When to use this article
You see an auction marked "Pre-bidding" and want to know whether you can bid yet.
You placed a pre-bid and want to know what happens when the auction goes live.
You are in a live auction and want to understand the timer and how the auction closes.
Background
Every auction on Autura Marketplace moves through two phases: pre-bidding and live. You can bid in both, but they work differently. The bidding panel on the Vehicle Detail Page always tells you which phase you are in.
What to do
During pre-bidding
Pre-bidding opens the moment a seller schedules an auction, before it goes live. You place a bid or a max bid the same way you would in a live auction. During this phase, other buyers cannot see the current bid or who is winning. You can see your own standing on the Vehicle Card and Vehicle Detail Page: if you are ahead, the page shows a Winning indicator.
When the auction goes live, the high pre-bid becomes the starting bid, and if you were winning you stay the high bidder until someone outbids you. You will be notified when an auction you have pre-bid on goes live, whether or not you are still ahead.
During live bidding
When the status changes to Live, bids are visible in real time, and the auction is on a timer. Once a vehicle goes "Live", it will always be live for a minimum, 1 hour.
Watch the current bid and the timer and place a bid or raise your max bid as the auction runs. When the timer reaches zero the auction closes, and the high bid wins. If bids come in close to the timer running out, the timer extends automatically so everyone still in it has a chance to respond. That extension is normal and happens on every live auction.
Standard bid vs. max (proxy) bid
In either phase you can place a standard bid, which is a single bid at the amount you enter, or a max bid. With a max bid you set the highest amount you are willing to pay, and the platform bids for you in the smallest increment needed to keep you in front, up to that maximum. Setting a max in advance tends to work better than bidding by hand in the final seconds.
Before you bid
Bids are binding in both phases. Once you place one, you are committed to buying the vehicle at that price if you are the high bid when the auction closes. Read the full listing and the seller's disclosures first, since every vehicle sells as-is and all sales are final.
Need help?
Open the in-platform chat inside Autura Marketplace to contact our support team or:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (888) 998-6085
Hours: Monday–Friday, 7 AM – 5 PM Pacific Time