Buying a Car Through an Auction from Out of State?

So, you’re thinking about buying a(nother) car or truck for your collection? Awesome! It doesn’t get more exciting than that. The thrill of the chase, the excitement of the negotiation and of course the daydreams of driving the new ride around and showing it off! You’ll be looking forward to the thumbs up you’ll be getting, maybe a little light-to-light action or the looks from the ladies. It’s all part of it. Never mind having the auto you’ve been dreaming about owning! Is it that car your dad’s buddy had, or the one you had a poster of on your bedroom wall in High School?

But, if you can’t look at the car in person, which is becoming increasingly common with the ability to buy vehicles sight-unseen, through places like Bring-A-Trailer and online bidding from Mecum, what do you do? Take a gamble? Hope the seller is telling you the truth? Ask for picture after picture after picture after picture, badger, question and cross-examine as if you were in a courtroom?

Or, you could book a flight. Assuming it’s not cancelled, rent a car and hotel room and go out and see the car yourself. Of course, that’s what we’d all prefer to do. But, time is limited, and maybe money, too. And, what to do after that you’ve negotiated the deal? Drive the car home? Ship it? The costs are adding up, not to mention your personal time!

The other thing to be on the lookout for is your experience in evaluating cars. Not saying you don’t know what your doing, you absolutely, do! But it’s different when it’s your money. And, your excitement. And, lust for the ride of your dreams.

Might I suggest the better answer is to hire a local professional to look at the car on your behalf. First off, no seller is going to deny allowing you to have someone come look at the car. What would that say about the ride for which they are trying to get many thousands of your hard-earned dollars for? Second, a lot of sellers feel more comfortable talking to someone who doesn’t have skin in the game. That can work to your advantage as they feel less of a need to sugar coat things.

Additionally, professionals look at several cars a month for out-of-state buyers. We don’t get emotional. We go through our checklist. We know what we’re looking for. We have the tools and equipment to do a thorough job. Do you have a paint meter? We’re looking for the same things you are. Rust, bondo, poor body repairs. Does the car run, run right? Does it shift, go in a straight line. And, we’re looking at torque boxes on old Mustangs and many other specific issues specific cars or trucks have.

The bottom line is, it’s a lot cheaper to hire a professional than travel out-of-state, and sometimes in-state, to do a proper inspection of a vehicle you’re considering. Auto Appraisal Network can usually make time within the next 2-3 days to get out and look at the vehicle. We’ll inspect the vehicle, verify VIN and engine numbers, take 80-100 pictures and call you to answer any questions. In addition to our standard appraisal report which contains the information you’ll need to make a buying decision. Give us a call today to schedule your inspection!

Auto Appraisal Network of North Texas is part of a national group of professional auto appraisers. Our appraisals are the most comprehensive and complete reports available in the industry.  Our appraisers are certified and have the experience and knowledge to fairly and accurately asses the value of your vehicle. 

For more information on any of the services we offer, call us today at (469) 297-3350.