Is it the best deal to get a car from an aucton?

Question

I am looking for a nice fairly new car, is an auction my best bet to get the best deal?

Answer 1

No, only morons show up at auctions and end up paying over retail.

Answer 2

Like anything, knowledge is power. If you know how to fix cars, or are willing to work on the car yourself, an auction is a good place to pick up a deal on a car.

Otherwise you're taking a chance on what your purchasing. I've been to many auctions and sometimes people get caught up in the bidding process and pay more than you would pay for a car from a dealership.

Be warned, auction cars do not come with a warranty or a guarantee of any type. I once attended an auction where a person who obviously didn't know any better was bidding on a Mercedes E series. He bought the car for over $30K, what he failed to realize was the car's entire drive train was stripped out of the car.

Remember, a car that typically goes to auctions are:
1. Cars that a dealership doesn't want to deal with because they don't believe there's much money left to be made.
2. Cars that were donated because people felt there was too many problems to repair.
3. Cars that an insurance company had to write off, maybe because it was stolen, and what was recovered went to the insurance company.

You can get great deals at an auction, but you'll have to have the knowledge on how to get the good deal.

Good Luck.

Personally I'd check http://www.craigslist.org and look at what third party people are selling .

Answer 3

It's hard to answer. I don't know how much you know about cars. You should evaluate the car before the auction. A car can look good on the outside and be junk. A car can look bad on the outside and have many good miles in it. Any time you can't make an informed decision it's a risk. Don't buy anything you can't evaluate first. Auctions can be good if you know what you are buying and have the discipline to not go past a predetermined limit. Decide ahead of time what your limits are. Don't go past them. If you go past what you are initially willing to pay, then it's a bad deal.
Again, don't buy unless you can check things out first. Most auctions will allow time before to look things over. If not, then wait for a better deal. It's not worth the risk unless it comes with a guarantee.

Answer 4

It depends on what you need the car for. Is it a 2nd vehicle just for running around town? Is it a car for junior to get home from high school/college??
Personally, I would NEVER buy my primary vehicle from an auction. Those cars are kinda like the mutts of the auto industry. You just never know their repair/maintenance/accident history. Sometimes the smaller dealerships buy those cars dirt cheap, and fix the major stuff, clean them up, and then sell them for a pretty good markup. But unless you REALLY know alot about cars and how to tell whether they are mechanically sound, I would shy away from an auction. One more piece of advice, I would NEVER EVER buy a car off E-bay unless you test drive it first!! It still amazes me how many people buy a car off a pic and a description.

At the very least, spend $30 for a month's worth of CARFAX, and you can run all the VIN numbers you want. Trust me, you will then see what I mean............ GOOD LUCK!

Answer 5

You'll only get a good deal if you know what the car is actually worth, so you'll need to be knowledgable.
Also auctions are a good place to get burned, take a mechanic with you.
But yes you can get a bargain, but be careful

Answer 6

Hi,
you will find great auctions at http://carauctions.co.nr , you will find cars really cheap at auctions
Hope this helps you