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Purchasing Used Vehicles

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  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    I've seen Taurii and Grand Marquis with far less miles in that pricerange ... but i guess that depends on where you live.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • mcmike71mcmike71 Member Posts: 7
    You're right. There were some Taurus with less than 140K, but they all were 1995 or older, except one 1999 Taurus that I overlooked that has 129K. Would that be a better or worse choice than the Saturns?
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    My take on it is that the Saturn can be more reliable with high miles. Of course, everbody has a different story, right? But, of the ones I've heard of, overall, the Saturns last longer with less repairs.

    BUT, I have found some Taurii (looking for my brother recently) that, yes, were older ('93'ish) but with such low miles (60k-80k) and the V6. So I would probably take an 80k Taurus with a V6 over a 130k Saturn 4-cylinder. I could probably count on both for another 70k miles or so, but the Taurus is bigger, so that would tip the scales in its favor, for me.

    But I am a big advocate of the Grand Marquis/Ford Crown Vic/Lincoln Towncar triplets. They are bulletproof and fairly inexpensive to repair. Problem is, ya gotta avoid the ones with the 5-digit odos because you will never know how many miles the car really has. So I think that means '95 or newer (i know the '96 shows 6 digits)? i'm not too sure when they made the switch.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • mcmike71mcmike71 Member Posts: 7
    Thanks, q. I appreciate the input.
  • sarge5sarge5 Member Posts: 8
    I was in that boat last year, wanted something dependable but affordable. I also had a need for a truck so after looking around, I found a 96 Toyota Tacoma, 2WD, auto, w/ 105K miles. The only downfall to me was the previous owner was a smoker, but I'm working on that. I've had it for almost a year and its been good for me. I used autotrader.com as a good base for what was out there and the price range that most were asking. Its a basic truck, no power windows, no power locks, simple AM/FM radio w/ cassette. That's just my 2cents.
  • emaxxmanemaxxman Member Posts: 1
    Any car salesmen or former salesmen willing to help out with trade secrets? :-)

    OK, just kidding but I do need some help understanding some numbers. Here's what I'm looking at:

    2004 Honda Odyssey EX with leather and DVD, 24k miles - Certified Honda Pre-owned car
    list $27,999

    Edmunds.com figures:
    Dealer Retail- $22,213
    Expected Certified Vehicle Price - $24,465

    Now, after some discussions (and with my edmunds.com printouts in hand), the dealer showed me some figures. At first, they tried to tell me that their cost was $26,999 and they would sell me it for $27,500. After I basically said the $24,465 was the price I was looking for, here is what I ended up with (these are figures that the dealer voluntarily showed me:
    Retail price: $26,999
    Dealer invoice: $22,500
    Freight: $515
    Base Invoice: $26,900
    Certification cost/repairs: $675
    G/L: $24,538

    Dealer says he had to "buy" the car from Honda and his final cost was
    $25,677.
    Don't really see how he has to go out and "buy" a used car from Honda but whatever. I'm willing to overlook that.

    He said he was willing to sell me the car for $25,800 and that he would settle for a small profit. Now I know that there is no way any dealership can stay in business based on only $133 profit. Therefore, there is no way the $25,677 was his cost. He first told me that it costs him $1000 just to have Honda certify the car...then he tells me it was ~$1500 for his garage to inspect and fix the car. When I asked to see what was done that it cost $1500, he showed me an invoice for $675 that included all repairs and Honda's certification cost. His answer was basically, but "you saw my check invoice to Honda for $25,677." All it was was a printout with no decipherable info other than a $25,677 figure on it.

    Can someone explain what each of the figures means especially the G/L figure:
    Retail price vs Base Invoice
    Dealer invoice: $22,500
    Freight (it was a lease that was turned in...why the freight charge?)
    Base Invoice: $26,900
    Certification cost/repairs: $675
    G/L: $24,538 (what is G/L?)

    Thanks in advance.
  • steine13steine13 Member Posts: 2,825
    I'm not in the business, and I don't know any secrets.

    However.
    What the dealer did was buy the car from "Honda Finance", or whatever the financial arm of Honda USA is called. It sounds like an off-lease unit, and they either get sold at auction, or the dealer they are turned in to can buy them (I think).

    Either way, there's no "invoice" price, but there's the price that the dealer paid for the silly thing... and it's likely to be high, Odysseys being popular and all.

    What the dealer paid for the car is not all that interesting; it's more important to know what it'll take to buy it and if its worth it. I think you have established that $24k ain't gonna do it. My next step would be to price out a similar NEW Odyssey and figure out if it isn't worth it to step up to new... which I suspect is the case. No idea what these go for; probably close to sticker, but there may be a little give.

    If you can't save at least 25 cents/mile and $300/month by going the used route, buy it new and have done with it.

    As far as the price, make an offer and leave. If they let you leave, the offer was too low and you'll have to come back with more money.
    (This technique is known around here as "bobsting"; it has to do with car keys. Don't ask.)

    Good luck,
    -Mathias
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    What I would do is ask Terry over on the Real-World Trade-In Values board what this puppy is worth. Frankly, you shouldn't care one bit what the dealer paid for it. That's his problem. Believe it or not, dealers have been known to overpay for used cars, just like buyers. Should that affect your purchase price? Nope. Odysseys certainly aren't in short supply, so if you can't get it for the right price, move on to the next one.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    You shouldn't worry about what a dealer paid for it..WHY?

    It's either a good value to you or it's not!
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Why do many car-buying "experts" recommend then that buyers negotiate from "dealer cost up"? To do that, you need to know what the dealer paid for the car. I can understand, though, how you as a car salesperson would prefer that buyers NOT know your cost for a car, as it would give valuable information to help them in their negotiations.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    And it drives some customers NUTS because they can't find out what we paid for the car! I love it!

    As a customer, I wouldn't care what the dealer paid for the car and I wouldn't care about his tremendous overhead either!
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    We can just ask Terry to tell us about what the dealer paid for the car, in the Real-World Used Car Prices discussion. ;)
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    He could make a rough guess. He wouldn't know what we paid to get it here or what we spent on reconditioning.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    I would not care what a dealer actually paid. I would look at what he should have paid. If he paid too much, that is his error and problem. If he paid less than the going rate, then he negotiated a good deal for himself, but don't see how that means that I am entitled to a lower price than the going rate for the car.

    Is my trade in value less because I got a $2000 discount, while someone else paid full MSRP for the same vehicle?
  • steine13steine13 Member Posts: 2,825
    I agree with the geneneral statement that it doesn't matter what the dealer paid.

    But it'll be like pulling teeth to get a dealer to take a loss on a car he overpaid on... in that sense, they are like anybody else. Who wants to admit he pulled a [non-permissible content removed]?

    It gets worse when the car has been sitting for a while.

    But "ask Terry" is the right idea; he can tell you what the car is worth, right now... for all the jalopies I've been involved in, he's always been within +- $300 or so. Which is quite remarkable.

    -Mathias
  • jlawrence01jlawrence01 Member Posts: 1,757
    But it'll be like pulling teeth to get a dealer to take a loss on a car he overpaid on...

    After about 90-180 days when that car is STILL out on the lot ... with no offers ... dealers are generally more amenable to making a deal. On someone who is willing to take a less popular model.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    That's fine. I'll go by Terry's guess (which is usually at the low end of the spectrum, from what I have seen). It doesn't matter what the dealer paid for transport and reconditioning etc., because as you admitted, dealers want to keep their actual cost to themselves.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    IT's really none of anybody's business what a merchant pays for the products they sell.

    And, yes, dealers often overpay for used cars and we take our losses from time to time. We stretch on the trade in order to make a deal and we stretch too much.

    The shop finds unexpected repairs are needed etc.
  • bcb1bcb1 Member Posts: 149
    Would there be any way to either return the car to the original seller or at least sue him/her for the cost to repair the vehicle since it was a problem they must have been aware of? And since it would be improbable a prolbem like that never occured with the old owners and just so happened to start 5 minutes after you "bought" the car?

    I'm sure there are probably a few oddball states, so this is not a 100% catch-all answer: But in general, NO. A used, private party sale is 100% as-is, no matter whether it's stated "as-is" on a piece of paper or not. The only exception to that rule, would be if the seller specifically gave you a written warranty. In a private party, used-car transaction, the seller does not have to disclose anything, other than the odometer reading in most states.

    Even the implied warranties such as "fitness for a particular purpose", which applies to used car dealers whether there is a written warranty or not, would NOT apply in a private party sale.

    I'd say you have less than a 5% chance of recovering any money whatsoever. Small claims courts are informal and cheap, since both parties represent themselves, so you could always try that route...but I seriously doubt you would get a judgement in your favor.

    I know that's not what you wanted to hear...but it's the truth. :cry:
  • raybearraybear Member Posts: 1,795
    The car buying "experts" are selling you their services...if everyone simply explored the market value of the vehicle they are purchasing the "experts" would be out of business.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I was referring to experts who don't charge for their services, e.g. the editors of Edmunds.com.
  • raybearraybear Member Posts: 1,795
    Oh but Edmunds does charge for their services, look at all the advertising here!
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,242
    Of course! Someone has to pay for the salaries, the web coding/design, servers, etc... none of that is free :) but we don't charge consumers. That's the big difference between folks like us and buying services - the cost here never gets passed on to you.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
    Review your vehicle

  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    Why do many car-buying "experts" recommend then that buyers negotiate from "dealer cost up"? To do that, you need to know what the dealer paid for the car. I can understand, though, how you as a car salesperson would prefer that buyers NOT know your cost for a car, as it would give valuable information to help them in their negotiations.

    You missed the point. We're talking about a used car here. In the case of used cars, like I said, it doesn't matter what the dealer cost is. It only matters what the car is WORTH. Like you said in a later post, cost of transport, reconditioning, etc, doesn't matter, just like what the dealer paid at auction or trade time doesn't matter. All you can do is find out what similar cars are worth at auction and add money to that to arrive at a fair purchase price.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I agree with you--ultimately it all comes down to what the car is worth to the buyer, whether it is a new car or a used car. But I think it's unlikely that a car dealer will sell cars for under their cost, on a regular basis. They are in business to make a profit. So that is where cost comes into the picture. But actually, ignoring cost makes things a lot easier for me as the buyer.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    yes, they are there to make a profit. Which is why a person working for a dealership buying used cars won't have a job for very long if he/she keeps overpaying for them.

    On more than one occassion I had a salesperson tell me "we paid $xxx for this car, so i can't sell it to you for the price you are asking." My response is "it is not my fault you overpaid, so why should i be punished?"

    Ultimately, no, I don't wind up with that car because, as you said, the dealership is not there to lose money. And they probably do find someone to pay more than I am willing to. That's fine with me. As long as I'm not the one paying that price, that's all that matters to me. There are plenty of cars out there and plenty of dealers who KNOW what they are doing and can make a profit on me when they buy their cars at the right market price.

    Seems to me most buyers make their mistake when they think "i HAVE to have this car!" Then they overpay and are upset about it ... go figure.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • bdr127bdr127 Member Posts: 950
    Why do many car-buying "experts" recommend then that buyers negotiate from "dealer cost up"? To do that, you need to know what the dealer paid for the car. I can understand, though, how you as a car salesperson would prefer that buyers NOT know your cost for a car, as it would give valuable information to help them in their negotiations.

    The ultimate goal in shopping for a car should not be to "minimize dealer profit"... It should be to "maximize your deal" relative to the prevailing market prices.

    If you pay $1000 less than KBB/Edmunds value for a car at Dealer A who makes $500 on the deal, versus Dealer B who makes $2500 on the dealer, then you should be excited that you got a better deal than most people out there. You shouldn't be mad that the Dealer B makes $2500. You still got the same great deal!

    Why be mad at the seller? To get a great deal and be pissed that it could have been better... now that's just greedy.
  • bdr127bdr127 Member Posts: 950
    As a continuation to my post....

    Say you go shopping for a TV at Circuit City and Best Buy. Best Buy has a great sale on the TV you want that is $50 cheaper than Circuit City. It turns out that Best Buy actually got the TV at a wholesale price that was $400 cheaper than Circuit City, so they're still making more money off of you than Circuit City would have.....

    Would you be pissed at Best Buy? Of course not. You got your TV at Best Buy for a lower price than Circuit City.
  • bcb1bcb1 Member Posts: 149
    Why be mad at the seller? To get a great deal and be pissed that it could have been better... now that's just greedy.

    That's a good point. (I'm not a car dealer, by the way). It seems like there is a prevailing theory that all car dealers are crooks, and any amount of profit they make over a hundred bucks or so, is considered outrageous.

    To be fair, it's the crappy car dealer negotiating system that has inspired and prolongs this myth. As long as dealers continue to grind consumers for as much profit as possible (not just on the car, but on worthless insurance policies, window etching, $800 car "sealants", and stuff like that...), then consumers will always be wary of potentially paying way too much money.

    Buying a house is much different. Yes, there is negotiating (and a lot of lying) involved. But you're talking about an asset that appreciates! Even if you pay full list price; your asset will increase in value over time, not decrease. So paying full list price is just a fond memory when you find that your house has increased 100K in value over a ten year period.

    Cars are different. They go down in value. I for one feel like the entire system is broken, but I doubt that it'll ever get fixed, at least not for a long, long time. A simple, one fixed price strategy where a modest but fair profit is added to each vehicle would make life much more simple for everyone involved.

    Just think...consumers wouldn't waste 6 or 8 (or 12) hours being worn down by over-zealous car salesman. And car salesman wouldn't gripe about their mangagers accepting every mini-deal under the sun. There would be a fair, take-it-or-leave-it price. I can't imagine this would ever happen.

    We've bought new at a Dodge dealer and a GMC dealer, and both were reasonably good experiences. Not much hassle. But the one car buying experience that really stands out in my mind was Carmax. It was low-key, no-pressure, drive all the cars you want until you find the one you like. Don't want to buy today? No big deal. Come back when you feel like buying. I have NEVER been told that by a regular car dealership!
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    But Carmax prices seem pretty high. I have not run into any pushy, high pressure car salesmen in a long time. They all seem pretty easy-going to me, these days. It seems to be pretty much "low-key, no-pressure, drive all the cars you want until you find the one you like" just about everywhere I go.
  • jdh5jdh5 Member Posts: 9
    I have a dealer friend who is willing to take me to the Manhim Auto Auction to find my next vehicle. I've been trying to get at least a vague idea of what I can expect to pay there vs. buying the same car off of a dealers lot. I know that it is difficult to gauge what cars will sell for at the auction on any given day, but generally speaking, are the prices at the auction similar, less or more than the trade-in values that you might find on KBB, Edmunds and/or NADA?
  • bdr127bdr127 Member Posts: 950
    First of all, NADA is a joke... Those values are insanely high, both trade-in and retail. If I understand correctly, those are values reported by dealers that are members of their association. Of course it benefits the dealers to up the prices.... Since most banks will base the amount they will finance on NADA value, the higher the value, the more the dealers can sell the car for, or the more negative equity they can roll into the car....

    Generally speaking, auction prices tend to be lower than KBB or Edmunds. Personally, I find Edmunds prices to be a bit high, especially on the trade-in side. I've always believed that the "real" value of a car should be based on auction prices, since those are actually, real-live purchases and sales, while KBB and Edmunds are just a guide based on research.

    However, there are some definite down sides to buying at an auction... You will almost always have repair and reconditioning costs. There's a reason why most of those cars are at the auction... because they couldn't find a home elsewhere. Plus, they may not know or disclose all that is wrong with the car. You might have to pay $500 in repairs, or you might have to pay $3000. That's a risk you take. There are also auction and transport fees you'll have to pay....
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Almost all banks use the NADA loan guide to figure out how much they will loan for a certain vehicle. KBB is sometimes neck and neck with NADA for being too high. Edmunds does ok for some vehicles but not for others. Edmunds does better when the car has aproximately average number of miles for its age. If it has a lot more or a lot less then averge they usually screw it up.
  • jdh5jdh5 Member Posts: 9
    Yeah, I noticed the same thing regarding NADA's prices. I did a search on the trade-in values for 2002 Nissan Altimas w/ standard options & 50,000k Miles, and this is what I got for the different body types:

    4D NADA=11,775 KBB=8,750
    S NADA=12,050 KBB=9,450
    SE NADA=14,325 KBB=10,600
    SL NADA=12,975 KBB=10,600

    In all cases KBB came in around $3,000 less...That's a pretty big difference. Are you saying that I could expect to pay a bit less than the KBB number? I was already expecting the auction & transport fees to be tacked on (my dealer friend let me know about those #'s ahead of time)
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 265,514
    Forget NADA, KBB, Edmunds (sorry, Mother) and Galves..

    If your dealer friend can take you to the auction, he can pull up the Manheim website, and you can find out before you go... what your model car has been selling for the last couple of weeks at that auction and other Manheim auctions around the country..

    You won't have to guess... you'll have a really good idea ahead of time... and, that should keep you from over-paying...

    regards,
    kyfdx
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  • steine13steine13 Member Posts: 2,825
    If you can, you should definitely go, just to see the show... I'd love to and I think I can pull it off locally at some point.

    But buying is another matter.

    It's a question that's been "asked and answered":
    steine13, "Purchasing Used Vehicles" #538, 12 Nov 2005 5:19 am

    -Mathias
  • jdh5jdh5 Member Posts: 9
    I know that he can get me that information from the Manheim Report when I'm ready to go, but I'm not going to be ready to go for several weeks yet...I'm trying to save up more $$. In the meantime, I'm trying to zero in on what types of cars I will be able to afford. This way I'll be able to do some up front research on what types of things to look for when I do get there & have a small window of time to look the car over.
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    ... **There's a reason why most of those cars are at the auction...**

    Most vehicles end up at the auctions sooner or later ... and none of it needs to be on the negative side, except for the dealer - example:

    1.) The Benz dealer has 3 S500's sittin' on his lot and he needs to drop two of these cash cows for something cheaper and maybe buy something in the $20k range ..

    2.) The local Ford dealer has 5 Exploders and will run 3 of them thru because of the high mileage and keep the 2 low milers ..

    3.) The VW dealer will run his 2 Beetle converts thru because he's in Milwaukee and spring is still a few months away ..

    4.) The local Dodge dealer in Florida will run his just traded 4x4's thru because they don't sell as well as the Dodge dealer in Pittsburg ....

    Usually it's a $$ thing .......... :shades:



    Terry.
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    ..... There is 61 Manheim auctions ... which one are you planning to go to ...?

    Geographics is going to make a big difference .. the model, color, miles and type of vehicle is going to play into the value ....

    Terry.
  • jdh5jdh5 Member Posts: 9
    I'm going to the one in Manheim Pennsylvania & I'm hoping to get myself into a 2002 Nissan Altima w/ between 50-75K miles for around $9,000. I don't need a whole bunch of fancy options (i.e. leather/sunroof). Does this sound possible? For that price could I hope to get myself into a 3.5 SE or should I be looking towards the 2.5 S & SL models?
  • asafonovasafonov Member Posts: 401
    If I remember right, the base Altima was truly base - no power anything (except steering), maybe even no A/C. Few of those were sold and are around. Most of the Altimas appear to be the S models, which were reasonably equipped. These were the models available as rentals.
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    .... There is 3 Manheim auctions in PA ... which one are you going to..?

    Terry.
  • jdh5jdh5 Member Posts: 9
    Like I said, I'm going to the one in Manheim, Pennsylvania...That's in Lancaster County, in the town of Manheim.
  • bdr127bdr127 Member Posts: 950
    When you go, you will absolutely bloooooown away! If you know Lancaster county, then you know how rural it is.... with Amish folks and all.... You drive from the highway through fields and farms on twisty little roads. And then B A M !!!! There is a sea of cars -- cars as far as the eye can see. Just an astounding sight....
  • jdh5jdh5 Member Posts: 9
    Yeah, I know...I live about 10 minutes south of the auction in Lancaster City...I've always wanted to get in to check it out, but I never had a connection that could get me in until now. I'm gonna be like a kid in a candy store!!

    So anyways, does anyone have experience buying cars at auctions like this? How do the prices the cars are sold for at auction compare to the trade-in values found on websites like KBB/NADA/ect? Do they come in right in the same ballpark as these trade-in #'s, Significantly lower than these trade-in #'s, significantly higher than these trade-in #'s? i just want to know what to expect.
  • jlawrence01jlawrence01 Member Posts: 1,757
    I think that you might be disappointed. It will be a BLAST to get into the auction and watch what is going on ... and how many units are moved in a short period of a time.

    However, as a means of actually getting to thoroughly examine a car and test drive it ... you will not have the opportunity to do so at the auction.

    There ARE other ways to get at vehicles wholesale. This evening, I was purchasing new eyeglasses and noticed that the local Wells Fargo loan office was advertising vehicles at wholesae. The few prices that I saw were pretty reasonable for slightly used cars.
  • raybearraybear Member Posts: 1,795
    The numbers will be all over the map, pick out several cars to choose from, the ones that come up earliest often go for the most money. Be prepared to wait it out and possibly miss an opportunity. I've seen auction prices bring more than retail. Do your homework. NADA, KBB and Edmunds are often off on prices that fluctuate weekly. Your friend should have a copy of the Black Book or Galves for you to go over. If you use Galves, expect to pay about $1000 over...someone's making money off you no matter what you do.
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    ...... So you're off to the "big" Manheim ..l.o.l....

    You and your friend better be doing ALL of your homework waaaay before you leave the house ... or you might be coming back with a ham sandwich with no mustard, it's maybe the largest auction in the country - it's always a toss-up between that and the FAAO (Florida Auto Auction) ....

    You say you are interested in the Altima's ... that means you need to "grid" your potential purchases to even find em' ... cuz' there's going to be in and around 4,000/5,000+ vehicles running down 27+ lanes and your friend will look like a deer in the headlights after the first 10 minutes ...

    1.) you need to have your friend pull every Altima that will be running that day that interests you .. and that includes the night before, because 1,500 vehicles can show up after 7pm ....

    2.) then --- he'll need to pull a Carsmack on each and everyone and delete the "questionables" .... ya know, ones that have visited 4/5 states and/or visited 3 or 4 different "current" auctions, accidents, potential mileage roll-backs, double lease/purchase's, any buy-back's, any rentals (if it makes a difference), previous Canadian vehicle, any MBB's (manufacturers buy-back) and any vehicles that might show regional homelands like the countys in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, etc, etc ..

    Now --- "let's say": he's got his "qualified" search down from 60 vehicles, down to 40 vehicles .... he now should "grid" the search, like a map .. this place is bigger than Big, it's HUGE .... 27+ lanes and it's very easy to get side-tracked and even lost, so he should know in what lane and what "run number" each vehicle is at, then he needs to find them ..... - it makes ALL the difference in the world, or don't even bother goin' ..l.o.l..

    3.) you guys need to be there "at least" an hour before the first start (at least.!) ... he needs to physically find the vehicles ... some might be on lane 4, some over in 17, a few parked over in 25, some in lane 9 (get the picture.?) ... this way your friend can feel, touch and smell each and everyone of these "now existing" 40 vehicles ... ~now the grid tightens~ ... 6 might have super bad rubber - now he's down to 34 .. 8 might have some "hinky" paint - now he's down to 26 (let's hope he has an "Elco") .. 7 might have some ruff interior's - now he's down to 19 .. and 3 might be missing some stuff - now he's down to 16 .... and depending on the day and time, he might get outbidded on 9 of those - and that leaves you 7 ........... if you buy, make sure you spend the extra $90ish dollars and have the post-sale inspection done ..

    Thats why it's soooo important to do your homework before you even go .. keep your eye on the ball and forget the other 5,000 cars and trucks, because you might be goin' home in a 59 Plymouth if you don't .... that's even *if* they allow you in and your not sitting in the cafeteria with the other 250 retired drivers ..... ;)





    Terry. :shades:
  • gussguss Member Posts: 1,167
    so you took what I thought would be my ideal day of car shopping and turned it into a nightmare. :sick:

    I see why the dealers buyer needs to have his poop in a group.

    With all the cars you buy at auction have you ever made a huge mistake ? I mean like missed flood damage,accident damage or just flat out way overpaid for a car.
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    ... **With all the cars you buy at auction have you ever made a huge mistake ? I mean like missed flood damage,accident damage or just flat out way overpaid for a car ....**



    I've made a few mistakes, believe me .l.o.l... but probably nothing major in the last 7/8 years .... I'm there to purchase 6, 8 maybe 10 vehicles, and sometimes I go home with -0- ........ but then again I don't see the 5,000/7,000 other vehicles that are there, I only see the 70 or the 90 that are on my list ... the others I go blind too ..

    See, I don't buy anything that I don't have a history on, I don't buy anything I haven't had a chance to be in the trunk, seats and under the hood with - and I don't buy cars in the rain ....... have I missed a small paint spot or a cigarette burn waaay under the seat.? once in a great while ...... as far as price.? .. if ya get some crazy bidders there and they've jacked the prices, then they're on a mission, and I walk away to the next lane .l.o.l..

    That said, I'll never walk away from a nice clean low-miler vehicle for a few hundred bucks ... of course, I know the market ...



    Terry :blush:
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