| The United States Government has strict rules as to | | | | affect the safety or reliability of the vehicle. It is |
| how long they can use a vehicle, and at what age it | | | | recommended that you bring someone who is |
| must be retired from service, and replaced with a new | | | | knowledgeable about automobiles with you if you are |
| one. These rules are in place to make sure that a car | | | | not mechanically inclined. When the bidding starts on |
| never exceeds its service life, and the various | | | | the vehicles, they start low. It is a regular auction, and |
| government agencies who use the vehicles always | | | | the highest bidder takes the car home for the price of |
| have a reliable car to use for government business. | | | | his bid. Some auctions may have a bidders premium, |
| When the vehicles are replaced, they are only a | | | | or other duties levied on the purchase, check before |
| couple of years old, and still have plenty of life left in | | | | the auction to be sure. |
| them, especially since the government takes excellent | | | | Most vehicles that go through a government vehicle |
| care of their vehicles, and performs regular scheduled | | | | auction sell for several thousand less than their blue |
| maintenance on them. | | | | book value, some sell for even less. In a few rare |
| When you arrive at a government vehicle auction, you | | | | cases, a vehicle may sell for less than ten percent of |
| will be allowed to inspect the vehicles that are up for | | | | its value, this is a rare thing, but it has happened. |
| bid to check for major mechanical problems that could | | | | |