Once an auction has ended, the sale must be closed.
Paid Invoice – Facility must have a Paid Invoice to complete the sale with the winning bidder. Paid Invoices are emailed to you and to the bidder after the auction ends. You can also find the Paid Invoices in your account, under the “Invoices” tab. You should print the Paid Invoices for all units. Paid Invoices indicate they are “READY FOR PICKUP.” See How-To Understand Invoices.
Unpaid Invoice – If an Invoice is titled Declined under Invoices, that means the bidder’s credit card was declined. You cannot complete the sale with an Unpaid Invoice. Unpaid Invoices indicate they are “NOT READY FOR PICKUP.” If you are in contact with the bidder, ask them to log into their account and click the “Pay Now” button. If their credit card still declines, the bidder will need to update the credit card information or add a different credit card. Once updated, they should click the "Pay Now" button again to generate a Paid Invoice.
Our Customer Support team will reach out to the bidder to assist with payment. Once collected, the Paid Invoice will be emailed to you and the bidder. To see the Paid Invoice in the “Invoices” tab, you will need to refresh your browser. If the bidder does not have access to their account to update their credit card for payment (if they are away from their computer), have them contact Customer Support at 480-397-6503 for assistance.
24-Hour Credit Card Declined (CCD) Policy – If the card is still declined 24 hours after the auction ends, you can self-initiate a backup bidder case from your account. (See How to Start a Backup Bidder Case).
Contact the Bidder – Instructions on the Paid Invoice remind the bidder to call the facility to set a time to pay for and pick up the unit immediately when the auction ends. If the bidder has not contacted you within an hour after the auction ends, it is recommended that you call the bidder to schedule a time for them to pick up the unit.
Confirm Bidder’s Identity – When the bidder arrives, confirm that his/her ID matches the name on the invoice. The Authorized Pickup Person, if listed on the invoice, can also pay for and pick up the unit with valid ID. If the ID does not match, do not sell the unit to that individual. Contact Customer Support immediately for assistance.
Balance Due Facility – Collect the “Total Due at Facility” that is shown at the bottom of the invoice. The calculations have been done for you.
Resale Certificate – If the bidder presents a resale exemption certificate, you may want to verify if the license is valid by going to your state’s Department of Revenue resale license verification webpage (optional). You will need to copy the certificate and attach it to your copy of the invoice for your accounting team. Then, subtract the sales tax amount (amount shown on invoice) from the “Total Due at Facility.” Alternatively, you can collect the “Remaining Bid Amount” shown above the sales tax amount on the Invoice. Manually note the calculations and adjusted balance due on your copy of the invoice. Collect payment from the buyer. Have buyer initial the adjusted amount.
Collect Refundable Cleaning Deposit – Collect an additional $100 (or other amount indicated on the Invoice) from the buyer, in cash (or other form of payment as indicated in the auction posting). If the posting did not state a different payment type for the deposit, then you can only collect cash. Retain the cleaning deposit in a secure place separate from the sale funds. The cleaning deposit is not ‘operating income.’ You should maintain a separate receipt book/process for cleaning deposits to document the held funds. You cannot ask the bidder to pay a cleaning deposit if no deposit was listed in the auction posting or invoice.
Buyer’s Signature – Once the total on the invoice and the cleaning deposit have been received, have the buyer sign your copy of the Invoice.
Release Unit to Bidder – Take the buyer to the unit, cut the lock and remove tamper tag in the buyer’s presence. Remind the buyer they must clean out the unit entirely (“broom swept”) prior to expiration of the clean-out time deadline in order to be eligible for a refund of the cleaning deposit. Further remind them that they cannot use your dumpster or leave items outside of the unit. Also, if they find personal items in the unit, tell them where to leave the items for return to the tenant. Most facilities have the bidders bring any personal items to the facility office.
Refund Cleaning Deposit – When the buyer informs you that the unit is emptied, you should inspect the unit, confirm that it is empty and broom swept, then refund the bidder’s cleaning deposit, in cash immediately. We recommend that you have the bidder sign a receipt that they received their deposit back.
If you collected the cleaning deposit on a credit card, provide confirmation (if available) or a receipt that the amount of the deposit will be credited to their credit card. Let the buyer know that the refund may take several days to process and complete.