Online car auctions may offer great car deals but there are caveats to watch out for. If you are new to bidding for a car at eBay and Yahoo Auctions, then this article will help prepare you mentally and avoid the mistakes which most people make. Be aware of these and it will go a long way to help you save the hassle, avoid disputes, save some money and let you drive off your dream car purchased from online car auctions.

1. What You See is What You Get

A photo is all you see about the car you are buying. It sounds scary but that is the nature of online car auctions. So you can either get used to the idea or avoid them all together.

2. You Buy What You Bid

Once you win the bid, there is no turning back. You are bound by contract to pay for the car.

3. Fake or Unlisted VIN

Sellers may not list the VIN numbers on the auctioned cars. At times, you may even come across fake VIN numbers. There are also listed vehicles with multiple VIN numbers especially if they were involved in major accidents and repaired with parts from different cars. There is a way to check by running a used car title check.

4. Incorrect Car Details

Some sellers either intentionally or unintentionally disclose the wrong car details such as incorrect engine configuration, model and year of manufacture. Doing an AutoCheck Vehicle History will get you the correct details.

5. Fake Bids

Beware of fake bids. Some unscrupulous bidders can hire a group of fake bidders to push up their prices artificially.

6. Shipping Costs

You need to check out the shipping costs involved. Do not get too excited and forget to include these in your overall budget set aside for the car.

Look out for these when bidding at online car auctions and you are in a better position to get a good deal. Find out how you can save the trouble, avoid the risks and driving home a car at up to 90% off retail prices by participating in seized car auctions through my car blog.

By: Davion Wong

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Is the depreciation and maintenance of your car too high? Or do you simply want to change your car? If you find yourself nodding your head to any of the questions, you probably need to sell off your car. The burning question is, how do you plan sell it?

Below are two of the conventional routine car sellers take.
1) Sell to used car dealers
2) Sell to direct end-consumers

1) Sell to used car dealers

This is the most common way to sell off a used vehicle – selling your car to a dealer. After all, a dealer will buy nearly any car you place in front of him. Even if your car is scratched, dented, or smashed, car dealers have their ways to recondition it and sell it off.

When selling to dealers, it is advisable to check with a few dealers on the selling price. There are many tactics that dealers use to lure their sellers. One common way is to quote a price way above the market price. After the seller has rejected all other reasonable offers from other dealers, the dealer reduces his original offer and the seller will be stuck with a lousy offer.

Pros
Selling to a dealer is absolutely hassle-free. (If your price is sufficiently low, they may provide door-step service and serve you as if you are some kind of royalty.) Dealers handle all the documentation of the sale and provide you with cash payment.

Selling to a dealer is safe and simple. With a few phone calls, your car is sold.

Cons
The single biggest disadvantage of selling to the dealer is the relatively low price offered. Dealers act like middlemen and are making a profit on your vehicle. Typically, each used car will have to generate at least $2,000 profit, else it would be uneconomical for the dealer to buy it from the seller. The profit will account for the dealers’ overheads such as rental, salesman salary, and their other bills. In addition, they face the risk of uncertain market conditions which may translate into deficits if they are unable to sell the car off.

One must always be careful when signing any document with a used car dealer. They are very experienced in the complex field of motor trade, and you can easily be short-changed. You should always insist on all verbal agreements to be written down.

2) Sell to direct end-consumers

With more automated filing systems implemented by the government, owner-to-owner sale is a growing alternative for many owners to sell their vehicles nowadays. The legal documentation process has been streamlined, and the presence of many online platforms, connect buyers with sellers directly without the need for middlemen.

For such cases, the seller will need to advertise his car for sale, arrange for viewing and test-drives, then proceed with the documentation to transfer the vehicle ownership.

Pros
By eliminating the dealer, car owners can fetch a higher selling price as compared to if they sell it to a dealer. This is the sole advantage, but also a very significant one. After all, the aim of selling your car is to get the highest price possible.

Cons
When conducting a owner-to-owner sale, all the administrative work will have to be settled by the seller and buyer. The seller has to cancel his insurance and pay his loan in full. If the buyer requires a loan, the seller may also need to help him to secure a loan to seal the deal.

Time and money could be wasted if no one respond to your car ads. Several viewing and test-drives does not necessarily lead to a successful sale. Selling a car is not an easy feat.

Mishaps may take place during an owner-to-owner deal. There is a chance that the seller may not have the necessary documents for the transfer. Perhaps, he may not be well-versed with the exact procedure to make the transfer of ownership – making payment; transferring the ownership; collecting the car. It is crucial that the seller knows his stuff to ensure a smooth flow for the transfer of ownership. It is not uncommon for ill-informed sellers encounter difficulties during this process.

By: Vincent Tan

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US President George W. Bush once advised Americans to invest in buying and patronizing hybrid vehicles to help cure and eliminate the country’s addition to oil. Because contract oil prices in the world market have always been very volatile, there is a pending need to significantly lower all industries and peoples’ reliance and need for oil. Car experts now recommend buying hybrid cars more than any other type of cars.

What are hybrid cars? Basically, these are vehicles that run on two sources of energy—the usual gasoline or oil and electricity stored within an imbedded battery. The electricity from batteries serves as a back up or an assisting energy source.

There are operations and functions of the hybrid car that utilize the electricity. This way, full consumption and reliance from the gasoline engine is lowered, making consumption of gasoline significantly lower. These days, hybrid cars provide about 60-40 gasoline-electricity power, wherein gasoline energy components make up majority of the car functions.

Is there a need to prefer a hybrid car? Before any purchase transaction for such a fuel-efficient car, it would be wise and logical if you would first consider the following checklist:

1. Is a hybrid car the right and appropriate car for you?

2. Are your personal driving habits in favor of using a hybrid car?

3. What are the helpful and necessary options available?

4. Do you have enough information to validate the reliability and credibility of the dealer and manufacturer?

5. Are there options in terms of car dealers? Will it be viable to buy in dealers from another state or area?

6. Is there a sticker price or manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) that is the actual price of the hybrid car, no more, no less?

Looking at the pros and cons of buying a hybrid car is easy. First of all, you would be able to generate a significant amount of savings in the form of gasoline consumption declines. However, it is just logical that hybrid cars currently cost higher than the normal and traditional cars.

Hybrid cars are much lighter in weight and the basic structure and components and made of lighter alloys and metals, as weight is also a significant factor that boosts crude consumption. For its disadvantage, some people less prefer light structures and components in cars as such materials deform easier and are not too durable.

Hybrid cars perform full functions and features of a regular car. However, in comparison, hybrid cars fall less. For instance, if you are very particular about speed, hybrid cars would surely disappoint you. That is because electricity is not yet a viable source of power and energy for cars. That is why it just installed as a back up and secondary source of power in hybrid cars. If you are worrying about charging of batteries, do not worry.

Hybrid cars are designed to have components that facilitate conversion of mechanical energy to stored-electrical. That is why through braking and acceleration, the car’s battery is being charged. The disadvantage of this is that the major weight of the car and the overall space consumption can be directly influenced by battery installations.

It is advisable to buy a hybrid car, but if you are after superior performance, wait further because carmakers are still in the process of researching and developing better and more powerful hybrid cars.

By: Alex Baumm

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