If you’re a car dealer looking to fill up your forecourt, Dealer Auction provide a convenient and efficient way to bid on a wide range of vehicles.
Whether you’re a seasoned bidder or a newcomer car auction sites, mastering the bidding process can significantly enhance your chances of securing the right stock for your dealership.
Here’s a quick guide on how to navigate our buying options – along with some tips for making sure you’re in a winning position when the (virtual) hammer falls!
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This blog will cover:
- Navigating the listings
- Auctions
- Buy it now
- Make me an offer
- After you win
Buying and bidding on Dealer Auction
1. Navigating the listings
Before diving into the ways you can buy on the platform, we’re here to give you an idea of what to expect when you view a listing.
Whether you click into the ‘Auction’, ‘Buy it now’ or ‘Make me an offer’ section, the listings are automatically ordered by ‘ending soonest’. You can change it to sort by what works for you. Choose from: newly listed, Autotrader Retail Rating, price lowest or highest, age, distance, average days to sell and estimated margin. Location is particularly handy if you’re seeking car auctions near you. You can also filter your search by make, model, age, mileage, fuel type, etc.
Once you select a listing, you’ll be presented with images and details about the vehicle. Not only that, but we provide you with all the data you need to confidently bid on – or buy – a vehicle, safe in the knowledge that you can sell it quickly and profitably at retail. Our listings are overlaid with industry leading consumer market intelligence, such as Autotrader’s Retail Rating and ‘days to sell’.
What’s more, you can click the ‘Recommended’ button to see a list of vehicles we’ve picked out for you – based on your Autotrader forecourt (vehicles sold on Autotrader) as well as your Dealer Auction buying habits.
Hot tip: Although ‘Ending soonest’ is the default view, check out the ‘newly listed’ results to see the freshest vehicles on the site. This allows you time to do your research and find the right – and most profitable – vehicle for your business.
2. Auctions
When you click on this tab you can view the vehicles listed for auction, sorted by ending soonest. You’ll see the live car auctions for today first.
Once you’ve found a vehicle you’d like to buy, it’s time to start bidding!
You can use the quick bid buttons to incrementally increase your bid by £50, £100 or £200. Once you place your bid, you’ll be able to see if it hits the reserve price and if you’re the current highest bidder. It’s a fast-paced environment, so keep an eye on the bidding activity!
Hot tip: You’ll have brushed up on current demand and will know what the vehicle is worth to you. Make sure to keep this magic number in mind so you know when it’s time to up your initial bid or walk away.
We know you’re busy, so you might not be able to up your number when you get outbid. Our proxy bid system means you don’t need to be there when the bids change and the auction ends. Simply set your maximum bid up front and we’ll do the rest!
Our proxy bid system will bid over the last highest bid by £50 until it reaches your max bid or you’re the highest bidder. This strategy also ensures that you won’t overspend – even in the heat of bidding competition.
Hot tip: Most people bid in even numbers, so by placing bids (or proxy bids) in uneven increments, for example, £353 instead of £350, you’ll increase your chances of success.
3. Buy it now
As well as live car auctions you have the ‘Buy it now’ tab. This option provides a guaranteed alternative for snapping up the stock you need as soon as possible.
If a seller offers this option, you can purchase the vehicle immediately at a predetermined price without waiting for the auction to conclude. It’s perfect for those who simply want to secure a deal swiftly.
It’s worth noting that some listings will feature both auction and ‘buy it now’ options.
4. Make me an offer
This is where Retail Ready listings live on the Dealer Auction portal. This high-quality stock is already prepped for retail, late plate and low mileage. Make an offer and negotiate directly with the seller outside of the auction format and buy the stock you want, fast. This can be an excellent opportunity to strike a deal that works for both parties.
Once an offer has been made, the seller has until 5pm the day the listing ends to either accept, reject or counter your offer. If the offer is rejected, you’ll have the opportunity to make a higher offer. If your offer is accepted, you’ll receive an email to confirm you have won the vehicle.
5. After you win
With these strategies in your toolkit, you’ll be well-equipped to find and win the stock you need.
Whether you’re looking to ‘buy it now’ or try your hand at bidding on Dealer Auction, remember that all sales are subject to our T&Cs – please make arrangements to pay for and collect the vehicle within 72 hours.
And if you didn’t win on this occasion, don’t worry! With fresh stock added daily, 600+ auctions ending each day and recommended listings showing you your ideal stock type, you’ll be sure to find what you need.
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Happy bidding!
