As of June 2023, every Auction Center lot runs live online — no more in-person paddles, no more phone-in bids. Here's why we made the switch and what it means for buyers.
On June 1, 2023, we ran our last in-person bidding floor. From that day forward, every lot Auction Center offers — repossessed cars, light trucks, SUVs, and the occasional boat — runs 100% online, in real time, from anywhere with a browser.
This wasn't a decision we took lightly. Auctioneers have stood at the front of a tent calling bids for two hundred years. But the math kept telling us the same thing: a stronger room means stronger prices, and the strongest room is a national one.
Why we moved online
- Bigger room, better prices. A physical event caps the bidder pool at whoever can drive in on a Tuesday morning. Online, a buyer in Miami and a buyer in Seattle bid the same lot at the same second. Hammer prices on our pilot online events in early 2023 ran 11–17% higher than the in-room equivalents for comparable vehicles.
- No travel, no time wasted. Buyers told us the single biggest friction was driving four hours each way for a lot they might lose. Now you preview the inventory all week, set proxy bids, and show up live only when it matters.
What stays the same
Every car still gets the same pre-sale inspection by our Master ASE Technicians. Roughly one in five vehicles consigned to us passes the bar to make it onto the floor — the rest get sent back. That filter is the entire point of what we do, and it isn't going anywhere.
The auction calendar stays the same too. Lot-based events Monday through Saturday, repossessed inventory from regulated lenders, 14-day mechanical warranty included, ACH or wire only.
How online bidding works
- Set a proxy bid if you can't be live — the system bids on your behalf up to your maximum, in $100 increments.
- Live bidding opens at the scheduled lot time. Each lot runs about 5 minutes by default, with anti-snipe extensions every time a bid lands inside the last 30 seconds.
- Buy Now is available on most lots before the live block — grab a car at the consignor's number without waiting for the event.
- Vendor approval within 24 hours of hammer. Once approved, you wire the funds, we transfer title, and the car ships (free first 500 miles, $1/mile after).
What buyers said in the first month
> "I bought my F-250 from a recliner in Charlotte at 9pm. Title was in my hand inside a week. I'm not going back to a tent."
> — D. Mitchell, repeat consignment buyer
> "The online format actually feels fairer. You see every other bid. No mystery hands in the back row."
> — R. Vargas, dealer-buyer
The bottom line
Online means more buyers, cleaner pricing, less friction, and a more honest auction. The brand stays the same — same techs, same inspection standard, same Buy Now option, same 14-day guarantee. The room just got a lot bigger.
If you've never bid with us — verification takes about a day, and your first paddle is free.
— Auction Center
