Fine Print!!! Bring A Trailer Auction!

A lot of auctions are now charging buyers fees. I refuse to deal with anyone doing this. Bad enough the seller is charged but a buyers fee should be against the law. Just somebody else trying to get into your wallet.

 

That's just the deal with bringatrailer. If you don't like it, buy somewhere else. I bought a car on bringatrailer and was very satisfied with the whole transaction. They were up front about the fees.

 

"Fine print!!!!!!!!!!"?
BaT's policy is clearly stated here under "How it works": How BaT Auctions work | Bring a Trailer

I don't see what the problem is.
By forgoing a % based seller's fee it encourages interesting and desirable cars to be listed on the site.
When bidding it's the buyer's responsibility to factor in the 5% fee when deciding their max bid.

disclosure: I've bid on a couple BaT auctions but haven't won one yet.

 

seriously, how many auction sites have a gorgeous, finished, LS1 powered XJC like this one?!

LS1-Powered 1975 Jaguar XJ Coupe | Bring a Trailer

 

I have two friends who have bought cars on BaT (I've bid/lost on multiple as well) and both were very, very satisfied. Registering for eBay or any other retail site requires a credit card too so I don't see why this would be a red flag.

The fee is what it is, plainly stated (not "fine print"), and, IMHO, somewhat reasonable. They're a quality outfit and seem to work hard to ensure everyone's happy.

 

BaT's been around for about 10 years, but I'd say only in the last 1-2 years become semi mainstream. With the auction comments it's more of a "community" than Ebay or other sites. Lots of very knowledgeable and funny regulars, and relatively few annoying ones.

And don't forget the fee is 5%, max $5k.
So the winner of this auction only ended up paying ~0.9% buyer's fee
1967 Toyota 2000GT | Bring a Trailer

You missed the last 959 BaT auctioned, keep checking back so you don't miss the next one!
1988 Porsche 959 Komfort | Bring a Trailer

 

Well said.

 

Yeah, auctions are as bad as they are good in just about any capacity. Most car auctions these days seem to have buyer's premiums, in many cases with no cap, let alone max $5k. Just something to take into an account when buying a an auction I reckon.

 

I think the fee is reasonable, especially with the $5K cap. All the other auction houses charge buyers' fees, and without limit, AFAIK. BAT always has an interesting selection of cars, one or two I'd like to have listed almost er very day.

 

I dont see a problem.

 

I'm sorry that the BaT terms were a surprise. I heard from another fellow who was keen to bid but pulled out when he realized it was going to cost him another $4-5k in fees. For what it's worth, most of the big auction houses (Gooding, RM, etc) will charge Buyer 10% of hammer price and usually hit the Seller for at least 5% as well.

For the record, hammer price on my car today was $95,600 and Buyer fee was $4,780 = $100,380.

 

So much for "Retail", whatever that means....

19K-Mile 2000 Ferrari 360 Modena 6-Speed | Bring a Trailer

 

BaT is not a charity and they charge for a valuable service. They're a marketplace that has built a community around getting rare knowledgable sellers, and building the market so the vast majority of cars offered meet reserve.

Don't like their upfront fees, don't bid?

 

Congrats on the auction results. Beautiful car!

 

Is britney really a babe ?

 

Pretty strong results it seems to me given mileage, needing belt service somewhat soon, lack of options and non-red.

 

WOW. Is that temping...

Matt

 

That's the problem with BaT... There is always something tempting.

Regarding the original post: LOL! The auction terms are clearly stated and make sense. I have bid several times and always factor the buyers premium into what I am willing to bid. If you were this upset about the mere idea of a 5% buyers premium, you probably would have lost your mind when the hold for that full 5% popped up on your CC the day you bid!

 

Who calls their bank loan officer babe?

<edit, nevermind. Read post history and profile>

 

Greg,I sorta disagree..I think it was well bought,and Douglas can't be too unhappy but I thought it would go over 100. This was a nice 360...
And the belts were done at Bobileff in june15..do you think it's due soon for belts?
I'm just toying with the idea of making mine a three pedal...under 10,innit?
Cheers,
RE

 

PS,
I've actually acquired three vehicles thru BAT. They are all fun toys...the bidding process is damn exciting,especially if you want the car!
Cheers,...witness...here's two
RE
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