Why you need to look through salvage auction’s sales history

People in the US can’t imagine their lives without driving a car, because automobiles help us to get to work, college, or elsewhere. However, buying a new car isn’t always affordable for an average American family, so people keep on looking for alternatives, such as salvage auto auctions.  

Buying a salvage car can be a good idea, as it saves you a lot of money. Still, you should be very attentive to avoid fraudulent schemes that some auction dealers keep on creating to earn on your losses. 

In this article, you’ll find out how checking auto auction sales history can help you buy a good salvage car and avoid being tricked. 

How do cars get to auctions?

If you want to find out how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud on salvage auctions, you need to know how cars get there. 

The majority of vehicles arrive to salvage yards after being involved in a collision. Then, an insurance company evaluates how much an owner needs to spend on repairs. If the cost of repairs exceeds a particular percentage of a car’s initial price (that differs from state to state), the vehicle becomes totaled and gets a salvage title. 

That’s why auto auctions can offer customers a good choice of inexpensive automobiles that renews every week. 

Why check sales history?

If you have doubts concerning a vehicle you would like to buy, we recommend you browse through the auction’s sales history. 

The truth is, not all vehicles sold online really worth the price. Very often, dealers buy the cheapest cars that don’t look so bad, do some minor repairs, and resell them at a higher price. Some of them can, even, resell salvage automobiles as used ones, making you pay twice more. 

So, spend a minute to check the auction sales history and make sure that a car wasn’t sold before to someone else. And, even, if you find no evidence of reselling, don’t make a hurry and order a VIN check report. This takes only a few minutes and costs a couple of bucks, but will guarantee you an honest deal. 

Some auctions place their recently sold cars right on the main page. If you don’t find the one, simply open the search page and filter all vehicles by “sold” criteria and input your car’s VIN. 

Other signs of fraud

Except for the salvage title, a totaled vehicle is marked with a damage type that can help you define a shifty dealer. For instance. you need to be especially watchful when you find a good-looking vehicle with a “Flood” title. If you’re an experienced driver, you probably know that water damage can be critical for your car, but often unseen to the eye. So, this is a perfect match for a dealer who desires to trick people in need. 

Also, keep an eye on a seller’s name. If you see that automobile s sold by a renowned insurance company, feel free to bid. But if you can’t find any information about a seller, we recommend you looking for a safer deal.