For the buyer who wants the car without the showroom — and the lender who needs the asset to clear quickly, cleanly, at fair value.
Founded
2011
Partners
12
Lots hammered
2,847
Sell-through
81%
Repossessed vehicles have been moving through the back doors of regional banks and credit unions for a century. The auctions were closed-room — dealer-only, paddle-fee, mark-up at the wholesale lot. The end buyer paid retail anyway. We thought that was a strange way to do business.
We built IBM Auto Trade, Inc to put the gavel in front of anyone with a verified email and a payment method. The mechanics of an old-school auction house — sequential lots, disclosed reserves, anti-snipe extensions, proxy bidding — all of it, online, free to join.
The auction is the most honest pricing mechanism humans have invented. We just wanted everyone in the room.
Lenders consign their inventory weekly. Photographs, VIN history, mileage, transmission, reserve — published before the doors open. You browse the catalogue, register your seat, and bid when the lot opens. If the floor passes the reserve, the gavel falls. If it doesn't, the lot returns to the lender. Simple as that.
N° 02 · House Rules
Our principles
Six. Non-negotiable.
01
Transparency
Every reserve is disclosed before the lot opens. No phantom bids, no shill bidding, no rebooked floors.
02
Sequential Flow
Events run lot-by-lot like a real auction house. Step away between lots, return to the active one.
03
Anti-Snipe
A bid in the final 30 seconds extends the lot by a minute. The hammer falls only when bidding truly stops.
04
Proxy Bidding
Set a maximum, walk away. The system bids in $100 increments on your behalf.
05
Lender Quality
Vehicles consigned by regulated lenders. Title work in hand. Past-due, not past-prime.
06
Fast Invoices
Win a lot, the invoice lands within the hour. Pickup or shipping arranged the same day.
N° 03 · By the numbers
In figures
Audited quarterly
N° 01
12
Lender partners
N° 02
2,847
Lots hammered
N° 03
81%
Sell-through
N° 04
23%
Avg. below KBB
Ready to Bid?
If you've ever driven home with a bargain, you know.
If you haven't, you should. Free registration. Reserves disclosed. Proxy bidding included.
Bought a 2022 BMW 3-Series. Gorgeous car and an amazing price, but the stress of buying a repo online was exhausting. The inspection report felt a little brief. After delivery, my local mechanic found it needed a wheel alignment and new front brake pads immediately. IMB covered a small portion after some back-and-forth emails
Raymond D.
📍 Pennsylvania
2018 Ford Mustang convertible for weekend cruising. It has a few minor dings on the passenger door, but they were clearly highlighted in the auction's video walkaround, so I appreciate the transparency. The car drives like a dream and dealing with IMB was straightforward and honest. A very pleasant first auction experience!
Vivienne J.
📍 Virginia
While the financial savings were substantial, the customer service experience leaves much to be desired. The staff at the Thomasville office seemed incredibly overwhelmed when I called to coordinate transport. I was put on hold for over fifteen minutes twice. Furthermore, the car was delivered with dirt tracks on the driver's side floor mat. If you are going to sell premium vehicles, you should provide a premium handover experience. The car itself is marvelous, but the administrative side needs refinement.
Garrett W.
📍 Tennessee
Got a 2017 Jeep Wrangler from IMB. Their description omitted a slow leak in the power steering reservoir, which I noticed right after unloading it. Not a dealbreaker for a guy like me who does his own wrenching, but a regular buyer would've been ticked off. Frame is straight and the price was unbeatable.
Marcus L.
📍 California
Managed to win a 2020 Nissan Leaf EV from their inventory. Shipping it all the way across the country to California was expensive, but the low auction price justified the cost. The vehicle runs beautifully and the battery health was exactly at the percentage stated in the description. The only thing that irked me was the sheer amount of plastic wrapping used inside the car during transport—it felt very wasteful. Also, communication with the sales rep was a bit slow via email; I had to call them directly to get updates. A bit old-school on the service side, but a reliable source for affordable vehicles
Brenda "BJ" R.
📍 North Carolina
Drove down to the vendor to pick up a 2019 Ford Transit cargo van for my catering business. It’s a busy, high-volume facility. The van was exactly as described online. It did have a dead battery when I arrived, but the yard guys jumped it immediately and put a brand new one in for me at no extra charge. Solid, professional operation.
Todd B.
📍 Georgia
Scored a great deal on a 2019 Toyota Sienna minivan for the family. Since it’s a repo, I expected some wear, and yeah, there were a few juice stains in the third row and a missing floor mat. No big deal, a deep clean fixed it. My only real gripe is with the extra auction fees added at the end. I wish the final out-the-door costs were displayed a bit more clearly on the website before the final bidding screens. That being said, even with the fees and shipping from Thomasville to GA, I saved about $3,500 compared to the local lot
Devendra S.
📍 Texas
The online auction UI is surprisingly smooth. Picked up a 2020 Ford Explorer and cross-referenced the VIN report with my own data; everything matched perfectly. Transaction was secure. My only minor setback was the title paperwork—it took almost three weeks to arrive via mail, which delayed my registration. Be prepared to wait a bit for the official documents.
Chloe V.
📍 New York
Got a 2021 Honda Civic to save on my daily commute. The price was significantly lower than local dealerships, which was great. However, the delivery company they used delayed the drop-off by four days with zero communication. The car also had a noticeable scrape on the rear bumper that wasn't clear in the photos.
Arthur M.
📍 Ohio
I don't usually buy things online, let alone a whole car. My grandson convinced me to try IMB Autos Trade for a repo 2018 Chevy Silverado. The bidding process gave me a bit of anxiety, and I called their Thomasville office three times just to make sure my deposit went through. A young man named Marcus was patient with me, which I appreciated. The truck arrived in Ohio last Tuesday. Runs great, engine is clean. My only real complaint is that the interior smelled heavily of cheap air freshener to cover up old smoke, and it took me two days to scrub it out. They also forgot to include the second set of keys they promised, but they mailed them out after I complained. Decent deal overall.
