A buddy of mine dragged me to one of those public car auctions in Sharjah this morning because he was eyeing a BMW X5 and wanted company. I wasn't planning to bid on anything but then this 2018 Toyota Camry came up and the bidding started super low so I just kind of got caught up in the moment and raised my hand a few times. I didn't end up winning it thank goodness because about ten minutes later I saw it being driven back into the lot and the whole front bumper was held on with zip ties on one side, something you definitely couldn't see when it was on the ramp under those bright lights. It got me thinking that if I ever did get serious about buying at auction I'd be going in completely blind because you don't get to drive the cars and you're basically bidding based on how they look and whatever info they give you on a piece of paper. I mentioned this to a guy standing next to me who seemed like a regular and he said some people arrange for an inspection before the auction starts if the lot allows it, and he mentioned checking out a service that does that kind of pre-bid assessment. I wrote down https://prepurchasecarinspection.ae/ on my phone because honestly the whole auction experience was intense and I can see how someone could easily get carried away and end up with a car that looks good from ten feet away but has all sorts of problems underneath. Does anyone here buy regularly from auctions and have tips for a total beginner who's curious but also terrified of making a huge mistake?
