Buying at a Car Auction 

Caveat emptor - Let the buyer beware

Buying at an Car Auction is an experience. Many people make their fulltime as well s part-time income, from the car trade with the general public making up the remainder.

Many car Auctions/salerooms now hold their auctions weekly, bi-weekly, twice a week or special car auctions such as sports cars as well as  vintage/veteran cars on special set sale dates..  

It goes without saying do view before you buy a car at auction... If you are not mechanically minder towards cars then take a friend or your mechanic to try and view and if possible test drive the car.... some auction houses will let an independent person/company such as the AA or RAC to give you a written report, this will be a cost down to you and not the auction/saleroom before you buy...

Car sales viewing is mostly the day before the sale and a hour before the sale kicks off... 

Some auctions/salerooms will give you a bidding number or a paddle with a number on, for you to bid at the auction. With you filling in a buyers form with your contact details on..

See if there is an auction guide price on the car in the auctioneers catalogue.....if not  ask  the auctioneer for a rough estimate on the car you are interested in bidding on. Always check in the auction catalogue for the rates of commission before you start bidding, they will range from a few % right up to 25%..this is added on to the final auction price as well as vat added to the commission price..

Please remember that once the gavel has bid hit down and  the auctioneer has said sold, this is a legal contract between you and the auction/saleroom, so be sure not to be carried away with your bidding, set your self a top limit price. Most car auctions want you to put a deposit down or pay for the car outright as soon as the wooded gavel has banged down and SOLD is said.. Buying at  car auctions has know to save people money, than buying from a garage or  a car trader or private sale. But saying that, also the reverse has been know, where it would have been cheaper to go the other ways of buying a car. So please remember think before you buy and always remember:

Selling at a car auction is most probably the quickest way in which you will sell a car. the only problem is what price will you get ?? Selling at a car auction will mean you taking the car before the sale to the auction/saleroom in which they will probably give you a selling price in which they think the car will sale for. if it is a cheap car, you might have to sell it as: SOLD AS SEEN with a low reserve on the car. where as if you have a low mileage car, with all service records as well as a fairly new car, then the auctioneer might ask what you want to put a reserve price on the car ..Al  But do ask before you go this  or any selling direction, what are the auction houses terms and conditions of the sale e.g. sellers premium etc.. It is up to the individual to find out.

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