We are going to take you through buying a car at an online auction. Whether you have done it before or not, this is a good place to come see what the pros are saying about buying a car at online auctions. First, Head to eBayMotors.com or YahooAuctions.com and enter your search. (Make sure you sign up for an account before you bid)

• Once you have found a car you are interested in, immediately check to see if the seller is reputable by checking his or her feedback. Do not buy a car online from someone that has negative feedback or has none, one or two only.

• Always try to get the VIN number of the car you are bidding on from the seller on eBay so that you can run the AutoCheck Vehicle History Report. A legitmate seller should already be willing and able to provide this, but check for yourself before you make any bids. Please note, if you are the wining bidder at eBayMotors.com, you are entered into an express contract to purchase that car. If you feel unsafe about paying such a large sum of money to a stranger, use EBay's escrow service. The escrow service will hold onto the money until you have had proper time to check out the car, inspect it, and approve that everything the seller said was truthful. You should also bring it to a Mechanic and Inspect It Yourself. Learn How To Inspect A Used Car Yourself Here.
  

Bonus: Get a FREE VIN check at AutoCheck®.

• Be careful about using these online auctions. There aren't as many good deals as there used to be and there are many tricks nowadays. For example, make sure that you don't get tricked by the owner of the car trying to bid up the price of the car himself to get YOU to bid higher. Make sure you are smart about it, don’t rush your decision to make a bid and find out all necessary facts before buying. Always be familiar with the Kelly Blue Book pricing and be aware ofastronomical shipping prices from buying a car you didn't realize was from across the country

• Some cars buyers might find a better deal just searching Used Car classifieds online at places like Cars.com, CarsDirect.com, AutoBytel.com or Edmunds.com. Also, Live Used Car Auctions can be fun and rewarding. Read our Guide To Used Car Auctions to find out more.