Buying a car at auction

s_b

mate got to the auction late as a capri was under the hammer and it looked cheap so he stuck his hand up and bought it
went out to the car park jumped in it and he thought wheres the steering wheel and pedals?
he had bought a left hooker

SteveJW

Do your research, decide what make / model you prefer. See what they are selling for, find out the common faults, decide what your maximum price is. Attend a couple of auctions with someone who knows about cars, dont get in a bidding war and be prepared to walk away.

2002 someone at work purchased a 1996 Mazda 323f for £1,300, 110,000 miles, full service history and HPI check. Only thing wrong with it was a minor oil leak, the engine was that oil tight the sump had rotted through from the outside, he put a sump on it. His wife hated it, so he let me have it a couple of weeks later for £1,500
Still going strong, only let me down once when the battery failed. Passed every MOT with no advisories

Still runs like a dream

Hope you find one as good

mikey72

s_b wrote: »

its easier to use a pair of mole grips and tighten down all the possible places the buyer might try to unscrew to see the fluids
in the old days it was easy to take the rocker cover off and weld the filler cap on from the inside
i remember once bunging the hoses up on the radiator pipes then filling radiator with water so buyer wouldnt see it rtumbling,obviously this car was parked very near the rostrum and the driver had instructions to turn the engine off while under the hammer
of course the seller might be at the sale and just slip the driver a few quid so that any potential punters arent allowed to get to the bonnet catch because he locks himself in


oh happy days hiding round the corner watching the mug punter and his daughter as they handed over the readies at the cashiers desk:D


moneysaving forum advice?
dont buy at auction unless you know whAT YOU ARE DOING

And never buy from a used car dealer.
They've worked hard and long to get the reputation they deserve.

thescouselander

I was considering getting a car from the auction for the OH - that was until I saw the buyers fees. The bigger chains seem to have hiked prices over recent years and it is actually quite difficult to calculate exactly how much you might pay in fees as they hide the information well. Once I had worked it all out it was enough to totally put me off.

Rolandtheroadie

Paid over £200 for the privelage of buying at auction recently, including a £25 + VAT to stick the V5C in an envelope and send it to Swansea for me. This may have been optional, it wasnt put across as if it was.
Oh and it was also my first auction squib which makes me feel even better lol.

TrickyWicky

s_b wrote: »

oh happy days hiding round the corner watching the mug punter and his daughter as they handed over the readies at the cashiers desk:D

Charming. I wonder how many family rows about money and how many nights of lost sleep you caused.

s_b

TrickyWicky wrote: »

Charming. I wonder how many family rows about money and how many nights of lost sleep you caused.

dont go to an auction if you dont want to be a sheep to slaughter go to a trader

mikey72

s_b wrote: »

dont go to an auction if you dont want to be a sheep to slaughter go to a trader

"if you want to be a sheep to slaughter go to a trader"

corrected that for you.

TrickyWicky

Fair point but it's still not right though is it.

This is why I hate looking for cars, so many people convinced that bodging it and "get shot of it" is the right thing to do. The reality is the poor s*d that buys it has less money than you and can't afford expensive repairs.

Some really sick people out there.

s_b

mikey72 wrote: »

"if you want to be a sheep to slaughter go to a trader"

corrected that for you.

you just have a chip on your shoulder im afraid
ive haddock with you:D