Things You Need To Know When Buying Vehicles From And Auto Auction

If you are considering purchasing a vehicle from a local auto auction, you need to understand where the cars come from and the process of buying and selling at an auction. A car auction can have some great vehicles you can buy for a bargain, but there can also be some cars that don't have much value or life left. It is vital to know what you are buying. 

Auction Cars

When going to a car auction to try and find inexpensive cars, you need to consider the vehicle source. Many auction vehicles come from dealer trade-ins that the dealership does not put enough value on to resell on the lot. 

In some cases, these cars or trucks are repairable, but the time and cost are not worth it to a car dealer, so they send them to the car auction for quick sale to recover the value they gave the customer when they traded them in. You will often find cars that are part of a dealer's sales lot in good shape, but they just grouped them all and took them to auction to sell all at once. 

It is vital to arrive early at the auction and look at the cars available before the sale starts. You may spot something interesting to you, and when it comes across the auction block, you can be ready to buy it for a great price. Other buyers may also be looking at the same car, so it is good to find several you feel you could work with and not the lot number so you can watch for them to come up. 

Buying A Car

If you find a car you want to bid on, you need to understand that once the bidding starts, you will be responsible for any bid you place. If you win an auction, you need to be able to pay for the car, so be sure you stay within your budget and don't get caught up in the bidding wars that start.

Auction cars come without a warranty, so it is up to you to make repairs and deal with any issues you find after buying the vehicle. If the car comes across the block running, at least you know the running gear works. A car auction can be an excellent resource for project cars, parts vehicles, and inexpensive vehicles to drive in the winter if you don't want to take your primary vehicle out in the weather.

Plan to spend the entire day at the auction when you go. If there is a car you want, you may have to wait for it to come up for bidding, and if you leave early, you may miss the vehicle you were after.  


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