Best Online Auto Auctions to Buy Your Dream Car
Are you in the market for your dream car? Have you visited numerous car dealers but still cannot seem to find what you’re looking for? If you answered yes to these questions, you’re in the right place. Online car auctions might be just what you need.
Online auto auctions are a great place to find used vehicles near you for a bargain. With many different websites to choose from, we will guide you through how online car auctions work, why you should buy your next vehicle from an auction, and which auctions are the best around.
Want to find out how you could find your dream car for the best possible price through an online auction? Continue reading.
What Are Online Car Auctions and How Do They Work?
Auctions allow buyers to bid on items in the hope that their bid will be the highest. Some auctions are silent, meaning that you don’t know what anyone else has bid. Other auctions, such as live auctions, allow you to compete against others in a bidding war. During a bidding war, an auctioneer will keep track of who is bidding and what the current bid is. You win the item by being the highest bidder.
Online car auctions, such as Barrett Jackson, IAAI, and Cars & Bids to name a few, work much like in-person ones, except you can bid from the comfort of your home. Although they’ve existed for many years, online auctions have recently become more popular due to the rising public trust in online shopping.
Exactly how each auction works will depend on the site and the auction itself. Before you can participate in an online auction, you’ll have to register. This process may look different from site to site. For example, some sites might ask you to place money in reserve before you bid to prove that you can afford the item. Additionally, some auction sites might only allow people with a dealer’s license to participate, while others are open to the public.
Why Should I Buy a Car from an Online Auction Site?
Buying a car online might feel intimidating, but there are several excellent benefits that come with purchasing your dream car from an online auction.
1. You Cut Out the Middleman
Car dealers have been buying cheap cars at auction for years. In fact, this is precisely how many of them make a profit to this day. They buy cars at auction for wholesale prices, do some repair work, and then resell the vehicle for much more than what they paid.
By buying from an auction site yourself, you cut out the middleman (dealer) and their profit margin. Meaning that you get the same vehicle for thousands of dollars less than what you would have paid at a dealership.
2. You Never Have to Leave Your Home
Not only are you getting the best deals available, but you can do it all from the comfort of your home. You don’t even have to get dressed!
Because everything is done online, you can avoid visiting multiple dealerships, which saves you time and money. Plus, if you don’t have a working vehicle now, you can still attend the auctions without worrying about getting a ride.
3. The Inventory Is All in One Convenient Location
Most of us can agree that one of the most tiresome parts of shopping for a new car is visiting multiple dealerships over several days.
Online auction sites provide a much different experience. You can browse through hundreds of thousands of listings all in one place. The handy filters let you locate your dream car quickly. And, you can do it without a salesman trying to sell you a vehicle you don’t want.
4. You Can Find a Project Vehicle or a Parts Only Car
It can be hard to find older cars and necessary car parts locally. You often have to resort to junkyards to find them, which isn’t always guaranteed. Online auctions are full of older models and classic vehicles in various states of repair, and you can easily find your dream project car or a parts-only car to help you gather the necessary parts for the process.
5. You Can Find Different Titled Cars
Another neat thing about online auctions is that you can find clean, salvage, wrecked, repairable, and junk cars all in one place. So, you’re sure to find something that fits your needs. Salvage title vehicles are vehicles that insurance companies have deemed as a “total loss” since the cost of needed repairs is higher than the cost of the vehicle—making this a great way to get a car for cheap; however, you have to keep in mind that repairs are necessary in order to operate the vehicle legally, and you will need to go through a process of clearing the title by getting it rebranded as rebuilt. If you do not want to deal with repairs, another great option is clean title cars. Clean title cars have never been deemed a total loss, typically have little to no damage, and they’re in a legal condition to operate.
Best Online Auctions to Buy Your Dream Car
A Better Bid
As a registered Copart broker, A Better Bid gives its members direct access to vehicles typically reserved for dealers only. The 100% online auction offers over 300,000 clean, salvage, wrecked, and repairable titled cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, and more. You can participate in real-time auctions daily from the comfort of your home, all without a dealer’s license, and have your purchase delivered right to your door!
Manheim
Since they were founded in 1945, Manheim has been setting the bar for the wholesale purchasing and selling of secondhand cars for more than 75 years. They provide clients with a wide range of goods and services in 106 locations worldwide. Additionally, they offer online, mobile, and physical auctions in more than 100 locations. Although most of their auctions are directed toward dealers, they offer occasional auctions to the general public in Washington, Georgia, Indianapolis, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tampa, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Fort Myers, Harrisonburg, and Lafayette.
Skipco Auto Auction
Founded in 1978, Skipco has become Ohio’s premier public auto auction. Although some of their lanes are reserved for dealers, they do offer cars, trucks, motorcycles, ATVs, and RVs to the general public in their public auction lanes. Additionally, the company has multiple online auctions that can be accessed without a dealer’s license. Cars are graded by condition, and buyers should be familiar with this grading system before bidding on a vehicle.
Mecum Auctions
Founded in 1988, Mecum is now one of the most well-known auto salvage auction events. Additionally, they are the go-to for people who are looking for collector and vintage vehicles. They offer up to 20,000 vehicles each year at auctions all over the country. Although they don’t have online auctions, buyers can sign up to bid remotely through an on-site bidding assistant. If your dream is to own a vintage or a collector’s car, you’ll want to check this site out!
Norwalk Auto Auctions
Norwalk Auto Auctions has been independently owned and operated since 1979 and has dubbed itself: “The Friendliest Place in Town.” The company offers a variety of auctions for dealers. However, if you don’t have a dealer’s license, you can attend their GSA events which are held once a month both in lane or online.
Wrapping Up
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could find your dream car without ever leaving your home? Well, now you can! Don’t waste time searching across platforms, messaging numerous sellers, or visiting multiple dealerships when you could be browsing through hundreds of thousands of clean, repairable, and salvage title vehicles for your dream car today.
