Online car auction first for Ireland

The car financing division of permanent tsb bank will launch Ireland's first Internet-based car auction for the general public this Friday, April 30.

It will run over four days of the upcoming bank holiday weekend and users have been asked to pre-register with the site prior to the auction itself.

The auction will allow members of the public to review details and photographs of individual cars supplied from car dealers across the country.

Members of the public will be able to bid for the purchase of these cars and even organise finance for the purchase through their car dealer and permanent tsb finance.

Speaking today, Chris Hanlon, Managing Director of permanent tsb finance said: "The public auction was a development of a private facility that the company currently has available to car dealers through which they can source second-hand vehicles.

"We view this facility as part of our service offering to our network of car dealers across the country.

"It's one of the ways we can bring extra value to their relationship with us.

"The site has already been proven. Over the past year we've organised an average of three auctions a week using the autopoint site, with over 1,000 cars sold. 'Til now participation has been limited to car dealers, but now we are ready to offer the service to the general public," Hanlom added.

An estimated 2,000,000 detailed car searches are viewed each month in Ireland, according to statistics.

The auction will take place on the website www.autopoint.ie.