Impounded Cars For Sale

Most everybody enjoys autos. And they're always in search of great deals. These two aspects combine for a general love of great deals on cars.

Some of the best car deals around can be found when authorities offer impounded cars for sale. That's known as an auction. If you know what you're doing you can find terrific deals there..

How do these autos come to be there? Often the police impound cars that belong to criminals or that were used in committing a crime. For example its the law that drug dealers' possessions are confiscated and sold. The city or state then has lots of cars, sometimes luxury cars, that they want to sell. Tickets also generate a lot of these cars. If the owner doesn't claim the vehicle, or if the fines accumulate to a certain point, the car will be up for sale.

Sometimes the cars are sold straight to dealerships who either sell them on the lot or auction them. Auctioneers also buy cars and then sell them at their own auction. It really makes no difference. There are some great deals when cars are auctioned, period. But beware of some pitfalls of purchasing cars via auction. As the saying goes it's “buyer beware.”

There's usually no warranty offered with these autos. It's a case of what you see is what you get. That is, in the auto industry, “as is.” Puffery is also common, and legal. When car dealers say “clean as a whistle” that's puffery. Some key words like “clean” or “like new” are also involved. These sound like specific descriptions or even promises of a well working auto. What they really come down to is “there's a sucker, let's make the deal.”

Have some information when you visit an auction. Take a good look at the cars. Bring a mechanic with you if possible. Take advantage of the test drives most auctions offer. When it's impounded cars for sale it can be a great deal. But many deals aren't as good as they seem on first blush.