A Women's Guide To Car At Auction

Auctions can be an intimidating place to buy a car.condition for the types of vehicle you are interested
However having recently experienced buying at one,in. Check the price ranges for each selection using the
I decided to write this guide to encourage moreinternet. Decide how much you are willing to bid,
women to consider this as an alternative.given the additional costs buying at Auction will
My son wanted to buy a van for his business,involve. Put all these details together in a spreadsheet
however most of the vans available locally in his priceand print it out to take with you.
range, were either battle scarred or had high mileage.At the Auction
So he decided to try an auction. As my husband (the6. Arrive early before the bidding starts, so you can
motoring expert in our house) was unable to attend,pay your deposit (if required), get your bidders
I stepped into the breach. It was a very interestingnumber and a guide to the vehicles for sale.
experience with lessons learnt very quickly, however7. The cars will all be parked up, in numerical order,
following a few rules we did ended up with a smarttake a quick sweep through to identify all those that
looking van with low mileage for the less money thanyou are interested in and return to look at these in
would have been needed to buy from a dealer.detail. For each car you like, mark a price on the
Preparation is key to buying at Auctioncatalogue that you are willing to go to.
1. Use the internet to find your local Auctions and8. Before your first choice comes up, go and watch
look at the list of vehicles for sale. Check that therethe bidding, to get a feel for what is happening, so
are several of the type that you are interested in. Noyou will comfortable when you bid.
point going otherwise.Checking the Car
2. Check the rules of the Auction.If possible bring someone with you who can help
- How can you pay?check the cars over, a quick check list for the non
- Is there a deposit to pay before bidding?technical is given below. Remember at Auction you
- What are the additional costs to pay on top of thecannot test drive the car, but the cars will be driven
bid pricethrough the arena. Below are some ideas of what to
- Tax and Insurancelook for.
3. Before driving the car away, you need insure it and9. Check for battle damage. Sometimes this is
then tax it. While you can get immediate insuranceobvious, a scrape or a dent but it is not so easy to
online or over the phone, there will be a delay beforespot re-sprays after accidents. Look at the colors of
you can be tax it, as you either need a cover notethe individual panels, are they all the same? Is the
for the Post Office or the insurance company toinside of the door the same color as the outside? Do
update the national database to be able to tax onlineall the panels line up?
or by phone. Some insurance companies can provide10. Look at the engine. Is there oil everywhere? Then
a cover note by email. It is worth checking with yourgive it a miss. On the flip side an engine that looks as
insurance company before going to the auction.if it has been steam cleaned is suspicious. Go for an
4. How you are going to take the car away? Youengine that looks used but has no oil.
can either pay for delivery to your home or wait until11. Check the tread on the tires. I saw that many of
your tax and insurance are sorted out and then drivethe tires were painted black to make them look
it away. Check the costs involved for both optionsnewer than they actually were.
as the Auctioneers will charge for storage of your12. Be at the car when it is started up for the drive
car beyond a set time.into the bidding area. It should start first time and run
5. Decide on the make and model, mileage range andwell.