RE: Gone in 60 Seconds

[confused_buyer]

V8mate said:

moneymouth77 said:

I'd never buy at auction. Not for any particularly obvious reason, just don't like the thought.

It's no different to buying from a dealer - just that the person who is willing to offer the most for a car gets to buy it. If you want a warranty, buy an after-market one.

It's not quite like that, in the last week I've punted one very nice looking exec with 105k on the clock I know for a fact had done at least 280k, one car with barely no brakes and one with a blown headgasket. All sold, at least the 280k one I know to private buyers and at good prices. If I'd sold any of these directly to them I'd probably end up in court.

I also got stuck with a dud from a lease company (slips out of reverse - 06/56 with 55k) in the last week - will be auctioned off. On Monday I was at Blackbushe for an hour collecting and saw a family buy a £11k BMW 330d. Nice car, lot of trade interest as well. They were delighted - saw it on the Minley Manor road approaching the M3 with clouds of smoke coming out the back from a blow turbo.

There are some excellent buys at auction but it is not like buying from a dealer. You have to accept that every now and again you'll just have to punt one back - ideally at the other end of the country so people do not spot it.

[confused_buyer]

nsmith1180 said:

The tyres, the misfire, yeah you could see those at the AH im sure. Dont know, have never been, but there were other issues with the car also, we expected to pay for 4 tyres, we expected to sort a misfire, we didnt expect a 2k prep bill!

I dont know if we attended this auction tho or bought via online bidding. If we did we are idiots! Just saying that many cars at auction have hidden faults that are very hard to see. More than once have dealers I have worked for ended up paying too much for a car because they could not check it out properly "at the block".

Agree. Even buyers who buy thousands a year buy a lot of duds. In the case of some buyers, if they do buy a dud, the seller will just take it back and put it in another disposal auction they are such good customers.

There are very limited things you can check before it goes under the hammer and you can only make an educated guess as to the car. Also remember that the same experienced buyers know what to look for and also know how to prep a dud car for auction so it looks like the "buy of the day".

You just have to buy 'em and if they're wrong get shot.

Edited by confused_buyer on Friday 26th June 11:47

[V8mate]

confused_buyer said:

There are some excellent buys at auction but it is not like buying from a dealer. You have to accept that every now and again you'll just have to punt one back - ideally at the other end of the country so people do not spot it.

If it'll make it that far

[rapidophile]

I could be in the market for a Boxster S early next year.

2004 54 Porsche Boxster S 3.2 260bhp Roadster 35k 15000 SOLD

Seen quite a good examples at that kind of money from traders and private sellers. I am assuming this was the second revision. Tis quite low miles but I wouldn't say its a real bargain.

[V8mate]

This thread was from six months ago, when demand for stock in the the market was bursting. Times are harder now.

[rapidophile]

Thanks for response V8mate.

After reading your threads, think I'll at least pop along to a couple when the time comes if I can find one with a Boxster S coming up in advance.

Cheers