[s-cars] RS6 going to auction

[Robert Rossato]

This is how I got my S6 six years ago.  At the time used S6s in good
condition were being snapped up quickly and I didn't have the time to
hunt one down, so I went to a repair shop nearby that only deals with
high end european cars and also provide a brokerage service if you're
looking for a car.  They were recommended by a good friend of mine that
has dealt with them a few times.  They usually deal through the Manheim
PA auction, but will go throughout the country if it's an unusual enough
car that can't be found there.

They showed me a printout of the S6s expected at the following week's
auction and I picked one that looked like it would be what I was looking
for.  A black '95 S6 with 35k miles.  We agreed to a maximum bid, and on
the day of the auction their buyer contacted me when he got to the car
and was doing his inspection.  They have an electronic paint thickness
checker that they use to determine if the car has ever been repainted.
The buyer informed me of the condition of the car, which was excellent,
and went through the whole car to make sure everything was functioning
properly.  He did mention that the roof of the car was resprayed but the
rest of the car had the original paint.  No dents or dings, and only one
small scratch on the bumper.  He also researched the service and title
history on the car.  He then confirmed that I wanted to proceed with the
car and the max price.  At the end of the auction the auction house
gives the buyer a 2 or 3 hour window to drive the car around their
facility and make sure it is operating properly and that there are no
hidden problems.  And the rest is history.

Their service fee is 6%.  I don't know how that compares to other
brokers, probably on the high end, or if the fee is negotiable with more
expensive cars.  Keep in mind the auction house also gets a 6% fee.  And
then there are the associated transportation costs and other various
nickel and dime charges, so don't just go by the price the car sold for
at auction.

Are there disreputable brokers?  Absolutely.  Just like there are
disreputable dealers.

Would I do it again?  Absolutely.  Just like anything else, you need to
do some homework on who you're dealing with.  Check them out.  Get
references.  Etc.

Bob


> -----Original Message-----
> From: s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com 
> [mailto:s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf Of Theodore Chen
> Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 2:32 PM
> To: dave flagg; Bruce Mendel
> Cc: s-car-list
> Subject: Re: [s-cars] RS6 going to auction
> 
> 
> dave,
> 
> got an ax to grind?
> 
> if i find somebody with a dealer's license who is willing to buy the 
> car for me for a broker's fee, what's the problem?  if this 
> competition
> eats into the profits of the dealers who set up shops as you describe,
> then market forces dictate that they will find some other way 
> to do business,
> including buying cars for customers on request.  if i scan craigslist,
> i see a few ads from people with dealer's licenses who are willing to
> buy a car at auction for a fee.  i'm not going to go get a 
> dealer's license
> to buy cars for myself because i wouldn't be doing it very 
> often, and i
> have other things to do.  but i'm willing to pay a broker for 
> his time.
> 
> i think there's a market for both.  there's a significant 
> risk in buying
> a car at auction stemming from the fact that you don't get to 
> check out the
> car beforehand.  a used car dealer generally absorbs that 
> risk - if they're
> honest, anyway.
> 
> in this case, RS6s are rare and hard to find, so your best 
> bet of getting
> one is probably through the auction.  that's how this thread 
> got started.
> nobody's talking about garden variety A6s and A8s.
> 
> -teddy