Auction prices for 06 diesel estate?

[MJN]

Hi all. First post! Thought I could use your vast knowledge to help me!

Looking to buy an estate Passat. Budget would be limited to £3500-4000.

Could I get a decent car for that money at auction? I've seen some on an 06 plate and 90k+ miles.
I live over 200miles away from big auction centres, so can't just pop in to find out.

Any pitfalls in buying a high miler? Being ex fleet would assume it has been maintained properly?

Thanks in advance

[phil140]

I will buying these types of cars tomorrow at British Car Auctions but with less miles on. Auction prices are quite strong at the moment, they normally dip a bit on the run up to Christmas and rise in January because good stock is thin on the ground. Just bought an 06/56 Passat 2.0 TDI SE 85k miles, 1 owner, full VW history, 2 keys, nice car £4,050. Fleet cars are normally high miles but mechanically looked after very well usually, they tend to be a bit chippy on the bonnet/roof/windscreen, kerbed alloys and battered inside as the person who has been driving it will not usually have their hard earned money in it. The last 2 Passats i have bought needed flywheels, they will always need something. I pay about £150 fees to the auction at this kind of money, you would pay maybe £300/£40 as a civillian. However, i have seen many, many private people buy a nightmare at the auctions as there is more skill involved than nodding up the auctioneer. People who are new are the auctioneers wet dream, quite often you could be bidding yourself up with no-one else bidding! When i have a car with huge problems (Flywheel, turbo etc) what do i do with it? Yep, turn off the lights etc and put it in the auction and it is all sold as seen (got 3 cars in this week). You have to know what sales to buy out of, how to appraise the car in 30 seconds (i mess up sometimes and miss things) with no test drive and in poor light. You could ask the agency driver what it feels like? But good luck with that one.

I will tell you quite openly that it suits me when i see private punters buy a right nightmare at the auction, i don't want my potential customers skipping me the retailer. Some will get a bargain motor, some (happened last week) will take the car they have just bought cheaply at the auction down to my garage and they will be on their knees as they know they have messed up, dashboard like a christmas tree with warning lights etc. You buy the car from me you have a warranty and more importantly are protected by the sales of goods act. The auction cars are SOLD AS SEEN, which means exactly that. A very small number of cars might be sold with 'no major mechanical faults'. What is a 'major' mechanical fault? It depends on who you are and how many cars you buy from the auction per year! It means you have 1 hour after the car is sold to declare any major mechanical faults but again good luck with that one.

I would say go to your nearest big auction, leave your cash or card at home and see what happens. Get a feel for it, ask people questions, when i take someone for the first time they always have an eye opening day. Lots of money changing hands, nice cars to see, real prices being realised instead of some 'guide'. Just don't wave at anybody.

P.S. Welcome to the forum.

[DSG4ME]

Yep, never forget the buyers premium that is on top of the hammer price.

[phil140]

Actually they call it an indemnity (sic?). It is more complicated than a simple buyers fee. The indemnity is the buyers insurance, for want of a better word, that covers you for things like finance still owned on the car etc. I bought a Rover 75 diesel this morning from BCA Preston and the HPI shows that there is outstanding finance on the vehicle. Normally i would wait until i had a fax from the finance company informing me that they do not have 'an interest' in the vehicle. At the auction i do not have time or the means to get this proof before purchase. If the finance had not been settled and a FUBAR situation occured i would be covered by the indemnity i have paid to the auction house and they would have to sort it out. It can take 2 weeks (some still show as current finance years later) after the owner or dealer has paid the finance off to show as clear on the HPI report. Same principle applies for cars on the insurance total loss register etc.

[MJN]

Thanks for the replies. Very honest and informative.
It looks like I need to go for a couple of days out to an auction. My nearest big centre is Manheim in Bristol.
Cheers

[royalblue]

For what it is worth, I got my B6 Passat off ebay. Like anything, you get good ones and bad ones. I guessed the seller was good because he flagged up -vs before the positives.

I then did HPI and then went with a friend (always helps as your emotions take over).

I have done 700 miles and love it to bits.

Mods here I come.