Looking at cars inside/revving them not allowed @ Blackbushe
Discussion
I used to go to Blackbushe auction a fair bit in the mid 1990s and usually the cars were opened several minutes in advance so you could sit in them to check they rev up ok, check the air con, electrics, clutch take-up, under the bonnet etc. I went to Blackbushe today and it seems as though even taking a quick look at the driver's area is strictly forbidden. Cars are only opened up just before they are driven through and a second driver actively blocks you off from sitting in the car.
I just wondered if anyone else finds this a bit frustrating - it almost encourages me to bid online more as even when you view the cars in person you can only really inspect the bodywork and whether the engine sounds noisy. I've been to a few smaller auctions recently and have been able to spend a good 5 minutes checking everything out before the car is driven in. I wonder if it's to do with Health & Safety at Blackbushe? I fully understand that some people used to rev a car from cold like mad to within an inch of its life so possibly this new policy is to prevent this. Nevertheless it isnt very helpful when trying to assess a car at auction.
I just wondered if anyone else finds this a bit frustrating - it almost encourages me to bid online more as even when you view the cars in person you can only really inspect the bodywork and whether the engine sounds noisy. I've been to a few smaller auctions recently and have been able to spend a good 5 minutes checking everything out before the car is driven in. I wonder if it's to do with Health & Safety at Blackbushe? I fully understand that some people used to rev a car from cold like mad to within an inch of its life so possibly this new policy is to prevent this. Nevertheless it isnt very helpful when trying to assess a car at auction.
Yes, it is very rare to find a bargain there these days and fees are several times what they were 20 years ago. Judging by prices the other day, you either have to pay over the odds for a mint example or compromise on quality to get something cheaper. Personally, I'd rather pay a bit more for something nice rather than something from a general sale or CCT line but prices seem to get higher every year as more and more people attend auctions.
Edited by hal3210 on Saturday 25th January 16:00
I worked there as a driver for a few months, soul f
king destroying.
However, the general clientele there made the do as you likeys look like royalty. Knuckle draggers were at the higher end of the evolutionary scale
BUT there wasn't this blanket do not touch edict.
It really was a case of get in car, drive to the auction bay, on the hammer drive out, park, walk back to the next car and repeat.......
If there was a backlog you could be sitting there and all four doors open, one pushes the throttle,and wiggles the steering wheel, another checks the service book, if there, very pissed off if it isnt!!. sometimes they might get the bonnet up and boot, 15 secs later, they have gone on to the one behind.
Worth going down there to observe people BUT not to buy a car. The costs are astronomical. I once calculated that BCA make nearly a grand on a 5k car from seller and buyer
king destroying.However, the general clientele there made the do as you likeys look like royalty. Knuckle draggers were at the higher end of the evolutionary scale
BUT there wasn't this blanket do not touch edict.
It really was a case of get in car, drive to the auction bay, on the hammer drive out, park, walk back to the next car and repeat.......
If there was a backlog you could be sitting there and all four doors open, one pushes the throttle,and wiggles the steering wheel, another checks the service book, if there, very pissed off if it isnt!!. sometimes they might get the bonnet up and boot, 15 secs later, they have gone on to the one behind.
Worth going down there to observe people BUT not to buy a car. The costs are astronomical. I once calculated that BCA make nearly a grand on a 5k car from seller and buyer
Thanks for that, that's a really interesting insight. I can totally understand that from a driver's perspective a lot of the traders must be really annoying. I can remember years ago a lot of people revving the life out of the cars. I also remember looking at a lovely old Daimler that was right at the back of the hall with the doors unlocked, it had a really nice hardback owner's manual. When I opened the door much nearer the rostrum I noted that the handbook had gone! So I can understand why the auctions are reluctant to open the cars too soon. It is amazing how a lot of traders barely look at the cars they are buying and of course a fairly high percentage bid online - which seems a real gamble to me.
I can imagine that working as a driver at the auctions is pretty soul destroying. It beats me how the traders make a good living from buying cars there. As you say, the buyers and sellers fees are astronomical. I see there are a few traders who just buy at BCA and then put the cars on eBay straight away (they even take photos of the cars inside the auction hall!) Always makes me laugh as when I'v sold my own cars before several buyers asked if I got it from an auction as if that would be a terrible thing. They didn't realise that about 80% of all forecourt stock is from auctions. Once you cover the fees and expenses to get to the auction I find it hard to believe the dealers make much of a profit. The snag is even if you manage to get a car worth £5k for £4k, once you add your fees, travel expenses and allow a few quid for odds and ends that need doing, you'd be lucky to make more than £200 or £300 a car. Of course, most cars that are worth £5k tend to make over £5k at the auction.
It is amazing to think that the auctions make nearly a grand on a 5k car. You'd think that more companies would be interested in starting car auctions, there are only really 2 large companies involved.
I can imagine that working as a driver at the auctions is pretty soul destroying. It beats me how the traders make a good living from buying cars there. As you say, the buyers and sellers fees are astronomical. I see there are a few traders who just buy at BCA and then put the cars on eBay straight away (they even take photos of the cars inside the auction hall!) Always makes me laugh as when I'v sold my own cars before several buyers asked if I got it from an auction as if that would be a terrible thing. They didn't realise that about 80% of all forecourt stock is from auctions. Once you cover the fees and expenses to get to the auction I find it hard to believe the dealers make much of a profit. The snag is even if you manage to get a car worth £5k for £4k, once you add your fees, travel expenses and allow a few quid for odds and ends that need doing, you'd be lucky to make more than £200 or £300 a car. Of course, most cars that are worth £5k tend to make over £5k at the auction.
It is amazing to think that the auctions make nearly a grand on a 5k car. You'd think that more companies would be interested in starting car auctions, there are only really 2 large companies involved.
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