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If you're looking into buying a new car and want to grab a true bargain you need to head over to a car auction. This however can be risky if you don't know a lot about cars. But if you are properly prepared for it a car auction is the perfect place to pick up a new vehicle at low cost.

Do your research

Before you even attend a car auction there is a lot of information that you need to sort out, especially if this is your first time at such an event. If you have never attended an auction before my advice to you is go to one purely just to see what it is like and to get a feel of how such an event operates. You will start to get an idea of how auctions are run as well as some of the terminology that is used within them, for example direct cars means the car has come direct from an owner or it is an ex-company car.

When you do decide to purchase a car from auction you also have to set out how much you can afford to spend. This is your budget and it is very important that you stick with it; it can be very tempting when an auction gets underway to keep bidding but make sure you know your limits. You should also take on board information and options available from professionals, for example it is advised that you aim to buy a car that is between two and five years old.

I feel it is safe to say that auctions aren't for everyone but if you do your research and decide they are for you then the next thing you should aim to do is find out about the way in which car auctions operate.

Types of cars at auction

All of the vehicles that are sold at these auctions are done so on behalf of their owners, all of whom complete a legally binding form, generally known as entry form. Within this document they will have to state the vehicles age, mileage and the condition which it is in. With all of this information collected a reserve value is set against the car, this represents the lowest figure that the seller will accept, meaning an auctioneer will not be able to sell below this value.

In some auctions the vehicles are put into certain categorises, some examples of these categories are executive sales, late year sales and low mileage sales. In most cases however any type of vehicle can turn up and be sold.

The day of the auction

The viewing at an auction normally lasts for an hour and starts at 9am, after this the sales will begin. On the day of the actual auction all of the vehicles involved would be lined up by lot and in order of their correct sale section ready to be sold. They would be presented in well lit viewing areas so you could look over all aspects of the car.

Information and facts about the car would then continue when the auctioneer describes it to the buyers, in some cases the car would also be driven into the auction hall. It is very important however that you listen closely to what the auctioneer says as this description is legally binding. The auctioneer could be informing you of any major faults, the existence of a service history and MOT and whether there is a reserve price. Once the information has been recited by the auctioneer and only when this happens will the actually bidding start on the car.

Generally in auctions involving cars the bidding is done in £100 increments or less, in some cases however the bidding can involve £200 or even bids into the thousands. Just make sure that if you are bidding you raise your hand clearly.

When it comes down to it the most important aspect of car auctions is doing your research. The more prepared you are the easier it will be for you to get your head around the way in which auctions work and the more chance you have of gaining a decent car at a decent price.
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