Bid at the Most Advantageous Times to Reap More Benefits

There are many ways to own an affordable car with good quality. One of them is by taking part in an auction. The vehicles put up for auctions, especially those that are held by trusted companies, are guaranteed to be in a good condition. The price won’t be too different either from the price offered by dealerships, which means that it will be beneficial for you as a customer.

There are many factors to consider when taking part in a used car auction, including the time of the auction. According to IBID Balai Lelang Serasi Chief Operation Officer Daddy Doxa Manurung, the period around the end of the year is one of the best times to take part in an auction. That period is when car auction peaks, with more cars in stock because many leasing companies need to let go of their properties near the end of the year.

Another peak period is when Eid al-Fitr is approaching. As people’s demand increases, dealerships tend to offer their best collections in great number. “If you want to get a car in a good condition, you can try it during peak periods of auction,” Doxa said (Kompas.com, July 18, 2016).

When it comes to days, Doxa suggested individual customers to take part in auctions during holidays or Saturdays. These days are dedicated to people who want to purchase cars individually, not resellers or bulk buyers.

Indonesians, especially Jakartans, sometimes are not willing to join used car auctions because there might be people who make auctions difficult for them. For instance, fellow customers trip on each other so that others can’t get cars in a good condition. “We open Saturday auctions especially for individual customers. There are still resellers, but they’re not as many as during the weekdays,” Doxa said.

Although there are possibilities of “difficulties”, Doxa assured that the dealership will monitor the auction strictly. Dealership has security officers to prevent disputes or other things that are not desired.

Before joining an auction, the potential buyer is given a chance to check the car, down to the completeness of the documents. They will then get an Auction Participation Number (NPL) by paying Rp5 million. “If they lose the bidding, the deposit will be refunded as it is. However, if they win the bidding, Rp5 million will be deducted from the winning price,” Doxa said (Kompas.com, July 15, 2016).

If you suddenly cannot make it to the auction on D-day, you need not worry. The advancement of information technology has made it so much easier for people to join an auction. With a device in hand, you can browse in a relaxed pace and buy your dream car without having to be in the auction house in person.

IBID-Balai Lelang Serasi has revamped its online bidding system with IBID Live Auction feature. With the feature, online bidders can now participate in an auction in real time without having to go to the auction location. However, the online bidders can make bids at the same time with the bidders in the location.

Doxa explained that the system they offer is a hybrid system. If bidders previously can only choose on the website, now they can join the bidders in the auction location. “So, they make bids at the same time," Doxa said (Kompas.com, May 9, 2019).

IBID Live Auction makes it so much easier for potential buyer in looking for the car they want. It’s because both the website and the application also display Market Auction Price (MAP) for reference. This feature helps bidders to know whether they have bid too high or not.

IBID-Balai Lelang Serasi is one of the auction houses in Indonesia that actively promote auction and the procedures to the people. So far, IBID has routinely held auctions of vehicles such as motorcycles and cars, as well as gadgets and heavy equipment. 

IBID routinely holds auctions every week with a total frequency reaching 50 times a month. IBID’s auction network has also spread to more than 30 big cities in Indonesia.

Established in 2017, IBID is a subsidiary of PT Serasi Autoraya (SERA) which is under Astra. Anyone can take part in an auction, either as a corporation or as an individual costumer.