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FAQ - Collector Car Canada

FAQs

We first refer you to the excellent resource that is our How It Works page.  There, we cover auction durations; bidding and bid increments; our soft-close process to keep the snipers away; the difference between a reserve and no-reserve auction; what happens when the auction clock expires; our innovative and breakthrough Second Chance System and Last Chance System; as well as Buyer Premiums.  Seller fees are covered on the Home Page, where their items can be submitted.

Dig deeper here by reviewing the CCC FAQs.

We have divided FAQ into the following segments, FAQs for:

A. BIDDERS;
B. SELLERS; and
C. GENERAL USERS

A.  BIDDERS

1. Who writes these listings? Aren’t the sellers biased?

CCC writes all listings and makes every attempt to present items fairly and impartially based on seller’s answers to CCC fact-based questions and photos submitted.  Sellers have an opportunity to have their say in the Comments section of each auction.  So do bidders and general watchers.

2. What do I need to do to bid?

All bidders must be registered and submit valid credit card information. When a bid is placed, we place a hold on the credit card on file for 4.99% of the bid amount – a minimum of $499 – to cover the Buyer Premium, plus GST/HST based on your residence. When the auction closes, the hold is released for all bidders who did not win the vehicle.  The winner’s card is charged.  If you have a Non-bidding User account and want to become a Bidding User in order to bid:  while logged in to your basic account, click “My Account” in the top left of the screen.  From there, you will see several stacked black boxes on the left: “Dashboard / Listings / Addresses / Payment Methods / Account details / Auction activity / Logout”.  You’ll need to complete your address (we need it to determine sales tax rate on Buyer Premiums for auction winners) and Payment Methods.

3. What should I do before I bid?
We strongly encourage all bidders to first read the listing, view all photos and ask any questions they have – be it publicly in the comments section or privately by using the Contact Seller button on each auction page. We ask that sellers answer via the same forum a bidder has used.  Most sellers are happy to arrange an in-person showing.  You might also find other people’s Comments useful.
4. How do I get auction updates?
Click on the “Watch” button on the auction page.
5. What if I win? How do I pay?
The Buyer Premium is paid by credit card on file at auction close. The transaction for the winning bid amount is between the buyer and the seller. At the close of auction, we will send contact information via email for the winning bidder to the seller and vice-versa. We recommend that the seller send the buyer a copy of the proof of ownership and a bill of sale prior to the buyer sending payment. For payment we recommend a traceable wire transfer.
6. What happens if the reserve is not met on a listing?

The highest bidder gets to participate in the CCC Second Chance System. If he does not, all can participate in the CCC Last Chance System.  Please see our How It Works page for a description of these.

7. What about shipping?

Shipping, if needed, is the responsibility of the buyer. Sellers will likely co-operate, but buyer must make all arrangements, unless otherwise agreed to by buyer and seller.

8. What credit cards can I use?

Visa, Mastercard, American Express

9. What do you do with credit card information?

This never is in the custody of Collector Car Canada. Credit card transactions are handled by Stripe, a worldwide leader in e-commerce. (Click here for Stripe’s site.) When you key your credit card information, you are actually using a Stripe web page, even though it might look like the CCC web site.

10. Can I bid if I am not in Canada?

Yes. All you need is a valid credit card.

11. What is “anti-sniping”?

In the digital age, electronic means have been developed whereby bids can be placed at the last possible split second to gain unfair advantage on other bidders. CCC uses an anti-sniping mechanism whereby a bid placed in the last minute-and-a-half of an auction results in the auction clock being reset to 1:30 (one minute, thirty seconds). This gives everyone a chance to react to a last-minute bid.

12. Can I cancel my bid?

All bids are binding without exception.  So, be careful when placing a bid.

13. Has the auction met reserve?

We mandate our sellers to not discuss reserve prices unless it has been met, in which case they may choose to comment that it has been met, meaning that the item will sell.

14. I want to buy the item – where is the Buy It Now button?

CCC’s auction system does not include a Buy It Now option. All auctions go until the clock expires – then there are the Second Chance System and Last Chance System, as applicable.

15. How can I inspect the car and have my mechanic check it out?

Make arrangements for this via the Contact Seller button. This is at the seller’s discretion and seller involvement level will be determined by seller.

16. Can I contact another user privately?

CCC web site does not offer this functionality.  You can contact the seller of an auction item privately via the Contact Seller button and you can tag other users in comments so that they know your communication is directed towards them.

17. Can I contact the seller after the auction?

We remove the Contact Seller button when the auction ends.

18. What is a Non-bidding User?

Non-bidding Users are able to post comments and like others’ posts.  There is no charge to be a Non-bidding User.

19. What is a Bidding User?

Bidding Users are able to bid on our auctions once credit card info. is submitted and approved.  There is no charge to be a Bidding User.  Credit card info. is required because Buyer Premiums are automatically collected when an auction ends in a sale.

20. I am a Non-bidding User. How do I become a Bidding User?

When logged in as a Non-bidding User, navigate to the My Account Page. click the Payment Methods tab, ensure your street address is current and then add your credit card information.

  1. B. SELLERS
1. How do I submit my item?

Use the seller form linked from the Home Page. It also sets out fees.

2. What happens after I do?

Just above the seller package descriptions is a timeline of the auction process.

3. When does my auction start?

We consider many factors in deciding this. Once your submission is complete, we go to work; the more information and photos you provide in your first submission, the faster this process will be. When we have written the listing to your approval, one item we consider is other items we are listing. We do our best to avoid competitive listings.

4. When the auction ends, how do I get paid?

The sale transaction is between buyer and seller. CCC neither has custody of your item nor is custodian of buyer’s funds. When the auction closes, we provide each party with the other’s contact information. We recommend you provide a copy of proof of ownership and a bill of sale to the buyer, to whom we recommend a traceable wire transfer for payment.

5. How do you choose which cars to accept?

We consider many factors. Some are: desirability of and demand for the model, condition, quality of photos provided, your requested reserve price (if applicable, “No Reserve” is often the way to go) and other similar vehicles in the queue.

6. Can I sell if I am not in Canada?

We accept worldwide vehicles and advise in the listing the location of the vehicle. Be prepared for questions about shipping logistics.

7. What is the duration of an auction?

Our auctions typically last one week. When an exception is made by CCC management, closing date and time are clearly marked on the auction page, as with all of our auctions.

8. I forgot to tell you something in my submission, can I still update you?

Sure, no problem. We will be getting back to you anyway and we need you to approve the listing so there is ample opportunity to add the missed information.

9. My car did not sell in the auction period, do you re-list it?

Typically, no, though we do periodically make exceptions in extenuating circumstances.

10. My auction is live, but I got a great offer locally. How do I cancel?

You can not cancel. By agreeing to go to auction, you have also agreed to follow the auction process until its end.

11. How can I take good photos of my car?

We found this video to be helpful, check it out.

12. Can you send a photographer?

This is a service we are working on. Stay tuned!

13. The photo upload is not working. Can you help?

Please start by uploading about 10 photos to start. Then we will advise on the means to get the remainder via shared drive. If you are still having trouble, please contact us here.

C. GENERAL

1. How do I register?

There is a button at the top-right of each page to register as a user and, if you like, opt in for the daily email update. Register as a bidder in an auction page.

2. What is a Non-bidding User?

Non-bidding Users are able to comments and like others’ posts.  There is no charge to be a Non-bidding User.

3. What is a Bidding User?

Bidding Users are able to bid on our auctions once credit card info. is submitted and approved.  There is no charge to be a Bidding User.

4. How do I tag another user in a comment once I have registered?

Use the “@” sign immediately preceding the user’s username to tag the user. We recommend you copy-and-paste the other user’s username to preclude typos.

5. How do I change my password?

This can be done on the My Account page.

6. I forgot my password, what do I do?

Please follow the prompts on the Login page.

7. How can I change my username?

Once a username has been assigned it can not be changed.

8. How can I become a CCC photographer?

Please complete the form at the bottom of the home page and we will be in touch.

9. Are there any guidelines about commenting?

Yes, here are a few things to keep in mind:

      • We are here for the cars, not to criticize others. We also treat and address other users as we would like to be treated and with due respect;

      • Leave the price discussion until after the auction to preclude prejudicing bids;

      • Experience and fact over speculation and guesswork;

      • Make your comments constructive. This does not mean you can not critique a car or a feature, just be sure you support your critique and make it well-reasoned and based on fact;

      • As a courtesy to others, read the existing comments before you make one – no one wants to read a duplicate or, worse, a questionable position that has already been debunked; and

      • No offers. No buying.  No contact information.  No selling.  There are other forums online for all of this.

What is CCC’s contact info?

admin@collectorcarcanada.ca