Storage Auctions
The Other Side of the Fence => Storage Facilities => Topic started by: rulesforrebels on January 29, 2011, 06:56:59 PM
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Several recent auctions I have been to have started charging admission to go to the auction and look at the units. Uhaul in particular but a few others as well.
Since the tv show has come on some auctions have over 100 people. At a dollar a pop to view each unit the storage facility is making some good money.
I personally don't like this. I would rather see them add a buyers premium onto the final price of units instead of charging just to look at a unit.
The one thing I do like about this is in my area we get a lot of people comming to auctions who have no intention of buying anything, just kinda looking or curious or whatever. In the past when numbers at the auctions were smaller you could really scope out a unit. Now with all the people if its an indoor unit a single file line walks by the unit and you literally get 5-7 seconds to scope it out instead of a few minutes to stand there adn really inspect it.
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I doubt that idea will work for long and I haven't seen it in central California.
The crowds...that's another story...3 months, 6 months ?
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I doubt that idea will work for long and I haven't seen it in central California.
The crowds...that's another story...3 months, 6 months ?
I really don't even go to uhaul auctions anymore because of this. More on principal than anything since its only a buck, though it is a buck per unit not a buck per facility.
This one particular auction there were about 125 people and 4 units to auction. Oa n this day uhaul made $500 just to let us look at a bunch of junk for 15 minutes.
I guess it is kinda smart on their part, not sure about all states but in Illinois storage facility only gets what they are owed not any additional money the unit sells for that goes back to the units owner after all fees are paid. I guess this is one way for the facility to make some extra money. I think $500 is a little much but I do agree they deserve something for the 100 of us that come trampling though their facility dragging snow in that they have to mop up later, using their bathrooms, etc.
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Wow, per unit. That adds up.
In California (as in many states I believe) any money brought in from the actual auction unit goes first to the facility with the excess going to the former lkr owner. Thus if the unit brings in $800 and the former owner only owned $400, he would make $400 on the sale. If it is not collected by the former owner it goes to the state I think.