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Car Auto Auctions in Utah

Auto Auctions, Motorhomes, Vehicle Inspection

You hear it over and over. The best place to get a car is at the auction. But where in Utah can you go? Many of the auctions are private, dealer only auctions. How do you know if you are getting the best deal? And how do you get started? Here are some tips and hints for buying at auction and three places to head in Utah if you are wanting to buy.

The Must-Know Before Heading to Buy…

Why buy from an auction? Simply put, it’s where the dealers go to buy and sell cars. Many lease returns, rental car vehicles, bank owned vehicles, and unsold cars that sit on dealers lot’s will run through the auction. Dealers use the auction as a valuable resource for buying and moving cars. While some of their cars that come through their lot will be held and sold without ever going to auction, many trade-ins and lease returns will go through the auction to reduce a dealers overhead and keep cars moving.

It’s said that public auto auctions don’t always yield the highest value. That can be true. Most auctions sell to dealers only, with special sales open to the public. Some carry weekly sales, monthly, or government seized vehicle sales. And, special sales like Nissan, GM and Toyota may hold their own specialized sales where the public will never be able to bid on these types of cars. Simply put, do your homework. You may be getting the leftovers from dealers, and you may not be getting the best deals. Some auctions in Utah offer the ability to buy side by side with dealers. Some dealers don’t like to be bothered with these types of auctions. They feel they don’t get a better deal because they are bidding with inexperienced buyers and prices on these vehicles sell for higher.

If you choose to go to an auction, make sure you call the auction first and inquire about their specific buying requirements for the public. Will you need to register as a buyer with the auction first, how do you check a car title, do they offer a full vehicle inspection after buying? What about finding out information about the specific vehicle, walking the lot before bidding, etc. There are many, many questions that you as a first time buyer will have.

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Remember that when you buy a car from an auction, the price you buy it for will be lower than the actual price you will pay. Auctions usually charge a buyers premium. It could be as low as a few hundred dollars, or as high as 5% of the sale of the vehicle. You also need to take into account sales tax, transport fees (if necessary) and other associated fees. Always, always calculate your buyers premium when you are bidding.

To find out what a car is worth, take a NADA book, Kelley Blue Book, or Edmunds Book. If you are going to a wholesale auto auction, grab a Black Book. These will give you a ballpark figure of what the specific car you are looking for is selling for at the time. These books are a good reference, but may not reflect what current trends are doing as the economy fluctuates drastically.

Before you go to the auction, make sure you register for a 60 day free trial at Auto Check. This is a must have resource for checking titles and getting a vehicles history. It’s recommended to always do your own research on a vehicle. If you have access to the Internet on your phone, you can simply type in the VIN# of the vehicles you are thinking of bidding on and instantly see the vehicles history. Or do it ahead of time so you are ready when it comes time to head to the auction.

Another tip is to make sure your finances are in order. Get preapproved on a loan, and make sure you have enough money in your bank to cover the cost of the car. Some auctions require a bank draft, so check ahead of time if you will need to have that information ready.

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Check the contract! Make sure the contract states if the title indication is a red, yellow, or green light title. Down the road, if the car you buy turns out to be a red light title, but the auction report indicated green, you can use this to get out of your contract. Also check to see how many days it will take to get your title. If it takes longer, you can get your money back.

To get other helpful hints and tips for buying at car auctions, head to CarBuyingTips.com. There is a large amount of simple and useful information for those wanting to buy at private or public auctions. See the link at the bottom of the page to access this information.

TNT Auction

2353 North Redwood Road, Salt Lake City, UT 84116

801-519-0123

www.tntauction.com

TNT Auction of Salt Lake is a public auction business open to dealers and the public specializing in surplus property auction vehicles taken in by school districts, colleges, and city and county districts. They also auction off contractor and fleet equipment vehicles, and bank and real estate owned vehicles. They offer a full online ‘buy it now’ option where you can purchase police owned Harley Davidson motorcycles, motorhomes, and other vehicles before they are auctioned off. Buyers fees at this auction are 10% plus 6.8% sales tax. Auction dates are listed on their website. To find out about specific requirements for purchasing vehicles, auction dates, and requirements for bidding, contact the auction directly or through their website.

Brasher’s Auto Auction

780 South 5600 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84104

801-322-1234

http://bslaa.auctionpipeline.com/

Brasher’s offers the ability to bid side by side with dealers. Close to 1,400 vehicles run through this auction each week. They offer several closed dealer only auctions, but also have a large number of public auctions. They also allow you to attend certain auctions alongside the dealer and let the dealer bid for you but allow you the opportunity to view the vehicle and decide which vehicles you want to bid on. The auction offers car, motorsport, and specific car company auctions. (Like Ford). Payment for a vehicle is due on the day it is bought. Cash, company check, or inventory financing programs are available. Brasher’s has become an extremely popular auction for public buyers wanting to experience and buy from a professionally run auction. To find out specific auction requirements, public auction dates, and bidding requirements, call the auction directly or go to the website for more information.

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Manheim Utah Auto Auction

1650 West 500 South, West Bountiful, UT 84087

801-298-7900 (Auction Phone Number)

800-727-2886 (Government Sales Auction Information–Use This Number First When Inquiring About Attending)

http://www.autoauctions.gsa.gov/index.cfm

Located in West Bountiful, this car auction is a branch of one of the largest auction families in North America. Manheim offers mostly dealer only sales. However, they hold a public auction for government fleet vehicles periodically. Cars, trucks, vans, and sport utility vehicles are auctioned off at incredible savings. This sale is one of the best sales to go to for the public buyer. None of the vehicles are leftovers from dealers, and prices are competitive with regular auction vehicles. In addition, this is also a great place to go to find alternative fuel vehicles, and specialized vehicles at an incredible savings. The best thing about this auction is that they are very friendly and professional and allow their customers the ability to be treated with a higher level of professional courtesy and respect than at other public owned auctions. To learn about specific auction requirements and auction times, how to view vehicles being sold, and buyers fees, head to the government sale website.

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