Car Auctions

There are actually two kind of car auctions; local auctions and online auto auctions. Let's take a look at each of them, how they work and how you can utilize them to buy or sell a car easily and convenient.

Local vehicle auctions

If you want to participate in a local auto auction, the first thing you have to do is to pre-register with the local vehicle auction you intend to join. This is easily done and when you register you will also be provided with all the information you'll need. The auction staff will explain the local auction rules and procedures as well as instructions about how to bid.

When you register a vehicle for an auction it will be assigned a unique number and a specific location in the auction yard. Be careful to give the exact information about your auto; the condition your car is in, the mileage and title status. If you want to bid on a car, you should inspect it closely before the auction starts. You should also set your payment limits before the sale. Don't forget to signal your bid clearly to the auctioneer. If you have success with a bid, settle your transaction as quickly as possible with the block clerk.

Now, let's say you have won a bid and the transaction semi-closed. Your next step is to check out the vehicle carefully. Take a test drive and make sure the auto conforms to the auction guarantee and representation. When you are ready to pay for your new auto, the car auction staff will assist you in paying and will normally also guarantee good title. If you can't pay your vehicle with cash, check or credit card, the auction staff can almost always give you a third party financing offer. It's recommended however, that you have the finances in order when you enter the car auction because it is normally cheaper to find your own cheap financing rather than take what you'll get from the auction people.

The auction staff will produce an invoice copy for you that will enable you to drive or ship your new purchased vehicle to your location. Fortunately most car auction managers can help you make good deals regarding shipping arrangements.

Online vehicle auctions

If you think online motorcar auctions are significantly different from local auction, think again. As a matter of fact, online vehicle auctions work the same way as local ones. The only thing that distinguishes them from each other is that you cannot inspect the car before you buy it at an online auction, if its location is outside your area. Be aware however, that all the information you need about the vehicle is provided up front and you are also given access to detailed photos of the vehicles.

If you purchase a car from an online auto auction, it will be shipped to you for a minor fee. As soon as the vehicle arrive at your location, you will be able to inspect the car before you finalize the deal. So you have nothing to risk actually by purchasing your car at an online auction.

Buying cars at auctions is probably the best deal you can make. You are guaranteed to buy a vehicle for less than what the dealer or a private person would offer for it. If you buy it at a government or repo auction you will save even more for your new Lincoln, Pontiac or BMW.

Terje Brooks Ellingsen is a writer and internet publisher. He runs the website cheap-used-cars.w-eland.com. Terje gives advice and helps people with automotive issues like cheap car auctions and online car financing.

Tips on Buying a Car at an Auction: What to look out for

auction (ôk-shen), noun.
"A public sale in which property or items of merchandise are sold to the highest bidder."

The definition stated above for an auction goes the same for a car auction. People bring their cars over and people who are in the market for a used car also comes over looks around the lot for anything they may like and bids for them when it is time. The person with the highest bid gets to buy the car.

Auctioned cars usually come from company fleets, police cars or car rentals. There are also many sites in the Internet that provides service like these for anyone who may browse on through their pages.

Many people see these auctioned cars as a chance to get a great deal. Often times the winning bid would be below the original asking price. Don’t be too sure though, sometimes, the vehicles being auctioned off may very well be a lemon in disguise. It would be best to take precautionary steps to protect your money from being ripped off. Here we will provide you with some tips so that you can distinguish a good deal from a bad one. We will also show you what to look for in the auction lot so that you can have an actual accounting of their true value. Buying cars from an auction maybe fun, but you want the best deals there is.

There are many types of auctions, but they usually come under the umbrella of these five main types of auctions. There is the online auto auction, here websites show pictures and the specifications of the car being auctioned on their sites. Wholesale Auto Auctions, these are usually dealer to dealer type auctions, Public Auto Auctions, open to any consumer who’s interested. Police Auctions and Government Auctions, this is usually open to anyone also. Insurance Auto Auctions & Salvage Auto Auctions, this is usually open only to dealers but there are instances that the public is invited.

Be prepared with your budget. Know your limitations, make sure you’re bank account can cover the price you have to pay if you do buy one from the auction. Many auctions prefer bank drafts than personal checks so be prepared.

At car auctions, there are lights behind the auctioneer that indicates the state of the title. There are three lights, green, yellow and red. Green means the title is all right. Orange indicates that the title is in transit, or there is some frame damage, but not enough to brand the title, and Usually the seller is right there next to the podium and they have the owners manual and title ready to hand over to you, and you settle in the closing room. Red means that there are issues with the title, rebuilt, not actual mileage, or some other problem. This is important, because you would not expect to pay as much for that car as one which had not been in a wreck. At wholesale auctions as the cars come up to the block, the ones with bad titles trigger the red title warning light to come on over the auction box. When you buy a car from the auction, make sure that the contract clearly states the color of the light when you bought it. This way they cannot fool you and you have got yourself a scapegoat.

Trek on to the auction site at the earliest time possible. If you are there early you could have the place without any distraction and you can take your sweet time making the rounds and inspections of the lot. As you inspect the cars, check everything, the car doors, the hinges, the windows and look for its VIN if it was produced on and after 1981. Make sure the entire VIN match. If they don’t they might be stolen or has been into a big accident and was fixed with other parts from other cars. If you want you can have someone with a computer ready to check on the VIN.

Don't get caught up in the fury of a bidding war and spend way too much for a certain car. No matter how much you want the car, it wouldn’t be worth it if it goes beyond the published price. Start with small bids and do go way too far from the last bid made. . Don't forget you have to pay a buyer's premium on the car, which could bring your cost over market value. Make your calculations. It is recommended highly that you bid only with car with title present, but if you want a car and they promised to send it to you right away, have the agreed period of time stated in the contract. If they go past the deadline, you can get your money back; at that point they are already in breach of contract.

Now here is a list of some things that you should watch out for in the cars being auctioned off. They are telltale signs that the car may have been involved in a wreck or has had problems with it such as getting flooded in with water, or could have problems with the title or ownership. Following these tips may save you from a future headache. Check everything thoroughly so you may enjoy the car that you may eventually drive.

Check out the tires and the wheels. Balding or uneven tires that are not in the same state as the others may usually indicate bad alignment that in turn may be due to wreckage or an accident. Some cars are positioned to hide damaged parts, look around.

VIN stickers do not match; this could be stolen or damaged. Check for the title, a rebuilt title will probably get the price significantly lower. Avoid “Title in Transit” cars.

Excessive dimples, scratches, dings, dents, paint chips, especially on bumpers, previous owner could be very careless and no proper maintenance could have been done. Check disk brakes and drums for rust, this could be due to the car being flooded or sat abandoned for a long time. New carpeting for no apparent reason at all is also indicative of the vehicle being flooded.

Check the paint, this could be a bit hard but some have obvious points where in the paint is thicker in other areas. This could indicate that the car has been in a collision already.

Check parts if they work, parts like power windows that don’t work or is loose or crooked. Check the air conditioning unit, radio or the convertible top. Make a checklist to be doubly sure.

Over all, in buying a car you ought to trust your gut instincts too. When a car looks ok still and has a good price but you get this nagging feeling that there’s something wrong with it, keep away from it. You’ll lose more sleep if you give in to it. Auctions are a fun way to buy a car and they can get pretty exciting too. So gather up all the friends and family the next time there’s a car auction in your area, or better yet, browse through the Internet every now and then to check up on the latest prices and events.

Author:
Copyright 2005 John Nuble Car-Buying-Guide.US. All Rights Reserved.
http://car-buying-guide.us/

Your First Car Auction

You are about to go to your first car auction. You can feel the excitement in the air. There are so many cars to choose from. But do you really know what to expect at a car auction? Do you know the legalities that occur at a car auction? Most people get in way over there heads at a car auction. If this is your first car auction, you better come prepared.

There are a lot of things you need to do and a lot of things you need to pay attention to at a car auction. First off, before you go to a car auction make sure you have enough money in your bank account. All cars purchased at a car auction must be paid in full. You also need to bring your drivers license and any other form of ID to the car auction. This is needed to buy the vehicle and to do the title work and registration.

When you first get to the car auction you should make notes of the cars you are interested in. Then, if you can, go to kellybluebook.com and check the retail value of the vehicles you would like to purchase. This way you know what to go with when you make your bid. At a car auction, many vehicles have a reserve price. This means that the vehicle has a minimum price t be sold at. If it is too high, do not bid on it. Be sure when you do bid that you do not get into a bidding war. Never bid more than you can afford. If the bidding war begins, just walk away. At a car auction, it is every man for himself.

Before you begin to bid on cars, you need to see if the vehicle is a good buy or not. Many vehicles at a car auction could have been previously damaged. An example of this is in Texas and Louisiana many cars were severely damaged by flooding during a hurricane. These vehicles were sent to a car auction and the buyers more than likely had no idea the vehicles had flood damage. You may also wish to take a mechanic to the car auction. A mechanic is a good idea at a car auction because they can see where someone may have tried to hide repairs and damage that the vehicle might have incurred. Lastly, you can get a free Carfax vehicle history report on the vehicle if you get the vehicles identification number (VIN).

Remember, at a car auction vehicles are sold "as is" and they do not come with a warranty. Keep all of these tips in mind to protect yourself from a bad purchase. You are supposed to go to a car auction to get a great deal on a car and to save money. With the proper frame of mind, this is easily accomplished.

Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.caronlinecenter.info a blog focusing on the Car, resources and articles. This site provides detailed information on Car. For more info visit his site at: Car

Should I Buy a Car at a Car Auction?

Car Auctions have been around for years and dealers get a lot of stock from auctions.

But for the average person buying a car from an auction is not so simple.

Yes, you can get a cheaper car, but you the reason it is cheaper is that you are not getting all the guarantees. Basically, you bid on it. You own it. Let me explain.

If you are a conservative person without much experience in motor vehicles, I would recommend that you do not just go out and buy a car from an auction.

However, if you have a mechanical eye, good observation and are willing to familiarize yourself with the process, then it can be a good way to pick up a bargain.

If you don't like the car you can usually sell it again and get your money back, even with a profit.

I have bought and sold several cars at auctions with great results and you can too. If you really want to get the lowdown before you start, then I recommend you read my book Motor Auction Profit Secrets. This will prepare you and incidentally also shows you how to profit from this activity as well.

Check it out.

Happy Bidding

Graeme's latest book Motor Auction Profit Secrets is a guide to making a part-time living from car auctions.

Graeme Sprigge is the webmaster of SellMyCarForCash.Com, a website dedicated to enlightening you on how to get the most for your car in a private sale. The site is is constantly expanding and includes more great articles, some of which are available for reprinting in your ezine. There is a lack of unbiased information on the net in this are so this site aims to fill the gap.

For more cool articles, cool car selling tips, car finance tips visit http://www.sellmycarforcash.com

Copyright 2005 Graeme Sprigge. Please feel free to pass this article on to your friends, or use it in your ezine or newsletter. It's a shareware article.

4 Tips To Saving A Bundle At Your Next Car Auction

Many of us have been at the car dealership and have been drained by a salesperson during price negotiations for the purchase of a new car. Most people give in too easily or do not negotiate at all to avoid the dreadful act. This only means more money in the car dealers’ pocket, while you are out of several thousand dollars! Yes, they make that much in profit per car.

This article unveils the dealer’s selling tactics and how you can get around them. But before we dive into the new car buying tips, we need to understand what makes up the dealer’s profits.

In addition to the MSRP (manufacturer suggested retail price), which is the dealer’s cost for the car plus an additional 20-25% profit, a dealer also gets financial incentives from the manufacturer when a new car is sold. This is called Holdback.

Depending on the car, dealers can make hundreds on each car through holdbacks. Dealers also get additional incentives and bonuses on selling a car before the end of the month and/or quarter.

A shrewd dealer can make several thousand on a new car even by selling it at invoice price. This is how new car buying can become tricky for the consumer.

Ready to learn how not to put a dent in your wallet on your next car purchase? Here are four tips to get you started. Each one is a dealer tactic to watch out for.

1. The Guilt Trip

As you may have noticed, every desk in a dealership has photos of the salesperson’s family, instead of photos of cars. Midway in the negotiation, the sales person will bring them up and make it look like his little commission check can hardly pay for his daughters college and little Bradley’s braces.

A seasoned salesperson will soon have you feeling guilty for driving the price down and hurting his commission. Watch out not to fall for this tactic, since you already know about holdbacks and incentive programs from manufacturers.

2. Wearing You Down

Come prepared to spend half a day at the dealership or pay whatever the dealer asks for. Car Dealers are trained to delay and tire you out to the point where you give in and accept their price just to get out of there.

After you make your offer, sales people typically claim they would have to run it by their manager. You may then have to re-start negotiating with the manager, who is also a seasoned salesperson. This dance goes on for a while until you give in.

Remember, there are multiple dealerships in a city, so they need you more than you need them. Demand to speak to the manager after a certain time period or threaten to leave. Because you are devoting a lot of time to bargain with the dealer, they know you are a serious buyer, so they will not let you leave. The earlier you can speak with the manager, the faster you can leave.

3. The Test Drive

We all enjoy a good test drive and look forward to it. Although it is essential to test drive a car before you buy it, remember to not show your absolute love for the car to the salesperson. Their goal is to get you emotionally attached to the car, so it becomes a must have for you. I have learned it the hard way.

To hide your emotional tears from the salesperson, mention the features of a competing car in the same class, like the new shape, light, leg room, resale value etc. This will make the salesperson a little vulnerable.

4. Monthly Payments

This one is to confuse you. Dealers will start talking about monthly payments rather than the total price of the car. They will start by asking how much you are willing to pay per month and how much of a down payment you are willing to pay. Since people don’t want to look like they cannot afford a certain car, they will usually give a higher number. Big Mistake!

You have left little room for negotiation when this happens. Always steer the conversation to the total price of the car and do NOT mention any trade-ins at this point. Only after the total price of the vehicle is completely negotiated then talk about interest, monthly payment and trade-ins.

General Rule;

As a general rule, remember to only focus and negotiate on the Total Price of the vehicle. Everything else is pretty much the car dealer’s trough.

If the above new car buying tips seem like a lot of hassle, yet you still want to get the best price in town, there are some websites that do this for you. www.autoauctionbids.com for example is a great website for this because you can collect price quotes from multiple local dealers for a particular car as well as its competing car models (like Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Ford Taurus) and compare them.

The website then allows you to send back the lowest quotes received for each car make to all participating dealers in your area through the website itself.

Dealers view this price and continue to submit new lower prices over a 3 day period. By putting local car dealers in such a price competition allows you to avoid the dreadful face to face negotiation and yet gets you the lowest price in town for up to 3 competing car makes.

The best part about AutoAuctionBids.com is that it is absolutely free for you and there is no obligation to buy after the new car auction is over.

For more information on cars and car auction visit http://cheap-car-auction-portal.com

Where to Buy Used Cars at Bargain Prices!

One of the most important things you can do to purchase a used car at bargain prices is to do your homework. You should check your local classified ads and see what the asking price is for the type of vehicle that you are in the market for. Make sure to get the high and low Blue Book Price on the vehicle that you are interested in. Here are some excellent sources for getting pricing:

NADA GUIDES - www.nadaguides.com
KELLEY BLUE BOOK - www.kbb.com
EDMUNDS - www.edmunds.com

Other resources to check with is CARFAX. They can supply you with the vehicle history report. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a research area to check recall history on cars. We recommend that you have the vehicle you are interested in purchasing be inspected by your own mechanic prior to purchase.

Newspaper Classified Ads are a excellent place to find cars at well below retail prices. Many times, people take their cars to dealers for trade ins and are offered below wholesale prices. Many of these people will be happy to several hundreds more that what was quoted by the dealer and you will end up with an EXCELLENT BUY!

Online Auctions can be a great place to find bargains. You can shop right from the comfort of your own home. Look for auctions with no reserve, these auctions don't have a minimum price before they will sell.

Public Car Auctions are open to the general public and do not require you to have a Dealer's License. Public auctions can be an excellent place to purchase cars at wholesale prices. Some of these auctions are: Auction Repossessions of Credit Unions, Banks & Lending Institutions. Some public auctions also auction Police and Local Municipalities, City, State, & County vehicles.

Estate and Bankruptcy Auctions can be a very good place to purchase vehicles at wholesale prices. These auctions are usually advertised in newspaper classified section or handled by Probate Estate Auctioneers.

Government Auctions are an excellent source for bargin vehicles. They include vehicles from DEA drug raid seizures, FBI, IRS, U.S. Customs Auctions, Department of Defense, General Services Auctions, Resolution Trust Corporation, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and U.S. Postal Services.

Rental Car Companies often sell their fleets of cars by auction. They can be a great source of cars. Contact these large companies and inquire.

Dealer Auctions can be one of the best sources to cars at below wholesale prices. Most of these auctions require that you have a dealer's license. These auctions include lease cars, trade-ins, rentals, and fleet vehicles.

About The Author
C.L.Spartalis is the publisher of The of How To Turn Used Cars Into Ca$h With Your Computer
www.turnusedcarstocash.com/home.html

How To Make Money With Used Cars!

One of the most important purchases consumers make is a car. The average consumer purchases another car every several years. With the High Cost of new cars millions of people are opting to purchase affordable used cars.

There is a Massive opportunity to earn an excellent income. Help fill this high demand for quality used cars at affordable prices. When starting out you should focus on cars under the $4,000 range.

Do some research and find out what the most popular best selling cars in your area are. By staying in the lower price ranges with these popular vehicles you will be in a higher demand market since more people can afford these vehicles than higher priced more expensive cars, this will make it much easer to sell quickly for a profit.

You make your money when you buy, this is an important key to your success. You will need to pay wholesale price or below less the cost of any needed repairs, and other expenses ie: detailing, newspaper ads, etc. Once you know the wholesale price, less repair costs and expenses, you will know how much you can pay for a car. If you buy it right you wll be able to sell it at a profit and still give the buyer a great deal.

One of the most important things you can do to purchase a used cars at bargain prices is to do your homework. You should check your local classified ads and see what the asking price is for the type of vehicle that you are in the market for.

Make sure to get the high and low Blue Book and wholesale prices on the vehicle that you are interested in. Here are some excellent sources for getting pricing:

NADA GUIDES - www.nadaguides.com

KELLEY BLUE BOOK - www.kbb.com

EDMUNDS - www.edmunds.com

Other resources to check with is CARFAX. They can supply you with the vehicle history report. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a research area to check recall history on cars. We recommend that you have the vehicle you are interested in purchasing be inspected by your own mechanic prior to purchase.

Newspaper Classified Ads are an excellent place to find cars at well below retail prices. Many of these people will be happy to sell their used cars for several hundred dollars more than what was quoted by the dealer and you will end up with an EXCELLENT BUY!

Online Auctions can be a great place to find bargains. You can shop right from the comfort of your own home. Look for auctions with no reserve, these auctions don't have a minimum price before they will sell.

Public Car Auctions are open to the general public and do not require you to have a Dealer's License. Public auctions can be an excellent place to purchase cars at wholesale prices. Some of these auctions are: Auction Repossessions of Credit Unions, Banks & Lending Institutions. Some public auctions also auction Police and Local Municipalities, City, State, & County vehicles.

Estate and Bankruptcy Auctions can be a very good place to purchase vehicles at wholesale prices. These auctions are usually advertised in newspaper classified section or handled by Probate Estate Auctioneers.

Government Auctions are an excellent source for bargin vehicles. They include vehicles from DEA drug raid seizures, FBI, IRS, U.S. Customs Auctions, Department of Defense, General Services Auctions, Resolution Trust Corporation, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and U.S. Postal Services.

Rental Car Companies often sell their fleet of cars by auction. They can be a great source of cars. Contact these large companies and inquire.

Dealer Auctions can be one of the best sources to cars at below wholesale prices. Most of these auctions require that you have a dealer's license. These auctions include lease cars, trade-ins, rentals, and fleet vehicles.

Stay away from used cars that need major mechanical repairs or body work. Look for good, dependable cars, if the pait is a little dull or the rug is dirty, you can detail, polish and wax the car and clean the carpet. Replace the floor mats if needed. By doing a few hours of work, you can make your car worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars more. By having a clean care, inside and out, you will attract more buyers that will be willing to pay you top dollar for your car.

When your car is ready to sell, you can place and ad in your local newspaper's classified section, or you can place your ad on the internet and reach a wider audience. CARS.COM and AUTOBYTEL.COM has a lot of traffic and is enexpensive. Selling cars through online auctions has also become very popular. It has become one of the easiest, fastest, and most cost effective methods to reach your target audience of hundreds and even thousands of people looking at your car. EBAYMOTORS.COM or AUCTIONYOURAUTOS.COM are both online auction sites.

Most states require that you have a Dealer's License when you buy and sell vehicles for profit. Check with your states Department of Motor Vehicles or Department of Public Safety for more information on how to obtain a Dealer's License. It is important to consult with your attorney, insurance agent, accountant, and other government officials to determine what permits, licenses, records, insurance policies, etc., are required.

About The Author
C.L.Spartalis is the publisher of The of How To Turn Used Cars Into Ca$h With Your Computer. No Inventory Required.
ww.turnusedcarstocash.com/home.html