Merlin car auctions

drdre

Guys i just want to get a cheap car,has anyone bought from these guys before as i went to the auction this morning just to see how it works and some cars seemed really cheap like 02 c180 for 17k,and 02 s60 for 9k,also fiat punto;s for approx 2k.
just want to find out do these cars have anything wrong with them or what.

also how can i get a list of cars being auctioned next week,thanks in advance

please stick to the thread and donot wonder of the point thanks:D

limbovski

I got a 99 megane a while back from a merlin auction, cost me next to nothing. After a few months the gearbox went. Theres probably a few bargains to be had but you need to be pretty sharp imo.

crosstownk

Best you can do is to have someone competent look over the car before you start bidding. And even at that, no one can predict the future - so with the best of mechanics looking at the car it is still possible for a multitude of thing to go wrong later. Do some research on various makes and models, find out what they are reasonably worth and which ones are reliable, set yourself a price limit and don't exceed it. Once you've made your purchase, cross your fingers, legs and arms, and hope for the best.

junkyard

As the saying goes "You pay peanuts you get monkeys" you get what you pay for, thats the reason why these cars are cheaper, they all need repairs of one type or another and just because you can't see a problem doesn't mean its not there. Thread carefully, very very carefully.;)

maidhc

junkyard wrote:

As the saying goes "You pay peanuts you get monkeys" you get what you pay for, thats the reason why these cars are cheaper, they all need repairs of one type or another and just because you can't see a problem doesn't mean its not there. Thread carefully, very very carefully.;)

Buy two monekys, clone them, and you have an 800 pound gorilla.

Guy:Incognito

maidhc wrote:

Buy two monekys, clone them, and you have an 800 pound gorilla.

So what your saying is you should buy two of the same car, cut them in half and stick the 2 good halves together? genius.

maidhc

Stekelly wrote:

So what your saying is you should buy two of the same car, cut them in half and stick the 2 good halves together? genius.

Kinda. Have one as a spare.

Do-more

Posted this in another thread recently but here goes again!

I've bought all my cars at Merlin or Wilsons in Portadown for the last 6 or 7 years.

At Merlin I go for the finance repos, as that way you know why they are there, rather than getting a car that a dealer has taken as a trade in and then discovered it has some major problem, so he offloads it at auction.

At Wilsons I go for ones coming off 3 years lease from Motability, they often have very low mileage (20-30K) all have full dealer service history and are great value for money. Last one I ran for 18 months and sold it for more than I paid for it!

As with all auctions it's a cse of buyer beware, but I've got good ones so far, touch wood.

aphex™

Do-more wrote:

At Merlin I go for the finance repos, as that way you know why they are there

How do you know which ones are repos, as opposed to ones some muck savage put together out of 2 smashed cars?

Do-more

Haven't been there in a while, but they used to have a sticker on the window saying "finance repossesion"

Wilsons on the Naas Road do a lot of repos also, they are listed as such in the catalogue. They seem to bring down NI reg cars also, I think some of these are from Motability.

tvr

there wilson in mallusk aswell they are quite good value . the thing with merlin that annoys me is most of the cars seem to have reserves on them and the majority of sales for the plus 10000euro cars only really go to privisional.

do saying that I have seen some lovely older cars go through for a song over the last few months . really nice a4 98 and 99 bmw 5 series for dirt cheap . you could happiily run them in to the ground and still get some money back. its good for cheap cars with no reserve but always buter beware.

drdre

tvr wrote:

there wilson in mallusk aswell they are quite good value . the thing with merlin that annoys me is most of the cars seem to have reserves on them and the majority of sales for the plus 10000euro cars only really go to privisional.

do saying that I have seen some lovely older cars go through for a song over the last few months . really nice a4 98 and 99 bmw 5 series for dirt cheap . you could happiily run them in to the ground and still get some money back. its good for cheap cars with no reserve but always buter beware.

yes you are right, i went to the auction on saturday,there was some cheap cars but the only thing is how do you know if they are running well.if i ask merlin will they tell me if the car is running well.and is there any warranty at all.

maidhc

drdre wrote:

if i ask merlin will they tell me if the car is running well.and is there any warranty at all.

bazz26

drdre wrote:

yes you are right, i went to the auction on saturday,there was some cheap cars but the only thing is how do you know if they are running well.if i ask merlin will they tell me if the car is running well.and is there any warranty at all.

Afaik all auction cars are "sold as seen". This is why they are cheaper than retail prices. While there are repo cars their from finance companies who just want the debt recovered, auctions are also handy for moving on cars that need expensive repair work carried out or are damage repaired. As someone else already said it is very likely that if the car could have been sold on for more money through a dealer network then it would probably not have made it. Yes there are some bargins there but also be aware that there can be some money pits also.

You can examin the car proir the auction afaik. So you really need someone there who knows what they are looking at plus someone who has experience of bidding at auctions is a major advantage.

To be honest if your looking for a car with a warranty then buy from a dealer.

tvr

too be honest the lads that are there are quite nice , i sometimes go early and there is no one around as all the main players come in at around 10.30 etc..

if you talk to the guys they are always quite accommodating they give you the keys so at least you can give the engine a check out before anyone arrives.

then off for a nice fry in the restaurant.

you dont get any warranty as said there all sold as seen but if you go for the repo or ex rentals there quite good value as they all have balance of man warranty.

smash

I know a lot of people that have bought there and haven't had issues with the cars. some of the cars are finance reposessions too.

drdre

is there any way to get the lists afew days before the auction.does anyone have a link or something.thanks

Do-more

http://www.merlincarauctions.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=search

drdre

Do-more wrote:

http://www.merlincarauctions.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=search

thanks for that.

Do-more

They normally only update the list the day before the auction, if you see a car you like it's best to give them a ring before you travel to confirm it hasn't been sold. When you call ask them what the reserve is on the vehicle, they may be able to tell you.

drdre

anyone going to saturdays auction.i might head down.so does anyone have some recommendations and also what time would they open in the morning so i can check out the cars early
thanks

Do-more

drdre wrote:

anyone going to saturdays auction.i might head down.so does anyone have some recommendations and also what time would they open in the morning so i can check out the cars early
thanks

They open at 9am it's good to get down early and get the keys off the yard lads to check out any cars you might be interested in. If there's something that takes your fancy be sure to go in the office and ask about it. If it's been through on Weds. they will tell you the reserve on it. Try offering a little less and they will ring the owner to see if they will accept. Could save you hanging around all day! Not a bad idea to look and listen the first day to get a feel for how the whole thing runs. The place is in a right mess at the mo with building work going on next door. Lots of dust on cars makes it harder to spot dodgy paintwork! The fry up in the resturant ain't bad.

**Watch out as Merlin will move to new premises (again) in Toughers Business Park between Naas and Newbridge, sometime in November**

If you see it, let us know what's bid on the '03 Volvo V40 estate.

carman1

limbovski wrote: »

I got a 99 megane a while back from a merlin auction, cost me next to nothing. After a few months the gearbox went. Theres probably a few bargains to be had but you need to be pretty sharp imo.

<Snip>

eyesofvenus

carman1 wrote: »

I think gallagher motor auctions are opening next week and when you buy a car it comes with a 3 moth warranty and 1 year aa membership, sounds safer than buying at merlin.

wow 3 year old thread...i take it you work for gallaghers? :eek::D

carman1

eyesofvenus wrote: »

wow 3 year old thread...i take it you work for gallaghers? :eek::D

Wow thanks for reading my post on a three year old thread.:eek::P

eyesofvenus

carman1 wrote: »

Wow thanks for reading my post on a three year old thread.:eek::P

you do realise it gets bumped to top :P

Gary ITR

carman1 wrote: »

<Snip>

What are they like to work for?

Anyway Zombie thread locked