What is an online car auction?
An online car auction is a timed sale: the seller lists the car with a starting price, buyers bid for a set time and, when the time is up, the highest bid wins the car.
On Going Once Cars every auction runs for 1 to 7 days, as the seller chooses. Bids are visible to everyone, names are not: bidders appear only as "Bidder 1", "Bidder 2" and so on. Going Once Cars sits between buyer and seller: we check the listings, hold the money and prepare the sale contract.
The first bid and bid steps
The first bid must be at least the starting price. After that, every new bid must be higher by at least one bid step:
| Current bid | Minimum step |
|---|---|
| below €5,000 | €50 |
| from €5,000 | €100 |
| from €15,000 | €250 |
| from €30,000 | €500 |
Every bid is binding: if you win, you must pay for the car. Only bid what you're ready to pay, plus the buyer fee.
Maximum bids: we bid for you
You don't have to watch the countdown minute by minute. Set the most you're willing to pay as your maximum bid:
- we bid for you one step at a time, only when someone else bids;
- we never go above your maximum;
- your maximum stays private: others only see the current bid;
- if two people set the same maximum, the one who set it first leads.
You can raise your maximum while the auction is live. If someone bids higher, we tell you straight away.
Soft close: no last-second bids
If anyone bids in the last 2 minutes, the auction is extended so that it ends 2 minutes after that bid. This can repeat until 2 minutes pass without a new bid. Everyone gets time to answer a late bid, and nobody wins with a last-second bid.
The hidden minimum price
A seller can set a minimum price that buyers don't see. The listing only shows whether it has been reached.
- No minimum, or minimum reached: when the auction ends, the highest bid wins.
- Minimum not reached: the seller has 24 hours to accept or decline the highest bid. If they don't answer, the car isn't sold.
Buy Now and fixed-price listings
Some sellers add a Buy Now price to their auction. It's offered until the bids reach 80% of it. When you press Buy now, the car is held for you for 15 minutes while you pay by card. Pay in time and the car is yours; if not, the auction carries on.
Some cars are sold at a fixed price, with no auction, for 7, 14 or 30 days. The first verified buyer who pays the asking price gets the car.
After the auction: payment, pickup and the handover code
- Payment: the winner pays Going Once Cars the price plus the buyer fee within 3 business days, by card or bank transfer.
- Pickup time: the buyer chooses one of the times we offer in the city where the car is.
- Handover: the seller checks the buyer's ID, both sign the sale contract, and the buyer gives the seller the 6-character handover code.
- The seller is paid: 1–2 business days after the handover, we pay the seller the price minus the €50 success fee.
If the winner doesn't pay in time, the sale is cancelled and the seller can offer the car to the next-highest bidder or relist it for free. Read more in safe payment.
Who can bid
To bid you need a finished account (18 or older), a verified ID, an active yearly plan and a saved, valid card. The plans are Basic, 14 days free and then €9.99 a year, or Business at €49.99 a year. Listing a car is free for sellers. All the fees are on buy a car at auction and sell your car.
Questions and answers
Are bids binding?
Yes. If you have the highest bid when the auction ends and the minimum price (if any) is reached, you must pay for the car within 3 business days.
Who sees my bids?
Everyone sees the current bid and the number of bids, but not your name: bidders appear only as a number. Your maximum bid stays private.
Can I bid on my own car?
No. Sellers can't bid on their own car or ask anyone else to do it for them.
What happens if the winner doesn't pay?
The sale is cancelled, the winner gets a non-payment strike and the seller pays no fee. The car can be offered to the next-highest bidder or relisted for free.