Thinking of changing my car (not the Merc) I read the Auction Guide in Auto Express and they suggested that you can use an Agent to find your car and bid onyour behalf for c.6% with a minimum charge.
This seems like a good idea and I would be interested to know what Honest John thinks about this service.
Do you take a risk on the quality and hidden repairs, etc., also how specific can you be on the model you require i.e. mileage, full service record.
Anyone out there tried this service ?
Regards, David.
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I bumped into Douglas Coker who offers this service at Blackbushe last Friday. He's pretty reliable. But he can't work miracles. He can only buy what's availble to buy. Tel: 020 8351 7976. Others include Sam Davies at Autobarn Direct on 020 8367 1647 and Julian Trin & Co on 01747 838888. Obviously a good buyer knows what to look for and can spot hidden damage. I'll be as interested as you are to hear from anyone who has used one of these services.
HJ
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I sometimes visit Frating auction near Colchester usually to look at the vans in the budget range "Sold as seen"(No 1hour warranty). Most of the "punters" do not appear to go round the vehicles in advance. They just pounce on the vehicle as it enters auction house. Open the bonnet. Look at Glasses guide and bid.
I go round hours before, looking at the bodywork and then retire to the cafe for bacon buttee! Select the vehicles I am interested. When auction begins, I watch the vehicles start and follow them as they drive in. Get great tips from the drivers! I have not been let down so far - but I avoid popular Ford Transits.
I haven`t seen anyone offering this personal service to sort out the vehicles for you here. If there are, they are publicity shy!
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I agree with Andrew. I go to Manheims at Colchester and Wimbledon and occasionally Paddock wood and Blackbushe. Occasionally I go with a friend who is an agent and also buys stock for his own car lot. He will have a scout around the car park first and note the condition and damage to any vehicles he proposes to bid on. Then as you noted when the car comes into the hall he will have another walk round and start bidding. There are three differences between him and me:
1. He notices things a lot quicker in the car park - all he is really looking for is paintwork and allignment of doors and bodywork
2. The cars he buys are almost new and warrantied mileage so there's unlikely to be any mechanical defects, and the cars are under warranty anyway.
3. He knows when to stop bidding.
I don't know how you would stand from a trading standards point of view buying through an agent. I guess he would be your agent and buying a car on your behalf so he wouldn't be a dealer and give a statutory rights.
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6% seems to be a good margin for a car which a dealer/agent is guaranteed to sell after the sale, especially if he has no comebacks.
6% must be quite close to the supersites' margins. David Healey wrote:
>
> Thinking of changing my car (not the Merc) I read the Auction
> Guide in Auto Express and they suggested that you can use an
> Agent to find your car and bid onyour behalf for c.6% with a
> minimum charge.
> This seems like a good idea and I would be interested to know
> what Honest John thinks about this service.
> Do you take a risk on the quality and hidden repairs, etc.,
> also how specific can you be on the model you require i.e.
> mileage, full service record.
> Anyone out there tried this service ?
> Regards, David.
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I've just purchased an Omega 2.5CDX through Julian Trim. I received pleasant
and helpful advice throughout. He took very exact details of what I was looking for
and gave me some good advice regarding what I could expect for my budget.
He called me on the morning of a sale and described two cars that were up on
the day. He described one as in much better condition than the other, and
suggested a likely price for both. He phoned after the poorer one had gone (for far
over his guess) and we agreed a bid limit. This one came in for exactly what he'd
predicted. Two days later they delivered the car to my front door.
I speak as a man who's bought his last six cars at auction, all of them fine. I
chose the agent route because by the time you've paid the private buyer's premium
(a rip off 2.5% or so - why is it more than for a trader?) and possibly gone to a sale
for a day and come home with nothing, you're better off getting someone else to
do it. I've also experienced going to a sale *needing* to buy a car - big pressure
to overbid; an agent will just walk away, as there's always another day for him.
The only problem? It really isn't clear what would happen if he bought you a dog,
but the other side of this is that he's much more likely to avoid a dog than the
average punter.
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One thing I forgot, the dealers sometimes seem to work in groups when bidding for popular models. It is difficult to see who is bidding but I notice prices can zoom up when a private customer bids to freeze him out. This costs the dealer more money but is intended to discourage the private investor from bothering to come.
Therefore either bidding for less popular cars eg large engined or make is not a problem. Similarly an agent will be recognised as "trade" and not bid against. One thing I hate is when the auctioner takes phantom bids. Does not use the hammer and the car comres round 30min later. The dealers do not get caught. I found them offering the same price limit exactly!
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Just got to the end of my first year with a 96 N Omega V6 CDX purchased through Douglas Coker. He got exactly what I wanted from Enfield BCA(even down to a very acceptable colour) the day I after I engaged his services.
So he made his four hundred odd quid very quickly, but that was just the luck of the draw for him - and he certainly did not put me any under pressure to proceed with that particular car.
But I'm delighted with both his service and the Omega.
Accept the fact that it won't be tarted up to a forecourt standard and it might need the odd tyre but the costs to do this for yourself will never compare to retail money.
Not sure what would happen in law if the gearbox was full of sawdust and the whole experience turned sour. Thankfully it didn't happen to me and I would have no qualms about using Douglas again.
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