Dealers lose $1,500–$2,500 per vehicle in combined auction fees, transport, and holding costs. Every single time. On every single car.
LotSwap cuts out the middleman. List your wholesale inventory, find what you need, negotiate directly, and close deals — all for $0.
$0
Transaction Fees
$0
Monthly Subscription
$0
Listing Fees
100%
Dealer Verified
Every vehicle you wholesale through an auction costs you — whether you're buying or selling. Here's where the money goes:
Buyer Fees
$300–$800
per vehicle
Seller Fees
$100–$350
per vehicle
Transport to/from Auction
$600–$1,000
round trip
Floor Plan Interest
$150–$525
while waiting
Storage Fees
$10–$45
per day
Inspection Fees
$25–$100
per vehicle
Through the Auction
$15,000 trade-in example
Through LotSwap
Same $15,000 trade-in
A mid-size dealer wholesaling 20 units/month saves $24,000–$50,000/month switching from auction to direct.
That's $288,000–$600,000 per year back in your pocket.
The auction model was built for the auction houses — not for you. Here's what changes when dealers trade with each other directly.
Auction: 60–90 days to move
Wait for the next sale date. Transport to the auction. Hope it sells. Transport it back if it doesn't. Floor plan interest bleeds the whole time — $8/day on a $15K unit.
LotSwap: 5–30 days to close
List it now. Dealers see it immediately. Negotiate directly. Wire clears, transport ships. You net $3,000–$4,500 more per vehicle just by moving faster.
Auction: Both sides pay fees
The seller pays $100–$350. The buyer pays $300–$800. The auction house takes from both of you on the same vehicle. That money never comes back.
LotSwap: Nobody pays fees
Zero buyer fees. Zero seller fees. Zero listing fees. The money stays between the dealers making the deal. That's how it should work.
Auction: Small dealers get squeezed
BHPH and small independents can't compete. Franchise groups outbid them, they pay the highest fees, and they get zero volume discounts. The system is built against them.
LotSwap: Level playing field
Every verified dealer has the same access. Small independents can buy directly from franchise trade-ins — the exact $5K–$10K vehicles their customers need — with zero buyer fees.
A clear look at what you're paying — and what you're getting — across the major wholesale channels.
| Feature | Auction HousesManheim, ADESA/OPENLANE | Paid PlatformsDealerslink, ACV, BacklotCars | LotSwapDirect dealer-to-dealer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $0–$200+ | $395–$695/mo | Free forever |
| Buyer Fees | $300–$800/car | $100–$500/car | $0 |
| Seller Fees | $100–$350/car | $0–$200/car | $0 |
| Transport | You arrange + pay both ways | Some offer (extra fee) | Integrated & direct |
| Time to Close | 60–90 days | 14–45 days | 5–30 days |
| Direct Negotiation | |||
| Wire Verification | |||
| VIN Decode + AI Eval | Basic (extra cost) | Some (extra cost) | Included free |
| Small Dealer Access | Limited / higher fees | Same fees for all | Equal access, $0 |
| Boot Money Tracking | |||
| Trust & Reviews | No transparency | Limited | Both-submit reviews |
| Nationwide Network | Regional lanes | Varies | Coast to coast |
Monthly Cost
Auction
$0–$200+
Paid
$395–$695/mo
LotSwap
Free forever
Buyer Fees
Auction
$300–$800/car
Paid
$100–$500/car
LotSwap
$0
Seller Fees
Auction
$100–$350/car
Paid
$0–$200/car
LotSwap
$0
Transport
Auction
Arrange yourself
Paid
Extra fee
LotSwap
Integrated
Time to Close
Auction
60–90 days
Paid
14–45 days
LotSwap
5–30 days
Direct Negotiation
Auction
Paid
LotSwap
Wire Verification
Auction
Paid
LotSwap
VIN + AI Eval
Auction
Extra cost
Paid
Extra cost
LotSwap
Free
Small Dealer Access
Auction
Limited
Paid
Same fees
LotSwap
Equal, $0
LotSwap is not replacing your dealer-to-consumer operations. Your retail lot, your DMS, your customer sales — that's your business and it stays your business.
What we're building is a nationwide dealer-to-dealer network — a direct channel for wholesale inventory that doesn't exist today without paying an auction house or a subscription platform. LotSwap opens up the entire country as your wholesale market, with transport integrated so deals close completely inside the platform.
Your wholesale inventory visible to verified dealers coast to coast — not just your local auction lane.
This is wholesale. Verified dealers trading with verified dealers. Your retail operations are untouched.
Deals close completely on LotSwap — payment verification and transport scheduling, all in one place.
Whether you're moving 5 cars a month or 500 — LotSwap replaces the auction house, the phone calls, and the guesswork.
List unwanted trade-ins at Day 5 — after recon, before depreciation hits. Sell directly to dealers who need them and net $1,200–$2,500 more per unit than running them through the auction lane.
Move your wholesale units without auction fees and buy inventory from franchise dealers without paying buyer fees. Build a reputation that brings deals to you. Stop losing $5,500–$12,200/month in platform costs.
Direct access to franchise dealer trade-ins — the exact $5K–$10K vehicles your customers need. Zero buyer fees where auctions charge $500+ per car. Free platform access vs. $695/month subscriptions elsewhere.
Whether you're selling, buying, or looking — LotSwap has a listing type for you.
Wholesale inventory you want other dealers to see. Active for 90 days. Full VIN decode, condition details, aftermarket parts, and photo gallery.
Post what your customers are asking for. Other dealers can match their inventory to your needs. Our matching engine auto-notifies when there's a hit. Active for 60 days.
Vehicles you need gone. Price can only go down on renewal. Active for 30 days. Creates urgency for buyers — no more waiting for the next auction date.
No bloated feature lists you'll never use. Every tool is designed to save you time and money on dealer-to-dealer trades.
No buyer fees. No seller fees. No subscription. No listing fees. LotSwap is free for all verified dealers — and it always will be.
Every dealer is license-verified before they can list or buy. No curbstoners, no flippers, no guesswork. You know exactly who you're trading with.
Instant VIN decoding with NHTSA data and recall checks. AI-powered condition and pricing suggestions so you list with confidence.
Make offers with full deal breakdowns — vehicle values, boot money, payment terms. Counter, accept, or decline. Everything documented, nothing hidden.
Built-in wire transfer verification before transport is scheduled. No chasing payments. No wondering if the check cleared. Fair for both sides.
Transparent trust scores, both-submit reviews, and dispute resolution. The bad actors get weeded out. The good dealers build reputations that follow them.
Sign up free and complete the dealer onboarding. We verify your license to keep the platform clean — no curbstoners, no scammers.
Drop in the VIN, upload 5 photos, and let auto-fill handle the rest. Add aftermarket parts, set your price, and you're live in under 3 minutes.
Message dealers, negotiate with full transparency, verify payment, and schedule transport. No middleman taking a cut. No auction fees. Just dealers dealing.
$1,500+
Saved per vehicle vs. auction
5–30
Days to close vs. 60–90 at auction
$0
Cost to join, list, buy, or sell
The auction house model is a tax on dealers. Every fee, every transport charge, every day a car sits on their lot — that's your money walking out the door.
LotSwap puts that money back where it belongs — in your pocket.
Join the dealers who are cutting out the middleman and trading direct. Free today. Free tomorrow. Free forever.