Sunday, January 1, 2012

Has anyone ever bought a car at an auto auction?

I am going to an auction in a few weeks and so far people I've talked to who've bought cars at auctions have had them break down shortly after purchase. Does anyone have any GOOD stories, or should I just go to a dealer?|||Remember an auction is not a "used car lot", it is a HUGE inventory of used cars....most have not been cleaned up, recently maintained, etc.





Dealers go to auctions a few times a week to buy cars for their used car inventory. But what most don't realize is....that dealer then has the car worked on by a mechanic, has it detailed by a detail company, then a touch up paint company goes over the car, a dent removal company, a windshield and glass company, and interior repair company, a pin stripe company and last a smell company. This is what makes an auction car....a good used car.





Can you get a deal at auction? sure....save thousands over what a dealer might be charging for the same car on his lot. But the car at auction.....hasn't had anything done to it yet. So unless you can get dealer cost (wholesale cost) on those above services....the thousands you saved....you will lose once you clean it up and get it to a mechanic.





Now if the car is like 1 year old, 15,000 miles or less....then there isn't much of the above list that needs to be done to the car...and these are the ones you can save money on.





I deal with auction cars weekly.....as I am a touch up paint company.|||If you are worried, only buy a car that is sold on "green light". This gives you the option to drive the car and do a mechanical inspection before actually handing over the money. Most auctions that are open to the public have this option, but it is up to the seller as to whether or not he wants to offer his car in this manner. If you haven't been to an auction before, it would be a good idea just to watch the first time. You will have a much better idea of the procedures and the pricing afterwords. If you can, go with someone who knows what is going on, and can help you learn the process.





You can get a good deal at an auction, but you have to be extremely careful. It is very easy to get caught up in the bidding and pay too much for a car, or buy a car that you have not inspected. Know what you want, and what you are willing to pay for it, before you go to the auction. Do not go over your set limit; you will be sorry later if you do. Don't buy anything you are unsure of.|||Depends on the auction, smalltime auctions, not a good idea. Hertz, budget,%26amp; state auctions are a better deal, oh! and repo/bank auctions.


GOOD LUCK!|||My nephew went to an auto auction and picked up a decent car for $350.00 Better than mine, newer than mine(which I bought private for $900. Best you take someone with some mechanical knowledge with you(2 sets of eyes are better than 1). Sometimes some of these cars are estate sales(where the owner has passed away- no relatives) Those would be choice. You never know. Sure you can by lemons, privately too, and from some shady car lots. Or you can buy new lemons (Chevy Corvair, Chevy Vega, Ford Pinto, Hyundia,)|||i work at an auto dealership...we send the vehicles that we don't think we can sell to the public...meaning, that they are either unsafe or not popular. personally, unless i was a mechanic i would stay away from used car auto auctions.





on the other side; dealerships purchase vehicles from auto auctions all the time and then fix them and sell them on their used car lots.|||You can't usually drive them, only turn them on, and they are sold as-is....sometimes a bidding war erupts on popular cars, and you pay as much as you would at a dealer anyway....


I would buy a car from a private party.|||MOST AUTOMOBILES AT AN AUTO AUCTION HAVE MINOR PROBLEMS THAT REQUIRE JUST A LITTLE ATTENTION TO GET THEM RUNNING BACK IN TIP TOP SHAPE. MANY PEOPLE CHOOSE TO IGNORE THOSE ISSUES THINKING THEY ARE MINOR AND IT TURNS INTO A MAJOR ISSUE AFTER IT IS TOO LATE.|||My dad bought a Camaro at an auction that broke down on the way home. He did in fact pay less for the car but once he added up the cost to tow and repair it, it ended up costing him more!


The main problem with auctions is you normally can not test out the car thoroughly enough to determine weather or not its in fact a bargain or nightmare. To keep this post short i will recommend going there with a mechanic or someone experienced with cars that can insure the car is not a lemon. If the auction does not allow the bidders to drive the car or at least start it, then my recomendation would be to avoid it completely.


Try looking in private party ads like craigslist or cars.com, you might get lucky and find a great deal without having to deal with a greasy dealer.





I hope this helped. Good Luck

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