How eCarsTrade Works: 5 Easy Steps to Buy Used Cars Online

How it works

Buying Cars on eCarsTrade –
A Simple 5-Step Process

Everything you need to know about buying cars on eCarsTrade, explained step by step.

Register

Search cars

Browse through 18,000+ vehicles available weekly.

Bid or buy

Bid in auctions or buy cars for fixed prices.

Pay

Pay for your purchases from your company bank account.

Pick up

Order eCarsTrade Delivery for seamless transportation.

1. Register and verify your account

Create your account and unlock full access

Sign up with your email and complete your profile by providing your company details and the required documents of the owner and the company.

EU-based companies must provide a VAT number valid on VIES
Export buyers only need to submit company documents, no VAT number required

Fast verification and onboarding

Once your documents are uploaded, verification takes max. 1 working day.

While waiting, you can explore the platform and browse available vehicles. After approval, your personal Account manager will reach out to help with onboarding and your first purchase.

2. Search cars

Find the right vehicles effortlessly

Use our Advanced Search to filter cars by auction type, availability on parking, VAT deductability, country of origin, and much more. Easily browse through thousands of listings to find the cars that match your needs.

Find the right vehicles effortlessly

Do you have a specific car in mind but you can't find it on eCarsTrade?

Turn on Smart Finder - your personal digital sourcing assistant - and get instant alerts when a matching car appears on eCarsTrade.

And the best part? You don't have to be online for hours, Smart Finder does all the work for you!

Set Smart Finder

3. Make your first bid

Discover four ways to purchase vehicles on eCarsTrade

Blind Auctions – Simply decide how much you are willing to pay for a car, place your maximum bid and wait to see if it's the winning one.
Open Auctions – Experience the excitement of Open Auctions where you can see the current highest bid. Follow the auction closely, outbid other traders and win your car!
Fixed Prices – Click the 'Buy' button, receive a rapid response from our team, and make quick purchases.
Our Stock – Our exclusive stock of cars available for immediate purchase. You can make two offers if you want to negotiate a better price.

Utilize our bidding tools to win cars

Minimum bid – This is the minimum amount you can bid. Bidding the minimum amount gives you a 2-5% chance of winning the car.
Estimation Price – Recommended for car dealers aiming for an average profit margin. Bidding this amount gives you a 30-50% chance of winning the car.
Bid suggestion – For cars without estimation prices, in case of doubt, use our bid suggestion tool to decide how much to bid based on the current market.
Bid feedback – Our price analysts sometimes provide feedback after you have placed your bid on a car. Look out for an email with personalized bid recommendations.

Discover our auctions

4. Payment

Once you win an auction or purchase a car, you will receive an email confirmation with the proforma invoice.

The next step is to complete your payment via bank transfer from your company account.

We need to receive the full payment to start with the vehicle preparation process.
Payments are processed within 72 working hours.

As soon as your payment is confirmed, you can track your car's preparation progress and download the invoice from your Personal Page.

Our commission and admin fees

5. Pick up your car

Once your vehicle is ready for collection, you will receive the Pick-Up Authorization, allowing you to pick up your vehicle.

Choose your preferred delivery method:

Order eCarsTrade Delivery Service – Let us handle the logistics and deliver the car directly to your location in the EU if it's accessible by a car transport truck.

Arrange pick-up with your preferred official transport company – They will collect your car and provide a CMR document.

After you win a car, the option to request delivery will appear in:

The email with your proforma invoice
My Vehicles section of your Personal page

Learn more about delivery

What our clients say about eCarsTrade

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my VAT number showing as invalid or not activated for intra-EU transactions?

If you’re seeing a message that your VAT number is invalid or not activated for intra-EU transactions during registration, it might be due to your VAT status not being enabled for cross-border trade within the EU.

To resolve this, you can check your VAT number’s status through VIES (VAT Information Exchange System). Simply select your country and enter your VAT number, and the website will provide specific local information about your VAT status.

If necessary, contact your local tax authority for assistance in activating your VAT number for intra-EU transactions.

What documents do I need to provide to buy on eCarsTrade?

EU traders need to provide official company documents with the following information: name of the company, VAT number, full name of the owner, full address of the company, and a scan of a valid ID card or passport of the owner.

Non-EU traders need to provide a scan of a valid ID card or passport, full address of residence or company, and company documents (if any).

When can I start bidding?

After our team has validated your documents and you get Silver/Gold user status, you’re all set to bid! Keep in mind that, to get unlimited bidding, you will need to make a deposit. Please refer to User Statuses for more info.

Do I have to pay a deposit?

A deposit is not required for a Trial account. However, to unlock unlimited bidding, you have to pay a deposit as a guarantee of your purchasing ability. You pay it only once and it is fully refundable. The deposit amount may vary.

How do I know if I have won an auction?

If you have won an auction, we will email you the proforma invoice 24-48 hours after the auction closes. If you haven't won the auction, you will not receive an email, but you can always see the status of all your bids on your Personal page.

Read the full FAQ