Online car auctions vs. Traditional car auctions

It is sometimes difficult to remember a time before the internet. Before Google, if people had a disagreement about facts, they would argue or debate their points, now they simply type their question into a search engine and wait for the answer. Before the internet we had to open a dictionary or a thesaurus if we wanted the information contained within its covers. And before the internet, we actually had to travel to a car auction to buy used cars.

It’s quite amazing to think about the recent progression of vehicle auctions toward online car auctions. Although this trend was slow to be accepted, it has gained significant momentum in recent years.
Personally, I still prefer to purchase a vehicle I have seen in person. While dings, dents, and paintwork can be accurately described through online checklists and descriptions, a car’s overall presence is still projected in a clearer way in person. Further, it is the outlier vehicle that the internet fails to capture as well as live auctions. We have all seen an example of this. You see a vehicle that is in excellent condition. It’s not nice because of one specific thing but because of a series of things. Inversely, at some point a vehicle becomes a dog because of the numerous small imperfections that accumulate to give an overall sense of poor
maintenance. A used vehicle is only the sum of it’s parts.

Although the industry has emerged from the panicked used car shortage of recent years, inventory remains tight. Further, low mileage, top notch used cars are always in tight supply. Therefore, a proactive used car manager needs to utilize as many purchasing platforms as possible in order to ensure his dealership has the proper mix of vehicles. This means attending as many in person and online auctions as possible.

In other words, Internet vehicle auctions are here to stay.

Fortunately, many of the guidelines for successful online vehicle auctions are the same as the guiding principles for success at physical auctions. These are simple Used Cars 101 type of things. However, there are a few differences in the various auction types.

Here are some tips for online auctions:

Check your online connection well before the start of the sale.
Try to work uninterrupted.
Be thorough when reading the vehicle description and damage reports.
Be sure to pay attention to the arbitration policies at each online sale.
Make certain your car arrives and is examined within the arbitration guidelines. Yes, this means following up with the trucking company to ensure shipping times.

Hopefully these tips will make your online auction experiences as profitable as possible.