Martin Grosz
08/13/2021 6:01 AM
Clarín.com
Services
Updated 08/13/2021 6:01 AM
The opportunity to save by buying at auctions is increasingly available to
ordinary consumers
, who no longer need to
show up in a room
at a certain time to shout what they are willing to pay and compete with other interested parties.
In a pandemic, the
online modality
ended up being installed among the organizers of these events.
And now it is enough to have
a PC or a cell phone
at hand to be able to
"bid" remotely
for the large amount of goods and products that are sold daily.
What can be achieved in this way, sometimes at
much lower
than market
prices
?
Everything that Justice, companies, institutions, official bodies and individuals seek for various reasons to sell to the "
highest bidder
": that is, to whoever offers the most money to keep everything.
Among the things that go to auction there are usually from properties such as
apartments
, houses and land, to technological devices such as
smartphones
, tablets and notebooks.
They can be seen from
small
vehicles
such as motorcycles, cars, vans and trucks, to airplanes and boats.
Jewelry, watches
and luxury objects make up another classic item, as well as
works of art
, antiques, furniture and much more.
The online auction of a vehicle, minutes from the end: the base was $ 770,000 and with increasing bids it reached $ 955,000.
Image: Capture.
The ABC of online auctions
Internet auctions maintain the classic characteristics of these events.
Among them, that the seller usually sets a
base price
-the minimum that he intends to receive- and the organizer
publishes a call
in which he informs what will be auctioned, when and under what conditions.
What is different is that now almost all these events support
live remote
participation
, with several
possible mechanisms
:
1) 100% online auction with auctioneer
.
A professional conducts the event in the traditional way, but is in front of a
streaming
camera
.
And the participants are making their offers in the same way, each from their home.
It's like a Zoom meeting.
2) 100% online auction without auctioneer
.
Here there is no longer a person in charge of presenting each lot, taking the offers, asking "who gives more?"
and lower the hammer.
Participants enter an
automatic web platform
that allows - from the appointed time - to bid, see the rest of the offers in real time and know the result instantly.
3) Mixed auction: online and in person
.
The auction is held in a room in the traditional way with the auctioneer and some participants present, while others are remotely and intervene in real time electronically.
The traditional auctions are still being made, but now with screens in between.
Photo: Lucía Merle / Archive.
Whatever the modality, in general, to be able to
To participate in an online auction, the
mandatory previous steps
are:
Register
.
Personal data is entered and a user is obtained.
Sign up for the auction
.
You have to indicate which of the goods or "lots" (set of goods) you want to acquire.
Deliver money as collateral
.
Each participant, as a token of commitment, must electronically deposit a
minimum amount
.
Those who lose will get it back days later.
And the winner, by completing his payment.
The online auctions of Banco Ciudad
The web contains the catalog of goods to be auctioned and when the day comes you can follow the bid in real time.
Image: Capture.
In the traditional Banco Ciudad auctions, which since 2020 have become
100% digital
and without a live
auctioneer
, many attractive opportunities are usually found: they appear in a
schedule
published on the auction site.
Through this entity, for example, the
usual auctions
of:
-The "vacant successions" of the City
.
Houses and apartments
of people without heirs who died are
auctioned off to the highest bidder
.
And so properties are obtained at low prices, payable
in pesos
.
The next one: on
August 25
from 10, with eight proposals and base prices starting at $ 2.85 million.
-
Merchandise seized by Customs and AFIP
.
What generates good opportunities to acquire technology and luxury products, among others, from time to time.
Next:
On August 18
, a shipment of
Montblanc pens will be
auctioned
, with bases starting at $ 28,000.
-
Pawned jewelry, gold and silverware
.
They are products that had been left as collateral for pledge credits.
The next: on August 24,
Rolex and Omega watches will be auctioned
from
$ 150,000
, gold bracelets from $ 32,000, gold rings from $ 4,000 and others.
Banco Ciudad sells properties of people who died and had no heirs in pesos.
Image: Capture.
Used car
auctions
from company and public agency fleets also tend to generate a lot of interest.
As well as vehicles that are auctioned for
court cases
, such as this Audi R8 that will soon go on sale with a base of $ 20.25 million.
In any case, whoever makes purchases in these auctions for more than $ 500,000 in a month must
present documentation
that proves the
legal origin
of the funds.
Private online auctions
Outside of Banco Ciudad, there are several
private companies
that constantly auction all kinds of products and goods, and that today also offer the chance to
participate online
in many of their auctions.
Among the
most important
are:
Adrián Mercado Auctions.
You can find
vehicles
, appliances,
technology
, furniture and much more.
Here they explain how to participate.
Narvaezbid.
It finishes from
cars, motorcycles
and all kinds of machinery to electronic items, home products and decoration.
Here they explain how to buy.
Agusti Auctions.
You can find
vehicles
, construction supplies and more.
Here they explain how to buy.
Sometimes hundreds of computers go up for auction that a large company stopped using.
Image: Capture.
Five keys to buy without fail
1) Read the conditions of each auction well
.
Crucial details are contained in that "fine print."
For example,
where is
the good auctioned: it could happen that it is in a distant province and that the buyer is responsible for going to look for it.
2) Take into account commissions and taxes
.
The final bid price is never all that will be paid.
The auction company generally charges a commission (which can be
10% or 15% plus VAT
) and administration fees.
On the other hand, in the case of jewelery and works of art, the tax on "luxury objects" can increase
the value by
another
25%
.
3) Remove all doubts about the auction
.
With the online mode, and in a pandemic, you cannot always go to see, visit or try what you will buy.
In case there are only photos and videos available, it is key to ask the seller all the necessary questions before the auction.
From their homes, various users "bid" with increasing bids to keep a car in an online auction.
Image: Capture.
4) Investigate first what the market price is
.
In the case of a car, it is simple: you search online for how much the model is selling for on used sites.
But with a home, jewelry, or work of art, it can be helpful to
consult a specialist
.
5) Have a clear savings objective
.
Knowing the market price you can define, for example, that you will go to the auction to get it
at least 10% or 20%
cheaper.
Having this very clear in the midst of the vertigo of the auction will help to
desist in time
in the "bid", and not to continue raising the bet when it is no longer convenient.
MG
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