Is there any real advantage buying from a motor auction?
Discussion
auctions are not what they used to be - dealer networks don't just send all their PX's or slow selling stock to auctions like they used to - they keep the good stuck and get rid of the rubbish. sometimes can you pick up a half decent car but you really need to know your stuff and you certainly need luck.
IATM said:
auctions are not what they used to be - dealer networks don't just send all their PX's or slow selling stock to auctions like they used to - they keep the good stuck and get rid of the rubbish.
Not at all. Pendragon for example (Evans Halshaw, Stratstone etc) have a policy where 98% of stuff gets auctioned. Most stock at proper auctions (BCA, Manheim etc) are decent part exes with some old T reg scrap mixed in. The trouble is though, auction prices are absolutely mental and that's before you add the obscene buyers fees.You need to work out what you want, how much you want to pay, find out the buyers fees in total and bid accordingly - you might be lucky but you need to be saving 20% over the dealers prices to make it worthwhile.
crostonian said:
Auctions are expensive enough for us in the trade at the moment, with a private buyers fee to pay I would imagine you can't be far off buying a car off a dealer with a bit of haggling.
I get the impression that Mannheim in particular are trying to force private buyers away. The fact that they want you to a) pay £300 before you even get a bidding number and b) charge you nearly £30 to send the logbook to DVLA says to me that they don't want private punters.The auction houses have certainly succeeded in putting me off. Fortunately one auction house remains where, as a buyer, you're charged nothing: ebay. That environment is no more dangerous that the 'real' auction houses IMO. You have to know what you're doing - but that goes double for a physical auction.
A couple of mates are traders and I've been with them to auction and pointed out I can buy an identical car cheaper on PH / AT
BUT if you need 4 cars every week you simply can't spend the time travelling to see cars miles away and then finding they aren't as described etc
Basically if you want a particular car and are willing to wait / travel, you will find a better deal.
BUT if you need 4 cars every week you simply can't spend the time travelling to see cars miles away and then finding they aren't as described etc
Basically if you want a particular car and are willing to wait / travel, you will find a better deal.
redgriff500 said:
A couple of mates are traders and I've been with them to auction and pointed out I can buy an identical car cheaper on PH / AT
BUT if you need 4 cars every week you simply can't spend the time travelling to see cars miles away and then finding they aren't as described etc
Basically if you want a particular car and are willing to wait / travel, you will find a better deal.
Exactly - it's a great place for a trader to buy 5-10 cars in one hit, plus fees for traders aren't as ridiculous.BUT if you need 4 cars every week you simply can't spend the time travelling to see cars miles away and then finding they aren't as described etc
Basically if you want a particular car and are willing to wait / travel, you will find a better deal.
I used to buy and sell cars going back 20 odd years now. I could buy two or three Metros/Novas/Escorts for a grand apiece and make an easy 3-400 quid on each, selling all of them within 4-5 days of the Thames Valley Trader coming out. A simple common sense sale of goods act and punters seemed to realise they were buying a seven to ten year old car at a fraction of its new cost. I never had a single comeback because I used to do a full service on everything so it would do the job. Those were the days.
Hi all,
I'm thinking of purchasing a 997 from auction, and have been doing some watching of the BCA site to see what comes up.
I've seen a few that come up, and when you email BCA they will tell you what the expected selling price is (almost identical to a Parkers valuation) but they will not tell you what the auction hammer price was after the event. Before i start taking valuable days off work to go to an auction just to find out the savings are not worth it as a private buyer, i was wondering if anyone out there regularly attends BCA auctions, and wouldn't mind letting me know what a couple of selling prices were?
It would be a great help! Please get in touch if you think you can help, there is a 997 going up for action on 5/9/12 at Paddock Wood that i think looks nice...
Cheers,
I'm thinking of purchasing a 997 from auction, and have been doing some watching of the BCA site to see what comes up.
I've seen a few that come up, and when you email BCA they will tell you what the expected selling price is (almost identical to a Parkers valuation) but they will not tell you what the auction hammer price was after the event. Before i start taking valuable days off work to go to an auction just to find out the savings are not worth it as a private buyer, i was wondering if anyone out there regularly attends BCA auctions, and wouldn't mind letting me know what a couple of selling prices were?
It would be a great help! Please get in touch if you think you can help, there is a 997 going up for action on 5/9/12 at Paddock Wood that i think looks nice...
Cheers,
The way i'm thinking it works, is that a Porsche Dealer do not want to devalue the brand by offering any 997's for less than about £37 (just searched online), so they aren't interested in the early 997's so send them to auction. Private dealers tend to steer clear as they are quite a specialist car.
Surely if it drives into the arena and doesn't kick out blue smoke or sound like a bag of spanners, get it on warranty and you should be ok?
Surely if it drives into the arena and doesn't kick out blue smoke or sound like a bag of spanners, get it on warranty and you should be ok?
Rubinski said:
The way i'm thinking it works, is that a Porsche Dealer do not want to devalue the brand by offering any 997's for less than about £37 (just searched online), so they aren't interested in the early 997's so send them to auction. Private dealers tend to steer clear as they are quite a specialist car.
Surely if it drives into the arena and doesn't kick out blue smoke or sound like a bag of spanners, get it on warranty and you should be ok?
This has got financially crippling disaster written all over it. Surely if it drives into the arena and doesn't kick out blue smoke or sound like a bag of spanners, get it on warranty and you should be ok?
Rubinski said:
DickHerpes said:
This has got financially crippling disaster written all over it.
Sounds like something my Dad would say... life would be boring if we all bought sensible cars!
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