The two national salvage car auction networks are best understood as one market with two storefronts. Ledger notes on both:
- Scale and reliability: both are established, publicly traded (Copart directly; IAA under RB Global), with mature title pipelines. The platforms perform as described.
- Fees: tiered buyer fees plus gate and internet fees on both; totals land within a few percent of each other on most lots. Price the specific lot.
- Access: both restrict many title types and states to licensed buyers; the broker layer is a structural cost for private buyers, not a scam.
- Terms: strictly as-is. Arbitration exists only for narrow listing errors, and the windows are short.
Ledger verdict: trustworthy infrastructure, unforgiving goods. The risk is in the vehicle and the fee math, never in whether the auction is real.