State government set to reduce vehicle fleet at online auction
ALBANY, N.Y. -– "You can get almost anything," New York State Office of General Services Commissioner RoAnn Destito enthusiastically said Thursday morning.
For the next two weeks, the Harriman State Office Campus in Albany will play host to one of the area's largest, if not the largest, used car lots in the Capital Region, where everything will be auctioned off online starting Tuesday, April 3.
"This initiative is to allow a global population of people to bid on assets that the state is actually eliminating from its fleet,” Destito said.
While the state has been auctioning off old and repossessed vehicles for some time, this is the first time they've used the internet.
Interested buyers will have 10 days to log onto the state's website, which links to eBay, and bid on any number of the 450 vehicles up for sale for a minimum price of $500.
"They certainly have been high mileage vehicles that we have maintained. As I've walked and inspected some of them, you can see that they have good tread on the vehicles," Destito said.
Buying Cars Online: To Ebay or not to Ebay?
Buying a used car online is becoming increasingly commonplace, but there are still many of us out there who are a bit dubious as to the merits of buying through auction sites such as Ebay. Buying a book, a mobile phone or clothing online is one thing, but with a high-involvement purchase such as a car, will Ebay Motors be able to satisfy consumers that their investment is safe?
Ebay Motors is now the UK’s largest online automotive marketplace, with thousands of used vehicles bought and sold every day. The risks are just the same as they would be when buying from a private seller who has advertised on a site such as Auto Trader. The big difference with Ebay however, is that once you’ve submitted that bid you are legally obliged to pay.
A big benefit of using an auction site like Ebay Motors is that you can get some idea of the seller’s reputation. Unlike a normal private sale, you are able to read feedback on what the seller is like, how trustworthy they are and how efficient they are – something that you would normally have to judge for yourself when buying a used car from a stranger.
Hitler's letter to a car dealer, and Mengele's to his wife, appear at auctionThe historic letter is on offer at the Behringer auction house near Nuremberg today (July 2), carrying an estimate of €25000. Bids are acceptabed online. and more »
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