Frequently Asked Questions

The answers to most things. Don’t see yours? Contact us.

About BB&D

What is Bid, Buy & Drive?
Bid, Buy & Drive is an online auction marketplace built for specialty and classic vehicles. We connect serious buyers with sellers who care about the cars. We’re a marketplace — not a dealer, broker, or escrow service.
Our auction marketplace operates online nationwide. Sellers and buyers can be located anywhere in the U.S. (and we welcome international buyers, with some logistical caveats). At this time we are not listing vehicles being sold outside of the U.S.
Specialty, classic, and collector vehicles — cars worth a story. We consider classic cars (pre-1990, generally), modern collectibles, limited-production performance cars, restorations, original survivors, and project cars. We also list trucks and motorcycles with collector appeal. We typically don’t list standard late-model used cars or commercial fleet vehicles. Final acceptance is at our discretion.
Two main things: (1) Our Buyer’s Premium is 2% vs. industry standard 5-10%. (2) After the hammer, we step out — no escrow, no held funds. Buyer and Seller close the deal directly, on their terms.

Both are ways to sell a vehicle on Bid, Buy & Drive, but they run on different rhythms.

Auctions are our standard format: 7–14 day open bidding windows with visible current-bid amounts. Fast-moving. Reserve is private. Best for vehicles with broad market appeal that reward competitive bidding.

Extended Listings run longer — typically 30 to 60 days. Buyers submit offers over the window (at or above a publicly-displayed Minimum Acceptable Offer), and the highest offer at close is presented to the seller. Sellers can also set a private Reserve Price. Best for specialty vehicles that reward patience and time-to-inspect from serious buyers.

Both formats charge the same 2% Buyer’s Premium.

For Buyers

Do I need an account to bid?
Yes. Bidding requires a verified account with email and payment method on file. You can browse without an account.
Place bids in real time during the auction window (typically 7 days). You can set a max bid and our system will auto-bid for you up to your ceiling, or bid manually. Once placed, bids are binding — no retractions.

No. All bids must be entered in whole United States dollars — no cents, no decimals. If you enter a decimal amount (e.g., $25,000.50), our platform will treat it as a whole dollar bid and strip the cent-level precision automatically.

Bidding in whole dollars keeps the auction fair and predictable for everyone — bid increments, current bid amounts, and Buyer’s Premium calculations all work cleanly with whole numbers.

A 2% fee on top of your winning bid, paid to BB&D. Example: a $50,000 winning bid means you pay BB&D $1,000 (Buyer’s Premium) plus $50,000 to the Seller directly.

On Auctions: if bidding doesn’t reach the reserve, the auction ends without a sale. The exact reserve amount is private; listings note whether one exists.

On Extended Listings: the reserve works alongside the publicly-shown Minimum Acceptable Offer. If the highest offer at close meets or exceeds the reserve, the sale is automatic. If not, we’ll introduce the highest offerer to the seller for a possible negotiation. See the Extended Listings section for more detail.

No. All bids are binding. We allow no retractions, no exceptions.
Within three (3) business days of winning. The Buyer’s Premium is collected by BB&D through the Site at auction close. Payment for the vehicle itself goes directly to the Seller — wire transfer is most common. Failure to pay in time may forfeit the deal and your account standing.
After auction close, BB&D introduces you to the Seller with contact info. You arrange payment, title transfer, and transport directly with them, in compliance with the laws of your respective states. We’re not involved in transport, escrow, or title work.
Yes — strongly recommended for any vehicle you’re serious about. Hire a qualified mechanic to do a pre-purchase inspection at the vehicle’s location. This is at your expense and is the single best protection against post-sale surprises.
Yes. International buyers are welcome, but you’re responsible for export documentation, shipping, and any duties or taxes. Confirm with the seller before bidding that they’re willing to support an international transaction.

When you enter a maximum bid, our system bids on your behalf up to that maximum, using the auction’s set bid increment. The reserve price affects the behavior in two ways:

If your maximum is below the reserve — Automatic bidding works incrementally. The system places the smallest bid needed to keep you as the high bidder, up to your maximum.

If your maximum meets or exceeds the reserve — The current bid advances directly to the reserve amount (and the listing will mark it as “Reserve Met”). Automatic bidding then continues from that point up to your maximum, still using the standard bid increment against future bidders.

The specific reserve amount is never disclosed to bidders — you’ll only see whether a reserve exists and whether it has been met.

All bids, manual or automatic, are binding and cannot be retracted. See our Terms of Service for full details.

Note: This description applies to Auction-format listings. Extended Listings use a different offer mechanic — see the “How do Extended Listings work?” question below.

Extended Listings run for a longer selling window than our standard auctions — typically 30 to 60 days. Each listing shows a publicly-displayed Minimum Acceptable Offer, which is the lowest offer the seller will consider. You can submit any offer at or above that minimum. Higher offers displace lower offers. The highest offer at close wins the vehicle, provided the seller’s Reserve Price (if set) has been met..

The Minimum Acceptable Offer is a public floor set by the seller on Extended Listings. Offers below this amount cannot be submitted. It exists to save buyers time (no wasted lowball offers) and to signal the seller’s baseline expectation.

Some Extended Listings include a private Reserve Price — a higher threshold the seller wants to see before the sale is automatic. The exact reserve amount stays private, but the listing shows an indicator: “Reserve Not Yet Met” while the highest offer is below the reserve, and “Reserve Met” when a bid meets or exceeds it.

If the highest offer at close is at or above the reserve, the sale is automatic. If the highest offer is above the Minimum Acceptable Offer but below the reserve, no automatic sale — but you may still have the opportunity to negotiate. See the next question.

If the reserve isn’t met at close but you’re the highest offerer, Bid, Buy & Drive will introduce you to the seller for a possible negotiation. The seller can:

  • Accept your offer as-is
  • Counter with a higher price
  • Decline the sale

Any resulting transaction is between you and the seller directly and follows the same post-close process as an automatic sale — BB&D introduces the parties, but payment, title, and transport are handled seller-to-buyer.

There’s no obligation to negotiate. If no deal is reached, the vehicle simply doesn’t sell through this listing.

Yes. Once an offer is submitted on an Extended Listing, it is binding. You cannot retract it. If your offer is the highest at close AND the reserve is met (or the seller accepts your offer via negotiation), you are obligated to complete the purchase per our Terms of Service.

For Sellers

How much does it cost to list?
$29 listing fee, paid at submission. The buyer pays the 2% Buyer’s Premium — never deducted from your sale.
Our team reviews every submission within 2-3 business days. We may follow up for more photos, info, or to discuss reserve. Not every vehicle is accepted — listings are at our discretion to maintain marketplace quality.
Standard auctions run 7-14 days. Premium or high-interest listings may run longer at our discretion.
The auction ends without a sale. The $29 listing fee is non-refundable. You’re welcome to relist with an adjusted reserve — a new listing fee applies.
You do, directly. After auction close, we provide you with the buyer’s contact information. Wire transfer is the most common method. We strongly recommend not releasing the title or vehicle until funds clear.
Before the auction goes live, yes. Once bidding has started, withdrawals are at our discretion and may incur a fee equal to what would have been earned in Buyer’s Premium. Mid-auction withdrawals damage bidder trust — we strongly discourage them.
No, but better photos = better final bids. Daylight, clean car, all angles, plus close-ups of imperfections. We may request retakes during review before listing goes live.
Yes — collectors love these. Just disclose condition clearly and honestly. Transparency is non-negotiable.

Choose the format that fits your vehicle:

Choose an Auction if:

  • Your vehicle has broad appeal likely to draw competitive bidding
  • You want fast turnover (7–14 days)
  • You’re comfortable with the market setting the price within a short window

Choose an Extended Listing if:

  • Your vehicle appeals to a smaller, more discerning audience (collectors, restorers)
  • Serious buyers may need weeks to inspect, arrange financing, or coordinate transport
  • You want more time for the right buyer to surface

Both formats charge the same 2% Buyer’s Premium. The listing fee is $29 either way.

The Reserve Price is a private threshold you set separately from the Minimum Acceptable Offer. Buyers can see whether a reserve has been set (via a “Reserve Not Yet Met” / “Reserve Met” indicator on the listing), but they don’t see the amount.

Two thresholds work together on Extended Listings:

  • Minimum Acceptable Offer (public): floor for what buyers can submit. Prevents lowball offers.
  • Reserve Price (private, optional): amount at or above which you’ll automatically sell. Provides seller protection while maintaining public transparency about the floor.

Setting a reserve is optional. If you’re comfortable selling to the highest offer no matter what (as long as it’s above your Minimum), leave the reserve blank.

If the highest offer at close is above your Minimum Acceptable Offer but below your Reserve Price, we’ll introduce you to the highest offerer for a possible negotiation. You can:

  • Accept the offer as-is
  • Counter at a higher price
  • Decline the sale

You are not obligated to accept an offer below your reserve. If no deal is reached in negotiation, the listing ends without a sale. You’re welcome to relist with adjusted pricing (a new $29 listing fee applies).

Account/Comments

How are comments moderated?
Initially, all comments require pre-approval before becoming publicly visible. As trusted users build a track record (completed transactions, time on platform, prior community conduct), we may grant the ability to post without pre-approval. We can revoke this privilege at any time.
Harassment, off-topic content, spam, advertising, solicitation of off-platform deals, and disclosure of personal contact info, among other things. Full list is in our Terms of Service.
Not in public comments before the auction closes — that’s against our anti-side-deal rules. After the hammer falls, we provide buyer and seller contact info to each other directly. That’s the authorized channel.
Email us at BB&D and we’ll close it. Note: some information is retained for legal, tax, or dispute purposes — see our Privacy Policy.

Disputes/Refunds

Are sales final?
Yes. All sales are final at hammer. Vehicles are sold AS-IS, WHERE-IS, with all faults. Inspect before you bid
No, except in narrow circumstances where BB&D itself voids the auction (system error or fraud detected before close). All other circumstances — including post-sale disputes between buyer and seller — the Buyer’s Premium is non-refundable.
If a vehicle materially differs from its listing — undisclosed frame damage, title fraud, a non-running car listed as running — you can file a dispute within 7 days of taking possession. See our Final Sale & Dispute Policy for the full process. Note that BB&D facilitates good-faith mediation but is not a party to the sale; final recourse is between Buyer and Seller.
File a dispute. If we determine the seller defaulted in bad faith, we’ll suspend or ban their account and can pursue further remedies. Your direct recourse for the vehicle itself is against the seller under your sale contract and applicable law.
Don’t. Chargebacks before exhausting our dispute process violate our Terms of Service and will result in account suspension or permanent ban, plus collection of any reversed amount. Talk to us first — we’d rather work it out.
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