I was reading some chatter on social media the other day with bidders complaining about the lack of information they appear to be getting at auctions.
Social media is a great place to have a moan but more often than not it gives a people an opportunity to comment, discuss and share experiences with their peers. From my perspective it’s also a great way of getting true feedback on the sector or services providers.
People tend to feel more comfortable giving honest opinions through the various social media channels. And, as service providers we need to take note of these comments, however they arrive to us.
This particular conversation was around scepticism about the auction process and seemingly distrust around the bidding system, especially with online bidders at auctions. Lack of information, or the perceived lack of information, can cover a whole variety of areas from vehicle descriptions and damage reporting to reserve pricing and announcing winning bids.
The answer is obvious, I hear you say – greater transparency! But sometimes it is easier to say than do. Take for example vehicle inspection reports. This can be a very subjective matter. One person’s assessment can be very different to another’s.
And in a way the introduction within the physical auction environment of a grading system has helped to limit assessment discrepancies as well as offering a common understanding of what’s described amongst buyers. But there is always more that can be done.
The use of high quality digital images and a detailed condition report to describe the car or light commercial vehicle puts the buyers back in control and enable them to make up their own minds. We regularly receive great feedback from buyers and I know that they appreciate the level of detail we provide.
It also requires proper vehicle preparation, using qualified, well trained inspectors making sensible and honest conclusions – to take the subjectivity out of the process – and making the most of technology to back up the judgements. So if there’s some damage, accurately describe it and show the evidence.
With almost 30 year of experience, we’ve learnt that online trading is all about building trust, giving vendors and buyers confidence in the information provided as well as the systems used that are secure, transparent and level the playing field for all bidders. Honesty really is the best policy.
