Car Auctions – what you need to know

Car Auctions can be great places to get a good deal on a car, but you can also be sold a lemon, so beware. Listed below are some tips if you are thinking of buying a car at a Car Auction.

The car auction site will generally open around 2-3 hours before the auction starts and this will give you time to look around and inspect any cars that you want to bid on. Before you start bidding on any cars, have a chat to a company representative and inquire about what documentation you will receive when you bid on and buy a used car, as you will need this documentation when you register your car, as proof of ownership of the car.

Always check what the fees are before you start to bid, as things like registration, buyers fees, transfer of title etc can add extra to the total price. Make sure you have enough money to cover these extras. If an auction charges more than 15% buyers premium, move onto the next auction.

Always know the value of any car that you are bidding on, to make sure that you are not going to pay too much. If the price goes over what it is worth, walk away.

Try to bid on cars that other people are not interested in, as you will not have as much competition and can hopefully buy the car for a lower price.

Take your ID or Driver’s License with you, as you will need it to fill out all the necessary paperwork if you are the winning bidder of the car.

Take a family member or a friend with you, as you will need to be able to drive the car back home when you buy it and your family member or friend can drive the car you came in back home.

Always take a reputable and tusted mechanic to the Car Auction with you to check the engine and to have a look underneath the car for you. They should be able to pick up on any issues that the car might be having. Cars sold at an Auction are usually sold ‘as-is’ and you will be responsible for any repairs that have to happen to the car if there is anything wrong with it.

Always start the engine up and rev it. The mechanic that you take with you, should be able to pinpoint any issues that the car may have by just listening to it. Unfortunately you can not take the car for a test drive.

When checking the car over carefully here are few things to look out for:

Minor Accidents
If a car has been involved in a minor (“fender-bender”) accident or has only got one body panel like a door or a guard (fender) that has been repainted, it could be just a scratch or only has got minor damage. Avoid any cars that have been badly damaged in an accident or have been flooded.

Corrosion
If you happen to find a spot of corrosion, look over the car very carefully. Look at the floor under the carpet, check the bottom of all the doors, in the boot and the wheel arches. Avoid cars that have been badly corroded and then repaired, as the rust tends to reappear again.

Check if the colour and paint quality match
It is very hard to match the original paint colour on any panels, so try to see if the colour and paint quality are different on any of the panels. Look at the car at different angles and from different distances. Run your hand over the car to feel if there is any unevenness as this will indicate that this area has been resprayed. You may also notice that there are tiny things underneath the paint like dust, a little piece of hair etc and this will indicate that the car has been resprayed or touched up. The original paint should be perfectly smooth.

Take a magnet with you and run it over the car, if the car has been bogged up, the magnet will not cling to the paint. If it has been bogged up, it will indicate that the car has been repaired.

Check the hood and door holding bolts
When looking the car over, check to see whether the hood has been realigned as this is a sign that the car has been involved in a car accident. When opening up the driver’s door, try and lift the door up, if it has excessive free play, this will mean that the door has had excessive use.

Look for signs of flood damage
Do not buy a car that has been flooded in the past as it will be costly to fix any problems down the track. When a car is flooded, water get’s inside many of the car’s components and will cause corrosion and those parts will fail later on. If a car has been flooded, you should be able to smell the mildew smell. Look for any water stains on the seats, roof liner and door covers. Check under the carpet for any moisture. Look for corrosion underneath the seats.

Check the cars frame
Look at the entire length of the frame and check for any visible damage or if it is corroded through. If the frame is rusted through, do not buy this car.

So have fun car auction shopping.

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