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Cars that I always look for are ex police cars or ex private hire that have just come of fleet. Police cars are always well serviced and no expense is spared. However you will have to put right things like body dents/holes as well as a lot of work inside the cars interior. Ie replacement ... Read review
Advantages: Some very cheap bargains. Disadvantages: Problems cars sold with no warranty unless stated
...to, have a budget and car type in mind which you need to stick to 100 percent. The times Ive followed by heart instead of my wallet are the ones that have ended me in trouble.
Remember the cars in auctions are there for a reason. They are normally company cars with one owner and FSH (Full Service History) and these tend to be the best if they have been well looked after and driven. Dont touch it if they have parking dents, scuffy interiors ... ...auction from people in the car trade. These cars tend to have problems therefore they cannot sell them in the garages.They hope that no one will see the problem or it wont be found until the car is driven.
Cars that I always look for are ex police cars or ex private hire that have just come of fleet. Police cars are always well serviced and no expense is spared. However you will have to put right things like body dents/holes as well ... more
Ive now been buying cars from Motor auctions for 2 years and have picked up some bargains. I wont say that buying from auctions is perfect as I have ended up with bangers before.
I will say miss more than I will say so make sure you do research before you go.This is important as it will make it less likely for you to end up with a knacker.
Firstly find a auction house and find out what times and days they are on. I will tell you lots of people normally turn up just when the auction is finishing.Secondly turn up about an hour before the auction starts so you can have a good look round at the cars. I would even recommend turning up one time without your money so you can get the feel of the auction as I found them scarey the first time I went.
Take someone what knows about cars if at all possible.But not someone who just thinks he has, these people do more harm than good!!. You will need cash when you go, cheques are rarely excepted without them clearing first and credit cards are a total no no.
Before you go to, have a budget and car type in mind which you need to stick to 100 percent. The times Ive followed by heart instead of my wallet are the ones that have ended me in trouble.
Remember the cars in auctions are there for a reason. They are normally company cars with one owner and FSH (Full Service History) and these tend to be the best if they have been well looked after and driven. Dont touch it if they have parking dents, scuffy interiors etc as they wont have been looked after. I always look for main dealer part exchange vehicles which normally have a sticker on they windscreen to tell you this. This way you avoid touching cars that have been but into the auction from people in the car trade. These cars tend to have problems therefore they cannot sell them in the garages.They hope that no one will see the problem or it wont be found until the car is driven.
Cars that I always look for are ex police cars or ex private hire that have just come of fleet. Police cars are always well serviced and no expense is spared. However you will have to put right things like body dents/holes as well as a lot of work inside the cars interior. Ie replacement headcloth and holes in the dash board when the police radios been. I will say that police cars are always or very basic spec, but Ive seen a R reg Fiesta and P reg turbo diesel Escort go recently for under 1500 quid. No one wants Taxis but if your prepared for a little work and trips to the scrap yard you should pick up something like a N reg Mondeo/Primera or Cavalier for between £500 to £1000 but as long as you like black you will be okay!!.However if you buy the above be prepared to have problems selling them later on.
At the auction I go to with the car on the windscreen you find a list telling you about the car. It will say the tax and test on the car along with details if its been a police car /taxi or if ins on the list. On the list is the traders term for either stolen and recovered or an insurance claim against the car.Also you find a lot or financial repossession, which can make good buys as they only want whats owed on the vehicle.
I will say with bidding, dont rush in and take you time. If people see you are eager for the car they will trott your bid. Trotting is when the seller will bid against you to make the price better. Dont put the first bid on a car ever. If you see a car and its cannot make a bid of say £1000, if you offer the £1000 thats what you pay if no one else bids. What will happen if on one bids, is that someone offers a £100, people then start bidding against each other for the bargain, but if they stop at something like £650 youve saved £350.
BE CAREFUL when in the auction house and DONT take kids as it is a dangerous place.PEOPLE TREAT THEM AS A FAMILY DAY OUT.Would you let your kids run about on the motorway.Ive see people hit by cars by steping out backwards when they are marshalling cars.
Dont just sit in the stands to bit, make sure your they for when they start the car, if it needs jump leads to start you wont know if your sitting in the comfortable seats. Look for smoke when the engine starts and did the oil light go straight out.You normally get a few minutes with the car , lift the bonnet check for water on the dipstick(it will be creamy which means at the best a head gasket or maybe an engine). Check the oil filter lid for water again (AGAIN CREAMY but some cars do this when only used on short journeys. However if theys loads dont bother). Also when you have the lid off check for back pressure place your palm of you hand over the hole in the rocker cover for about 10 seconds , if you feel pressure being released when you remove its the engine is properly worn badly.I could go on for hours but im starting to get sick!!and im boring you now.
I wish you luck if you do go and rememeber to take a coat as auctions do get cold!!If you do get a warranty on the car it only lasts ONE HOUR.
Advantages: Massive savings to be had. Disadvantages: Buyer beware on condition.
...your time with back street car auctions - go for the big boys like BCA and NCA. British Car Auctions (formerly ADT) is the biggest car auction chain in the country, and National Car Auctions is next in line. I've bought cars at both of these, as well as back street auctions, and have gained from the experience. Let's run through a few points.
Back Street Auctions:
These are the places where you find very few modern cars, they're mainly bangers ... ...common to see the same car go through three times in the same session - the original owner ended up buying it first time whilst attempting to push the bids. Third time round it will be sold or withdrawn because if the owner wins the bidding this time he will have to pay the commission. The bidding is often slow, trying to pump the last fiver out of every sale, and this slows the auction down considerably.
The Big Boys:
These are professionally ...
petehall 23.01.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Car Auctions
Advantages: Nice cars for less money Disadvantages: Easier to buy a bad car than a good one
...talking about going to a car auction.
I went to my first car auction in 1976, with my husband-to-be. We took an S-type Jaguar to sell and it sold for what seemed like an incredible amount of money. It got an unreliable, old heap off our hands and we were hooked on car auctions from then on.
Nearly thirty years later we're still using the same auction, mainly to sell cars, but we have bought a few bargains. We've also made one or two very bad choices, ... ...the auction begins, watch the car drivers carefully. For a start, you'll be able to work out which order the cars are selling in. It doesn't always follow the lot numbers so don't get caught in the toilet or at the burger van when a driver unlocks and tries to start a car you're interested in.
You can learn a lot from this point onwards. Not from the drivers, who probably play Poker a lot, as their facial expressions won't give anything away, but ...
Marans 10.12.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Car Auctions
Advantages: good value, good fun, loads of cars in one place Disadvantages: easy to get carried away!
...hall is, why is this car here? There can be a number of reasons.
1) A lot of cars come direct from leasing companies who generally only keep cars for 3 to 5 years. These can be great buys because a registered dealer will have serviced them on the dot, and the car will have been maintained regardless of cost. The only things to look out for here are worn interiors and poor paintwork/accident damage.
2) Quite a lot of part exchange cars are put through ... ...Someone who services a car a month or two before sale has usually looked after it.
3) Dealer lemons. These are the cars that have been difficult to sell for some reason. They have sat on some dealer's forecourt for some months without interest. This can be for a number of reasons, but they are best left well alone.
Personally I only ever buy a car at auction if it is "Sold with no major mechanical faults". This basically means the auction has had ...
commendablechris 17.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Car Auctions
Advantages: Some very cheap, very nice cars. Disadvantages: Some very cheap dreadfull cars, in very bad condition.
...the auctions to buy a car was when I was 14 and I was looking for a project to work on, I bought a Citroen AX, it was an MOT failure but still had six months tax. I paid £60 for the car, drove it home, spent a month or so tidying it up, got it through an MOT, with the help of my dad, and sold it, taxed and MOT'd for £450. I made a good profit on that car because I went early to the auction and spent a couple of hours looking through the cars with ... ...my heart set on. I went to the auctions and was prepared to spend £2000 on the citroen and I was shocked when I got it for only £60. I would recommend the auctions to people from all walks of life, looking for a good quality, cheap car. I would recommend you go to the auction at least 1 hour before the bidding starts and study the cars well, if you do this you wont be ripped of and end up with a cheap and nasty car. ...
colin16 12.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Car Auctions
Advantages: can pick up a bargain Disadvantages: could buy a wreck
Ive been useing my local car auctions for several years,and would like to share my knowledge with you.Firstly dont buy on your first visit,take a look around you see what everyone else is doing.Dont panic buy,if a car you fancy goes above what you,ve decided its worth,dont bid any higher.Take a mechanic with you if you can,if not be very wary of the car that everyone crowds around,these people are in the know and could be spouting wrong info.You ...
YSTALYFERA 07.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Car Auctions
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I'm a veteran of the carauctions 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 ...
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