Government Seized Auto Auction - Top 10 Tips To Buying At An Auction

by 08120706

You can buy a real dream vehicle at Government Seized Auto Auctions, but you also have a chance to purchase one
huge nightmare of a lemon monster. These following tips will steer you in the right direction by saving
you time, money and embarrassment.

1. Biggest tip: Get to the government auto auction early. You have to pick out the vehicles that you are
interested in and inspect the vehicles thoroughly. If you don't want to have a sour lemone taste in
your mouth later, run a vehicle history report! Have someone standing by that you can call on your
cell and run a Carfax report.

2. Bring your Kelly Blue Book or NADA book and do not pay over the book price, there will be folks that have
no clue, they will run up the bid price because they have no idea what the auto is worth. Let them
have it.

3. Find out what the buyers premium is for that particular government auto auction and remember to
factor that into the equation, it is typically 5% to 10% of the winning bid. Most of the first time
car auction buyers are not aware of the buyers premium.

4. Don't forget to bring a vehicle inspection check off list with you. It is so easy to forget
some crucial inspections. Forgetting to check the AC can mean a very costly repair.
This is key, as you will be buying from the car auction AS IS!

5. Do the VIN tags match? The VIN tags, doors, trunk, hood, and dashboard should all match.
Mismatched VIN tags usually means the car or vehicle has been wrecked or stolen.

6. Deduct 30% if your vehicle history report shows that the auto has a rebuilt title.

7. Check the odometer against your vehicle history report. An alternate method is to look
at the brake pedals and see if the wear is congruent with the odometer. If the brake pedals
look excessively worn compared to what the odometer reads, the odometer may have been tampered
with.

8. Deduct for excessive mileage. The US Department of Transportation reports that the average
car is driven 12,500 miles per year. A good rule of thumb is to deduct about 15 cents per mile over
that average.

9. Learn the Car Auction process, go to the auctions a few times and just observe
and ask questions. This will prevent you from making costly mistakes on your first live auction.

10. Follow your gut instinct! If a car, truck, or boat does not feel right, don't buy it. You
will be right more times than not.

If you follow these 10 guidelines as well as performing a thorough vehicle inspection, you can get
some real bargains at any government auto auctions. Whether you are buying for yourself or to
retail on the market remember to never fall in love. There will always be another car at another
auto auction. This is the most powerful attitude and stance you can take as well as the best prevention against telling your honey that you just bought a lemon!

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About the Author

Currently in college and the tips are very helpful.