You’ve heard about the amazing bargains on cars bought through online auctions, and hear that more and more auto owners are choosing to go down this route to find affordable cars. One estimate says that out of the 42.6 million used cars that changed hands in the United States in 2002, 30 percent were bought online. Considering buying a car from an online car auction? It’s a good idea to examine the pros and cons.

The biggest draw obviously, is the low price. You will not find prices this low anywhere else! Since the auctions do not need to compete with retail prices they are able to sell at very low prices. It can be pretty easy to find a good deal. Also, the variety of cars to choose from is great. With the huge amount of cars sold daily, there are constantly new cars up for auction. And by using online auctions you will get to peruse hundreds of cars in every state. If you have something in mind, chances are you will find it listed within a few weeks. At many of these auto auction sites you can register and receive expert advice on the cars. Also, the added convenience of checking off your options in a search engine to filter through all the auctions and find exactly what you want. It’s easy to look at a huge amount of cars, fast, and accessible.

With online auctions there comes some apprehension with the lack of hands on communication. There are some shady freelance scam artists using the Internet to commit fraud. Though, Simon Rothman, vice president and general manager of eBay Motors, reports that the fraud rate is actually very low in auto auctions: 0.01 percent, the same as other eBay auctions. And, as with all Internet purchases, you don’t actually come in contact with the item until you have already won the auction and paid the seller. There isn’t really an opportunity to inspect the goods first. You should go to a reputable website that offers some fraud protection, such as eBay or autotrader.com. If the car does not add up to the description they will work with the seller to reimburse you and take the car back. Also, many of these websites have online guides that offer tips on how to avoid fraud. Before buying a car, you always must do your homework. It’s a smart idea to do even more research to get those great bargains using online auto auctions.
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