Looking for a good deal on a
used car, but wary of
buying at a car auction? Read on for some
useful advice. Most cars at
auction come from main dealers, fleet
companies or are finance company reposessions. Private sales account for only a
small proportion of the total.
Fleet Cars
Ex-fleet models tend to be the safest bet when buying at auction. While
they may have above average mileage, they normally come with a full service
history and have been maintined according to the service schedule. You can pick
up a reliable 3-yr-old car and make massive savings on forecourt prices.
Car Finance Reposessions
The potential downside of buying reposession vehicles at
auction is the
possibility of the cars having been trashed by owners who never had any
intention of making repayments. On the other hand, sound buys can come out of
bona fide reposessions which have resulted from things like unemployment.
Dealer Cars
Be cautious about vehicles coming direct from a dealer. You might ask
yourself why the dealer hasn’t sold it themselves. Generally these cars require
the sorts of repairs that wipe out potential profit margins and so they get
shunted off to
auction.
Privately Owned Cars
Proceed with caution if a private car catches your eye. Most traders won’t even
consider them, and perhaps you should follow their lead for some very good
reasons. Many privately owned cars go to
auction when the owners have
been unable to sell themselves, or when they find themselves in
financial difficulties. Aside from this, many a time private sellers auction
off their vehicles when they are unwilling to pay high repair bills to bring
their car back up to scratch.
