Auto auctions are a method of selling vehicles based on an auction system. [1] Auto auctions can be found in most countries and are usually exclusive to licensed automobile dealers. In a few countries, such as Japan, auto auctions are well known and used by most residents.
Auto auctions are the most popular method to sell used vehicles in Japan. [2] Most customers are Japanese seeking a cheap vehicle to start with or replace their older vehicle. There are many also trying to sell their vehicles. Individuals though cannot directly use auto auctions, but must go through those holding auction membership. [3] In Japanese law, only dealerships may become members of auto auctions. The system allows people to have access to information, but keeps the auctions orderly with only professionals actually able to bid.
A small percentage of the dealers that are members of Japanese auto auctions are also used vehicle exporters that most often use the auto auctions as their primary source of used vehicles. Other than these exporters, most members are used vehicle dealerships that sell in Japan and are used by Japanese people to find a car they want.
In Japan, there are over 30 well-known auto auction groups and over 200 auto auction locations throughout Japan. [4] Additionally, there are smaller auctions held for specialized items. Furthermore, large numbers of cars in Japan are auctioned online, using various types of auction software. Auction inspection sheets allow buyers and inspectors to evaluate the worth of a car over such systems. [5]
In the United States, auto auctions play a major role as a wholesale market for second-hand vehicles. Most states only allow closed auctions, meaning only dealers can use them. [6] As of 2018, there were 139 used car-auction sites in the US open only to car dealers. [7] There are also auctions that are open to the public in a few states like New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. [8] These auctions are a primary outlet for financial services firms to dispose of their large volume of off-lease returns, for rental and other companies to sell off their aging fleets and for car dealerships to dump trade-ins or other unwanted inventory. Some auctions in the United States are used by banks, the IRS, and other government agencies to sell vehicles that were repossessed for failure to make monthly payments or pay taxes, or were seized by the FBI, DEA, or the police. [9] [10] Also, there are some that sell US Government vehicles and those catering to the salvage market where insurance companies sell totaled vehicles. Finally, there is a niche classic and luxury car market for $1 million-plus cars. [11] [12]
Online auto auctions are also growing in popularity. One of the most popular online auctions to buy cars from is eBay Motors. [13] On eBay Motors, any user can create an account and put their vehicle(s) up for auction even if they are from a state that only allows closed auctions. There is usually a fee associated with selling a vehicle on eBay. [14] Some buyers prefer to look for local car sellers on eBay, within a certain radius so that they can go and do a manual inspection of the vehicle. [15] There are several cases of scams associated with popular online auctions. [16]
With the reduction in travel in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, United States–based auto auctions companies, like Illinois-based Insurance Auto Auctions and Copart in Dallas, saw rapid growth as rental companies shrunk their fleets significantly. [17] [18] This has drawn some controversy, with numerous race tracks being sold and repurposed as storage facilities for these companies. [19] [20]
The majority of vehicles entered into auction in the UK are ex-company fleet vehicles and as such usually have a good service history and have been well-kept. [21] Car dealer groups also take advantage of auto auctions in order to sell on any excess stock whilst smaller, local car dealers will use them to fill spaces on their forecourts. Auctions in the UK are also used by banks, local and central Governments, private sellers, and car dealerships.
A dealer auto auction is a specialized form of auction. Millions of vehicles are sold at such dealer auto auctions every year. These auctions are restricted to the general public and only licensed dealers can participate. Prices of vehicles sold at dealer auctions tend to be lower than those advertised on any dealer's lot. Sellers forgo a potentially higher sticker price to take their inventory to a dealer auction where it will be auctioned off for less than retail for a number of reasons.
Maintaining aging inventory costs dealers both money and reputation. Most vehicles sold are off-lease returns, replaced rental fleets, company cars, repossessed vehicles, and trade-ins. [22]
Among these types of vehicles, there are quality cars ready to market. Late models with remaining factory warranty are not uncommon. The law requires listing dealers to disclose bigger mechanical problems, which may void the manufacturer's warranty and classify the vehicle as junk, salvage, lemon/consumer buy-back, etc. There are special auctions for these types of vehicles (salvage, rebuilt, or junk vehicles), sold mostly by insurance companies. Other types of auctions specialize in the sale of police or government cars; some of those allow public access.
Regardless of their source, vehicles are sent to auction with the main purpose to be sold quickly and hassle-free, and this usually happens at prices that dealers can easily recoup with a small profit from a resale. Contrary to popular belief, cars seldom sell for unreasonably low prices at dealer auctions. This may happen if there are not enough interested bidders or if the vehicle is exceptionally unattractive and should not be taken for granted. Many sellers put reserve prices on their stock specifically to prevent this from happening. The reserve price is not disclosed publicly and a “winning” auction offer price is only considered a sale if the reserve price is met. Sellers have the option to re-list vehicles that did not sell at a particular auction.
As with any used vehicle, overall vehicle condition varies greatly. Many aspects of a vehicle's appearance may suffer in the term of everyday use and result in any of the following damages: stained or otherwise used upholstery, scratched bumpers, dings on the doors, chipped hood, dented quarter panels. Most of these can be fixed with touch-up paint and/or a dent removing kit. Scraped wheels and worn tires may cost more to repair or replace.
Pre-sale vehicle inspection or test-driving is allowed at some auctions. Some auction locations inspect and prepare the cars for sale if the listing dealer so chooses (at a premium). More extensive reconditioning is also available. Many auctions offer (for a fee) post-sale inspections for qualifying vehicles that can determine mechanical or frame damage issues and allow the buying dealer a window of opportunity to back out of the purchase. On the other end, sellers can also (for a fee) have their vehicles pre-sale inspected which allows purchasing dealers to buy with confidence that the vehicle passed a pre-sale inspection and is free of mechanical or frame damage issues.
Most car dealerships do not pay cash for the vehicles they buy at auto auctions. [23] They rely on inventory financing, a line of credit extended by a bank or other institution to acquire vehicles. [24] This is known in industry parlance as floorplanning (floor planning) or simply "flooring" vehicle inventory. [25] Specialty finance companies cater to the used car dealer industry.
Auto Auction announcements [26] are usually displayed on a screen behind the auction block. Auction announcements contain information to help Dealers make better informed decisions. These announcements can offer information about the vehicles history, such as former Taxi or Fleet use, the vehicles Title status, such as Title Absent, Salvage or Buy Back, and if the vehicle has any major mechanical issues. Auction announcements may also use a light system consisting of red, yellow, and green to draw attention to additional information. This information may pertain to liens, odometer discrepancies, and other vehicle issues.
In the United States, a car dealership is a business that sells cars. A car dealership can either be a franchised dealership selling new and used cars, or a used car dealership, selling only used cars. In most cases, dealerships provide car maintenance and repair services as well as trade-in, leasing, and financing options for customers.
Hertz Global Holdings, Inc., known as Hertz, is an American car rental company based in Estero, Florida. The company operates its namesake Hertz brand, along with the brands Dollar Rent A Car, Firefly Car Rental and Thrifty Car Rental.
An extended warranty, sometimes called a service agreement, a service contract, or a maintenance agreement, is a prolonged warranty offered to consumers in addition to the standard warranty on new items. The extended warranty may be offered by the warranty administrator, the retailer or the manufacturer. Extended warranties cost extra and for a percentage of the item's retail price. Some extended warranties that are purchased for multiple years state in writing that during the first year, the consumer must still deal with the manufacturer in the occurrence of malfunction. Thus, what is often promoted as a five-year extended guarantee, for example, is actually only a four-year guarantee.
Sixt SE is an international mobility service provider with about 2,000 locations in more than 100 countries. Sixt SE acts as a parent and holding company of the Sixt Group, which is internationally active in the business areas of vehicle rental, car sharing, ride-hailing, and subscription.
A car dealership, or car dealer, is a business that sells new or used cars, at the retail level, based on a dealership contract with an automaker or its sales subsidiary. Car dealerships also often sell spare parts and automotive maintenance services.
AutoNation is an American automotive retailer based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which provides new and pre-owned vehicles and associated services in the United States. The company was founded by Wayne Huizenga in 1996, starting with twelve AutoNation locations, and now has more than 300 retail outlets.
A used car, a pre-owned vehicle, or a secondhand car, is a vehicle that has previously had one or more retail owners. Used cars are sold through a variety of outlets, including franchise and independent car dealers, rental car companies, buy here pay here dealerships, leasing offices, auctions, and private party sales. Some car retailers offer "no-haggle prices," "certified" used cars, and extended service plans or warranties.
A car rental, hire car or car hire agency is a company that rents automobiles for short periods of time to the public, generally ranging from a few hours to a few weeks. It is often organized with numerous local branches, and primarily located near airports or busy city areas and often complemented by a website allowing online reservations.
Retail floor planning is a type of short term loan used by retailers to purchase high-cost inventory such as automobiles. These loans are often secured by the inventory purchased as collateral.
Manheim, Inc. is an automobile auction company. As a subsidiary of Cox Automotive, a subsidiary of privately owned Cox Enterprises, Inc. based in Atlanta, Georgia, Manheim's primary business is wholesaling vehicles via a bidding process using traditional and online formats. Manheim also provides other vital dealership and wholesale services, such as financing, title work, transportation, recovery, auto body repair, dealership management systems, dent repair and automotive reconditioning, and automotive re-marketing at each location.
Vehicle leasing is the leasing of a motor vehicle for a fixed period of time at an agreed amount of money for the lease. It is commonly offered by dealers as an alternative to vehicle purchase but is widely used by businesses as a method of acquiring vehicles for business, without the usually needed cash outlay. The key difference in a lease is that after the primary term the vehicle has to either be returned to the leasing company or purchased for the residual value.
Car finance refers to the various financial products which allow someone to acquire a car, including car loans and leases.
Autotrader.com, Inc. is an American online marketplace for car buyers and sellers, founded in 1997. It aggregates new, used, and certified second-hand cars from dealers and private sellers. The site also provides users with automotive reviews, shopping advice, and comparison tools for car financing and insurance information. The firm is based in Atlanta, Georgia. Since 2018 it has also been operating in Australia. Autotrader.com is owned by the Cox Automotive subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. It was originally a magazine, started by entrepreneur Stuart Arnold.
Vehicle remarketing is the controlled disposal of fleet and leasing vehicles that have reached the end of their fixed term.
In the used car market in the United States and Canada, buy here, pay here, often abbreviated as BHPH, refers to a method of running an automobile dealership in which dealers themselves extend credit to purchasers of automobiles. Typically, purchasers of cars at BHPH dealerships have poor credit history, and loans have high interest rates. BHPH can provide options for those unable to meet credit standards elsewhere.
DriveTime Automotive Group Inc. is an American used car retailer and finance company. It is based in Tempe, Arizona, and sells and finances cars to customers around the nation. The company was formerly known as Ugly Duckling and was renamed DriveTime in 2002. It also spun off Carvana and GO Financial, SilverRock Group Inc, and Bridgecrest Acceptance Corporation. As of 2018, DriveTime had approximately 145 locations in the U.S. and 3,800 employees.
Vehicle insurance in the United States is designed to cover the risk of financial liability or the loss of a motor vehicle that the owner may face if their vehicle is involved in a collision that results in property or physical damage. Most states require a motor vehicle owner to carry some minimum level of liability insurance. States that do not require the vehicle owner to carry car insurance include Virginia, where an uninsured motor vehicle fee may be paid to the state, New Hampshire, and Mississippi, which offers vehicle owners the option to post cash bonds. The privileges and immunities clause of Article IV of the U.S. Constitution protects the rights of citizens in each respective state when traveling to another. A motor vehicle owner typically pays insurers a monthly or yearly fee, often called an insurance premium. The insurance premium a motor vehicle owner pays is usually determined by a variety of factors including the type of covered vehicle, marital status, credit score, whether the driver rents or owns a home, the age and gender of any covered drivers, their driving history, and the location where the vehicle is primarily driven and stored. Most insurance companies will increase insurance premium rates based on these factors and offer discounts less frequently.
Copart, Inc. is a global provider of online vehicle auction and remarketing services to automotive resellers such as insurance, rental car, fleet and finance companies in 11 countries; the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, Ireland, Brazil, Spain, UAE, Bahrain, Oman and Finland. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Copart has more than 200 physical locations around the world, where it houses more than 10,000 acres of vehicle inventory. Copart sells used, wholesale and repairable vehicles in weekly and bi-weekly online auctions to buyers ranging from consumers to automotive businesses around the world. Copart provides vehicle sellers with a range of services to process and sell repairable and clean title vehicles over the internet, using its patented virtual auction technology, named VB3, as well as others of its auction-related brands.
The electric car company Tesla has faced dealership disputes in several US states as a result of local laws. In the United States, direct manufacturer auto sales are prohibited in many states by franchise laws requiring that new cars be sold only by independent dealers.
Vehicle subscription is a service where a customer pays a recurring fee for the right to use one or more automotive vehicles. Some vehicle subscriptions offer insurance and maintenance as part of the subscription fee; other subscriptions allow the subscriber to switch between different vehicles during their subscription period. Industry commentators consider vehicle subscription to be an alternative to owning or leasing a vehicle.
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