Buy used car online

With the popularity of buy used car online sites on the Internet, I felt I should cover the topic in-depth. At the bottom of this page you will find more articles with important tips and information specialized for online car buyers.

So throw away the local news paper because it is possible to find a great vehicle cheaper online. We all know that you can go to e-bay motors and many other Internet used car lots and find some great looking deals on private sale cars. But to buy a used car online takes a different strategy then buying a used car on land.


Finding the car in the exact color and model you desire just takes some hunting. If your looking for an older Classic Car to purchase then consider getting it checked out or certified for being all original.This market is soft right now and bargains are plentiful. People with some of the older listings might be willing to cut a deal. E-bay motors is probably the most popular and user friendly but also the largest used car online website that I have seen. Let me give you an example. I did a search on classic cars for sale.

My favorite muscle car of all time is the 1970 Trans Am Ram Air III. This is a very rare car and they had 3 in perfect condition with pictures and specs. E-bay motors makes it easy to buy used car online and they offer car buyer protection plus inspect before you buy options. This operation is high quality from the useability of the site to the total amount of classic cars for sale. You can find newer cars like jag's and Chevy's also. Basically what ever your looking for e-bay has 3 in what ever color you want.

Buy a used car online

I want to explain a few of the key advantages to using e-bay to buy a private car for sale. The first to consider is the third party used car inspection service. You pick from a network of qualified automotive inspectors giving potential online car buyers the confidence to purchase private cars for sale anywhere across the county. They offer a proprietary 150-point condition inspection. Buy a used car and have it inspected within 24-48 hours before the payment and shipping is finalized. E-bay motors helps you buy used car online and provides a high comfort level by being the eyes and ears on location.
How else would you know if a vehicle’s tires are severely worn or if there is a drive train leak? A certified inspection takes the guesswork out of online car buying. This is very important when buying an expensive or rare classic muscle car.
Inspections can verify the numbers match on the installed power-train. If the numbers don't match the vehicle is worth less! If you are looking for a private inspection (not through E-bay) 

Buy used car online protection

The buy used car online Vehicle Purchase Protection program protects your vehicle against fraud and material misrepresentation. This program is provided by eBay Motors on all eligible transactions. There's no sign-up, opt-in, or registration required. Your used car purchase is protected for up to $20,000 or the vehicle purchase price whichever is lower automatically.

Shipping your online used car purchase

E-bay motors has identified the scariest part of the buy used car online process and can put your fears to rest. E-bay's business depends on you getting your vehicle on time and in good condition.The preferred shipper will work with you and e-bay to make sure this all goes smoothly. Remember e-bay wants you to be happy enough to come back to their site and buy another vehicle. My favorite feature of the used car shipping service is the High Tech Auto Tracking System. Dependable Auto Shippers uses Satellite tracking provided by Qualcomm.

This allows all of DAS's customers to log on to the web site to get the exact location of their car transport vehicle in route. This will put your mind at ease and you will never have to wonder where your car is at. You will know the exact location at all times!
Dependable Auto Shippers has been the auto transport company of choice since 1954. With the most experience in the delivery of private cars for sale plus the highest quality trucks and training for its employees, DAS will make your car shipping as simple and worry-free as is possible.

Cars for sale

This subject is something I know about inside and out. When I see cars for sale I see dollar signs. Anyone can make money selling a car. The trick is to make the maximum amount per deal.
This of course starts with the most basic sale principal of all time. Buy low and sell high. Yes this is easier said then done. I know people that have turned this into an art form. I have learned from their mistakes and also their success. I am writing a book on cars for sale and buying low.
This book will take some time but I wanted to share some basic tips with you now. How I started buying low was the mass low-ball offer on private cars for sale. A car buying trick I learned from a late night infomercial real-estate guru. Interesting sidebar: Many rich and famous people built their success on the back of buying and selling cars.

Best time to buy a used car

Unlike real estate people with private cars for sale are almost always motivated sellers. Your job is to find out just how motivated they are. You know from your own experience, when you have cars for sale, you always want to get rid of that old car fast.People want to move on and that old car sitting around stops this from happening. You can use this to your advantage by being patient and realizing the seller needs you. However, to maximize this advantage you will need cash in hand. The power of a cash now offer can make sellers jump at the stack of bills and forget the original asking price.

The mass low-ball offer helps you find the most motivated of these automobile sellers. It works like this; you go through the local car classifieds and look at model verses price. You then pick out the most popular models loaded with options (selling features) at the lowest prices.
Circle all the good ads and build up a big list. If you need help on determining what a good price for a specific model car. After you have your purified list you make the calls and go and see the vehicles. You want to make sure the vehicle has eye. If you are going to make money selling a car then it must have extreme curb appeal.

Luxury and sporty automobiles even with high miles sell much easier. Then you go and make your low ball offers. Thousands below the asking price. You must be firm and direct. Most people will say no way. Leave them your name and number and tell them to call you if they get stuck and need the money.
You will be surprised at how many calls you will get. Just do this over and over until you find the ultimate deal. Don't hesitate on walking away from a deal or making a counter offer even lower to cover any auto repair costs. Before the money changes hands check the vehicle out thoroughly. More on the subject on my how to buy used cars page. See how to check a vehicle with a used car inspection guide.

Auction car

Buying an auction car is something I know a lot about and I would like to share some insight with visitors. My experience comes from working for one of the largest auction companies in the United States as well as attending many automotive only auctions as a buyers agent.
The process can be intoxicating and overwhelming. The genuine opportunity to save thousands of dollars over retail is real and tangible. My function at the car auction was to prepare the individual vehicles for sale day.
My department was the certified mechanical reconditioning center. We evaluated vehicles to determine overall condition. The condition of the automobile would determine how it was auctioned. At the auctions I went to and worked for they would divide the vehicles into three classes.

Auction car procedure

Green light meant the vehicle was in good condition and that no major
system problems where detected. The auction company would warranty a green light automobile for 30 days and provide a refund to the buyer if major problems where discover after the sale.The next designation was the yellow light cars. This is when minor problems are detected on inspection. A couple examples would be the air conditioning not working or check engine lights. Other problems that did not directly affect the power train system would also be included.

The last classification was the red light vehicle. This meant that a major power train component had been identified as having a problem. Example of this would be a worn engine that smoked or a transmission that slipped.

The red light vehicle was sold in "as is condition" with no warranties implied. The red light vehicles attracted auto mechanics looking to invest time and money into repairing them. Often flipping it sending it back through under a green light condition for top dollars.

Is this just auction car hype

The excitement on auction day was the real  opportunity to buy a vehicle thousands below market value. You could bid unchallenged on a vehicle and walk away with one hell of a deal.
The auction could also go the other way and you could get into bidding war that would leave you with little or no profit margin. The auction car used inventory was supplied from many different vendors but was mainly from different leasing and rental car companies. When turned in at the end of contract it was shipped to an auction car operation.
Also the large rental car fleets would dispose of their aging inventory at these locations. Some of the vehicles where very well maintained and some not. The buying process would best be described as the buyer must beware and very well educated on the subject.
Bookmark or share this car auction page then explore all the links.

After working at and helping people buy at the sales you can't help but pick up some valuable insider information. Here is a few things to look out for like snipers and shills as well as a few more auction tips

Auction car online is it real?

Buying an online auction car is a whole different animal. The online auction sites deal mostly with government or seized vehicles and also bank repositions. The opportunity to save money is even greater in my opinion than the land based auctions. The government vehicles have very low reserves and can be sold a lot cheaper then the full blown retail price in some cases. If you can get one of these super deals the condition of the vehicle is not as important due to the fact you got the car so cheep.
As long as the vehicle doesn't have frame damage you can fix it up and still have a total investment below the blue book value. If the price creeps up to about 50% of retail value then you should start considering protecting your investment. For more information on this see my page about how to buy a used car online

If Buying a car online scares you a little you can always use the internet just for research. Now as far as where to go for an auction car online lets talk about this a little further. The best way to go in my opinion is with an auction database type service.

This service provides one stop shopping for a complete database of ongoing auctions. Hunting these down you're self would take a lot of effort. Each state and county have their own auctions and the data base service ties all these together. One of these is government-auction.com they have a large database, both online and local. Details of how it works are below but they offer a 56-day money back guarantee if you just want to jump in. On the site you can get almost any make or model vehicle you desire. Including retired police cars. See my article on why I love police cars and how they can be a best buy for solid transportation. Visit my insiders guide to buying a police car

Governmentauctions.org has created an large database full of these auction opportunities, giving you the chance to bid on many items for up to 90% off their retail value. Once you have purchased your V.I.P Membership you will have Unlimited access to the entire site and all it has to offer.Who is Eligible? Everyone is eligible to take part in these online auctions! They are easy to use and fun! They have designed the site so that you can find what you are looking for Quickly! Whatever you are searching for they probably have it in their database!
What is a Reserve? A "Reserve" is a set price that the seller is allowed to make. If no bidders reach this set price, Reserve, than the item will not be sold. This is the absolute lowest price that the seller is willing to sell for.
How do I Bid? Bidding is easy! When you do a search you can go through the results and choose your preferred auction site. Once you have done this, a FREE registration is quick and easy and you will be guided through every step! You're satisfaction is guaranteed!

Used car search

This page covers buying used cars with some unique information and tools. Learn about the art of car buying from a mechanic that specialized in vehicle evaluation. Don't miss the more in depth articles below. Take full advantage of my experience on this subject and the tools available on this page.

Let's start off by paying as little as possible, so we have breathing room just in case needed auto repairs are uncovered after the purchase. Next the car search should be based on model verses price. You want to find popular cars with lots of options at a fair price. Owning a loaded popular model is like money in the bank (it will always be worth something). To get free book values visit the Nada website (opens in a new window). After the page loads click on used cars center! This takes you to the book values section. I find Nada to be accurate and they allow unlimited searches for Vehicle book values


A newer resource I use is a twist on old fashioned vehicle history reports. Do you recognize the name Experian? They have been providing automobile history reports to Dealers and large Firms for years.They have a web based service for the public. This is a history report similar to other popular providers but with a twist. With your full report on where the car came from and what has happened to it during its life you also get a quality score. Experian are experts at evaluation and scoring. They also have a free search function that provides some insight on reported damage so you can try it out. Just plug in the VIN and get free details about past registration. If it was titled in New Orleans you may want to dig deeper or just pass altogether.

Used cars buyer beware!

The used automobile inspection is the most important step in the whole process (my opinion). If you get a great looking car at a low price it might be because hidden problems exist in an expensive mechanical system.
Checking the vehicle yourself or having a professional mechanic or shop check the vehicle is important. Most dealers will take the vehicle to the shop of your choice for a complete inspection.
If they do not want to cooperate on this they maybe hiding something or know the vehicle will not pass an inspection. Most shops will get around $200.00 for a complete inspection. This is still money well spent but I have a cheaper alternative that may be right for some people.

How about a Haynes manual that provides a detailed list of things to check. Written by professionals that can describe in-depth how to do it right. Haynes created this "Do It Yourself" guide for inspecting used automobiles 10 years ago but this important stuff remains the same today.

This is comprehensive information that a lot of vehicle sellers would rather you didn't have. It's written for the capable Diy'er but good enough for even advanced mechanics to keep them on track! Bring it with you on your next used car search.

The book covers finding hidden rust, spotting crash damage, how to detect body filler and evaluating a cars general condition with a 10-minute walk-around. It even teaches you how to find common mechanical problems.

Finally a walk through on how to road-test the vehicle plus checklists to insure you get the most out of it. Why arm yourself with the knowledge and understanding of what to look for, listen to, and even smell when you are inspecting a car. In many cases you can use your findings as a bargaining tool to lower the price to cover all the needed repairs.