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Archive for September, 2010

Buying Brand New? Try the Used Car Auction

September 21st, 2010 Monica No comments

There are many attractive reasons why people choose to buy from used car auctions and the reason that tops the list is price. Used cars are auctioned off in different ways: online, public, wholesale, insurance & salvage and police & government auctions.

Among these, wholesale and insurance & salvage are more often open only to dealers.

Types of Used Car Auctions
Online car auctions like those on Yahoo and Ebay are very convenient and you can shop for the car you like without leaving the house. Remember, though that you are buying a car you have never laid eyes on and have never physically checked.

This should not deter you, however. There are a lot of sellers online who are legitimate and if you are patient enough, you could just get a great buy.

Government auctions are also a good place to shop for a used car. These are usually government-seized or decommissioned vehicles. There are registered auction lots throughout the United States.

In order to participate, you will need to register and get a bidder number from an auction house before the sale. The registration is free.

A caveat: some of these cars have not been driven or maintained in a while, so they might not be in tiptop condition.

Some tips when participating in an auction
You’ve probably heard the horror stories: getting duped into buying what seemed like a great car on the outside, only to end up with an utterly useless piece of junk two days later.

There are these and worse, but there are also happy endings to some auction stories. The trick is to be prudent and to be prepared.

Check the car’s history through Carfax, an Internet service that lets you search a car’s background. A Carfax report will show reports from insurance companies, police, DMVs and other sources. A similar service is provided by AutoCheck..

While some auctions do conduct some history checks on cars on their lists, some auctions do nothing at all, so it is wise to do some sleuthing yourself. It’s always good to check if the car has a clean title to spare yourself from potential problems.

Come early. There’s less distraction because the auction isn’t crowded yet. Plus, you can check the cars more thoroughly.

Inspect the trunk and hood and open all doors. If you have a VIN number with you, you can match the car with it. If the car doesn’t match, then it could be a stolen vehicle or was fixed using another car’s parts.

Protect yourself by knowing what needs to be checked tires, carburetors, mileage, steering wheel. Check for damages and signs of disalignment, rust, leak, paint chips, evidence of paint jobs or flooding, crooked windows, malfunctioning A/C, excessive mileage, dents and scratches.

If you don’t have the knowhow, bring a trusted friend who can spell out the details for you and do the inspecting and asking.

“As is”. Truly understanding these two simple words can save you from a lot of disappointment. So do the words “buyer beware”. When you buy a car at an auction, or anything for that matter, you won’t have the chance to bring the car to a mechanic to have it checked.

So what you buy is exactly what you see. And what you see is what you are going to get.

A car’s title should be available for you right there, but if it’s not, check the contract to see how long it would take for you to get it. If the contract says that you’re supposed to get it in one week and they don’t deliver, you can get your money back.

Your winning bid is not exactly the money you need to shell out. In used car auctions, there is a buyer’s premium that you’ll need to pay and can cost you anywhere from a few hundred bucks to about 10% of your winning bid.

So if you won a bid for $18,000 and there’s a 5% buyer’s premium, you’ll pay $18,900.

Take your time so you don’t get carried away. In the heat of the auction battle, you could let your passion take over and just keep bidding, forgetting about the buyer’s premium and not realizing that you might be buying that used car at a higher price than fair market value, which actually defeats the purpose of your joining an auction in the first place.

When it comes to used car auctions, there is nothing wrong about being picky. After all, it’s your money that’s on the line. But getting a great deal is really not just about the price.

It’s about buying quality as well so it’s best to have the right kind of information before going in not only to get the right car at a good price, but also to avoid bad deals and unnecessary headaches.

Great Cars at Low Prices: Seized Car Auctions

September 19th, 2010 Monica No comments

Every year, thousands of cars go into the surplus inventory of banks and the Government. Every day, governments and banks seize and repossess cars. It costs a lot of money to store and maintain these cars. So instead of keeping them, in an effort to keep costs low, they sell them off at seized car auctions for as little as 90% of the price at which they are sold at showrooms. Is your next-door neighbor suddenly driving a slick Mercedes or BMW? It may not mean they have become rich overnight. They could have got it at a seized car auction.

It just so happens that many people on the wrong side of the law have the best cars, and their cars are seized. In the States, the law tracks down drug-dealers, mob-bosses and other criminals and seizes their cars. The government makes no profit from the operation. Instead of bearing the cost of maintaining these cars, they quickly auction them off. This is how you can get near-perfect cars at amazingly low prices at these car auctions.

The IRS also seizes cars of those people who default on tax payments. Banks and financial institutions are also given the right to seize cars bought by people who fail to pay back loans. These defaulters often buy very expensive and posh cars with illegally made money. That is why a lot of top models like, GM, Ford, Toyota, Chrysler, Nissan, Honda, Lexus and other brands can be found at these auctions.

Some of these cars are sold for as little as 200$ onwards. The government is so eager to sell off these cars quickly, that they sell them at very low prices. This provides a golden opportunity to those looking for quality cars at low prices.

At government-organized seized car auctions, you should receive a free Car Fax VIN report before you begin bidding. There will probably be thousands of clean titles, and some fairly low mileage vehicles of all models and makes. But don’t get complacent and take it easy! Research what you’re buying. Do an AutoCheck Vehicle History on the car. Titles like ‘re-built’, ‘salvaged’, and ‘junked’ usually indicate that the car has been involved in an accident or has suffered damages in the past. You may not want to invest in such a car.

The best thing is that you don’t have to search through tons of newspapers and magazines to find seized car auctions near your home. There are online listings and databases where you can find out all you need!

Government Seized Car Auctions

September 18th, 2010 Monica No comments

By being handed out to a government seized car auction you can save thousands of bucks on your later cars. These auctions, which are held all throughout the US, offer crap incredible bargains.The cars sold at these auctions were seized by police officers or the Tax department. Most people are not abreast of such a presence coup because the government performs not advertise them.While the general public may not know about them, numerous car dealers do. They buy cars at these kinds of auctions and subsequently resell them. In fact they do not like a great deal more people appreciating about this.The government slowly but surely becomes new seized cars. Because they are so expensive to list properties are sold as quickly as possible at incredibly low prices. The government also gets a nice extra revenue by doing this. These auctions often have luxury cars going at a fraction of their value.Every state am able to usually have different rules for their municipal auctions, but properties are all pretty similar. Usually the general public is allowed to bid.Before visiting one of these auctions it is advisable to prepare yourself well. Get a car price guide so you undergo an underlying thought of the value of the cars. Try to get to the auction the first part of so you can look over the cars.Starting bids at these auctions are often as low as $100. Luxury cars will usually be a little more expensive, but you should still be able to find great deals. You will find every sort of car at these auctions combined with sedans, race cars, sports cars end still vintage cars.

Salvage Car Auctions

September 17th, 2010 Monica No comments

Yes, there is always a good used car auction in your city, or even state, that you can go to and find a better deal in regards to a high quality automobile. Those things are going to push forward no matter what, and if you are not there to raise your hand and bid, someone else will mostly do it and leave you in the dust. It is not to say that you need to automatically bid on everything, however, you should definitely check out the items that are up for auction, because you might save a lot of money.

If savings are on your mind, you definitely have to see the greatness that can come from a quality used car auction. These places are not simply going to run with your money and leave you with a lemon. Although, you should definitely check into something new, but no one is going to force you to do so, and that’s a fact. So get up off your couch and get yourself a new car, well a used car, but it will be used to you.

Welcome to Merlin Car Auctions

September 14th, 2010 Monica No comments


Welcome to Merlin Car Auctions, car auctions, liquidation auction, liquidation sale, buy cars, sell your car, car prices, car to cash, used cars, cheap cars, Dublin, Ireland, used car Dublin, Merlin, car sales, used car values, car swap, finance cars, auction cars, car trade in, repo car…

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Are there any free government auctions?

September 14th, 2010 Monica 2 comments

I want to buy a car but all the government auctions on the web charge a fee to help u find the car u want.

Bid On Car Auction Live Online – Merlin Car Auctions

September 13th, 2010 Monica No comments


Merlin Live Online allows you to view, bid and buy without having to attend the physical auction. Merlin Live Online is a state of the art platform that enables our customers to bid from your office or at home – for the first time in Ireland. We at Merlin Car Auctions understand the developing needs of our customers. Our investment in the very latest technology re-emphasises the Merlin Motor Group’s commitment to maintaining our leading status as Ireland’s leading car auction.

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