Most people underestimate just how versatile car auctions can be. They’re not just great places to find a new car, but are brilliantly useful for a number of other purposes, too – sometimes in a way that traditional dealerships aren’t. We’re taking a look at the most popular reasons why so many customers buy a car at auction, and why auctions are so valuable for doing so!
1. You’re buying your first ever car
Whatever your reasons for buying your car at auction, there’s one big, obvious advantage, and that’s price. You can easily save hundreds and potentially even thousands on your new motor, especially in online car auctions. This is particularly helpful for new drivers, as the startup costs for early insurance, normal road tax and petrol can all start to quickly add up. Considering all that, the costs of buying a car brand-new aren’t always feasible!
However, in online car auctions it’s often far easier to find something within a much smaller budget, making it less stressful to balance those other costs. (Auction cars from manufacturers such as Peugeot and Volkswagen are time honoured favourites for new drivers.) There’s also the fact that the cars of first-time drivers are likely to endure their fair share of knocks and scrapes. This, too, is far less stressful when you’ve not shelled out quite so much money for it! It’s also worth remembering that many auction cars are in surprisingly good shape considering their age or price, giving you excellent value for a good number of years.
2. You need a car quickly
There’s never a good time for your weary old motor to finally cough its last, but certain times can be more inconvenient than others. Millions of people across the UK rely on their car for their commute, which can put them in a very tricky situation when it suddenly gives up the ghost. If you’ve ever been one of those people, you’ll know what we’re talking about!
Naturally, many of these drivers turn to British car auctions – especially online – to get a car quickly and easily. Sometimes, it doesn’t have to be the very best available. As long as you’re able to get something that gets you back on the road as quickly as possible, you can always sell it or trade it in yourself once you’ve had a chance to regain your footing, as it were. You may even be able to make a profit on selling it! In fact, speaking of which…
3. You’re planning on fixing one up and selling it on
This is a key method that many of our customers use to make money on our cars in online auctions. It can be a particularly lucrative revenue stream if you’re savvy enough, and you’ve got the mechanical skills to back it up. Experienced customers are able to carefully select models that they know they’ll be able to ‘fix up’ and repair to a good standard, and then sell it on themselves.
Car auctions, online and otherwise, are a frequent mainstay of fixer-uppers. Online auctions especially so, partially because of the huge range of vehicles they have to offer. They’re also regularly preferred over physical auction houses because the latter often require a bit of investment to make a profit, which in turn means there’s more risk. Even if you’ve not paid to get in, just the cost of travel and the financial impact of having to take a day off work can be risky if you come away with nothing. However, with online car auctions like those we hold at RAW2K, that this risk is mitigated. You don’t have to take a day off work, nor even get off your sofa to successfully bid.
These sorts of car auctions are valuable to fixer-uppers because obviously, there’s not really a market for it in normal dealerships. With only a few exceptions, in most cases it wouldn’t make much financial sense to walk into a dealership and come away with a car you’re just going to take apart anyway. And let’s be honest, even in the few circumstances that this would be a viable plan, you could still make a huge amount of savings on an auction car anyway.
4. You’re looking for a specific make or model of car
In many ways, traditional car dealerships can be quite limited in their stock, which can make it frustrating if you have your heart set on a specific make or model of car. Now, car auctions can give you a hugely helpful alternative. Whether you’re a collector on the hunt for a particularly rare model, or you simply have your heart set on a particular type of car, you’ve got a good chance of finding it in British car auctions, online and otherwise.
You may be simply looking for a car that’s exactly like your old one. It’s a common reason we often hear at RAW2K! As you may know from your own experience, people can get surprisingly attached to their cars. It’s understandable that when they finally give up the ghost, you might want to go looking for an exact replacement. And if the dealerships don’t yield the results you want, you’ve got a good chance of finding it at auction!
Here at RAW2K we have a number of vehicles from leading manufacturers, including Mercedez-Benz and Audi auction cars. Models like these can be notoriously expensive when new, which means the savings potential is worth bearing in mind.
5. You’re looking for specific parts
This is much the same thing again, really, but from a mechanic’s perspective this time. As we’ve discussed above, brand-new car dealerships aren’t really viable for finding spare parts. It can be irritating to get most of the way through a restoration project or comprehensive repair, and then get stopped in your tracks because you’re missing crucial parts. Online car auctions like ours are often home to vehicles that are specifically only good for parts, as indicated by their ABI category. This makes auctions by far the best place to check first, especially since you know you won’t be potentially costing yourself money by taking apart a working car to get them.
Here at RAW2K, we pride ourselves on having the huge number of used, seized and salvage cars available in our online car auctions. Whether you’re browsing our range for one of the purposes above, or you’re simply looking to save money on your next motor, we’re sure you’ll find a vehicle that suits your purposes down to the ground.
