Buying at car auctions...advice

[s114hed]

Hi all,

Haven't posted on here for ages, but a friend of mine is going to an auction this week and has asked me to attend. Just wanted some advice really, what should I be on the look out for? How can I tell if he is bidding against the wall etc? Any advice much appreciated.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[zollaf]

best advice i can give you, if you need to ask how to buy at auction, don't buy at an auction. you are up against hardened pro's. you will lose. simples. what you might save on the day you will lose soon enough.

[s114hed]

Zollaf, my friends was looking at 1 owner cars with full main dealer history and under 60k mileage. He's done various valuations and knows what the cars worth, he's also checked with the dealer and got a copy if all work completed. It's just a matter of how to get the best price and not look like a private buyer


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[zollaf]

read my first quote. he will stick out like a fat bloke at a hen party. the auctioneer will not know him so will know he is a private buyer. everyone else there will know he is private by the way the auctioneer handles things. you won't know if you are bidding against the wall. go to a few auctions first. get a feel for them. see what its like. doing various valuations and knowing what a cars worth is worth diddly squat. he is up against people doing it for a living that attend every auction in their locality. trust me, been there, done that. had some bargains, also been stung, but thats the motor trade. private buyers are there for amusement.
oh and at the moment the trade is hard, which will make it worse. he may get a good deal though, luck of the draw.

[s114hed]

Thanks Zollaf.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[dreddfan]

Just don't buy French

[s114hed]

Lol he's looking at buying German, Audi A4/5


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ChA6dders]

I agree with some of what Zollaf says but have to say on the whole I don't. It's a good idea to go to the auction a few times before hand & if possible a few different ones. Know what you want too bca & manhiem put most their cars online before they go into auction. They Inc mileage details, pictures, so, etc. Don't forget the fees involved & also you have to pay on the day so have your funds in place. I've been to loads of auctions & bought a number of cars. Yes there are dealers there but there are also a lot of private buyers. I've always found the auctioneers helpful they know your a private buyer but they treat you like any other buyer in my experience. You can also easily outbid dealers they have to buy the car & then make money you don't I've outbid dealers in the past because I've no overheads. As far as checking the cars goes u have a good hour to look around most the cars are open so don't be afraid to have a proper look around the vehicle. Also if you've got access to the inet at the time check out prices on line. In summary you can definitely get a bargain, most the cars sold at auction are genuine & only a couple of years old. So go for it & get yourself a bargain.

[s114hed]

ChA6dders, thanks for your very informative advice. I heard the traders take you on for a laugh, is there any truth in that?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ChA6dders]

ChA6dders, thanks for your very informative advice. I heard the traders take you on for a laugh, is there any truth in that?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not that I'm aware of but who cares your budget is your budget. As said you don't have to make money on the car so in theory can probably bid higher but still within your budget. It's not the cloak & dagger shark infested environment you might be led to believe. Another tip is to see if you can get hold of the traders catalogue for the day you buy a catalogue on arrival but the traders one has more pricing info like the expected sale price & retail price Sometimes they're left lying around (no name fair game) as such