Who Am I scheduling the drop-off with?
You are scheduling your appointment directly with the purchasing dealership. As a reminder, Bidbus is the marketplace platform that secured your offer and connected you with a verified buyer. We do not buy vehicles or hold inventory. The dealership is the actual buyer of your car, which means you will be going to their licensed location to hand over the keys, complete the final inspection, and sign the bill of sale.
I have an active loan or lease. Should I pay it off before my drop-off?
No, please do not pay off your loan or lease. If you pay off the balance yourself right now, the bank will process the payment and eventually mail the physical title to you, which can take several weeks. Dealerships cannot legally purchase your vehicle if the loan is closed but the title is missing in transit.
Let the dealership handle the payoff! When you drop off the vehicle, the dealer will process the exact payoff amount directly with your lender. This is the fastest and safest way to complete the sale.
What do I need to bring to my drop-off appointment?
In addition to your keys, driver's license, and vehicle registration (or title, if you own the car outright), please bring a printed copy of your Vehicle Disclosure PDF (recommended).
You can download this PDF directly from this dashboard. It contains a full summary of all the information, history, and photos you provided when listing your vehicle on Bidbus. Having this printed and on hand ensures a smooth, organized, and fully transparent handover with the dealership staff.
What happens during the dealership's final inspection?
When you arrive, the dealership will conduct a visual and mechanical inspection to verify that the vehicle’s condition matches what you disclosed in your Bidbus listing.
Bidbus operates on strict two-way transparency. If the dealer discovers significant, undisclosed issues—most notably structural or frame damage, undisclosed accidents, or severe mechanical failure—they will be unable to purchase the vehicle at the agreed-upon price. This will result in a canceled transaction. As long as your listing accurately reflects the true condition of your vehicle, the inspection will be a quick and easy final step!
For more information, please see our Truth in Listing & Vehicle Condition section.
What information must I collect from the dealership before I leave?
Before you hand over the keys and head home, we recommend that you get the following information directly from the dealership staff. Bidbus does not hold your funds and will not have access to this information post-sale:
The Contact Name of the purchasing manager or finance associate handling your file.
A Direct Phone Number and Email where you can follow up with them directly.
Their Estimated Time Frame for your specific payment or equity check.
Copies of all documents (physical or digital) that you signed that day.
How long will it take to get paid after I drop off the car?
Because the dealership is the buyer, payment timelines are controlled entirely by their internal accounting policies and your vehicle's title status:
If you have a Clean Title in hand: Independent dealers may have the flexibility to cut a check the same day, while corporate franchise dealers often require a few business days to process and mail a check. Make sure to ask your dealer for their exact timeline before leaving.
If you have a Loan or Lease (Positive Equity): Expect a 2 to 4 week timeline to receive your equity check if it is a franchised dealership. This is a mandatory legal process: The dealership must first pay off your bank (which they legally have up to 21 days to do in California), wait for the bank to release the title to the DMV, and wait for the DMV to issue a clean title to the dealership before they can legally cut your equity check. An independent dealership can sometimes provide the equity check same day or in the next few days (please note that it completely depends on the winning dealership).
How soon do I need to drop off my vehicle, and can I still drive it?
Once your vehicle is officially sold, industry standard and Bidbus policy require you to complete your drop-off within 3 business days.
Additionally, to protect the purchasing dealer's offer, your vehicle must not be driven more than 250 miles above the exact mileage reported on your original Bidbus listing. Exceeding this 3-day window or the 250-mile limit could potentially alters the value of the car and gives the dealership the right to reject the vehicle and cancel the transaction.
This is rarely the case, however, if you fear that you might exceed these limits please reach out to the dealership or us before proceeding.
What happens if I cancel the sale or fail to complete my drop-off?
When your vehicle meets its Minimum Selling Price or you manually accept a high bid, it creates a binding legal agreement.
If you choose to back out of the sale after a dealer has committed to purchasing it, or if the transaction is canceled because you violated platform rules (such as failing to disclose structural damage), you will be charged a Cancellation Penalty Fee.
This penalty is strictly enforced to compensate for the disruption and maintain trust with our dealership partners.
Please refer to the Bidbus Seller’s Agreement for the exact penalty fee structure applied to your account in the event of a seller-fault cancellation.