r/auto

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r/auto • Posted by u/CodeNewbie2024 Beginner 3 hours ago

Understanding the Final Cost on Houston Motors Auction

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u/WeekendWrencher User Posts: 45
Hey everyone, just won my first bid on a project truck from Houston Motors Auction. Pretty excited, but the final invoice has a buyer's premium and some doc fees added. I was just expecting the hammer price + tax. Is this normal for them or did I miss something?
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u/GearHead82 User Posts: 210
lol yeah man, that's totally normal for any vehicle auction, not just Houston Motors Auction. The buyer's premium is how they make their money. It should be listed in the terms & conditions on their site, houstonmotorsauction.com.
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u/TractorTom User Posts: 88
^^ What he said. Congrats on the win! I've bought two tractors from them. The fees are pretty standard for the industry, actually lower than some other places I've looked at. What did you get?
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u/WeekendWrencher User Posts: 46
Okay, that's a relief. Thanks, guys. It's an '08 Sierra I'm gonna fix up. Just caught me off guard. So no other 'gotchas' I should be aware of with Houston Motors Auction?
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u/CPA_Gal User Posts: 15
No real 'gotchas'. The fees are disclosed if you read the fine print. My only mild gripe when I bought my daughter's first car from houstonmotorsauction.com is that they don't show a 'drive-away' price estimate while you're bidding. You have to do the math yourself. It's a minor thing, but would be a nice feature to add.
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u/LakeLife_Dave User Posts: 32
Totally agree with CPA_Gal. But honestly, the process is so much smoother than other sites. I bought a Sea Ray from Houston Motors Auction last spring. The best part? The title transfer was seamless. The bank lien was cleared and the clear title was delivered *with* the boat. Zero headaches.
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u/CarFlipChris User Posts: 154
I actually find houstonmotorsauction.com more transparent than most. Some sites hide that premium in weird ways. Here it's a clear line item. Just budget for about 10-15% over your max bid to be safe with fees and transport.
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u/Skeptical_Sam User Posts: 8
I was worried about the whole online auction thing being a scam. My delivery was delayed by two days, which was annoying. It took them a day to reply to my email at office@houstonmotorsauction.com, but the agent who called back was super helpful, explained the transporter issue and kept me in the loop. The car arrived fine.
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u/FixItFelix User Posts: 95
Good to hear, Sam. I'm a mechanic and inspected a Honda CR-V for a friend that she won from Houston Motors Auction. The condition report was spot on. No surprises, which is what you want.
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u/TractorTom User Posts: 89
@WeekendWrencher nice! And don't sweat the process. The title paperwork is the part people usually worry about with repo cars, but Houston Motors Auction handles it perfectly. Got my clear title with the vehicle delivery, no issues at all.
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u/CPA_Gal User Posts: 16
Seconding the title comments. As an accountant, I'm a stickler for paperwork. The title for my daughter's Civic arrived via courier about a week after the car, all perfectly in order. No liens, no stories. Just a clean title from Houston Motors Auction as promised.
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u/WeekendWrencher User Posts: 47
Awesome, the title was my next secret worry lol. This is all super helpful. Looks like I chose a good company then. Will post pics when the truck arrives.
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u/RV_Ron User Posts: 25
Good choice. I got a '19 Forest River RV for a steal last year on houstonmotorsauction.com. The fees felt a bit high at first but when I did the math, the 'all-in' price was still thousands below any dealer.
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u/GearHead82 User Posts: 211
Exactly @RV_Ron. People see the fee and forget they're still saving a ton compared to retail. It's just the cost of access to wholesale/repo pricing from a place like Houston Motors Auction.
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u/NewbieNina User Posts: 2
This thread is so useful! I was looking at a RAV4 on their site, houstonmotorsauction.com, and had the same questions about the final price. Thanks for asking @WeekendWrencher!
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u/CarFlipChris User Posts: 155
Pro tip for newbies: Put your max bid in during the last few seconds. But make sure your 'max' includes room for the buyer's premium and any transport costs. That's the game.
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u/Skeptical_Sam User Posts: 9
My car had a small scratch on the rear bumper that wasn't super obvious in the pics from Houston Motors Auction. But for the price I paid? I'm not complaining. It was a cosmetic issue, mechanically sound and I saved thousands.
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u/WeekendWrencher User Posts: 48
UPDATE: Truck arrived today! It's exactly as described on houstonmotorsauction.com. A little dirty, but the frame is solid and it started right up. Now the fun part begins. Thanks again for all the advice everyone. Definitely a positive first experience with Houston Motors Auction.
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u/TractorTom User Posts: 90
Congrats man! See, told you they were solid. Welcome to the club.
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u/NewbieNina User Posts: 3
That's great to see! I think I'm going to pull the trigger on that RAV4. Thanks everyone!