Any time you read in the papers about how there has been a hurricane in some remote area, you probably gloss over it and move on to other things of interest. When a hurricane causes flooding in a place, what you feel happens to all the countless cars people have parked along the roads in that town? When Hurricane Katrina swung around five years back, if caused a half million cars flooded. Where did those cars go afterward? Those cars were purchased by sleazy auctioneers to be superficially reconditioned and sold some place near you.
At many auctions of used cars, their use of some jargon can aid them in all kind of sales techniques they use. For instance, if they say that a car is on sale ‘as is’, that indicates they don’t provide a guarantee for anything. Occasionally, if you want a guarantee, you pay special fee. You really need to know what you’re doing buying at a car auction, particularly for used cars.
How about the title to the car? Will you be getting a specific title? At the car auction for used cars, although they mean fine, they actually don’t make enough on a sale to rationalize a complete title check. Most of the time, they’ll bypass the title check altogether. You might be being sold a thieved car for all you know. One of the best car title checks available on the internet is AutoCheck. Make sure you run a car that you intend buying on this database prior to you part with a dollar.
With regards to actually paying for a car you choose at an auction, you never paid precisely what you bid. You always have to pay slightly extra. They call it the buyer’s premium. Ordinarily, it’s a percentage somewhere between 2% and 10% of the amount you bid for. If you have a choice, you should probably buy a used car from a rent a car company than from an auction. Have you ever experienced a rental car break down on you? Most people never experience such a situation because those are vehicles that are kept under regular maintenance to ensure smooth running for the company. A car you purchase at an auction however could have been an accident, could have been flooded or been stolen.
Do yourself a favor: before you buy at a car auction, make sure to check everything up on auto check with the VIN numbers of all the cars you are interested in. Look closely at the contract before you sign. Be sure to see what kind of title indication they give you. Get to the auction block in advance to look closely at the VIN number stickers on all the vehicles. Just make sure that all of the numbers read the same on each car. Be sure to carry your laptop with you so that you can look up on AutoCheck right on the spot.
