Nice to be able to see the different perspectives on this topic in a civil discussion. I have my own criticisms that haven’t been discussed, chiefly the anonymity, but I do think there’s a lot of positive there compared to the negative especially when compared to the “brick and mortar” auction houses for lack of a better term. BaT created a segment and I think compared to the also-rans, they have done a better job dealing with the issues that crop up. As with anything, there’s always a learning process.
I think the point about BaT keeping things vague to protect their position is spot on and they use the same approach in their descriptions, sometimes working so hard to not make an assertion that the description actually becomes inaccurate.
I do my fair share of commenting and try to keep it limited to things I have direct experience with (I’m happy to comment about the stamp on a block, but refrained from going into any CSL minutiae, but I can get really specific on an E28 M5 if it comes to it). I think the comments are really the best thing BaT has going for it as it polices itself.
Sometimes one of the things that’s frustrating is when someone consigns a car to a dealer and during that auction, the owner of the car is commenting about what a tremendous car it is as though they’re an impartial third party. This is something that only I’d know because they use the same handle on BaT as they do on a forum or in one E28 auction, the owner had sold an E21 they got with the E28 on their own account and had a very popular BaT seller sell the E28 for him. That particular car went for significant money. Whether or not the seller knew, I can’t say but it’s one of those things. Of course it can go the other way where a member spends 6.5 days tearing the car apart and ends up the high bidder at the end.
One thing I have noticed is that when a particular seller has a car on offer, it can be a big help to that car, not unlike when a handler at a dog show shows a dog, a judge will likely assume it is a pretty high end specimen. There’s a feeling that a significant amount of vetting has already been done and this seller isn’t going to bring a turd to auction. Also, people that sell a lot of stuff on BaT know what photos are needed, videos, etc. You get clear undercarriage photos often. I think the presentation is one of the hardest things for an individual to do. Go back and look at listings from 2014 and look at today.
I think if BaT wanted to do anything, they could make it very clear (more than they already do by working into the description) that this car is a private seller selling their own car, a dealer selling a car they own or a dealer or an individual selling a car on consignment and that the titled owner would be the party being paid. I don’t know how much that would clear it up as they put in a description for a current listing that a car had the last mileage reading on a carfax from 2022 that was higher than the current mileage on the odometer and someone asked what that meant. Someone will always be confused.
I have sold 3 cars on BaT, two for other people. I have an E23 showing up today that I’ll be listing for a friend. I said I have to have the car in my possession to sell it. It’s not my job but it’s a small component of a service I offer my customers. I take the specifications from the customers and bring it to the engineers. Kidding, of course. I handle photographing and presenting the car, crafting the description with the auction specialist and running the auction. My reputation is on the line so I’m really picky (I prefer two-tone E28s with big stereos) and I’ll only put something up I know well and I do it infrequently as it’s a lot of work. I don’t think I should be labeled a dealer but I make it a point to explain it’s not my own car. That still gets confused by some when I promote the listing on various platforms.
I think confusion comes into play when a car is imported for sale on consignment and the import paperwork says the name of the importer (seller) as an owner, then is titled in the sellers name as an owner. I may be making a lot of assumptions but it simplifies the process and is also cheaper to do that way. I guess in the grand scheme of things, how much does it matter to the buyer whose name was on the US title they received that they can take to their licensing agency and get put into their name, and I’m sure if they live in AZ or title their cars here, they’re thrilled they don’t have to pay sales tax as they would if they bought it from a licensed and bonded dealer.
). With the purchase of ANY car...be it on BaT or any other source...we have to VERY careful with who we are actually dealing with.