US government car auctions in Salt Lake City have proven to be consistently reliable for people in search of quality used cars at low prices. While it is true that government auctions across the country sell vehicles that well below market value, Salt Lake City has proven to be particularly beneficial for local residents. If price is a primary consideration, consider looking at government car auctions in Salt Lake City before general public auctions or repossession auctions.
Why Are Government Car Auctions in Salt Lake City Good Deals?
Anyone who is not familiar with government car auctions understandably want to know why they are such a good deal. One of the hidden benefits of attending government auctions in Salt Lake City is reliability. Government surplus auctions only include vehicles which have been owned and used by the government for the vehicle's entire life. This means bidders can get access to extremely detailed maintenance and repair records. These records are essential for determining how reliable a vehicle will be over the next several years. As an added bonus, Salt Lake City has several key ordinances which outlined how a vehicle must be maintained. This provides a minimum baseline in which to determine the overall reliability and quality of the vehicle.
Why Are Prices Lower at Government Auctions?
Since government surplus auctions typically offer reliable vehicles, the next question people ask is why prices are consistently lower than other types of auctions. The first reason prices or lower is because government surplus auctions are still considered to be less popular than repossession auctions. This is because the listings are typically less varied. Plus, Salt Lake City almost exclusively purchases locally manufactured vehicles which means international manufacturers will rarely be part of the fleet. As a result, most auction listings are entirely composed of domestically manufactured vehicles.
Another reason prices are lower at government auctions is redundancy. Since the government purchases vehicles in bulk for their fleet, they order a significant number of the same vehicle. This purchasing policy is reflected in the auction listings. Here's a quick look at a recent auction listing for a government surplus auction in Salt Lake City held by the GSA.
- 5 Dodge Avenger (2008-2010) with 40,000-90,000 miles
- 20 Pontiac G6 (2008-2009) with 30,000-70,000 miles
- 8 Chevy Impala 2007-2009) with 40,000-80,000 miles
- 7 Chevy Malibu (2008-2010) with 20,000-80,000 miles
As you can see, there were only four different types of cars available at this auction. At the same time, each make and model gave bidders multiple opportunities to make a purchase. If you were interested it in a Pontiac G6 then you had 20 different opportunities to buy one. While there is some variance and mileage, this typically has very little effect on the price because all of the vehicles were maintained in the same manner.
Government Surplus Auctions Are the Safest Type of Government Auction
In general, government surplus auctions are considered the safest type of government auction to attend in regards to consistency. Since everyone at the auction knows what to expect, there is no reason for them to arbitrarily bid up the price on a particular vehicle. Over the course of an auction this means significantly lower prices than any other type of auto auction.
