CADDY2K.com

Hi all

Just in the process of looking for my 1st caddy and wondered if any of you have bought one from a auction?

Had a look at copart, and am going to sign up for BCM as see what’s on there, but never bought from auction before so not sure how it works, or even if it is any better/ cheaper than normal private/ dealer route?

I have seen a few on Copart that are undamaged and look ok, and it won’t be my daily so not bothered if there is some minor work to do I could carry out myself, more wondering if there is any savings to be had going down auction route

Any advice from anyone who has done this would be great

Thanks

I've bought cars at auction before but not a Caddy.

I know this is kind of stating the obvious and therefore may not be very helpful but......... It's not universally cheaper, it depends on who else is bidding. Prices are often pushed above private sale prices, but it is also possible to get a bargain. You also need to be aware of what fees will be added to the auction price, payment methods accepted, collection time permitted before storage fees are added etc.

I'd advise going as a spectator to see how it works before going to buy. You need check over the vehicles you're interested in while being aware of their place in the queue as you'll only get access to them running shortly before they're driven in.

Ok thanks,

I’m planning on watching a few go through auction online and see what the final selling price is to gauge a average price they are going for there

Buying from Copart can be a rewarding experience, however, it can be a bit of a nightmare...

For example...

A Caddy van that sells on their site for a hammer price of say £2000 (or £4000) will end up costing you £2900 (or £5450) including auction fees and you'll still have to figure out how to get it home as they dont allow you to drive away, all purchases must be towed/transported away. If they provide the transport you'll need to add between £35 - £800 depending on which Copart site you buy from. It starts to add up once you factor everything in.

Also, they are closed to pre auction visits at the moment so you are essentially buying it blind. They are masters at showing images of the vans running (boosts the sales price), however you dont know if the engine is rattling and on its last legs or the gearbox is shot!

However, after saying the above, I'm looking to buy a doner vehicle from one of the auction websites for an engine and gearbox upgrade but not until they are open for visits and I can check out what I'm buying.

I bought my previous car at auction and frankly wouldn't do it again. I was lucky that I paid the extra £500 warranty (and had a bloody minded garage) because it needed some serious work straight away and tbh, stayed a mucky engine for the entirety of the time I had it.

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eBay is an auction site..
And after a test drive you could refuse the purchase..

Repossessions etc can be a reasonable buy and there's a few of those atm.
You can be stuck with some real horror story though that someone wouldn't dare sell privately or from their forecourt.

That said I have a friend who sells top end cars and will take anything reasonable as part ex to make a sale, he just sends them to auction and buyers can get a real bargain.

Know what you're buying and fix a limit that you do not go over, its very easy to get caught up in the rush and pay over the odds.

Be warned, small vans are not cheap atm and as said currently they are even fetching over what you would get one for as a private sale. End of the financial year is often good as companies renew their fleets but be aware there will be competition for anything half decent.

Ebay is an auction site but you're on thin ice buying to test drive, most ads invite to try before you buy and every bid is a contract to buy so you better find something serious if your buying to test drive.
Its not something I would entertain, you bid to buy not to try.

I've bought from Manheim, BCA and Copart. BCA and Manheim have both been in person, which isn't possible at the moment.

In person you usually have a few minutes once the car you are interested in has started up and is driving through. So once those auctions are back up and running I'd visit a few to get into the swing before bidding.

My only Copart purchase has been a berlingo, I was after something with very light damage and took a gamble on a low price car to see what its all about. I'm pretty happy with how it has gone, the car is much better than I expected and the damage is very light... but.... factor in delivery costs, which I found to be quite pricey, and.... personally I wouldn't buy anything with "no damage" as its in a salvage auction for a reason. I avoided the ones that looked to good to be true as I suspected they would be hiding something expensive, I thought replacing a wing and headlight is much cheaper and easier than anything mechanical.

What I would say though is that regardless of which auction you are looking at, there is a reason those cars are there. The newer/more expensive cars are likely trade in that can't be retailed or fleet cars, these will probably not be hiding anything. The rest of the cars could well be hiding problems.

I wouldn't try and put anyone off buying at auction, there are definaelty bargains to be had, but go in with your eyes wide open and if you aren't comfortable with a purchase possibly having issues then think carefully about bidding, even the most experienced buyers can and have been stung.

Just to note that there is the auction commission then there is VAT on that commission fee. So a £10k hammer price at 10% commission is £1000 plus 20% VAT on that ie £200. ie total to pay £11 200. Note also there there may well be 20% VAT on the hammer price, although this is if course the same with a dealer. So don't be beguiled by hammer prices. Most auctions will publish terms and conditions, really study these. Don't expect too much 'customer care' from office staff on sale days, they are rushed off feet/stressed. Better to make enquiries on quiet days.