My Name is ANGRY and I love all things mobile! Cars to phones. If anyone has any problems with their...
My Name is ANGRY and I love all things mobile! Cars to phones. If anyone has any problems with their cars or anything really i will help if I can so if you need help then email me on goldenballsbeckham665@hotmail. com
Member since:16.08.2003
Reviews:16
I'm a veteran of the car auctions and I will share some of my knowledge and opinions with you. Statement You can save loadsa money! Truth. Only on forecourt prices which are over the top anyway
Advice. If you go to an auction go with someone who knows the score or you'll be sorry.
You'll see lots of dealers there who will be looking for the cream to sell off their forecourts. If they swarm around it it's worth bidding on. Remember that they pay less commission on their bids than the public so they can afford to compete with you on the bids. When you see the driver bring the car in don't be afraid to ask them questions like " is the clutch ok"? Also open the bonnet look for leaks listen for taps and if it's been steam cleaned leave it alone! Look at the windscreen sheet to determine the mileage, mot length and service history.
Body work can be awful on auction cars because the dealers take them in for peanuts as part exchanges and some of them should be scrapped!
The expensive things to look for are...... oil/water leaks. body damage engine noise ( means expensive work needed unless you dabble yourself) electrics (anything thats powered)
Tips for a successful purchase. Take a fixed budget with you and don't bid over it, also remember the commission on top aswell which can be high. Take a can of petrol with you as they often only have fumes left! Take tools in case the worst case scenario happens on the way home! Take a magnet to run over suspect bodywork ( filler ) Listen VERY carefully to the auctioneer. If he says sold with no warranty he means if it breaks down TOUGH! The only way you can get money back from them is if the car is stolen or and undisclosed write off. If the auctioneer says the vehicle is on the V-Car register either don't touch it or pay no more than half what you would if it wasn't on the register. The V-car register means it's either been stolen and written off by the insurance company or it's been damaged and repaired. I was recently at an auction where a JeepCherokee went through and this was registered, the vehicle was very nice to look at and the auctioneer said it had been a category 'c' write off. The average punter is NOT going to know what that means but needless to say that whatever it is on the register for it is not worth the usual price. Don't be put off by the things I have said, it's better to know the pitfalls than not. The days of getting a real bargain have gone I fear because of the numbers of punters who now turn up at them. My mate has said and I tend to agree that the smaller cars especially the French ones are better sourced through the Auto trader and others. If you want a big car then you can get a bargain if you're canny. I personally would NOT buy anything for more than £2000 at auction because the stakes get too high after that. My cousin purchased a Vauxhall Frontera from BCA Enfield this year, he payed £3500 for it. On the way home a con-rod snapped and did untold damage to the crankshaft etc. He has just sold it as a non runner for £2000 because he couldn't source a replacement engine for it. Thats the worst that can happen. I myself have had little things wrong with auctions purchases but touch wood I've been pretty lucky.
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i used to work at B.C.A and did for 18 years. pleased i left when i did. some of the staff arent trained so cant advise you to the rights and wrongs of vehicles
Connoisseur_Haggler 16.08.2003 22:31
Very useful tips there! What a shame about your cousin's purchase. I would love to buy @ an auction but have the fears of being sold something with irrepairable damage. The savings look super, not interested in main dealers or any dealers they seem to rip customers off so much in UK. If theeres any alfa's going down anywhere let me know!
Aug 16th, 2003
very helpful by (100%):
