Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers - Buyer beware!

[WilliamBos]

What I find funny is that the not so mechanically inclined will be attracted to something that had a spray bomb overhaul, and not look at the old rust bucket that may be mechanically sound. If you do not know which end of a screw driver to use, take someone with you that does, or stay away.

I have bought them. Fixed them right, stood behind my work and sold them to people who were smart enough to stay away from the auction in the first place. I made money, the customers got a fair deal and are still happy. Everyone knew the machine was an auction piece, gone through the best it could and sold understanding it was a used piece of equipment. I've gotten burnt. It happens. I didn't go cry to the auction house. I would be embarrased to. You just have to pay what you safely can.

I've JB welded in bolts on my own equipment too. Factory repair? No it wasn't. But with a few thousand hours on the front timing cover of my 165 and still no problem I would say even an auction go-er woulda made out alright.

What's next? Lawsuit against the Casino when you weren't smart enough to stop gambling? You are buying at an auction! There's a reason why it's there. Yeah it may be the owner wants to get out of the machine quick, "The job got finished", downsizing, retirement, maybe. But it could be it's a piece of junk. There is no safety net. Everyone wants to steal a piece of equipment at a good price and get the benefit of someone backing it up as if it was bought at fair market value.

I can't believe there is even a discussion about this. I thought it was pretty well known that auctions are where business owners like myself get rid of worn out old junk and new lemmons that you can't sell for any decent amount of money.
If the stuff was any good it would be sold privately or through a dealer.

Of course it is "buyer beware" at an auction.

 

[MFRED]

If you trade in a piece of equipment and it had gone on an oil change too long, do you state that to the dealer? Do you put a note on it at the auction stating so? I'm not saying it's moraly correct, but don't drop the hammer on the guys that dump the questionable equipment at a place that is to be used as an all sales final, no questions asked liquidator. If you buy from a dealer and something arises later you have a valid argument. Maybe the dealer just didn't know? But at the auction? Would you rather pay 30% commision and have the acutioneer verify everything that runs through the yard? They do that, at the car auction around here there's a special lane for guarnteed vehicles. Dealer that sends them stands behind them. They typicallly bring 20-30% more than the regular lanes. I don't shop in that lane.

I'm not here to judge anything anyone does morally. That's outta my pay scale. I realize Brian55 may have been walking a fine line with what some of you believe, but I could find far worse things that have been mentioned on here.

 

[Paystar]

No, it's not morally right, but it is the way the world is. Everyone I know goes to an auction with the intent of trying to get something cheap that they know they will have to work on.
If you want mint shape and warranty, you go to a dealer and pay for it.

I wish the world was morally right. Might actually be a nice place to live, lol.

****, even new car dealers lie and mislead.

 

[94BULLITT]

If you trade in a piece of equipment and it had gone on an oil change too long, do you state that to the dealer? Do you put a note on it at the auction stating so? I'm not saying it's moraly correct, but don't drop the hammer on the guys that dump the questionable equipment at a place that is to be used as an all sales final, no questions asked liquidator. If you buy from a dealer and something arises later you have a valid argument. Maybe the dealer just didn't know? But at the auction? Would you rather pay 30% commision and have the acutioneer verify everything that runs through the yard? They do that, at the car auction around here there's a special lane for guarnteed vehicles. Dealer that sends them stands behind them. They typicallly bring 20-30% more than the regular lanes. I don't shop in that lane.

I'm not here to judge anything anyone does morally. That's outta my pay scale. I realize Brian55 may have been walking a fine line with what some of you believe, but I could find far worse things that have been mentioned on here.

My car local auction gurantees vehicles over a certain price ($2000 or $3000) against major defects.

 

[tungularafishcamp]

Personally I have never been to an auction of any type much less an equipment one and have gained a lot of insight to one by reading this thread.

I appreciate Brian's honesty and telling it like it is with some auction equipment, and though it was a brave, honorable thing to do(the sharing not the wrenching)and was intended for folks enlightenment not bragging!

One question I have is do you ever have the chance to drive or even hear the equipment running prior to bidding?

When I decided to buy my first tractor, I needed to do it before the end of the year and didnt have time to travel outside to look at used tractors so that's how I ended up with new, I cant imaging buying anything used without being able to drive it!

 

[3930dave]

Personally I have never been to an auction of any type much less an equipment one and have gained a lot of insight to one by reading this thread.

I appreciate Brian's honesty and telling it like it is with some auction equipment, and though it was a brave, honorable thing to do(the sharing not the wrenching)and was intended for folks enlightenment not bragging!

One question I have is do you ever have the chance to drive or even hear the equipment running prior to bidding?

When I decided to buy my first tractor, I needed to do it before the end of the year and didnt have time to travel outside to look at used tractors so that's how I ended up with new, I cant imaging buying anything used without being able to drive it!

I've only had experience with one commercial auction near here, north of Toronto.

Most light trucks/cars have the keys in them, and you can start them up on Inspection days, which is a couple of days before the auction.They are parked in rows, on a big gravel lot. Putting them in gear, and carefully moved ahead and back 20' or so is usually considered normal, at this place. Never done it, but I suspect tear-assing around the lot at high speed would get you barred from the facility. Bought my tractor there, and could start it too.

Bigger stuff (5 ton and up) often has the driveshaft pulled off, as that is how much of it is transported (towed to the auction), at least the City of Toronto stuff.

You can hear engines running, and check out most features at this auction. What you can't do is drive at high speed - you won't catch things like wheel bearings or overdrive problems on their lot.

As many have said, build these limitations into your auction $ limit for what you've researched, and stick to it.

Auction fever is real, for many people.

Rdgs, D.

 

[murphy1244]

Anybody read the thread about the John Deere 110 someone bought and its former owner glued bolt heads on broken bolts?

 

[Soundguy]

i've bought machines that had nuts WELDED on stripped bolts.

and any place a cotter pin should be was a blip of weld... including under the hyds cover..

 

[Paystar]

Personally I have never been to an auction of any type much less an equipment one and have gained a lot of insight to one by reading this thread.

I appreciate Brian's honesty and telling it like it is with some auction equipment, and though it was a brave, honorable thing to do(the sharing not the wrenching)and was intended for folks enlightenment not bragging!

One question I have is do you ever have the chance to drive or even hear the equipment running prior to bidding?

When I decided to buy my first tractor, I needed to do it before the end of the year and didnt have time to travel outside to look at used tractors so that's how I ended up with new, I cant imaging buying anything used without being able to drive it!

I know at the Ritchie (and all the equipment auctions I have been to) yes, you show up early and can walk around, inspect and start equipment and vehicles. And then you watch them as they drive them up onto the block. So you can get a lot of insight into what you are buying. Ritchie even offers a rebuilding and painting service (which you pay for.)
The whole point to remember here is pay attention and beware, because as I have said, dishonest people love sending stuff to auctions. I don't deal with auctions, but I go to lots with other friends of mine that also have trucks and equipment....and I never see people sending their good stuff there.

 

[Paystar]

What I find funny is that the not so mechanically inclined will be attracted to something that had a spray bomb overhaul, and not look at the old rust bucket that may be mechanically sound. If you do not know which end of a screw driver to use, take someone with you that does, or stay away.

I've witnessed that too. My friend bought a John Deere 310 backhoe once. There were two. One was beat, but was all sandblasted and painted up shiny. The other looked like crud. He bought the ugly looking one cheap and the shiny one got bid way up. The shiny one worked in rock all it's life and was beat. His was problem free and had a bunch of new valves, etc. didn't even have a leak.