What Is An Online Car Auction

Traditional car auctions are a live event that happens in an auction yard or event center. The auctions are usually crowded with car dealers which buyer usually does not have enough capital to compete with volume buying car dealers. Though the car auction is a great place to find a car, most of the time the individual buyer will find better deals on an online car auction. There are several online sites that offer car auctions and the beauty of this venue is that the cars are there for you to look at for up to a week at a time.

The usual time a seller will list a car is for about five to seven days online. This will give the buyer time to look at all the cars that might be of interest and allow the buyer at their leisure to browse thousands of vehicles versus the limited variety at traditional car auctions.

The online car auction offers search engines configured so that the buyer can put in the make or model of the car sought and a result page will list the available cars on the net. The search engine also allows for the buyer to put their geographic location to determine a closer point for delivery or pick up. The location of the car is an important component when bidding at a online car auction. You may find the perfect car at the perfect price, but if you live in Boston and the car is in Denver, the cost of transport may out weight the potential savings you made on the purchase.

The pick up or delivery criteria is usually posted on the site where the car is listed. The details of what the owner is willing to do in terms of the exchange will be detailed so the buyer will not be burdened by unknown details and hidden costs.

If you do buy a car on an online car auction, remember to check your state and the state you purchase from for tax laws and other restrictions that will affect your purchase price. Some states make you pay their state tax during the sale and you will end up paying your state's taxes when you bring the car back home. Another good thing to remember is to make sure you can secure the proper paperwork to get the car across state lines.

The online environment allows you to be able to get the car's history before your buy. You have plenty of time to check with authorities or car history web sites to make sure there is no damage that is not reported. The car auction site is not responsible for the car listed, so there may be some unscrupulous characters out there trying to pass on a lemon. Be careful, research your purchase before you make the bid, and try to get enough information about the transportation agreement before you make a move. When you bid for an automobile on an online car auction, the ball is in your court. You have time to make a smart decision, so take your time to decide.