How it Works
HOW is FlatFeeHorseAuction.com changing the auction business?
We are UNIQUE: All Sellers MUST allow for Buyers to perform (or waive) their own Post-Sale Exam (PSE) under a short, Four (4) Business-Day, Grace Period following the auction end.
No Commissions for Buyers or Sellers. Just ONE low $99.00 Flat Fee for your ad listing. THAT’s IT! Our goal is to be your best source for Auction Listings. Here are the steps to get started:
1) Click the “MY ACCOUNT” tab in the top Menu Bar or from the “REGISTER HERE” link on the Home Page. Both links will bring you to the Registration Page.
2) From there you can REGISTER to Buy or Sell. No need to register if you just want to look at the Auction Ads. There are NO Commissions charged to Sellers or Buyers. ONLY one low FLAT FEE of $99.00 to list an auction. IF your item doesn’t sell, you can list it again for FREE in 5 more 14-day auctions over the next 6 months. And, if you paid the full $99.00 and your item sells for under $1,000.00, we’ll give you a $40.00 credit for your next auction (not allowed to be combined with any discount offers; must be a full price $99.00 auction). See the details in the Terms and Conditions here.
3) There is NO COST to just look around, but to prove the validity of all Bidders or Sellers, they MUST Register with a valid Credit Card which will be charged $1.00 to VALIDATE that the Registrant is over 18 years old and the card is valid. This is also where Buyers and Sellers must AGREE to the Terms and Conditions (which should be read because there’s some really interesting stuff there!)
4) Once REGISTERED, you can either LIST your Horse by clicking on the “Listing Fees/List Your Horse” tab in the top menu bar OR you can BID on an item by clicking the HOME page tab from the top menu bar.
The HOME page shows ALL the Current Auctions for the Subject Page you are on. Each SUBJECT (Horses, Houses, Heavy Equipment, etc.) are on their own, separate websites that you access from the www.AuctionWorld.com page). DETAILS on LISTING and BIDDING are in the Terms and Conditions here.
5) LISTING: Once Registered, Click on the “Listing Fees/List Your _______” (the blank depends on the Subject Page you are on). If available for that Subject, choose the Auction Listing option. Fill out the Subject Item Description. Pay your $99.00 Flat Fee Listing with a Credit Card. Hit SUBMIT and your Auction is ready to go!
6) BIDDING: Once Registered, go to the Home Page. Scroll down and you will see all the Current Auctions and their End Dates/Times. Click on the View Details tab for each Auction Item to see descriptions and to place a Bid. Your Bids are increased in increments of $50, $100, or $200 depending on which the Seller chose. This is usually based on the value of the item. Higher items will have $200 bidding increments. Place the amount you would like to bid into the Price Box. If someone outbids you, you would need to place a higher bid.
PROXY Bidding is AUTOMATIC. If you don’t want to watch the bidding and manually input your bids, you can set your High Limit of what you are willing to bid (it’s private; only you know your High Limit) by placing that amount in the same Price Box you would put any bid. If other Bidders surpass the INITIAL bid, your new bid will automatically be placed $50, $100, or $200 (depending on the bid increments chosen by Seller for their item) over the last High Bidder’s bid.
Any bids placed in the final 10 minutes of an auction will automatically EXTEND the bid clock by 2 minutes to allow all Bidders a fair chance to get their bids in.
IMPORTANT!!!! Do NOT bid on and item you can not pay for and do not bid on MORE Items than you can purchase if you were to win several auctions. Bidders are financially responsible for any winning High Bids. If you don’t want to wait for an auction to end, try using our free HABO option to send the Seller your Highest And Best Offer today. If the Seller accepts, the auction ends and the item is yours right then.
Also IMPORTANT!!! Get a Pre-Purchase INSPECTION done if you have any questions or concerns. Auction World strongly suggests that Sellers get a PPI done by an unbiased, third party Inspector before their auction to help Bidders be more comfortable. For Horse Auctions, there is a 4-Day Examination period AFTER the Auction (details here). Some items, like Homes and Aircraft, there are mandated inspections. Ultimately, it is the Bidder/Buyer’s responsibility to confirm the Seller’s representations of the item they are selling.
Note: AuctionWorld provides a link to our sister company, Pre-PurchaseInvestigators.com if you need help finding an unbiased, third-party expert to check out the item you are selling of buying. The Bios and Qualifications of all Inspectors are listed under the items they are qualified to inspect and their geographical proximity to the item in question. You can contact them and get their price and schedule.
7) AUCTION ENDS: If you are the High Bidder when an auction ends, then CONGRATULATIONS!! You now have 24-48 hours to make payment per the Terms and Conditions (click here for payment details). The funds will be held by a Third-Party Escrow/Title Transfer Company (see 8a & 8b below)
8) GET YOUR NEW ITEM: Once the transaction is complete with paperwork, title, and payment, You can take possession of your new…Horse, House, Car/Truck, RV, Boat, Motorcycle, Tractor, or Airplane! Auction World does not handle the Title or Deed transfers, but we have some reputable companies we can suggest. For the physical transportation, there are many companies on the Internet that can be found if we don’t have one to recommend.
8a) For TITLED Vehicles, Vessels, and Aircraft sales, All payments and Ownership Transfer will go through Keysavvy.com OR Escrow.com unless the two parties mutually agree to handle the sale alone. Keysavvy and Escrow are trusted companies that VERIFY the Buyer’s identity and the Seller’s ownership and handle the transfer of funds.
For Machinery and Horse sales, FlatFeeAuctionWorld.com must receive the payment from the Winning High Bidder within 24 hours (48 hours if by tracked mail) and will hold the funds until both Seller and Buyer are satisfied. Any paperwork/documents will be transferred between the Seller and Buyer to their satisfaction. Funds will then be sent to Seller.
8b) For HOME and LAND purchase, All payments and Ownership Transfer will go through SPRUCE.co (not .com) unless the two parties mutually agree to handle the sale alone. SPRUCE.co (not .com) is a nationwide, trusted third-party who electronically handles Title, Escrow, and Closing services.
All Auction Items listed in the Auction World Auction Pages are Strongly Advised to have a Pre Purchase Inspection (except Horses. Horses have the PSE option or the PPE performed by a Verterinarian) completed within one week before the auction begins and LISTED IN THE AUCTION AD. ALL Winning High Bidders have the opportunity to Inspect the Auction Item they won within Four (4) Business Days of the Auction End. ANY Bidder can visit the Seller’s Item (at the Seller’s convenience) before the auction end time to Inspect the Item and continue bidding or, perhaps, submit a HABO (Highest And Best Offer) to the Seller and buy the item immediately.
All Winning High Bidders have the Right of Refusal of Purchase within the Four (4) Business-Day Grace Period following the Auction End Time ONLY IF it is discovered that the Seller MISREPRESENTED the Condition and/or Performance of their Item. See the detailed Terms and Conditions on this Option here.
SELLERS are Strongly Suggested to have a Third-Party Expert perform an Inspection just prior to Auction or stipulate in their Auction Ad they will have/allow one done as the Auction Ends with a winning High Bidder. This report will make Bidders more comfortable with your item and increase bidding activity. FOR HORSES, this can be in the form of the typical Pre Purchase Exam (PPE) performed by a licensed veterinarian OR a PPI can be performed by any Horse Expert chosen by the Winning High Bidder to check the horse out for specific skills, etc.
- This system is fair to both parties.
- The criteria for soundness* is spelled out clearly. link
- Buyers can Refuse the Sale when dealing with Misrepresentation from a Seller. link (No more, “As-is, Tough luck, Hit the Road” attitudes. Honesty is the best policy.)
- The FFHA system eliminates most disagreements, disapointment, and anxiety.
- Sellers save a lot of money with a low flat fee and NO COMMISSIONS.
- Buyers have more to spend because they have NO COMMISIONS either!
- The FFHA system provides the highest possible peace of mind for the Buyer.
- Flat Fee Horse Auction (FFHA) tries hard to ELIMINATE the horse mill and scammer sellers.
How do I trust the payment and transfer of Title/Ownership
ALL Financial Transactions for Titled Vehicles or Land MUST go through a Trusted Third-Party company just as you would do buying at a dealership or buying a home (unless the Buyer and Seller elect to handle the deal by themselves).
The Third-Party companies we recommend VERIFY the Buyer’s identity and the Seller’s ownership. They then quickly and efficiently handle the entire transaction from collection and dispersement of funds, documents, and all closing requirements.
We recommend Keysavvy.com and Escrow.com for all items other than Homes and Land.
For Homes and Land, we recommend Spruce.co (not .com).
For the sale of non-titled items like some Heavy Machinery and Horses, FlatFeeAuctionWorld.com will take the payment from the Winning High Bidder within 24 hours of the Auction End Time and disperse the funds to the Seller when the two parties are satisfied per the Terms and Conditions regarding Inspections.
There are fees for payments by credit card(3%) wire transfer($35), or bank checks/money orders ($35), but Zelle is free.
What is the process to Buy a Horse?
If you are Bidding to Buy a horse, go to the REGISTER TO BID tab at the top of the page. Bidders will be charged a $1.00 Credit Card fee to VALIDATE they are of Legal Age and a real person. Search the horses by using the Filters for location, breed, gender, etc. and place a bid on a horse you like.
Bids will automatically increase by $50, $100, or $200 on different auction items based on the increment chosen by those particular Sellers. The BID AMOUNT will be shown at the Bid Price window in the Auction Ad Page.
If you are the Winning High Bidder when the auction ends, you have committed to buying the horse pending the POST-SALE EXAM (PSE) in the Four (4) Days following the Auction End Time. You have 24-48 hours (See Section “E” of Terms and Conditions re: Payment Type) to send your payment in full to Flat Fee Horse Auction. We hold the money until the PSE is satisfied and then either forward payment to the Seller or refund it to the Bidder if there were grounds for Refusal of Sale due to Seller’s Misrepresentation.
READ the TERMS and CONDITIONS regarding the Sale process AFTER the AUCTION ENDS. See Sections “I”, “J”, “K”, “L”, “M” and “N” in the Terms and Conditions for further details on the PSE and Grounds for Refusal of Purchase.
What is the process to Sell My Horse?
Go to the LIST YOUR HORSE tab at the top of the page. Register yourself and put in as much descriptive information about your horse as you can. Set the starting price (if you choose to). Set the RESERVE Price (if you want to). Pay the Flat Fee. Start your auction and wait for the Bidders to start offering! ANSWER honestly and thoroughly all questions asked by the Bidders. Any MISREPRESENTATION by the Seller can be grounds for the REFUSAL OF THE SALE after the Auction End Time! See Sections “I”, “J”, “K”, “L”, “M” and “N” in the Terms and Conditions for further details on the PSE and Grounds for Refusal of Purchase.
Why is my credit card being charged $1.00?
We charge the credit card of all Registered Bidders a nominal $1.00 fee as a VALIDATION measure to protect all participants here from any fraudulent robot bidders or an underage person who can not legally enter into a contract to purchase.
Do I have to register to bid on a horse?
Yes. You must register with a credit card, but there are NO Buyer’s Commissions or charges other than the $1.00 fee to VALIDATE that you are a real person of legal age to bid.
What is the Free HABO option (Highest And Best Offer)?
A Bidder/Buyer may submit their Highest And Best Offer to the Seller at any time while the Auction is LIVE. The Seller has no obligation to accept or reply to the HABO. IF the Seller DOES accept a HABO, FFHA MUST BE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY in order to stop the bidding process and change the horse’s status as SOLD. There is NO CHARGE for utilizing the HABO option, BUT the HABO message MUST be performed THROUGH THE FFHA MESSAGING SYSTEM as found in the Bidding area of the horse’s auction ad in case of a review or dispute.
How many videos should I post?
The more videos and photos you post will generally help a horse sell FASTER and attract MORE Bidders. HOWEVER, long videos of your horse doing the same activity repetitively will not help Sellers gain interest in your horse. ONE video of 6-12 minutes is enough to show all the skills and views of most any horse if edited well. Several short videos of 1-3 minutes labeled with specific skills (gaits, obstacles, tricks, etc) are of great help to Bidder/Buyers who are looking at MANY, MANY horses. HELP Bidder/Buyers by making your ad stand out and be user friendly!! Show your horse CLOSE ENOUGH to distinguish that it is actually your horse.
PUT A DATE ON EACH skill set video or photo of the horse. If you are showing a horse performing 5 years ago, you had BETTER label it so and the horse better be able to perform similarly (unless you had already explained why not beforehand) during the POST-SALE EXAM (PSE) or a claim of Misrepresentation could be grounds for Refusal of Sale.
If a Seller is HONEST and OPEN about the horse, then there are no grounds for Misrepresentation. The only grounds for a Refusal of Sale during the PSE would be the typical Objective criteria of Soundness for a horse as found in any Private Sale Pre-Purchase Exam (PPE).
Do I really get to examine the horse AFTER I was the High Bidder and BEFORE the sale is complete?
Yes. The POST-SALE EXAM (PSE) is the way Sellers on FlatFeeHorseAuction.com are letting you know they are confident in their representation of the horse you are buying from them. This is NOT a too bad, you bought it As-Is auction format. Nobody here is trying to hide anything. The criteria for your PSE and grounds for your Refusal of Purchase are spelled out in the Terms and Conditions and you must read them to understand your rights here. See Sections “I”, “J”, “K”, “L”, “M” and “N” in the Terms and Conditions for further details on the PSE and Grounds for Refusal of Purchase.
What if my horse doesn't sell by Auction End Time?
If your horse does not sell during the initial 14-day auction period, you are welcome to re-list that same horse in 5 future 14-day auctions over the next 6 months at NO CHARGE. Sometimes the buyers just aren’t there at that time for your Item, so we think you should get to TRY AGAIN!
Can I write my own Ad description?
OF COURSE! We expect ALL Sellers to write their own ad in their own words. BUYERS want to hear from YOU! They don’t want to read an ad written by someone who doesn’t know your horse. This is your chance to be Honest and Represent your horse well. Tell all the good points, features, abilities and also tell the things that might be lacking. BE HONEST .
What is Proxy Bidding?
Bidder/Buyer’s have the option to set their HIGH LIMIT PRICE and let the bidding software AUTOMATICALLY increase their BID anytime another Bidder makes an OFFER (a Bid) that surpasses theirs. The Proxy Bid will only increase by the pre-determined increment for that auction (either $50, $100, or $200) more than the other Bidder until the Proxy Bidder’s set High Limit Price is reached OR the other Bidder stops Bidding.
The Bidder SETS their HIGH LIMIT PRICE by typing in the highest price they are willing to pay into the Bidding Dollar Amount Box on a particular item’s auction ad page. You will NOT automatically bid that high price you input. When someone out bids you, your bid will automatically increase ONLY by the incremental bid amount listed in that item’s bid window.
The set High Limit Price is private and NO BIDDERS can see it. If the bidding stops before the Proxy Bidder reaches the set High Limit Price, then GREAT! Nobody will know that the Proxy Bidder was willing to pay more!
What if I make a Bid in ERROR?
Bids CAN NOT BE RETRACTED once accepted. IF YOU MAKE A BID IN ERROR, you must IMMEDIATELY, WITHOUT DELAY send a private message to the Seller briefly explaining the mistake and CALL Flat Fee Auction World at 979-530-3725 AND email CONTACT@AuctionWorld.com
If caught fast enough, we should be able to REVERSE the Bid. If someone Bids higher, then you are no longer responsible to purchase.
By REGISTERING, you agree to be financially responsible for all Legally Accepted Offers. Any Bid is considered to be a legally enforceable OFFER if accepted by the Seller.
Are there really NO Commissions for Selling my horse?
There are NO Commissions for Sellers OR for Buyers. You only pay the one-time Flat Fee of $99.00 when your auction begins. There are NO OTHER FEES from a sale or Non-sale.
Pretty much! It’s NOT a CASH refund, but if you paid the FULL PRICE of $99.00 for your listing and your item sells for less than $1,000.00 you will get a $40.00 Credit towards your next $99.00 full price auction (NOTE: this credit only applies to $99.00 full price paid auctions; no coupons/Promos/discounts can be combined on either end of this Credit Offer…because you will have already saved money!!)
What if the Buyer Defaults?
Buyers will be charged a $1,000.00usd PENALTY if they default on a Winning High Bid without grounds for Refusal of Sale due to Seller’s Misrepresentation. PLEASE READ the Terms and Conditions thoroughly BEFORE bidding on a horse. A Winning High Bid is a Contract to Purchase and a fraudulent Bidder may be subject to civil lawsuit for Lost Opportunity Damages if the Seller can’t resell the horse above that Defaulted High Bid price in a timely manner.
What if the Buyer doesn't get the PSE done in time?
Buyers and Sellers are encouraged to communicate and be flexible with the Post-Sale Exam period in the Four (4) Days following the Auction End Time. There may be times that one of the parties has an emergency come up, bad weather, a great distance to travel, or a lack of medical professionals near the Seller that are available. The Buyer MUST diligently attempt to accomplish the PSE and horse pickup within a timely manner. It is best to make calls BEFORE the auction ends to check availability of Equine Professionals nearby the horse and to communicate with the seller via the FlatFeeAuctionWorld.com messaging system found in the Auction Item Details and Bidding area.
What if the Buyer doesn't want the Post-Sale Exam (PSE)?
Buyers are not required to have the PSE done. It is just a unique option FFHA provides. All Buyers have the OPTION to WAIVE the PSE Requirement and transfer ownership of the horse immediately AS-IS and accepting the risk.
This would likely happen when buying from a Seller who has answered ALL the Bidder/Buyer’s questions satisfactorily and thoroughly and perhaps the Seller is known to sell many reputable horses.