Buying a used car can be intimidating. Between haggling with used car salespeople and driving from dealership to dealership, it means you will spend a lot of time on the road trying to find the right car. You never know if you’ll ever find the exact car that you want at a price you can afford.

Do you know that you can save time and money, as well as find the exact vehicle you want, by buying your next car from any of the auto auctions across the United States? You can even buy your auto from US auctions without leaving your home by shopping at a variety of auto auctions with online marketplaces, like Washington car auctions, which is a place for auto auctions like insurance auto auctions and salvage auctions. Online car auctions such as SCA.com offer a place where the public can buy a car without the need for a dealer license, which you would typically need at auto auctions catering to dealerships.

To get ready to find your next ride, you should consider a few things:

•         What type of car or truck are you looking for?
•         How much money do you want to spend?
•         Can you do your own repairs or do you have a mechanic friend who can work on cars?

These are some of the most important questions you can ask yourself because insurance car auctions can save you a lot of money on the vehicle itself, but you have to know how to buy a car from an auto insurance auction and all salvage cars must be repaired and receive a rebuilt title before they can be taken out on the road.

Preparing for an Insurance Auto Auction

Since auctions have hundreds of cars being sold off at any given time, you need to prepare yourself to bid. Auctions can be fast-paced. So, to save money, you need to be prepared with a budget ahead of the sale date.

Spend time checking out the upcoming auctions by going to the website and looking through the inventory. Cars are listed in advance of the sale, so you can research more information on prices, values, problems, and other pertinent information by checking out the manufacturer’s websites, owner’s online bulletin boards, Facebook groups, and more. By doing in-depth research before bidding, you can get a good idea of how much money you want to spend, as well as whether the car you like gives owners problems. Online groups talk about cars that have chronic problems like brake rotor wear and other mechanical issues.

Once you have found the car and know how much money you want to bid, make sure that you consider the fees, taxes, repairs, transportation, and any other costs associated with the sale.

The auction site should give you an idea of what area of the vehicle has been damaged, so you can get an idea of parts that may need repair. You will be able to see the maintenance history of the vehicle, so you can see how it was cared for prior to the damage. If the free report on the site is not enough, then buy a report from a trusted third party company like Carfax. If you want someone to take a look at the car for you, you can hire a third party to come and inspect the vehicle. Make sure that the company you hire has access to the site you want to buy from.

Sometimes insurance auto auctions sell cars that have not been destroyed but have simply been damaged to the point that it is more expensive to fix them than sell them. You might find a car that has cosmetic damage that you can live with but has no mechanical damage. This is why it is important to find an auto auction site that gives you as much information as possible on the vehicle for sale. Look to see which insurance company is selling the vehicle, to see if they have a good reputation.

Some of the things to avoid include flood damage that can cause long-lasting rust issues and titles that say ‘exempt’ in the mileage, because the odometer may not reflect the true mileage.

How to Choose an Online Auto Auction

Not all auction sites are the same. Some are for dealers only, so unless you have a dealer license, you cannot bid on any of the vehicles on the site.

Public auctions offer cars that are open to public bids, meaning anyone with or without a dealer license can bid. These auctions may have cars, trucks, SUVs, RVs, motorcycles, and even boats for sale. Public auctions handle insurance loss vehicles, bank, and finance company repossessions, vehicles from municipalities, and more.

Government auctions can include more than cars. The auctions may also include used vehicles from government agencies, such as trucks from the forest service or vans from the national parks. Their auctions can be very interesting.

No matter which auction site you choose, the site should make it easy for you to sign up, easy to find the vehicle you’re looking for, and it should make bidding easy too. Since every site is different, make sure that you read their FAQs and ask questions before you bid.

If you know the vehicle you want, know your budget, and take your time when bidding, you might be able to save money while getting the car you want.

Image Credit: Alex Suprun

Filed Under: Auto News

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