Review - AuctionPASS (5 Stars!)

It seems like every day I hear more and more about AuctionsPass. I remember when I was running a small dealership near Naperville, Illinois - when doing my callbacks to customers I would get about two or three "We went with AuctionPass." This was every week mind you! :) This was what led me toward the auto auction industry to begin with. You just can't compete with cars that are 1/10 the retail price.

When starting this blog I new sooner or later I would have to review this site. It is by far one the the most popular. It not only deals with vehicle auctions, but just about every type you can think of. I went with a full pass for just around 70 bucks, I wouldn't bother with the "Auction Guide" (whatever that even is). I knew I would most likely be using this site for buying other things down the road - but right now I was in search of a car.

If you read my last review or are a reader of my personal blog you may know that I have been in the market for a BMW X5 for months now. Right away after getting my order confirmation I jumped onto the site and searched the entire nation for the perfect X5. I was surprised with just how well laid out the search is. I was expecting it to be on par with my last review. I found that the search functionality of this site is very well laid out. Searching by keywords is a neat feature not found on most auction house sites as well.

I searched within my area first, that way if I was curious I could make the drive to look at the vehicle first hand. Within seconds I found a 2004 BMW X5 with 32,000 miles on it at a price so low my jaw dropped! This was it, I thought. The description, photos, and condition report all seemed spot on with what I was looking for. I grabbed the VIN and went on to CarFax to run a report. It came back as a two owner originating out of my hometown of Chicago.

Needless to say, I pulled the trigger on this one folks. This is by far the easiest car buying experience I have ever had. A day later the auction had ended with me as the high bidder. An hour after that I got an e-mail from the auction house confirming my information. They also helped me a bit with setting up the transport of my new baby.

One week after that date the gorgeous black SUV was sitting out in my driveway, parked next to my wife's rather dated Camry. Immediately she came up with the idea of maybe she could get a new car too. :) We'll see. Stay tuned! In a few weeks I'll be posting another auction site review. In the meantime check this site out, first five star rating.

AuctionsPass

PROS - Tons of vehicle listings. Also has comes with just about every other type of auction you could think of. Great customer service. Above average search. Great vehicle listing info.

CONS - Site seems to be a bit slow sometimes. Definitely not a deal break though.


Highly recommend this one folks, this is what its all about!

Rating - 5/5 cars

Review - GovernmentAuctions.Org

Occasionally I get an e-mail sent in from a reader about Government Auctions.Org. The auction house spends quite a bit in advertising so their name is pretty popular. When I first logged on to their site my first thought was why they didn't spend a bit more money on the actual design. It looked like a relic of the 1996 internet.

Don't let the appearance of the website fool you though, as this review will reveal - there is some definite potential here. A one time fee of $39.95 unlocks a plethora of car auctions. Federal, police, bankruptcy, unclaimed - just about every type of outlet is represented here.

Despite the overall look of the site, the search functions work quite well. It appears that they went with functionality over style here. One minute into a search I found 20 cars in my region that interested me. If you are a reader of my personal blog you may have noted that I am in the market for a BMW X5 for the winter. This site had 871 live Bimmer X5 auctions. 60 of those were close enough to me to where if necessary I would be more than happy to make the drive to check it out.

Each listing is accompanied by usually only one photo, but a very detailed description of the condition of the vehicle. I also found that a few actually gave information on how the car got to be up for auction - something that maybe some of you will want to know.

Overall a very user friendly and easy to navigate site - just don't expect it to look all that pretty while doing so. :) Next week I will be reviewing one of THE most popular auction sites. I will either be buying the X5 from this website or the next one. So stay tuned!

Government Auctions.Org

PROS - Hundreds of thousands of vehicles listed. Real estate and property auctions included in membership. Very user-friendly navigation and search options.

CONS - Would have liked the site to look a little bit better, but that doesn't really matter after a while.

Rating - 4/5 cars

Seven Things You Need To Know When Renting A Car

n today's society, there are a number of reasons why people rent a car. Some of the top reasons are vacations, a car they own is in the shop and renting a nicer car for a special occasion. Whatever the reason that you are considering renting a car; there are some things that you should know first.

1- It is wise to shop around when looking for to rent a car. Always find at least three rental car companies to compare, although more will be better. Be sure to ask all the companies the same questions to get the most accurate answers. Most rental car companies will have websites online to find basic information, but it is best to call as local branches may have deals that are not advertised online.

2- When you call, be sure to ask about price, vehicle availability, as well as any specials that the branch has to offer. It is worth noting here, that many of these companies will have special arrangements with hotels, airlines or even warehouse stores.

3- You will want to ask about any special instructions that are required of you while renting the car, for example, filling up the gas tank or pick up and drop off times. Not adhering to these policies can result in fees.

4- Many companies that will rent a car to you will also be willing to either deliver the car to you or pick you up and take you to your rental. This service may require a fee, but can be worth asking about if you are flying to your destination.


5- The rental company may offer you insurance to purchase, however, your personal auto insurance may be all you need in the event of an accident with a rental car. Call your auto insurance agent and ask before paying extra at the rental counter.

6- There are a number of choices that are open to you when renting a car. Each class of car will vary in price and gas mileage; consider this when making your decision. While many companies may be willing to upgrade you, this is not always the case. It is wise to choose the car you want and hope for an upgrade than to reserve less of a car and be disappointed when an upgrade is not offered.

7- Have a credit or debit card handy to reserve the rental car with, most companies will only guarantee a car with this assurance.