Marjahaan Autokatsastus

You have probably seen the ads: BUY GOVERNMENT CARS AT AUCTION FOR $200. The truth is that you’ll be unlikely to pick up a nearly new, high-end car in perfect condition for $200. However, you CAN find great deals on used cars at government auto auctions. (By the way, government auctions are not limited to cars, but can include boats, aircraft, office equipment, furniture, heavy machines, and even foreclosed or seized land and houses.) Government auto auctions are held all across the country in many locations. Information regarding the auctions is available online for from sites that generally charge a small membership fee.

While government auto auctions are great for those who are looking for a huge bargain, it’s best to collect some knowledge first. The following tips will put you in a better position to grab the best deal from the car auctions.

1. Search for information that will give you a clear picture of the specific used car market that you are interested in. Different cars can command far different prices in different parts of the country. There are great online sources available such as Edmunds., kbb (the Kelly Blue Book people) and nada (the National Automobile Dealers’ Association). Print out some of the information for reference at the auctions.

2. Bring your drivers license and some other form of ID to the auto auction.

3. Be early at the auto auctions. This is definitely a situation in which the early bird catches the worm. Be at the auctions ahead of the crowd so you can take a close look at and inspect each of the cars that interest you.

4. Perform a physical inspection of the cars that interest you. Check the body fit, the paint, the engine compartment and the tires to see that each appears to be in good condition. It is highly recommended that you write down the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and have a friend at home check the number with an online service. Several online services will generate a detailed history of the car using the VIN for a nominal cost. The reports will list any problems with the car from accidents and sometimes even include service history.

5. Once you successfully bid on a car, be sure to closely review the contract so that it does not contain any conditions that you are not comfortable with. Pay particular attention to the period in which the seller has to deliver the title to the car to you. Often sellers do not have physical titles to the cars they are selling with them and you do not want to have to wait too long to receive your title.

6. There is no financing available at government auto auctions, so make sure you have money available to pay for any car you buy. Many auctions require that you pay for the cars you buy with a bank draft so be sure to investigate the payment requirements of any particular auction before you attend.

7. Set a limit that you are willing to spend BEFORE you get to the auction and do not go beyond that limit. Too often people get caught up in the frenzy of bidding and chase the price of a car well above what would be considered a good deal.

If you are not sure that you want to buy a car at action, go ahead and attend one just to see how the process works. You may be surprised how many quality vehicles and good deals are available.

Finally, don’t leave your brain at home. Just because a car is being sole at an auction does not necessarily mean it’s a great bargain. If the car needs serious repairs of has a checkered history, it may not be worth much. As always, information is king.

Get good information, do your homework, know in advance what you can spend and inspect the cars as much as possible before you head out to the auctions and you will find some great deals.

Looking for a new car involves considering different areas, factors, and features of an automobile. Safety, fuel efficiency, and performance are just some of the things car buyers need to consider to ensure that they will be driving a vehicle that suits them perfectly.

Auto experts though has reported that prospective car buyers should also check for water damage on the car they are planning to buy and they do mean flood water to be exact. After the damaging effects of Hurricane Katrina, car experts fear that the auto market in the United States is proliferated by flood-damaged vehicles. With regards to this, they warn car buyers to avoid buying a car which has suffered the wrath of Hurricane Katrina and other smaller floods across the country.

Bryan Gregory, the Director of Consumer Education for Advanced Auto Parts, has this to say about the influx of flood-damaged vehicles in the United States auto market: “Auto industry experts estimate that as many as 400,000 vehicles may have been damaged by Hurricane Katrina alone. Add to that total the number of vehicles caught in countless smaller floods that occur across the country each year and you have a significant flood-damaged vehicle population that consumers need to be on the lookout for.”

Staying way from flood-damaged vehicles needs a thorough inspection of the vehicle on the part of the buyer. Although the tell tale signs of flood damaged is relatively hard to spot, auto experts want to arm car buyers with the proper information to spot these damages. “Flood damage can be hard to spot, unless you know what you’re looking for. The time to spot a car that’s been in a flood is before you purchase it, because once it’s in your driveway and the flood-related mechanical problems start to show up, it’s too late for most consumers,” says Gregory.

These damages may not show themselves yet right after you buy a car but in the long run, these damages will play a major role in the shortening of a vehicle’s lifespan. Since all new vehicles released in the U.S. market are equipped with electronic components, these features should be checked properly before buying a car. The vehicle’s onboard computer can be permanently damaged by flood water as well as airbag sensors. That alone poses a very high potential risk to consumers.

If an airbag sensor is damaged, when needed, the airbag can no longer protect the occupants of a vehicle, endangering them of severe injuries or even death. Some other electrical components like Volvo window motors can also be damaged by flood water, but these damages can readily be checked unlike the status of an airbag sensor.

One of the most telling signs that a car is flood-damaged is molds in the vehicle or a musty smell. This, of course, is the effect of the prolonged exposure to dirty flood water. New upholstery and carpets can also mean that these are replaced due to the damage of flood water on the original upholstery or carpets. Rust on the interior of a vehicle is also a sign that the vehicle is flood-damaged.

Auto experts also advise car buyers to inspect the air box for mud or water residue. Consumers can do this by simply removing the air filter of a vehicle. Waterlines on the bulb or lenses of headlamps and taillights are also telltale sign that the car was submerged at one time or another under a flood.

Aside from keeping away from flood-damaged vehicles, Gregory also advises car owners to prevent their cars from being victims of a flood. According to Gregory, “In addition to knowing how to avoid buying a flood-damaged vehicle, drivers should also take steps to prevent their own vehicle from becoming a flood victim. The number one action drivers can take to avoid water damage to their vehicle, and possible personal injury or death, is to never, ever attempt to drive through water that is covering a road, no matter how shallow or slow-moving it appears. Also avoid parking in areas prone to flash flooding and close your vehicle’s windows when rain threatens.”

Have you ever noticed how when it comes to moving, nothing seems to be easy? Not packing the boxes, not relocating the furniture, and definitely not the massive pile of paperwork that always goes hand in hand with setting up residence somewhere else. That includes getting your car insurance moved. The good news is, making the changes to your car insurance online rather than over the one can save you a week or more’s worth of time and help take some of the sting out of trying to set up shop in a brand new town.

If You’re Staying in State

If you’re going to be staying in state there isn’t much you have to do to get your auto insurance policy switched over. Since state requirements are still going to be the same you shouldn’t have to make any changes to your policy. All you have to do is pick up the phone and let your insurance agent know you’ve changed your residence so you can make sure the bills are going to the right place and your insurance company knows where your car’s going to be garaged (which is just another fancy named for parked and actually has absolutely nothing to do an actual garage).

The process of changing your information with the DMV is easy if you’re going to be staying in state too, since all you have to do is take in your title and fill in a little piece of paper. If you’re hopping state lines, however, the story gets a little more complicated.

If You’re Going Out of State…

Have you tried to move your license and plates across state lines recently? It’s a nightmare. Seriously. It seems like it would just be easier to start leaving your fingerprints and DNA on file than to provide them with all the paperwork they need to make an official address change for your license and registration.

Part of moving your registration to a new state includes providing proof of insurance to the DMV along with your title and proof of inspection, but insurance and inspection from the state you just moved from. You have to have a shiny new inspection sticker and insurance policy for the state you’re currently calling home. (Some states will give you up to 2 weeks to get a new inspection sticker after you get your new plates, so it pays to call ahead before you start setting up appointments.) It makes sense-each state has its own policies when it comes to inspection and minimum insurance requirements, but that doesn’t make the process any easier for you.

That’s where buying auto insurance online comes into play. If you change your insurance policy over the phone you’re going to have to wait until you receive your new policy in the mail, which can take weeks, to present proof of insurance to the DMV. When you change your insurance policy online you can have that proof in your hands in a matter of minutes-no questions asked.

Moving your auto insurance can be a hassle, but it doesn’t have to be. Make good use of today’s technology and you might be surprised to discover exactly how easy moving your auto insurance coverage can be.

You should consider a few important aspects before you hire a transport company for shipping your car. No transport company can guarantee about time of the delivery of your car as there are many hindrances on the way like traffic bottlenecks, unfavorable climatic conditions or a mechanical fault, which may delay the scheduled delivery.

Sometimes the customer is found to be responsible for delay in delivery schedule. If a customer does not present himself in time for delivery or pick-up or tries to make last minute changes in the route or terms and conditions, it delays the schedule. The timely delivery of your car depends upon your sincerity, promptness and the willingness on your part.

The customer should ensure his timely presence at the pick-up point fixed for your vehicle with the transporter. Any delay in this will result in late delivery of his vehicle and apart from this; it will also cause other persons a lot of inconvenience as they have to keep waiting. Always make sure to get an inspection report on the status of vehicle regarding any existent scratches, dents etc at the point of delivery. You can physically verify the condition of your car with the help of this report.

Similarly, ensure your timely presence at the drop-off point also. You should thoroughly examine your vehicle and compare the status with the inspection report prepared at the delivery point if you find a major difference with the condition given in the paper, make a note of it and get it signed by the truck driver.

The other important decision is regarding the method of transporting your car. It can be shifted in a closed trailer or an open trailer. While closed trailers are quite expensive, open trailers pose the risk for damage of your car through climate, dust, heat etc. closed trailers protect your car in a better manner as they contain a mobile garage. Selecting the type of trailer depends on the amount of expenditure you are ready to incur on shifting your car.

Generally, there is a confusion among the customers regarding the term ‘door to door delivery’ While as per agreement of shipping it denotes the delivery of vehicle to the nearest possible point up to your home, customers consider it as a delivery promised at their doorsteps. As the trailers carrying your vehicle are as long as 75 feet, it is sometimes not possible to steer these right up to your home where any obstacle like electric pole, tree or any other construction is present in the way. In such cases, the truck may be driven to the nearest parking place.