Facts about repossessed cars you should know before buying

It may sound weird but buying a repossessed car is nothing to be ashamed of. It doesn’t negatively define you as a human or affect your personality. In fact, its condition has more to do with the previous owners than it does with the current buyers. It portrays the image of its previous owners who were unable to pay off their car loans and therefore, the banks decided to have their vehicles back from them without giving any prior notice.

Precisely, repossession usually happens when the car owner misses a monthly payment for an extended period and is unable to resolve the issues with the car lender. These repossessed cars are sold under fair market value and offer a great deal of convenience to those who cannot afford brand new vehicles with skyrocketing prices.

How to buy repo cars

With the help of meticulous research and tremendous information, you can hit the mark and get the best offers when purchasing repossessed cars. But, how to buy a repossessed car? Well, the 7 facts that we are going to reveal will guide you throughout your buying journey.

Repossessed cars are priced surprisingly lower than their original prices

The main reason why people prefer to buy repossessed cars is the surprisingly low price at which they are being sold in the market. From simple to premium packages, everything is priced at unimaginably lower rates, and this is one of the reasons why people get attracted to such cars. The reason behind such low rates is the low depreciated value of these cars; however, this does not mean that the car itself has depreciated; in fact, you will be shocked to hear that such cars can still be in great condition.

It is a common mindset that cheap things lack quality, but this is not always the case, especially when buying a repossessed car. To clarify, such cars are slightly used, and sometimes if luck is on your side, you can get a car in a new condition.

You can get a car close to a brand-new one at low rates

There are not single but multiple reasons because of which cars are repossessed from their registered owners. If you get lucky, you will surely find almost a brand-new repossessed high-end car for yourself.

Banks often do not want to keep repossessed cars with them, they want to sell them out as soon as possible. When no one bids for such cars in the auction, their prices get further lowered to attract buyers. So, if you see a luxury car priced significantly lower, you should know that it’s a repossessed car for which nobody bid in the auction. You can do your research and compare the original price of the car with the one, which is priced lower, and then make a final call.

While researching, make sure to check the other banks’ bids for the same car models. Gather as much data as possible as it is a major decision and must be made diligently.

Repossessed cars have simple financing options

Just like repossessed cars are easily available at low prices, their paperwork is much easier. It has less paperwork than a brand-new car. The reason is, banks don’t want to keep them and thereby don’t drag the process.

The only similarity between a brand-new car and a repossessed car is their car financing options. You can either buy it in full cash or sign for an auto loan. Both the options have their pros and cons. For instance, if you buy it in full cash, you don’t have to bear the burden of monthly payments and if you sign for an auto loan, you don’t have to pay a huge amount of the car at once. However, in either case, you must pay for insurance and registration fees.

It is not always easy to get the best deal when looking for a repossessed car

While there is a possibility that you strike a great deal when buying a repossessed car, there are also chances that the opposite happens. To get an ideal deal, traits like patience and hard work are required in abundance. If you don’t possess such qualities then you better get a new car once and for all.

The payment process of repossessed cars is easy, but you might get stuck at the point where you need the approval to buy one. To buy a repossessed car from the bank, you must submit multiple bids to multiple banks. This gets even harder when your bid is lower than the floor price set for that car by the bank. To play smart, submit bid after bid and wait patiently for the floor price to further decrease. By doing so, there are higher chances of you getting the car at the lowest price.

The quality of a repossessed car can be questionable

 When planning to buy a repossessed car, you should make up your mind that the quality of the car can be a hit or a mess. Since banks do not get such cars checked all they care about is to take the car away from its registered owner and dispose of it at the best possible price.

Just think, the previous owner who was unable to pay for the car loan would ever visit a mechanic for his/her car maintenance? No, right. Therefore, for the damaged parts and poor functionality, you must pay from your pocket.

Before buying a repossessed car make sure the owners are trustworthy

If you are buying a repossessed car from a bank then the case is completely different because transactions with banks are legal and safe, you can trust them with your money. However, if you buy a secondhand car from a private source then there are higher chances of you being a victim of fraud. You never know if a seller has sold you a stolen car. Therefore, it is always recommended to buy a repossessed car from a bank than from any random seller even if you are short on cash, never go for such an option.

Many repossessed cars are available in good condition

It is not true that you always get a bad-conditioned car in repossessed cars. You should know that the banks sell such types of cars because their registered owners were unable to pay for them and not because of their bad condition. 

Since repossessed cars are bought on auto loans, their owners are more likely to use them carefully. They don’t drive them recklessly as they know they haven’t fully paid for it yet. In most cases, the cars are barely 5 years old which means they are still under warranty. Sometimes, even the mileage of the cars is low because the owners had not fully paid for it and had been waiting for a certain time to fully pay it off.

Repossessed cars offer a stealing deal for those who cannot afford a brand-new car. Though, before buying any, you should keep in mind that the banks shall not be held liable for the damages, nor can you sue them for handing over a malfunctioning car.