How-to Complete a Private Seller Auction

Once the auction closes, ST will automatically charge fees to the winning Buyer’s credit card on file with StorageTreasures. If successful, both the Private Seller and the Buyer will receive an email with a PDF of the READY FOR PICKUP (Paid) Invoice.

READY FOR PICKUP (Paid) Invoice

The Paid Invoice will include both parties’ contact information, the auction details and the ‘Total Due at Facility’ amount. The invoice can also be found in “My Account” under the “Invoices” tab. You should print the Paid Invoice and bring it with you to complete the sale. For an explanation of ST Invoices, see How to Understand Invoices.

Note:  If the Buyer’s credit card declines for payment of ST fees, you cannot proceed to complete the sale until the fees are collected by ST. See instructions for Declined Invoices in next section below.

Here are the steps to complete the sale with a Paid Invoice:

1. Contact the Buyer
   • Call the Buyer immediately to schedule an appointment to meet you at the facility.
     (You do not want the buyer contacting the storage facility)
   • Ask the Buyer what vehicle they will be driving.
   • Remind the Buyer to bring exact change for the Total Due at Facility and the additional cleaning deposit (if applicable), in cash.

2. Collect Payment
   • You MUST meet the buyer OUTSIDE of the facility gate/property.
   • Ask for the Buyer’s photo ID to verify name matches what is on the Invoice.
   • Collect the ‘Total Due at Facility’ and the additional cleaning deposit, in cash. If you are a Private Seller Business, you may have additional payment method options if stated on the Auction Details page.
   • Tell the Buyer that the cleaning deposit will be immediately refunded once the unit is completely emptied and is in broom swept condition.
3. Open the Unit
   • Escort the buyer to the storage unit and open the unit in Buyer’s presence.
   • You MUST remain with the Buyer while the unit is being emptied. Do NOT leave the Buyer alone on the facility grounds for any reason.
   • If the Buyer has to make several trips to empty the unit, you will need to escort the Buyer back onto the property when they return.
   • Do NOT provide the Buyer with a gate code.
   • You are the tenant and are responsible for your storage unit and the actions of all ‘guests’ you bring on the storage facility property.
4. Refund the Cleaning Deposit

Once the Buyer has emptied the unit and it is broom swept, refund the cleaning deposit immediately, in cash.

5. Escort the Buyer off the facility grounds.

NOT READY FOR PICKUP (Declined Invoice)
If a Buyer’s credit card declines for StorageTreasures fees, the Private Seller and Buyer will receive an Unpaid Invoice. Go to “My Account” and click the “Invoices” tab. The status of the invoice will be ‘Declined.” This invoice clearly states NOT READY FOR PICKUP (in red).

ST fees MUST be paid by the Buyer to StorageTreasures in order to generate a Paid Invoice. A Paid Invoice is required to complete the sale with the Buyer outside the storage facility.

We recommend that you contact the Buyer and ask them to update their credit card information from their account and click “Pay Now,” or, alternatively, the Buyer can contact Customer Support to add a new credit card to their account profile. Once the fees are paid, a Paid Invoice will be generated and you can Complete the Sale (per above instructions).

24 HOUR CREDIT CARD DECLINE POLICY
If the Buyer fails to pay the StorageTreasures fees and 24 hours has expired since the auction ended, a Private Seller can request to sell the unit to the next highest bidder at that time without having to wait the full clean-out time. Once 24 hours has expired, you should refresh the Invoices tab to confirm the Invoice is still Declined. If so, contact Customer Support to request a backup bidder (BUB) case be started.

If you do not want to sell to a backup bidder, you can repost the auction once the clean-out time has expired.