so the fees are calculated with the correct table for the lot. Need just the numbers? Use the auction fee calculator or the BCA fee calculator for a quick all-in cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check a Copart car before bidding?
Screenshot the Copart lot page and drop it into CarMate. Screenshots are the most reliable input, since auction links often break, and CarMate reads the details straight from the image. It picks up the damage category, primary and secondary damage and driveability, estimates the repair cost, totals the all-in cost at your target bid including the buyer’s fee and VAT, and gives you a recommended maximum bid with a clear go or no-go. You can add a history check from the registration to confirm there is no outstanding finance or hidden write-off marker.
Can you tell if an auction car has outstanding finance or is a write-off?
Yes. Add a History Check to the auction analysis and CarMate queries Experian provenance data from the registration to reveal outstanding finance, insurance write-off category, stolen and scrapped markers and the mileage history. This matters at auction because a cheap-looking lot can still carry finance that a lender could pursue, on top of the damage you can already see. The History Check is backed by a data guarantee from £10,000.
What do the salvage categories Cat A, B, S and N mean?
They are UK insurance write-off categories. Cat A must be crushed entirely and Cat B has the body shell crushed (parts may be reused), so neither can ever return to the road. Cat S means structural damage that can be professionally repaired, then re-registered with DVLA before it is road legal. Cat N is non-structural damage (electrical, cosmetic or mechanical) with no re-registration needed. CarMate flags the category on any lot and blocks Cat A and B as un-roadable.
Is a Cat S or Cat N car worth buying at auction?
It can be, if the repair cost is well understood and the all-in price still leaves a margin under the post-repair value. Cat N is lower risk because the damage is non-structural. Cat S carries more risk and needs DVLA re-registration (typically £300 to £500) after a professional repair. The mistake most buyers make is bidding on the hammer price alone and forgetting the fees, VAT, transport and repair. CarMate totals all of it and gives you a max bid so you do not overpay.
Can CarMate check BCA lots as well as Copart?
Yes. CarMate covers both Copart and BCA. Copart lots can usually be read from the lot link, while BCA lots are entered from their details (damage, driveability, lot number). Either way you get the same analysis: damage read, repair estimate, all-in cost with the correct buyer’s fee for that house, and a recommended maximum bid.
How do I work out the most I should bid?
Start from the post-repair retail value of the car, then subtract the repair estimate, the buyer’s fee, VAT on the hammer if the lot is VAT qualifying, and transport, and take a further 10% off as a safety buffer. What is left is your ceiling. The calculator on this page does the fees and VAT for you, and a full CarMate auction report adds the repair estimate and post-repair value so the max bid is worked out end to end.
Found a lot you like the look of?
Run it through CarMate before you bid. Damage read, repair estimate, all-in cost at your target bid, and a clear go or no-go, in one report.