How it works image

How it Works

You found the best platform to buy or sell your car. But how exactly does turbu work? Here’s how.

Buyer

Discover the road to car ownership in a nutshell! Our easy-to-follow steps will guide you from research to keys in hand. Explore, decide, finance, and drive – we've condensed the car buying process into this quick guide. Ready to hit the road? Let's get started!
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How do auctions work?
1
Find a car you are interested in that’s up for auction! Auction listings have a timer on the listing page.
2
Review the listing including all of the pictures and the description.
3
Message the seller with any questions you may have, such as payments accepted, potential inspections & test drives, shipping options, more pictures, etc.
4
Place a bid after verifying your phone number and adding a valid credit card. We require these steps to ensure commitment and to prevent fraud.
5
Outbid other bidders while the auction is live, it could last until the last second. The bidding timer resets to 2 minutes if there is a new bid placed within the last 2 minutes.
6
Auction ends, see if you won!

• If the reserve price was met and you were the highest bidder, congrats! You and the seller will receive a notification of the auction results and will be in contact with each other to complete the sale!

• If the reserve price was not met or if you were not the highest bidder, don’t worry there will always be more cars listed. Just keep an eye out!

7
Meet the seller at the mutually agreed time & location, review the car title, and then pay the winning bid amount.

• If it’s a local transaction, we recommend paying with cash or cashier’s check at a bank.

• If you and the seller agrees to shipping, we recommend paying with wire transfer. Buyers are usually responsible for shipping charges.

8
Sign the car title after it has been signed by the seller to transfer ownership. Some states requires a bill of sale. You can refer to our Resources by State for the latest requirements from your local government agency responsible for motor vehicle-related services.
9
Register the car you just purchased with your local government agency responsible for motor vehicle-related services, such as the DMV, BMV, OMV, etc. Enjoy your new car!
How do sales work?
1
Find a car you are interested in that’s up for sale! Sale listings have no timer on the listing page.
2
Review the listing including all of the pictures and the description.
3
Message the seller with any questions you may have, such as payments accepted, potential inspections & test drives, shipping options, more pictures, etc.
4
Meet the seller at the mutually agreed time & location, review the car title, and then pay the agreed-upon amount.

• If it’s a local transaction, we recommend paying with cash or cashier’s check at a bank.

• If the buyer requires shipping & the seller agrees, we recommend paying with wire transfer. Buyers are usually responsible for shipping charges.

5
Sign the car title after it has been signed by the seller to transfer ownership. Some states requires a bill of sale. You can refer to our Resources by State for the latest requirements from your local government agency responsible for motor vehicle-related services.
6
Register the car you just purchased with your local government agency responsible for motor vehicle-related services, such as the DMV, BMV, OMV, etc. Enjoy your new car!
Want to learn more? Head straight to our FAQs