Why people distrust freewheeling auto auctioneers

CAR auctioneers in the Kingdom have a bad reputation of selling cars that appear to be in good condition but are actually defective and in many cases, unfit to be driven. They use different tricks to deceive unsuspecting customers into buying cars that will prove more of a headache than any benefit. Al-Jazirah daily reports on people’s distrust of auto auctioneers. Salih Mansour vowed to never trust auto auctioneers because they bait people by starting the bidding at a price that sounds too good to be true. In a rush to get a bargain, people overlook any potential problems with the car. “I am not a mechanic or car expert but I can guess the actual value of a car. The problem with auto auctioneers is they always try to hide damage and defects of the car being auctioned,” Mansour said while adding that a vehicle’s true worth is determined by the condition it is in and a mechanic’s opinion, not the auctioneer’s. Car showroom owner Turki Muhammad said auto auctioneers eat into his sales because they stand near the showroom door waiting for customers to turn up. They then use tricks and convince customers that they can offer them a better deal. “Anything you buy in a car showroom is reliable and backed by some sort of warranty. But auto auctioneers simply trick people into buying cars that appear to be in good condition but have serious mechanical problems, which of course aren’t covered by any sort of warranty,” he said. “You can’t forgo the name and reputation of an established business and instead trust someone off the street but, sadly, many people fall victim to the lies of auto auctioneers,” he added. Abdulrahman Al-Anazi has never bought a car without first taking it to a mechanic for a complete diagnostic test. Al-Anazi said no one can give an accurate report of a car’s condition like a mechanic can. He urged potential buyers to follow suit and take any car they want to buy to a specialized mechanic center for a thorough inspection. “Such centers have computers and advanced devices that detect any serious defects or problems with the car. Never trust an auto auctioneer’s words because most auctioneers do not tell the truth,” he said. Mansour Al-Mutairi changes cars every year and has extensive experience dealing with auto auctioneers who he says operate with impunity. “Most of them swear by Allah that the car doesn’t have any damage or is worth a certain value but these are all lies that come out of their mouths,” he cautioned. When Abu Khalid, a seasoned auctioneer, was asked why most people do not trust auctioneers anymore, he blamed the young men who enter the business to make quick money. “These young men have damaged our reputation and have made showroom owners lose their trust in us. There are honest people in this trade but they are overshadowed by the duplicitous ones looking to make a quick buck at the expense of consumers,” he said.