The only people who should go to public auctions are those who are exceptional in their mechanical inclination and training. "Now they're not even remotely good places to buy a car. "Public auctions used to be good places to buy cars," Lang says. "If you're not careful, it's easy to get burned." Public Auctions "With the competition growing so fierce, some cars now go for more than retail," Lang says. You won't be the only bargain hunter out there."īuying a car at government auction used to guarantee a bargain, that's not true any more. These are guys who go to government auctions all the time, know what to pay and know a lemon when they see it. A lot of the school buses and trucks get bought by brokers looking to ship them overseas to poorer countries that will use them for public transportation. "And often there are government employees who are going after a vehicle that they used on the job and grew fond of. "Taxi companies want the old cruisers to use as cabs," Lang says. Make that a sharp, trained, cynical, wary, pessimistic and rabidly suspicious eye.īut the competition at county auctions is brutal and it's only getting stronger. You'll know what you're getting." Still, you don't get to drive a car before you bid on it. "All the vehicles have known histories-how they were maintained, used and fixed, and their mileage is virtually always honest. And they want to sell all of it," Lang says. "At a government auction it's, say, a county that has 30 or 40 police cruisers it needs to get rid of. And for those of you bidding in a televised auction, we do have one piece of advice: Don't get so excited that you spill your mimosa.) Government Auctions
(Note: Online auctions like eBay are an entirely different beast, and through the use of independent inspection services, maybe even a safer bet. That is, if you dare to venture into the auction pit. Here's a quick rundown on both and 10 tips for getting the most out of either.
#CARS AND BID FULL#
"There are government auctions and there are public auctions." Both are full of potential pitfalls. "There are two types of public auctions," explains Steven Lang, who runs a used car dealership in the Atlanta area and once owned a dealer auction (not open to the public). But the United States is a country built around the automobile, and it's a lot easier to get a job if you have a car to drive to the interview, so for many people car auctions are a way to fill the need. Buyers who formerly could qualify for auto loans on new or solid used cars now find they need to shop with cash. Interest in these auctions has boomed as the economy stays stagnated and credit rules have tightened. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play
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