| There are some negatives when it comes to buying a | | | | Dealer lot. |
| vehicle at a government car auction. But there is also | | | | Also, while there are exceptions, a majority of the |
| a key positive which makes them very worthwhile for | | | | vehicles will be American cars. This is because these |
| car buyers interested in saving quite a bit of money. | | | | are primarily what government agencies use. The |
| My own opinion is that buying at government car | | | | exceptions are usually "seized vehicles", often taken |
| auctions will likely take some patience. So, they may | | | | by the IRS or state and local municipalities for back |
| not be an answer for someone who needs a car | | | | taxes. Police departments also seize vehicles and |
| "yesterday". This isn't to say that you will not find what | | | | these show up at auctions as well. But again, not in |
| you are looking for immediately ... and get an | | | | large numbers. |
| outstanding price on it as well. But it's more likely to | | | | My own preference is to buy and then resell auction |
| take some time. I usually advise people to plan for a | | | | vehicles to make money. I'm not a "fixer-upper" so I'm |
| one to three month process. Here's why: | | | | only interested in low-mileage cars. |
| The fact is, there aren't a whole lot of government | | | | Usually, I'll eliminate about 85% of the cars just in |
| auctions. It's not like driving around from Dealer to | | | | looking over the pre-sale list. But there are always |
| Dealer on a Saturday afternoon. Government auctions | | | | some nice ones to "cherry pick". |
| usually take place once a month (although there are | | | | For example, here's just a few I spotted for an |
| some in large cities that take place more frequently). | | | | upcoming auction: |
| I've seen some auctions that only occur quarterly. | | | | 2003 Oldsmobile Alero with 17,492 miles |
| In addition, the selection is much more limited than what | | | | 2000 Ford Taurus with 31,667 miles |
| you may be used to. So, you may have to wait if | | | | 2006 Chevrolet Tahoe with 23,220 miles |
| there is a particular year, make and model you're | | | | 1998 Ford Windstar with 31,452 miles |
| looking for. | | | | 2002 Kia Rio with 47,122 miles |
| This is less true if you are simply looking for cheap | | | | 2000 Mazda Protege with 13,112 miles |
| transportation and are not insistent on a particular | | | | 2000 Ford Focus with 35,438 miles |
| make or model. It's also quite easy to quickly find higher | | | | There's no question that buying at a government car |
| mileage vehicles or vehicles that will need some repair | | | | auction offers perhaps the best prices available |
| work that sell for a few hundred dollars. | | | | anywhere. But those interested in getting a bargain or |
| But if you're looking for a low-mileage vehicle in good | | | | two for themselves should also know that it may not |
| condition, while they certainly exist at these auctions, | | | | happen immediately and plan accordingly. |
| they're simply not in the numbers you'd see on a | | | | |