Most everybody enjoys autos. Bargains are also in people’s minds. Kicking the tires and talking down the price, people really love getting the best price on a car. Some of the best car deals around can be found when authorities offer impounded cars for sale. This is normally done via an auction. And if you play your cards right, you can end up with a steal (pun intended.).

How do these autos come to be there for these auctions? Police often acquire cars through taking them from criminals. Drug dealers, for instance, can lose everything they own if caught. That means a lot of cars, often very fancy cars, in the hands of the city or state who wants to sell them for a profit. Cars can also be taken for traffic tickets or even parking tickets. If the owner doesn’t pay to reclaim the car, it’s offered for sale.

Dealerships often sell or in turn auction off cars they purchase at auctions. They might also be purchased and then re-auctioned for a higher amount. It’s no matter. At some point the car is up for sale to the highest bidder and can become a whale of a deal for a savvy person. Don’t go in with your eyes closed. As the saying goes it’s “buyer beware.”

The first thing to keep in mind is these cars are generally sold with no warranty. You buy the car that’s on the lot. That is, in the auto industry, “as is.” It’s not illegal to utilize puffery. When car dealers say “clean as a whistle” that’s puffery. There are even some tricky words involved in puffery such as “clean” or “in great condition.” These sound like specific descriptions or even promises of a well working auto. What they really come down to is “there’s a sucker, let’s make the deal.”

The wise thing to do is go in with knowledge and expertise. Inspect the autos thoroughly. That means attending an auction with an automotive expert if you don’t know much about cars. Auctions offer test drives so use them. When it’s impounded cars for sale it can be a great deal. But many deals aren’t as good as they seem on first blush.