Bidding, proxy bids and anti-sniping

This page explains the bidding rules, so you can set up auctions well and answer bidder questions. The rules are the same on every auction; only the numbers you set change.

What bidders see #

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1. Bid, reserve and time. Current bid, number of bids, minimum next bid, "Reserve met" or "Reserve not met", and time left.
2. Sign in to bid. Approved, signed-in bidders see the bid form here instead.
3. Photos and video. From the inventory unit.

Below that are the description, condition and title disclosures, fees, payment and pickup terms, the auction terms (with their version number), the public change log and the bid history.

Place a bid (bidder's steps) #

1. Sign in and open the auction.
2. Enter Your bid ($): whole dollars, at least the minimum next bid.
3. Optionally enter a Maximum bid ($). MotoDealerHQ then bids for the bidder, one increment at a time, up to that amount. Nobody else ever sees it.
4. Select Place bid. A bid is a binding offer and cannot be changed or withdrawn.

To buy at once, the bidder ticks the confirmation box and selects Buy It Now. The sale completes only when your dealership confirms payment.

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The page updates by itself: every 15 seconds, every 7 seconds in the last 10 minutes and every 2.5 seconds in the last 2 minutes. If the connection drops, it shows "Reconnecting…".

Increments #

The minimum next bid is the current price plus one increment. Unless you set a Fixed increment on the auction, your dealership ladder applies. The default ladder:

To change it, edit Bid increment ladder under Auctions › Auction settings: one line per step, "from price, increment", then Save ladder. A published auction keeps the ladder it was published with.

Proxy bidding, step by step #

Proxy bidding means the highest maximum leads, at the lowest price needed to beat the next best maximum.

1. Jordan bids $4,000 with a maximum of $4,550. Jordan leads at $4,000.
2. Casey bids $4,500. Jordan's proxy answers automatically with $4,550 (Jordan's maximum). Jordan still leads.
3. Riley bids $5,300. That beats Jordan's maximum, so Riley leads at $5,300.

The rules:

• A proxy never bids above its owner's maximum.
• If two maximums are equal, the earlier one wins.
• Raising your own maximum while leading does not change the price or extend the auction (unless it reaches the reserve).
• When the leader's maximum reaches the reserve, the price moves up to the reserve.

In the console, the bid history marks proxy bids as automatic (proxy).

Reserve #

A reserve is the lowest price you will accept. Bidders see only "Reserve met" or "Reserve not met", unless you chose to show the amount. If bidding ends below the reserve, the unit does not sell: the auction ends unsold, and you can relist it or return it to retail.

Anti-sniping #

Anti-sniping stops last-second "sniping". When it is on and a bid arrives in the final trigger window, the end moves to the bid time plus the extension.

1. Open the auction and select Edit.
2. Tick Anti-sniping: a bid in the final window extends the end.
3. Set Trigger window (seconds) (default 120) and Extend to (seconds after the bid) (default 120).
4. Optionally set Maximum extensions. Leave blank for no limit.
5. Select Save.

Every extension is listed under Extensions on the auction page and every bidder's countdown updates. The server's clock decides the end: a bid that arrives at or after the end time is refused.

Sealed-bid auctions #

In a sealed-bid auction each bidder places one hidden bid and may raise it. There is no proxy bidding, no anti-sniping and no outbid email. The price, reserve status and bid history stay hidden until the close.

Hidden maximums #

Maximum bids are never shown to other bidders, in exports or to most staff. A person with auctions.view_proxy_max can open Reveal hidden maximums on the auction page and give an operational reason. Every reveal is recorded.

Tips #

• Keep anti-sniping on. It gives every bidder a fair chance to respond.
• Use a sensible starting bid. Increments are small at low prices, so a very low start means many bids.
• Bidders get emails when they are outbid (at most once every 10 minutes per auction), an hour before the end, and when they win or lose.

Permissions #

Limitations #