TheSamba.com :: View topic - Have people had good experience with Bring A Trailer auctions?

Sun Oct 21, 2018 6:29 am

Hi - I'm getting ready to sell my 2003 Eurovan and just watched a 2002 sell on BringATrailer for 26,500 a couple of days ago.

I will post it here, first, but may do an auction if it is a legit system.

Do people have good experiences with this auction site? Any pros/cons to be aware of?

Thanks for the tips.

Sun Oct 21, 2018 10:34 am

My buddy sold a Squareback on there a couple years ago. He said that BaT sets the minimum price and exacts a stiff fee. Beware the comments section, as the peanut gallery crowd can be quite tough. It's best to be forthcoming with all warts and spills.

Sun Oct 21, 2018 10:37 am

Thanks for the reply!

Are you saying that BaT sets the minimum and we don't get to decide that? I thought their only fee was the $99 and the buyer pays any other fees.

Does that not match your experience re: fees?

Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:00 am

I'll have to check back with my buddy, but I thought it might've been $250, and he did say that they set the minimum.

Sun Oct 21, 2018 2:15 pm

I have been following a number of EV ads with lofty asking prices the last several weeks. None of the ones I’ve been tracking has sold. There may be buyers out there at those high prices but, like us, they’re being cautious.

Mon Oct 22, 2018 5:01 am

I had a "funny" experience recently while trying to list a T3 Tristar I wanted to auction. They wrote me back and wanted to dictate the reserve. We had a multiple day back and forth conversation but in the end they wouldn't budge. Their suggested reserve was $1000s lower than I wanted.

In the end I used ebay. Got what I wanted and what I suggested for a reserve.

I don't think I'll try them again. Left a bad taste in my mouth.

Mon Oct 22, 2018 4:10 pm

So, you are correct - I sent all the info to BaT and they dictated the price for the reserve at $20K. I think the van is worth at least $25K based on what I see here and elsewhere, so I offered to drop my reserve to $24K; but they refused to budge above their initial offer of $20K.

I don't understand this. How much can it cost them to host an auction? They lost me as a customer; I will follow your lead and try elsewhere. Just doesn't make business sense. It's not negotiating if you don't give a little.

Mon Oct 22, 2018 4:26 pm

Do you get your money back if it doesn't sell?

Otherwise I don't see a reason to dictate any sort of reserve amount.

Tue Oct 23, 2018 3:52 am

EverettB wrote: Do you get your money back if it doesn't sell?

Otherwise I don't see a reason to dictate any sort of reserve amount.

Good question. No, you don't get it back. Which I perfectly fine with, as it was another avenue for interest to be generated. I explained to them that this was a very rare VW and would bring additional traffic to their site. Zero compromising on their part. I chalked up their attitude to the fact they must have a ton of inquiries each day and they simply aren't caring about any further. I also also wonder if they advertise that they sell ___% of all vehicles listed. No kidding (!) when you push your clients to dump their reserves.

Tue Oct 23, 2018 7:46 am

the can dictate the terms because of the nature of the site. they curate the listings so that car nuts can get their fill of auto porn without having to go through all the crappy listings on ebay, etc.

my opinion (i've never listed or bid there) is that it's a good site for sports cars and wierd cars because that's their audience. i've followed a couple of eurovan auctions on bat and i thought the prices were low. this one in particular was a steal:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2001-volkswagen-eurovan/

the bat audience for the most part doesn't "get" these vehicles.

if i was going to sell, i'd most likely post on ebay not as an auction but as a "buy it now" with the ""make an offer" option turned on. it may take a while but i think you will find a buyer who is more inclined to pay the real value on the van.

Tue Oct 23, 2018 3:01 pm

Its good negotiating when you don't give anything, you are just on the wrong side.

Tue Oct 23, 2018 5:37 pm

Abscate wrote: Its good negotiating when you don't give anything, you are just on the wrong side.

I wouldn't call that negotiating, i'd call that hard lining.

Had I have known what that their policy was on the reserve I would not have wasted my time answering all of their questions and uploading pics to their auction form. I wanted the auction to be live starting on a weekend and they didn't even respond until Tuesday. We "negotiated" until sometime Friday when I listed it on ebay.

PO asked for some details. My experience was a month and change ago.

Tue Oct 23, 2018 6:04 pm

postjosh wrote: ... this one in particular was a steal:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2001-volkswagen-eurovan/

the bat audience for the most part doesn't "get" these vehicles.

...

I respectfully disagree, I don't think $14k is a steal, or even a good deal for that van, low miles or not. Quote: "The rear edges of the front wheel arches show some bubbling as noted by the seller." What a clever and gentle way of saying "it has some rust"!

And all that other jargon is just listing factory options and mentioning it has been in the shop a few times. Rust or not, I dont think $14k is that great of "value". 44k or 100k miles, the new owner of this van is going to have the same pay to play experience any EV owner has. For reference, my buddy recently bought a similar EV with about 100k, locally maintained by a prestigious shop, with records, for about $5k and in the pacific northwest and it does not have any rust. No way I'd pay triple due to the exceptionally low mileage, the car as a whole is still 17/18 years old.

Wed Oct 24, 2018 4:37 am

The BAT business model specifically excludes people emotionally attached to a price they think their ride is worth.

The want people who need or want to sell.

If it takes 6 months to recoup 10k , you lost the compounded Value of the money over the six months, so it isn’t free to wait.

Wed Oct 24, 2018 5:58 am

postjosh wrote: they curate the listings so that car nuts can get their fill of auto porn without having to go through all the crappy listings on ebay, etc.

my opinion (i've never listed or bid there) is that it's a good site for sports cars and wierd cars because that's their audience.

I have no direct experience working with BaT, but I have certainly frequented the site enough to say that I would agree with this...

TONS of super clean, super rad, unique fun things to look at. I've followed a number of Vanagon and Eurovan listings on their site, and have, more often than not, been a little surprised at some of the final sale prices...is that a reflection of BaT, or more of Samba asking prices?...I don't know, nor do I have the experience to say.

It is cool, for sure. I had a FD RX-7 for a number of years, and it has been fun to drool over the low mileage pristine examples of those popping up on BaT over the last year. I mean wow...this one never met the reserve... :shock:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1994-mazda-rx-7-16/

My personal opinion, which I can tell you is not worth much, is that BaT is a good place to sell if you bought something really unique years ago, that you left in a climate controlled space, barely touched or breathed on, and which has since become a classic...

I'm interested to see how this Bay ends up....
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1975-volkswagen-bus-3/

Wed Oct 24, 2018 6:11 am

My FD R1 is in a climate controlled building and I, too, have been watching them on BAT. It seems Rx7s are finally starting to get some love. :)--jb

Wed Oct 24, 2018 11:21 am

Ill short sell that Bay at $7300

Thu Oct 25, 2018 5:52 pm

markcm2 wrote: I respectfully disagree, I don't think $14k is a steal, or even a good deal for that van, low miles or not.
sorry, i thought it was a poptop. you're right. that's no steal. still, in general i don't think bat is the best venue for campers.

Mon Oct 29, 2018 2:49 am

Abscate wrote: Ill short sell that Bay at $7300

Closed at $9400. Well done,

Mon Oct 29, 2018 5:33 am