If you are going to be participating in any government car auctions, there are some basic safety precautions you need to check in order to protect yourself. Before you attend the auction, it is important to be well prepared for bidding on the vehicles you are interested in. For example, in addition to the physical inspection of the vehicle, you need to find out the true history of the vehicle.
Government car auctions can reduce the risk because in general, previously government-owned vehicles are well-maintained and come with full disclosure. It is recommended that you confirm everything anyway. In the case of repossessed or seized cars you must be sure the title history is clean and that the vehicle has not been rebuilt in any way.
It is recommended that you get the vehicle history report. Most auctions provide a complimentary “Carfax report” and vehicle history for all their vehicles. You can usually get this information a couple of days before the real auction, as this is when most government auctions provide a preview of their cars for sale. If there is not a report available, you should consider purchasing this information yourself from Carfax before auction day. Reports usually cost around $30 and can be well worth the investment, if only for the peace of mind.
Here are some important vehicle inspection tips that you can use to check any used car, but especially important if you plan on buying a car at a government auction. Here is a condensed listing of things to check on the condition of a vehicle if you are unsure of the history.
• Tire Wear – If bald or uneven this can indicate bad alignment.
• VIN stickers –All stickers from the doors, hood, trunk, dashboard need to match, otherwise the vehicle could have been wrecked or stolen.
• Avoid “title in transit” cars. If there is no title present for you to take today, do not consider buying.
• New carpeting for no apparent reason. Could have been flooded or vehicle not well looked after.
• Obvious presentation of vehicle, scratches, dents, bad paintwork, smoke smell, etc. Follow your gut instincts. If something does not seem right, stay away from that vehicle.
Check with the auction house to see if you can set up an appointment to test drive a car. Sometimes it is not possible as some only allow engine running because of insurance and title reasons. It also may be a good idea to hire a mobile auto inspection service. For around $100, qualified mobile mechanics will go out to the car and examine the car.
By using common sense and doing your homework to inspect a car before any seized car auctions, you will be able to get some great deals.
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