Car Auctions

Welcome to our Car Auctions mini website. Here you will find a listing of the most popular Car Auctions available to the general public. We also provide a chat room about car auctions and related topics. Because of the increase in popularity of eBayMotors, we have also provided some tried and true principles for those who want to bid for a vehicle on eBay. We also provide the most current news about car auctions and important information you must know before attempting to bid on a vehicle at a car auction.

In an effort to meet the needs of our visitors, we also provide an Automotive Parts and Book Store. This online store provides a very large selection of automotive parts and automotive books. While are main interest here is car auctions, if you are searching for a book on how to buy a car at an auction, or how to buy a car in general, or you are looking for an automotive tool or part, you should find our store useful. Most of the parts in our Automotive Parts and Book Store have free shipping, and many are priced lower then what you would find at your local auto parts store. In keeping with the theme of the information presented here, lets begin our discussion about car auctions which are present in the United States.

Car auctions may be attended by dealers, but they also are open to the non-dealer. To buy a car at an auction requires more energy, but it is a viable means of obtaining a used vehicle for a lower price then what you may purchase from an individual, and a lot lower then what you would purchase from a dealer. As a matter of fact, dealers get a lot of their used cars from auctions, then they mark up the price, provide a limited warranty, and make a profit. Why not buy a car from an auction and not pay that profit to the dealer.

Where do vehicles come from that are for sale at auctions? That really depends on the type of auction. Many car auctions consist of repossessed vehicles. Loan companies and banks need to gain back their loss on a vehicle where the owner could not make payments. The advantage to you the bidder is this. Most cars and trucks that are sold at repo auctions are newer model vehicles, have low mileage, and usually are in pretty good shape. Just remember one thing, dealers would like to have these vehicles as well so that they can resale with a profit. So you may have to out bid a dealer.

So how do you know where and when these car auctions take place? This first place to look is online, and read websites like the one you are reading now. Here you will find a listing of current car auctions. You can also look in your local paper, the physical paper or online version, and look for local auctions by police who have impounded cars. Also, look in the paper in terms of your town office having information about car repo auctions in your area. You can also go directly to your town office to find out if they post the location and time of repossessed car auctions.

Most seized property auctions are either government or non-government. These type auctions will be selling other items besides motor vehicles. Government auctions may consist of more expensive cars, boats, jewelry, and many luxury items. Non-government car auctions usually consist of vehicles gained from repossession due to extended period of non-payment by the previous owner. If you desire to find a low mileage vehicle that is in good shape, this is the type of auction you should try to focus in on. The following is a listing of this type of car auction. Some of these allow online bidding, while others require you to be at the location to bid. This list also consists of those websites which provide car auction information for your local area.

• Gov-Auctions.org
• Auto Auctions - Public Vehicle Auction Nationwide
• Insurance Auto Auctions
• Car Auctions - AutoCastle
  
• Interstate Auto Auction - Public Car Auction
• Car Auctions - Barrett-Jackson Auction Company
• Car Auctions - Alameda County Auction
• Car Auctions - GovernmentAuctions.org - Government Auctions and Bank Foreclosures
• Car Auctions - SeizeCars.com
• Car Auctions - SeizedPropertyAuctions.com
  
• Copart Auto Auctions
• Awesome Car Auctions
• CheapCarFinder.com
• Government Seized Auctions - CarAuctionSources.com

If at all possible, you should be at the location to bid on the vehicle. While most auctioning organizations will not allow you to drive the vehicle before bidding, you usually are allowed to start the vehicle to make sure it is running. Most car auction organizations have a period prior to the bidding period, where you can look around at the various vehicles and focus on a particular vehicle you may be interested in.

When using an auctioning organization, make sure you understand their policies clearly. For example, does the auction house provide a refund on a vehicle that you bid for online where you subsequently find later that the vehicle will not even start? Make sure you have a clear understanding of their policies before bidding.

Because eBay is the most well known auction site on the web for all types of products, and given the increase in popularity of eBayMotors, we have provided some common sense principles when bidding on a car through eBay. Bidding on a car through eBay is different from the typical auction which we previously discussed. The principles for bidding successfully for a car on eBay, are as follows:

Car Auctions - eBay Principles

• Make sure you have a make and model of vehicle in mind so you can narrow your search.
• Examine some of the auctions for awhile, and don’t feel that you must get the first car that you see. Use the “watch this auction” feature, and note what the winning bids are for your make and model.
• Buying a car through eBay is only worth it if you can buy the car for at least $2,000 less then what you can get for it locally.
• You need to be able to talk to the seller on the phone. Before bidding, develop a rapport with the seller.
• Before bidding on a vehicle, make sure the seller allows you to cancel the deal, after you view the car, if you are not satisfied.
• Examine the feedback from other buyers about the seller. This feedback can tell you a lot about the integrity of the seller.
• Do not bid on vehicles which set a minimum winning bid. Many times the minimum winning bid can come very close to the retail value of the car, which means you are wasting time buying a vehicle through eBay.
• Make sure to have the car inspected by a mechanic in the city where the vehicle is to be purchased. eBay actually provides this service in 50 metropolitan areas across the United States.
• Be prepared to travel to the destination where the vehicle is being sold. Add this cost to the cost of the car to determine what you will actually end up paying for the car.
• Go to website CARFAX, and spend $24.99 to view where the car comes from, it’s actual mileage, and any history damage. To do this you need the cars vehicle identification number (VIN number). If the seller has nothing to hide, he/she will gladly give it to you. You can spend $29.99 and get unlimited vehicle history reports.
• Make sure you know what the retail and wholesale value of the car is. You can get this from the Blue Book value online, or from Edmunds.com.
• If during the bidding it appears as if you are going to be in bidding war, stop, otherwise you could end up paying to much for the vehicle.

If you abide by these common sense principles, you can buy the car of your dreams on eBay Motors.

Car Auctions - Conclusion

A car auction is a great place to buy a low mileage, relatively new vehicle. By buying a car through a car auction, you can save from 60% to 90% off of the blue book value of the car. Many people would prefer a car that is only a few years old, due to the massive depreciation that is inherent in a car. As soon as you drive a new car off the lot at the dealer, it has depreciated. A slightly used car has already depreciated greatly, which is good for the buyer. Therefore, why not buy a slightly used car which has already depreciated, is broken in, and is in excellent condition. A good source for this type vehicle is the car auction.