Used car auction on Salwa Road a big draw

A large number of locals, expatriates and GCC citizens yesterday participated in a used vehicles auction organised by the Central Tenders Committee, in co-ordination with the Ministry of Interior. Many of the bidders tried to reach the spot - on Salwa Road opposite the Search and Follow-up Department - early in the morning, even before the process started at 8am. Hundreds of used police vehicles of different sizes and makes, including saloons, SUVs and pick-ups, are on offer. The auction will be held every day in the morning and afternoon until all the vehicles are sold out. The auction started with saloons - mostly different models of Nissan, Mitsubishi and Toyota. Some of the vehicles were sold at relatively cheap rates. For example, a 2001 Nissan Sunny was sold for around QR4,000, a 2002 Toyota Avalon for about QR14,000 and a 2007 Mitsubishi Galant for QR21,000. The vehicles have to be taken as they are and bidders are allowed to check them only externally. For the bidders, the base price of some of the cars was a tad high. As a result, the auctioneer had to skip these vehicles. Interested bidders can increase the price by a minimum of QR500. When a car is sold, the winner has to pay a minimum of QR3,000 in cash, or 20% of the overall price as non-refundable advance. The vehicle is then marked as sold. The auction is open to all with no pre-qualification conditions for participants. Some of the bidders were seen buying more than one car. A good number of Saudi citizens were also present at the event, looking to buy certain types of cars. Many preferred to wait until the auction gained momentum and big SUVs like GMCs, Nissan Pathfinder and Patrol and Toyota Land Cruisers are put up for sale. While the majority of those present at the auction saw it as an opportunity to buy a good used car at an affordable price, some were reluctant to bid as they feared that some of the cars might require serious repairs later, for which they would end up paying a hefty sum. ========= Purchasing your dream car Pre-approved auto finance Offered before confirmation of employment Get up to 15,000 complimentary Barwa Bank Loyalty Points (please refer to Bonus Points Eligibility Criteria for more details on loyalty points) Our pre-approved* finance offer entitles you for a auto finance facility even before your employment is confirmed! With public transport systems still under way in Qatar, and good roads, private cars (left hand drive) are the main mode of transport. Traffic can be heavy during peak hours, usually early morning and early evening. The maximum speed limit is 120 km/h out of town and between 80 km/h and 100 km/h in town, depending on the area. If you’ve just arrived in Qatar, you must exchange your driving licence for a Qatari licence within a week. Some nationalities can do this without taking a driving test. Only residents can buy a car in Qatar. But once your residence visa is issued, buying a brand-new car is easy. If you want a car that’s almost new, you can find very good deals on used cars. Salwa Road has many used car dealers and is the most popular destination. Negotiating a price will almost certainly land you a good deal, but remember to always check for the manufacturers guarantee. To transfer ownership, you and the current owner simply go to the traffic department and complete the necessary paperwork. If you need a taxi, call Karwa Taxi, the state-owned Taxi Company run by Mowasalat, Qatar’s public transport company. To book a taxi, call 4458 8888. Unlike other banks, at Barwa Bank we offer a dedicated Car Finance product to take the worry out of buying a new car for the family. Shari’ah compliant, flexible, quick and easy, this is the fastest route to getting your new dream car. Our pre-approved* car finance offer entitles you to an auto finance facility even before your employment has been confirmed! Not only that, you also get up to 15,000 complimentary Barwa Bank Loyalty Points convertible to Qatar Airways Privilege Club Qmiles! (please refer to Bonus Points Eligibility Criteria for more details on loyalty points) Some of the features and benefits include: 100% Shari'ah compliant Preferential profit rates Up to 4 years of financing Easy application processing, with swift approval No administration or processing fees. Click here to get in touch with us and learn more about this program! Dealerships in and around Doha include: www.toyotaqatar.com www.nissanqatar.com www.mercedes-benz.com.qa www.bmw-qatar.com Used car dealerships include: qatar.dubizzle.com www.carsemsar.com www.qatarsale.com Used car rental dealers include: Avis Qatar Europcar Qatar Budget Qatar =====================