If you want total seclusion from the outside world, a Lexus would surely fit the bill. However, if you actually enjoy being behind the wheel. Only an Audi will do.  Audi’s are designed for people who like to drive. This becomes very apparent as soon as you pitch it into a curve. The steering is tight and responsive. Its perfectly balanced chassis sorts out the bumps, while keeping you glued to the road. And, don’t forget about Audi’s race-bred Quattro AWD system. It can turn these luxury liners into real contenders.

An Audi can certainly help you make the most of your morning commute. But, you’re going to pay handsomely for all this refinement. Especially if you buy it from a dealer. However, there is a way for you to have your cake, and eat it too. It’s called an auto auction..

Private owners, dealers and government agencies all use auto auctions to liquidate their cars. From late models, to vintage and collector cars. There’s bargains to be had, if you’re a smart shopper.

Memphis has a ton of car auctions that will allow you to buy the Audi of your dreams, and save a ton of cash in the process. There’s bank auctions where you can buy repossessed cars. And, you can even buy seized cars at police auctions for pennies on the dollar!

To find a car auction, check the internet for online auctions, and online auction services in your area. You can also look in the yellow pages, or local papers like the Daily News for upcoming auctions. However, online auto auctions can really simplify the whole process for you.  Think ebay convenience, without all the hassle. But, don’t expect to find perfect cars at these car auctions.

Sure, you’re going to save $3-5k, but many auction cars will need new tires, brakes, tuneups etc. But, you’ll be told upfront what the car needs, before you bid. Plus, you’re probably going save more than enough money on the purchase price to cover any repairs that the car might need.

In an online car auction, you can browse the different cars being offered for sale. These listings typically include photos of the vehicle, a synopsis of the mechanical condition, along with other pertinent information relating to the sale of the car. Such as…

As-Is sale. This means that the car is being sold exactly the way it is. If it needs tires, brakes, or just a good wash, that’s going to be the responsibility of the buyer. There’s usually no warranty, unless manufacturers warranty is still in effect.

A No-Reserve auction means that the high bidder will get the car. The opposite of this is an auction with a Reserve. This means that the owner won’t sell the car until the bid price either meets, or exceeds his price.

At first, figuring out all of the details might seem a bit daunting. But, a good online auction service will help you navigate the ins-and-outs of each auction.

It is imperative that you have realistic expectations about the vehicles that are being sold at a public car auction. Depending upon the organization conducting the vehicle auctions, cars on offer might vary from ‘slightly more than junk’ to a ‘decent quality’ one. Government Auctions, mainly arranged by GSA (Government Services Administration), are amongst those few events that provide quality vehicles. The primary reason behind the better quality of their cars is that they are government surplus items. On the other hand, vehicles available at used car auctions conducted by insurance companies are mainly the ones involved in accidents. Most options available at these events draw little attention from regular car owners.

Watch for quality of cars

Quality of cars, which are being auctioned, needs to be your prime concern while shopping for one at a public car auction. These events sell vehicles ‘as they are’ and without any warranties, guarantees or buybacks. There are very little chances of your car getting returned or replaced, once it leaves the local auctions with you. Again, getting a reimbursement, whether partial or full, is quite difficult, if not impossible.

Attend Inspection Period

Public car auction generally comes along with a preliminary inspection period. Timing of these inspection periods varies with event organizers and hence, you should make sure to get your hands on the schedule to the earliest. Generally, they take place a day or two prior to the event or even hours before. Whatever be the case, do attend these inspections. Although you are not going to be allowed to drive the vehicle, sitting in it and starting the engine may give you enough information on the condition of the car that you have your eye on.

Use VIN for Car History

During inspection, you can also note down the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) of the car that you plan to bid on in the public car auction. Vehicle Identification Number can be used in Carfax website for getting detailed information on the history of your selected car. The data recovered from the website will allow you to identify if the vehicle holds a clean title or not. The report includes ownership and service history, which can be helpful for making a decision on the car.

Get a Kelly Blue Book report

Some experts also advise for getting yourself a Kelly Blue Book report or some other price guide for cars. They can help you in finding the current trade-in value of most autos. Using their figures, you can easily work out your bid.

These are the things, which I find most car buyers opt for, before attending a public car auction. With most car auctions having an online presence, you should also check those out for knowing the available stock at this event and filtering your options.

The public car auctions are open to all in the state and any interested person can take part in the auctions. In the past years, only dealers took part in the auction, and it was assumed that public was not allowed in the auctions. Now, any legitimate person can participate in the auction and buy his favorite car. The auction firms advertise about the auctions in the local media, telling the public about the auction. Nowadays, internet is used to advertise about the auctions. You have to subscribe to online auction databases which contain latest information about auctions at various places.
The local car auctions in Jacksonville, FL want the bidders to register with the auction firm to participate in the bidding. You have to go to the auction site and register yourself as a bidder. While some public car auctions allow free registration, you must pay a minimal fee to take part in the auction. The auction firms charge this amount to keep the Jacksonville, FL auctions away from trespassers.

After registering with the auction firm, you will get a list of cars participating in the auction. You can then decide on the car you wish to buy from the auction. On the day of public auctions, you must go to the auction site and inspect the car before deciding your bid amount. This inspection will reveal the status of the car which enables you to find out the worth of the car. You take a mechanic with you to get the car inspected correctly. Then, you decide on the bid amount for the car and start bidding.

You can expect various car dealers and other big institutions to participate in the Jacksonville, FL public car auctions. If your competitors are big institutions, watch the auction closely because these people tend to bid higher. Winning bidder must pay the full amount at the end of the auction, so keep track of your finances when you bid. Don’t get disappointed when you lose your bid in the public car auction. Jacksonville, FL is an important place where many auctions are held every year. You are sure to get your piece of cake when you participate in many car auctions. It is essential to know how the auctions advance when you want to buy cheap cars.

To save time and money, you can buy your car from auto auctions. Many public auctions are being held and there are many people who buy their cars from these auctions. It is true that you can get only used cars from these auctions but many of those cars will be almost new. Sometimes, the officials may seize a car that was bought a few days ago. Such cars also come under used car auctions but you are going to save about 80% of the car cost if you buy a car that was used for a few days. More and more people are now aware of government auctions as they can get cars at much cheaper rates.

The government and other financial institutions which seize cars cannot spend their money to maintain those cars. So, they wish to sell those cars and make profit. Without worrying about the market price, the starting price of the car auctions is fixed. Depending on the car, you may even buy a car at a price that is 90% less than the actual price. A lot of money can be saved on your car deal when you buy a car from live auctions.

Government auctions are held by government departments. They are not worried about money they get for the auctioned car because every cent is a profit for them. You can use this to buy a car at a much lower price and drive your dream car without making larger payments for the car. When you buy a car from showcase, you have to pay for the showcase expense also. The market price of the car is determined based on the car performance as well as dealership profits. You will be shocked to know money the dealers are making by selling these cars. Some dealers buy cars from repo auctions and sell them to you at the market price.

Today, many used car auctions are held online. Online auctions are much more beneficial than public auctions. Sitting at the comfort of your home, you can purchase any car you wish and save a lot of money. Before buying cheap cars from public auctions, make sure that you investigate the car before paying the full amount. This is essential to know the actual condition of the car.

A safe way to bid is to keep a limit for the final bidding mount. This way you can see when the bids are going too steep and when you feel you can escalate your bids a little more. Playing it safe always helps are all the used car auctions which are open to the public. This is easily done if you have studied the values of the cars which you plan to bid for beforehand and know how much they should finally cost you. Compare the prices with those in the open market and the auction prices should definitely be much less than the retail market ones. This price should be at least 40% less than the market value if you are making a worthwhile buy. Apart from the price of the car there is also a premium which the buyer has to pay so keep this in mind when bidding. Also remember that if the car has been up for sale for a while now, it will probably require a certain amount of doing up before you can use it unless it is one from the repo auctions or the police auctions. So you will have to have sufficient money to pay for its repairs before you can use it.

Do not bid first

Wait and watch the bids before you start bidding as you may end up bidding too high and put up the price of the vehicle where the bidding will go beyond the actual price. You should also watch out for some bidders who have been planted by the auctioneers to start the bidding at a higher level. So wait to see how the bids are taking place before you throw in your own bid. If at all you are starting a bid, then do so at a lower price so that you have room to raise it comfortably and it does not go beyond your budget. In case you are over enthusiastic about a certain vehicle these planted bidders will make sure that they raise the price of this vehicle with their bogus bids. So play it cool and be poker faced.

Auctions are places where you ought to get cheap cars and make sure you keep it that way.

Public car auctions, which include local auctions, repo auctions, police auctions, seized car auctions and online auctions are conducted with one of the two purposes: to make profits by getting bids, which is better than negotiations with car dealers and secondly, to plug losses to organizations that have to keep seized vehicles under their control and maintain them, which is a costly and effort-taking job.

Whatever be the reasons, you as a bidder are going to get profits out of this, if and only if you are careful enough or maybe just lucky.

Identifying your need and want

As a prospective bidder, you must be well informed of the things that you want and what you need. Be sure to judge between wants and needs. You may want a car for selling it and make gains, but you might also need one to drive yourself. You must be aware of the date of auction beforehand, so that you can use the time to your advantage by checking on the cars, gaining information about their costs and accordingly arrange the required amount of ready cash.

Reaching the venue in time

Reaching a public car auction venue in time may not seem important, but the fact (which every experienced bidder knows and exercises) is that just being on time can help you to optimize your bidding approach in the auction. You must take a mechanic with you so that you are able to know the cars to bid on and the ones to simply turn your face away. This enables you to maximize your profits and reduce the risk of getting hooked up with unmaintained cars.

Checking the details through VIN#

Always check the VIN# of the vehicles. This point is to be specially taken care of in police auctions, where most of the vehicles are stolen ones and you never know what you may be heading into. You may also like to take a look at the history of the vehicles that you intend to buy.

While you check on a car up-close, you must accept it is a second hand machine and may have undergone some wear and tear in the hands of the previous owner. As a result, you may have to get it repaired. You should assure that the repairing cost might not eventually make the car expensive to you.

No one wins a bidding war

You must be careful not to bid too much or to get into bidding wars and lose your money. This is why, you must maintain your calm at all times during an auction.

So, what are you waiting for? Just go, lay your hands on the next public car auctions and take care of the risks for getting a lucrative deal in your favorite car!

The best and probably the safest way to bid, is to keep a budget and an upper limit that you are willing to spend on your car. This way you will not overshoot your limit which may put you into a financial hassle. When you plan on the amount you can spend on your car you should take into consideration the fuel expenses and the cost of certain wear and tear which you will have to bear after you have bought the car. While starting to bid for a car always begin at the lowest amount so that your bid does not go beyond your budget. If the bidding does go higher than what you had planned then it is best to allow the car to go to the highest bidder. There is no need to get upset as there is always another auction for you to participate in and maybe get a better car at a cheaper rate.

Get a loan calculation done before taking a loan

If you have a certain amount of money and would like to take a loan to make it possible to buy a better car then you should do a loan calculation before you take one. There are companies which will assist you with a loan calculation for a nominal fee. The loan calculation will let you know the amount you would have to pay back finally including the rate of interest and the principle amount; it will also give you the amount you would have to repay as each installment and how     long this would take. This would help you to see whether you can afford such a loan with the amount of salary you are getting comfortably or whether you will land up in a financial problem.

Assistance for getting a loan

Once you have decided on the kind of car you are going to buy at the used car auction or at any other vehicle auction, you can get the agent or broker or the auctioneers themselves to assist you in finding a suitable loan for you. These agents are always in touch with banks and financial organizations which give used vehicle loans for their clients and will have a good personal rapport with them. This way they can also guide you to the best source where the rate of interest will be low and the pay back terms easier.

Although cars are available at a cheaper rate in these auctions, still you should have a thorough knowledge about them for getting the most benefit of your deal. Another important factor is that you must have a prior decision on the car, which you want to buy from these auto auctions. Simultaneously, it is imperative to calculate your budget before walking into these public car auctions. Calculated budget helps you to determine the point where you should stop while bidding for your car. When you opt for buying cars from these public car auctions, you save money, time and energy.

Again, buying cars from this car auctions can be an excellent source of investment too. You can buy the car at a cheap price and then sell it off at a higher rate in the market. You can make thousand of dollars in profit at an easier and quicker way.

You should go early to these vehicle auctions, so that you can get the actual information from the staff on the total number and type of cars available in the auction. Again in such car auctions, you should also check the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN#) with Carfex report so that you know about the history of the car and then go ahead for its purchase.

Before going to these auto auctions, you should also be aware of the market value of the car, so that you can bid in a proper manner. In these vehicle auctions, there also exists a preliminary inspection period. This helps in getting the look and feel of the car in a much better way.

Public car auctions are an excellent medium for those, who plan their move for buying their pair of wheels.

Public car auctions hold used cars, SUVs, trucks and vans from fleet returns, bank repossessed cars, lease end vehicles, government agency vehicles and trade-in autos. There is constant influx of such vehicles, making the aging inventory difficult to store, maintain and handle.

Therefore, the federal agencies auctioned them off for unbelievable low prices in public motor auctions. Most of the used vehicles are luxury cars of executive officers and government offices that use them for short period of 2 or 3 years and then replace them. So, here you get those popular models of BMW or Mazda to make you proud and happy! All these vehicles are still under factory warranty and come with complete service history records. Therefore, public motor auctions are the best way to buy best vehicles for better prices!

Buying a vehicle at the public motor auction is a fun way to save money, but one must know the procedure of the auction. Decide your budget to buy a Mazda or BMW model and finalize your finances.

Calculate actual price of the vehicle by adding sales tax, DMV fees, smog fees and other auction related fees to figure out the final price of your intended vehicle. Below is an example to figure out the actual amount.

1. Winning bid amount    $950.00
2. DMV fees              $30.00
3. Smog check            $50.00
4. Smog Certificate      $8.25
5. Documentation fee     $55.00
6. Tax                   $110.00
Total                 $1203.25

This calculation is just an example, and all the figures are tentative. DMW fees, tax, smog check and certification fees may vary by the location. Therefore, check out these values to know the final value of your winning bid.

These are few of the questions which bother each and every one of us. Let’s check out the answers of few of them!

Public automotive auctions generally schedule a pre-inspection day. Take time to look around the vehicles at the auction lot and check your intended vehicle inside out. Check and inspect the vehicle to make sure that it meets your requirements. Calculate your financial budget for maximum bidding before the auto auction begins.

Bidding is the important part of any Public automotive auction. Each vehicle on sale will be driven through the auction room one by one. The auction officer will declare the lot number and explain the car. Then the bidding process begins. The bidding process of the Public automotive auction is very fast and confusing for the first time. Take time to watch how they work for first few vehicles.

The auction officer will try to start with an asking price, “Who will offer $1,000 to start?”  If no one wants to start with that price, the auctioneer will announce a lower price until someone bids. To bid, just raise your hand and show your bidder number. A staff of the auto auction will shout to you, “Yes sir!” The auction officer will announce your price like this, “I got $850, who’ll give me $900?” If any bidder wants to bid for $900, he will raise his hand and bidder number. Again a bid catcher of the used car auction will point him, “Yes sir!” If you higher the bid, the bid catcher will see you and the other person will out. This procedure goes on until nobody wants to raise the bid. The officer at the auto auction will announce, “I have $1800, who will give me $1850? Call for once, twice and third! Sold!”

If you gave your bid was the highest, then the vehicle is yours! Immediately contact the money deposit section of the Public automotive auction and drive the car home.

Public vehicles auction has been devised for public in its literal sense. It offers the lowest possible value of used cars and also helps common men to find out their desired vehicle. Till now, car auction was a protected way of revenue for the government and was not advertised to general public. Only big dealers of the cars were able to take the opportunity for buying cars at cheap rates, which they eventually sell for huge profits. However now, car auctions are advertised on every domain of the web world. In a used car auction, you are provided with all the information to buy a good car from them. Help is provided for everything- from ‘how to inspect a car for mechanical conditions’ to ‘what financing options are available to buy the vehicle’. For acquiring the information, all you need to do is just ask for helpful and knowledgeable staff at the public car auction. If you are participating in used car auction, you need to be 18 years or older along with a valid driving license. There is no registration or bidding fee for participation in these auctions.Nowadays, car auctions are becoming increasingly popular and thousands of people are taking advantage from it. Frank T. from Buffalo, NY is a proud owner of VW Passat (model 2003), which he bought from used car auctions and saved $8,700 on it. This is one simple example which says that auto auctions are real and offer high end luxury accommodations at low prices.Auto auction is an excellent way to purchase your dream car at an affordable range. So do not let anything stop you from visiting them, as numerous vehicles in excellent condition are inviting you to make a deal!

Public auto auctions at a glance

Public auto auctions are the most popular type of vehicle auctions today. These vehicle auctions are not just for used cars, but for new cars as well! You could go for regular auctions or the local car auctions. Local car auctions are specific to the residents of a particular region. You might have car auctions in Florida or California or other places. The entry is restricted and hence, the competition is much lesser. If you want to participate in the easiest auctions ever, then go for Government-run public auto auctions. These are also conducted in all parts of the country, like car auctions in Florida or Los Angeles or California.

Information online

There are hundreds of web sites online that deal with such auctions and information. Getting online is a good way to interact with regular bidders and get consultations if you want. You can narrow down the search and get updates on your preferences only. You can participate in mock or real online auctions and choose from a better range of cars as compared to live auctions.

Bid at public auto auctions

There are a few simple steps for buying cars at auctions; register, inspect, bid and win. Seized vehicle auctions are a great way to get the fancy high-end models at prices within your reach. Imagine dreaming about your rich neighbor selling his fancy sports car to you for peanuts! Well, if you have seen bidders getting lucky, this is almost what happens. Public auto auctions are perfect to hunt for such deals. You might participate in mock auctions to get the hang of it. Later, you can jump in. The formalities are limited and the bargains are plenty. Just watch out for the competition.

Where do the auctioneers procure these vehicles from?

These vehicles which include boats, trucks, cars and many other types are repossessed by the public car auctions from private financiers and individuals, government forfeitures and seizures, whole sale dealers, new car dealers and banks. These vehicles require storage space which becomes and expensive issue and so are disposed of as soon as possible. The best way to do this is at the public car auctions or the US car auctions where there is a great demand for sales of repossessed vehicles.

Do an internet search for public car auctions

The best way to find out about such sales and auctions is on the internet. This is where you will get an unlimited amount of information on seized vehicle auctions, US car auctions and seized cars for sale. Though you can get some information in the daily newspapers too, this may not give you as much as an online search. You can find out about many different auctions and sales on the internet with details of the type of cars that are on sale, and also the venue date and time of the sale.

Get cars in good condition at affordable rates

The advantage of getting your car from a sale or auction is that it will be a vehicle in very good condition, sometimes almost brand new, and at very cheap rates. Buying from an auction will save you a lot of money. Do not think that the cars available here are of an inferior quality or models that are outdated and not popular. The swankiest cars, even imported ones, can be found here, and if you are lucky you will find a Porsche or a BMW or a Merck at an unbelievable price.

Legal Sales

All these sales are very legal ones as they are approved by the government. The cars have all the necessary legal documents in place and you will have no problem with all these issues. Most of the cars have been repossessed due to nonpayment problems, but documents and legalities are not a problem.

So if you have decided on buying your new vehicle through a public car auction you can do so without any doubts on the quality of the vehicle. Most of these vehicles are quite new as they are still under the payment period. So you definitely stand to benefit as you will get an almost new car for less than half the market value.

For the most part, you will that the automobiles that are offered at government auctions and car auctions are going to be sold ‘as is’.  What this means for you, as the buyer, is that you are going to be responsible for any repairs that the car may need.  For this reason, many people are leery of auto auctions.  However, there is no need for this fear.

Prior to bidding on the vehicles at government auctions, you will be afforded an opportunity to insect the cars in advance.    Most auto auctions will not allow you to test drive the cars, but in most cases, you will be able to start the vehicle.  To make sure you are getting a quality car, you should definitely take advantage of this pre inspection period.

You can begin your inspection by looking for external damage first.  This means that you should visually inspect both the exterior and interior of the car.  Be thorough in your inspections.  Check the trunk and under the seats.  Make sure that there is no dampness under the floor mats or seats.  Make note of any other obvious major damage to the vehicle as well.

When you are checking the exterior body of the car, be sure to look for any rust, paint that does not match, or paint bubbles (which can indicate a potential for future rusting).  You should also make sure that the body panels of the car are properly aligned.  Be sure to check the lights and turn signals.  And when you are inspecting the engine compartment, check for new bolts or bolts that do not match the other bolts in color.

While you are inspecting the engine compartment of the car, be sure to remove the oil stick.  Make sure that there are no white bubbles (indicative of the presence of water) and feel the oil to ensure that it is not grainy.  If the oil is extremely dirty, this may indicate poor maintenance.  You should also avoid vehicles where the oil is paste like.

While you are beneath the hood, you should also check the transmission fluid.  The fluid should not be dark brown or have a rancid odor.

Other things that you should be on the lookout for are leaking spots or stains beneath the vehicle.  Be sure to also inspect the tailpipe for gummy spots.

When you start the car, listen closely for sounds out of the ordinary, such as knocking or pinging.  The exhaust fumes should be clear.  Make sure that all the equipment is functional, especially the air conditioning and heat.  Test the power windows and locks and any other power options available on the car.

A quick transmission check will save you a lot of future headache.  You can perform this simple test by placing your foot on the brake and putting the car in drive and reverse.  Do this several times.  You want to make sure that the vehicle does not making any clunking noises or lunge when put into gear – this can indicate a transmission or other major problem.

If you follow these simple guidelines when inspecting vehicles at car auctions, you need not be intimidated by the task.   And by thoroughly inspecting the car you are interested in, you will vastly improve the chances of getting a great car in good working order.