1. Set a total budget first
Run the lot through the calculator before you bid. Work backwards from the price you can resell or keep the car for. Add repairs on salvage lots.
2. Check the lot
Read the damage description and photos. Pull the VIN history from a paid report and compare past auction photos. Airbag deployment, frame damage and flood are the usual deal-breakers.
3. Choose who buys
You can register as a public buyer or use a broker with a licence. Brokers charge a fee, often 300 to 700 EUR, and handle payment, towing and booking.
4. Bid with a ceiling
Fix the maximum bid from step 1 and keep it. Auction fees sit on top of the bid.
5. Pay and move the car quickly
Storage and late fees start within days. Towing goes to a US port, where cars are loaded into shared containers.
6. Customs
The destination sets the taxes. Ask the broker where clearance happens, since VAT is paid in the country of clearance. Keep the invoice, the title and the shipping documents together.
7. Registration
Lithuania: registration tax and technical inspection at Regitra. Poland: excise confirmation, technical inspection and registration at the local office. Ukraine: certification and registration at a service centre, plus the pension fund fee.