COMMON QUESTIONS FROM BUYERS
Yes, if you registered with a valid credit card, you can bid no matter what country you are in.
For vehicles that have not reached the reserve, the vehicle will be put back online for a new auction if the seller agrees.
We do not cancel auctions on the site. Please be very careful when placing your bid.
If you are not the highest bidder on the offer, we do not provide the seller’s contact information after the sale has closed.
You can contact a seller only after winning an auction. In the meantime, you can always ask your questions in the comments section of the auction. Piston Addict will ask to the seller if we don’t have the answer you need.
We announce when a vehicle is offered without reservation, by putting this information in the title of the ad. Other than that, you can’t see a vehicle’s reserve information.
You can register to bid by entering your information on this page. You will receive an email asking you to confirm your email address, if you don’t see it, be sure to check your spam or junk folder.
You can update your credit card information when you bid on a live auction.
You simply type in the amount you wish to bid. If it is higher than the other bids, then you become the highest bidder. The bid you place in the bid box will then become the new highest bid and bind you to the amount you will have to pay if you win the auction. You will have to pay the commission to Piston Addict (by Credit Card) and the price of the car to the seller (by Wire Transfer).
If you win an auction, we charge 3.5% of the sale price capped at 5 000 € maximum if no reserve price setup and +10% of the amount between reserve price and final price if the final price beats the reserve price (which price does not include any costs related to the delivery of the goods).
We encourage all potential bidders to read the ad and review all comments for more details on the vehicle. We recommend that potential bidders do this before placing a bid.
We accept all major credit cards, debit cards are not permitted.
A Piston Addict commission of 3.5% capped at 5 000 € if no reserve price (and 3.5% + 10% between reserve price and final price if a reserve price is setup) buyer’s fee is paid via buyer’s card online at auction close. The transaction for the winning bid amount is between the buyer and the seller. At auction close, the winning bidder and the seller will receive each other’s contact information via email. We recommend that the seller send the buyer a photocopy of the title and a bill of sale before the buyer sends payment, and recommend using wire transfers.
If the reserve is not reached, the car is put back online for a new auction if the seller agrees.
All offers are for auction only. There is no buy-it-now price and sellers cannot sell vehicles outside of a live auction. If you want to buy a vehicle, make sure you are the highest bidder!
At the time of bidding, we place a hold on your card of 3.5% of your original bid amount with a minimum hold of 500 € and a maximum of 5000 €. This is to guarantee that you have the fund to participate to the auction. The holdback will be released immediately at the end of the auction. It can sometimes take a few days for your bank to release the funds.
COMMON QUESTIONS FROM SELLERS
We believe in fairness and have gone to great lengths to develop a transparent system for all of our users. We do not allow sellers to bid on their own listing, and any such behavior is strictly prohibited. We have tools in place that monitor the bids and user accounts from which bids are placed to ensure this does not happen.
No auction can be cancelled. By putting your vehicle up for sale on our site, you agree to sell it.
Once you’ve completed your submission, our auction manager will review it and get back to you, usually within 48 hours. You will then be able to refine your reserve price until the last minute in order to put the odds on your side to finalize your sale. You will also be able to add more information such as mileage, a reportable accident and more photos, anything but fundamental changes. Each new item will be subject to validation by Piston Addict.
You are welcome to reduce the reserve of your vehicle at any time during your live auction by using the button provided for this purpose on the auction page.
Just because you haven’t found a buyer doesn’t mean no one is interested in your vehicle. At Piston Addict, we encourage you to re-list your auction if it was not successful the first time.
Yes, wherever you are in the world.
We offer you a free connection with professional photographers, located in your geographical area. It will capture a full gallery of your vehicle’s exterior, interior, and engine bay, along with any documentation you deem useful.
You can submit your vehicle by going here. Once you submit, one of our auction managers will review your submission and get back to you, usually within 2 business days. If we accept your vehicle for auction, you pay the listing fee and an auction specialist will be assigned to you and will assemble your listing based on the information you provided.
Good photos are very important for the success of an auction. We have put together a photo guide to help you take pictures of your vehicle.
A reserve is the minimum price at which a vehicle will sell. We work with sellers to establish reasonable reserves and avoid vehicles with reserves that are unrealistic. Reserve values are not displayed, nor do we announce when reserves have been reached.
We choose vehicles to list based on a number of factors, including condition, quality of information, quality of photos, asking reserve price, and similar vehicles currently for sale.
The buyer is responsible for the organization and cost of transport.
Classic auctions start and end every Sunday, so your ad will be online for 7 days. High-end auctions are published for 10 days. Finally, Premium ads are live on the site between 7 and 21 days.
It usually takes between 5 to 7 days to go from submission to going live on the site. The more information and photos you provide us with when submitting, the faster the process will be.
If you choose our Classic quote, the fee is only €99. If you opt for the Premium type of submission (highlighting your auction on our social networks, our partner sites and car magazines), the costs are €349. Either way, that’s the only fee a seller pays.
If you’re having trouble uploading photos to your submission, try starting with 5-10 photos that show the overall condition of the vehicle. Additionally, we recommend that photos be 2000-3000 pixels on the long side, which typically translates to a file size of 1-2MB. Photos that are too small or too large may not be able to be uploaded. If accepted, additional photos may be added before the auction goes live.
If you are still having problems, please email us at contact@pistonaddict.com
The transaction for a vehicle won on Piston Addict is between the buyer and the seller. At auction close, the winning bidder and the seller will receive each other’s contact details by email. We recommend that the seller send the buyer a photocopy of the title and a bill of sale before the buyer sends payment, and recommend a wire transfer.
If your vehicle is accepted for the auction, a specialist will be assigned to you and will be responsible for putting together your ad based on the information provided and the questionnaire completed. They will also monitor your auction and answer any questions you have.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
You can change your password at any time by going to your My Account page and updating the information there.
If you have lost or forgotten your password, you can reset it by going here , an e-mail will be sent to your registration address.
We rarely change usernames except in special circumstances. If you need to change your username, please email us at contact@pistonaddict.com and provide us with your requested username and the reason you want it changed.
Our comment rules can be found here
You can email us at contact@pistonaddict.com with general questions that you can’t find answers here.
You can register and create an account by going here. You can also view step-by-step instructions on our Piston Addict Registration page.
To not miss any news, subscribe to our newsletter by going to the bottom of the page, in the insert provided for this purpose.
Sometimes our emails are flagged as spam, please be sure to look at your spam/junk folder if you are expecting an email from us, and remember to check your registered email is correct here.
Go to our Our photographers page and fill out our form. We will contact you shortly.
All of your account activity can be viewed in your member page.
Visit our Results page.
SHIPPING QUESTIONS
You will be responsible for the organization and cost of transport.
This is quite variable and depends on many factors. Several criteria influence the total shipping time such as the total distance the vehicle will travel, the specific pick-up and drop-off locations, the communication between the buyer and the seller, the dimensions of the vehicle (the securing of the transport may take longer) or if the vehicle is deemed unusable for any reason (engine not running, no brakes, no steering, etc.).
We invite you to visit our advice on shipping your vehicle here, in order to manage this yourself or work with a trusted third party.
You will need to contact the carrier chosen by you.
If your vehicle has suffered damage during transport, we invite you to contact your carrier to report the problem and open a complaint. You will receive the carrier’s insurance information to open a claim directly with them.
All damage claims are subjective based on shipping details and depend on the shipping company’s insurance policy. You can ask the carrier for information on his insurance policy.
