The Auction Predator

Just like in a park late at night, there is a "predator" at every auction. We aren't talking serious predators that hurt or kill people but they are predators nevertheless and they will take advantage of people every chance they get. Auction houses need to protect their customers, especially the inexperienced ones, as well as themselves from this type of person.

Now let's outline what an "auction predator" might do. Say there is a car in the auction. Lots of people could be interested in the car for personal reasons - they need one. There will also be used car dealers at the sale that want to buy the car at the right price so they can make money with it. While people are walking around previewing the merchandise before the sale, "the auction predator" will try to discourage those people who are looking at the car from bidding on it.

He does it by saying things like, "The seam around the hood where it lines up with the body isn't quite right. This car was in a bad accident." Now "the auction predator" has just scared off all of the other people who might have been interested in buying the car. His chance of getting the car much cheaper has just drastically increased.

Our auction staff used to walk around the building before the sale to police the merchandise and to answer any questions people might have. But at the same time they were also looking for that week's "auction predator." When someone came across him they would come and tell me.

If this scenario had happened to us, and it did, we would announce the true condition of the car when it came up for auction. We never sold a car unless it had been thoroughly researched first. We would then tell the audience that Larry, we'll call "the auction predator" Larry, had made a mistake and the car had never been in an accident. If Larry was sitting in the audience, we would tell everyone that they could confirm this with Larry if they would like and we would then show them where Larry was sitting.

While hyperventilating, Larry would be forced to nod in the affirmative confirming that he had in fact misjudged the condition of the car. You'll have to trust us on this - when the bidding was over Larry was not the winner. He didn't get the car. One of the people Larry tried to scare off got the car.

Written by Anne Benedetto, Auction House Talk
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