The Hammer and the Mouse

Long before we were asked to stay indoors, Aucor – southern Africa's largest auction house – was gearing itself towards offering a comprehensive online service.  

"It's a double-edged sword," according to Managing Director of Aucor's Bloemfontein office, Jacques van der Linde. "On one hand, we certainly miss the atmosphere and excitement generated by a live auction, yet on the other, there's no denying that the online space in which we're currently mandated to operate has opened the auction experience to a significantly broader audience."   

Atmosphere and excitement may be two words used to describe a "real life" auction floor, yet to the uninitiated, it's also an experience filled with anxiety and plenty of pressure. While most of us understand there to potentially be great bargains at an auction, many more have seen the part in the movie where the gentleman at the back moves to scratch his itching nose only for the auctioneer to enthusiastically acknowledge a winning bid. 

Established in 1968, Aucor has strived to offer a thoroughly professional service for clients wanting to offload inventory. Customers seeking great deals have come to expect a welcoming, open-book experience where they feel as assured as possible in parting with their hard-earned money. 

When it comes to moving vehicles, this process includes full access to each item ahead of auction time, as well as a thorough "condition report" compiled by experienced inspectors and assessors based at each of Aucor's nationwide branches. While for insurance reasons an actual test drive is not permitted, potential buyers are privy to a start-up and idle process aimed at putting their minds at ease. 

Encouraged to explore the online space by one of its largest clients in the mining sector, Aucor conducted its first timed online auction as early as 2012. Dubbed an eAuction, this system was developed in-house and allowed pre-registered customers the opportunity to place a bid on an item ahead of a nominated cut-off time. 

Currently hosted by one of the largest online auction service providers in the world (based in the US), Aucor's modern offering incorporates both desktop and mobile phone App functionality, including audio and video outputs that allow potential buyers an auction floor experience that is as close as possible to the real thing. Here, a registered user can opt to either listen in on a live auction without committing to any purchase; participate via considered clicks of the mouse to increase a current bid; or even place a predetermined maximum bid that will be discreetly and seamlessly managed by the system interface, with no human interaction. Once this maximum bid is reached, the beauty of modern technology means a subtle push notification is sent, allowing the user to either increase or wait for the next lot. 

Of course, the Afrikaans word, voetstoots is the elephant in the room when it comes to auctions. "At the end of the day, the onus is on the buyer to do their homework beforehand," states van der Linde. Much like any pre-owned vehicle purchase, it's always recommended to seek out the advice of an experienced eye before parting with your money. Unlike a modern pre-owned purchase, an auction house is not bound by current "duty to repair" clauses that serve to cushion the blow of a poor decision. 

To this end – and van der Linde predicts it will remain the case even after social distancing Covid-19 regulations have fallen away – vehicles are open for viewing two days before auction. Furthermore, Aucor provides upwards of 20 images of each vehicle, together with a start-up and idle video, linked with each lot listed on its site. 

Van der Linde continues; "It's exciting to see the increasing number of customers visiting our auctions even if, in these unprecedented times, we can't see their faces. While our long-standing efforts to establish a stable online experience are bearing fruit under current lockdown conditions, we also look forward to welcoming customers with a newfound sense of confidence and composure to our auction house floors once things return to some form of normality." 

Visit live.aucor.com to experience Aucor's world-class online auction interface or, better yet, download the Aucorlive App for either Apple iOS or Android and have bargain hunting in the palm of your hand. 

A motoring journalist with more than 20 years experience, Ian McLaren will be compiling a series are articles documenting his learning curve when it comes to all things auction. Find him on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at @IanMcLaren76.

These articles aim to offer insights only and in no way encourage reckless or hit-and-miss purchasing decisions.