Title and Documentation Policy

Effective date: 2026-11-07 · Version 3 · Part of the Auction Direct Terms of Service.

Auction Direct never buys, owns, or takes title to any vehicle. Every title is assigned directly from the Seller to the Buyer. A title naming Auction Direct as the buyer will be returned to be corrected.

• Part A covers the Auction Direct Marketplace (private-party sales).
• Part B covers Dealer Auctions and Licensed Seller sales (tow companies, fundraisers, charities), where Auction Direct processes the payment.

Part A: Auction Direct Marketplace

A1. Auction Direct does not handle titles or payment

In the Marketplace, the Buyer pays the Seller directly, and the Seller hands the title to the Buyer at pickup. Auction Direct does not receive, hold, or process titles or the vehicle price. The only exception is the optional title help service in A6, where Auction Direct coordinates paperwork for a Seller through licensed registration services.

A2. Before listing

Private sellers must show Auction Direct:

• a government photo ID, and
• the title or registration, with a VIN that matches the listing.

The name must match. Either the owner name printed on the title or registration matches the ID, or the title has been signed off to the person named on the ID. Auction Direct staff check this by hand and use their judgment.

No title, or a lost title. A Seller without the title may still list if they have requested a duplicate. Auction Direct may accept the registration card for verification while the duplicate is pending, and the listing must say "Title in process (duplicate requested)". The Seller can use the title help service in A6.

Licensed sellers (tow companies, commercial fundraisers, charities) provide what Auction Direct asks for instead:

• lien-sale vehicles: the lien-sale documents
• donated vehicles: the donation or assignment documents

Every Seller must state in the listing:

• title status: clean, salvage, rebuilt, or other brand
• title in hand or not: whether they have the title now, whether it is in process (duplicate requested), or whether it is held by a lender. If a loan is owed, the listing must say so, and the Seller must pay it off and deliver a clear title.

A3. At pickup, the Seller must

• hand over a clean, clear, signed-off title that matches the listing: the title status disclosed in the listing, and no lien that wasn't disclosed (with a lienholder release if there is a lien). Whether the Seller is the person named on the title doesn't matter, as long as the title is properly signed off to the Buyer;
• complete the odometer disclosure where required;
• sign the bill of sale. Auction Direct provides one on the website for both parties to sign.

A listing marked "Title in process" is no exception: the signed-off title must be handed over at pickup.

Auction Direct does not require, check, or provide smog certificates. A vehicle may be listed and sold without one, and any smog obligation is between Buyer and Seller.

A4. Release of liability, before pickup is completed

• Seller: file the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (REG 138) with the DMV (online at dmv.ca.gov) and enter the confirmation number on the website. Do it when you schedule pickup, and in any case before you mark the vehicle picked up: the website won't let you complete pickup until it's done. Uploading a screenshot is optional. The DMV's own deadline is 5 calendar days after the transfer. Until you file, you may be responsible for tickets, tolls, and accidents involving the vehicle.
• If the sale doesn't go through after you filed (for example, the Buyer declines at pickup and Auction Direct confirms a misrepresentation), you must correct the DMV record with the DMV so it no longer shows the transfer. Auction Direct can't change DMV records.
• Buyer: after pickup, transfer the title into your name with the DMV within 10 days, and pay the taxes and fees.

Auction Direct sends reminders, but completing these steps is the parties' responsibility.

A5. Title problems

• At pickup: if the title isn't as described in the listing, or the Seller can't hand over a clean, clear, signed-off title, the Buyer may decline to complete the sale with no strike. The Buyer must file a report on the website before signing the bill of sale or taking the vehicle (Terms of Service, Sections 6.5–6.9).
• If Auction Direct confirms the report, it is Seller non-performance: the Seller is charged a cancellation fee equal to the buyer fee and receives a strike (Terms of Service, Section 5.7). Buyer fees are non-refundable, but Auction Direct may, in its sole discretion, issue a courtesy refund.
• After the Buyer signs and takes the vehicle, any title problem is between Buyer and Seller. Auction Direct does not arbitrate.
• A Seller who misrepresents a title may be suspended or permanently banned at Auction Direct's discretion.

A6. Title help service (optional, paid)

For Marketplace Sellers with no title or a lost title.

• Auction Direct coordinates the paperwork, such as a duplicate title, through licensed registration services. Auction Direct is not the DMV and does not itself take title to the vehicle.
• The service is provided and billed by Auction Direct. The fee is set for the case (currently $75 to $300), quoted before the Seller agrees to it, and charged to the Seller's card on file when the vehicle sells.
• Auction Direct does not guarantee that the DMV will issue a title, or when. The fee is not refunded if the DMV refuses or delays the title.
• The Seller must give accurate information and documents, and remains responsible for handing over a clean, clear, signed-off title at pickup (A3).

Part B: Dealer Auctions and Licensed Seller sales

B1. Title options

When listing, the Seller chooses one:

• Title with Sale: the Seller has the title now.
• Title Absent (blue light): the Seller must still obtain the title. Auction Direct may charge a fee for Title Absent listings.

B2. Seller's promises

• The vehicle has a US title, in the Seller's business name or with a proper reassignment form.
• The title is valid in the state of the sale and free of liens. Any lien is released, with the original release included.
• The VIN and title mileage are correct, all reassignments are complete, and documents needing a notary are notarized.
• The title is reassigned directly to the Buyer.
• If the Seller hasn't already signed one, a power of attorney is included, letting Auction Direct complete the title paperwork as needed for the sale.
• The Seller will defend and cover Auction Direct, the Buyer, and the Buyer's retail customer against any title claim.

B3. Deadlines for the Seller to deliver the title

Auction Direct may charge the Seller a late-title fee, and may suspend Sellers who miss deadlines.

B4. Late titles: the Buyer's one-time Late Title Notice

A Dealer Auction sale is final, except for this one remedy.

Who can use it. If the title hasn't reached Auction Direct by the deadline in B3, the Buyer has a one-time right to send a Late Title Notice, through the Titles page in the app or to support@auctiondirectnetwork.com, any time before day 90 after the sale.

Notice period. Auction Direct tells the Seller, who then has 2 business days to deliver the title. Auction Direct may extend this for holidays, weather, or events beyond its control.

Conditions to cancel. The Buyer may cancel the sale only if all of these are true:

• the title still hasn't reached Auction Direct by the end of the notice period;
• the Buyer has paid in full and still has possession of the vehicle;
• the vehicle is in the same condition as when the Buyer received it, with no repairs, modifications, or resale;
• the odometer has gone up by fewer than 300 miles since the Buyer received it;
• the Buyer sends current photos, a timestamped walk-around video, and a photo of the VIN plate and odometer;
• the Buyer confirms in writing that they want to cancel.

When the remedy isn't available. The Seller's listing disclosed that the vehicle:

• has no title, or a branded title;
• is sold on a transfer document or registration only; or
• is a Canadian, grey-market, or out-of-country vehicle.

If the sale is cancelled:

• The Buyer returns the vehicle, as the Seller arranges, within 7 calendar days.
• Auction Direct refunds the purchase price to the Buyer. The buyer fee is non-refundable (Terms of Service, Section 3.1).
• The Seller pays back any money Auction Direct already paid them, and refunds the Buyer's original transport costs.

After 90 days. If the Seller hasn't delivered the title within 90 calendar days of the sale, and the Buyer hasn't cancelled under this section:

• the sale is final;
• Auction Direct no longer has any obligation to get the title or to pay the Seller;
• Auction Direct may keep the funds as compensation for the costs of an undelivered title;
• Auction Direct may pay the Seller later if the title is eventually delivered, minus late fees, but has no obligation to.

B5. How dealer title processing works

1. After the sale, Auction Direct emails both parties a bill of sale, and the Seller gets a prepaid express label for the title.
2. The Seller sends the title, either signed, or unsigned with a signed power of attorney. Titles with problems are returned for correction.
3. When the Buyer's payment has cleared, the Buyer gets a release to pick up the vehicle. The Buyer must pay within 48 hours after the sale (Terms of Service, Section 4.6).
4. When Auction Direct has a valid title and the Buyer's cleared payment, it pays the Seller and sends the title to the Buyer. Auction Direct acts here only as a limited payment and document agent (Terms of Service, Section 9.2).
5. Transport is arranged if the Buyer chose Auction Direct's transport service.

Auction Direct and the Seller aren't responsible for repairs to, or a resale of, the vehicle made before the Buyer receives the title.

Questions about titles: (619) 929-7347 or support@auctiondirectnetwork.com.