Auction Process in Sitelink - Taking Past Due Schedule to Fruition.

prowlett

I am having a few issues. Sitelink Support has not been able to answer these questions - mostly because I don't think they understood what I was getting at. 

1. I am trying to figure out the auction process. I watched one training video, since I cant find any others and there is no search function in the Forum for just the training videos, regarding processing the Auction task, but that didn’t go far enough. I have units that are scheduled for an auction, the auction ended, now at what point do I take payment from the auction winner? Do I process the Auction and then take a payment after that? I should be able to take payment then process the task. The task has a form attached to it called Auction Proceeds. This shows the amount paid for the unit, other account information, and the amount remaining or the amount to refund the tenant if the unit is sold for more than what was owed (because we revamped the auction process, this is happening more often).
2. The issue I have is, because we didn’t know when we are to take a payment – before or after we process the auction task, we took payment for a unit that sold for more than what was due and now the unit is no longer in our auction task. Sitelink thinks the tenant is paid in full and then some, even though the auction is ended. The auction was scheduled and when it ends, I don't understand why it doesn't show up on the ledger or in the notes as DATE AUCTIONED.
3. There is also an Auction Proceeds notice that gets sent out. I am assuming this is a sitelink form because we did not load it. The problem with that form is when I process the Auction task, it does not ask me how much the unit was sold for, so it does not automatically load into the form. If I have a unit sell for more than what was due, it should also load how much we will be returning to them (the Refund Amount). There are no Keywords for this information for me to enter into the document.
4. Currently, we have to manually enter the information into the Auction Proceeds form, I am hoping the manager gets that correct, and then send that out. There is also nothing in the Ledger stating when the auction ended and what it sold for. Right now its just showing a payment and not from who the payment was made (Auction Winner). Is there a separate way the auction winner can make a payment on a unit (Buy it) and have that show on the Ledger accordingly so we aren’t seeing it as the tenant made a payment?
5. I need to know who bought the unit, their phone number, and the amount. Right now we are just entering that into the notes. Is there a prompt when we process the Auction Task that will have the manager enter this information so it doesn’t get missed or left out?
6. Right now, we have to manually adjust the form when we preview it. I don’t know if that gets saved when we exit the preview option and if it sends the correctly filled out form to the tenant or not. Because of this, we are emailing the form through the preview option when we make the adjustments. This just seems way too difficult and cumbersome.

Anyone have any thoughts on what I am trying to do here?

ESS

As far as it recording the winning bidder, we've always had to enter that manually into the notes - along with how much they paid for the unit. The way we do it, yes, it does seem as if the tenant paid it, but that's why we have to make the notes. If there is a more intricate way, as you describe, I am not aware of it.

MamaDuke7

Process the auction task as soon as the auction is complete.  That way, if you charge an auction fee, that is added to the account before you process the payment.  Then process the payment.  Then move the unit out.  That completes the process.

3.  I don't ever use the auction proceeds notice.  I have it turned off for our location.  

4.  That is correct.  That's the way Sitelink processes the payments.  There is no way to specify it was the auction proceeds.

5.  I use Storage Treasures and get this in a report from them at the end of the auction.  If you want it in SL, you are doing it correctly.

6.  If you are making changes, you must send through the preview option.  Otherwise, it will send the unedited version.

AnitaJohnson1269

I usually type "Auction Proceeds" in the memo line during the payment process.  I doesn't show on the receipt, but does show up on the ledger and payment reports. 

i43storage

What in the H. E. double toothpicks are "Auction Proceeds?"  

MamaDuke7

i43storage said:

What in the H. E. double toothpicks are "Auction Proceeds?"  

I'm hoping you get at least $1 for any auction unit.  That is proceeds.  That is not to be confused with profits, which we can only dream about!!!

prowlett

We have had a number of units go for more than was owed. We are using Storageauctions.com. Dan Dotson is awesome! We started focusing on our presentation and have had really good turn outs because of it. Naturally, per state lien laws, we don't get to keep any proceeds over the amount owed but at least we aren't out money as often, we don't have to pay to have the units cleaned out, and we can typically turn the unit around in 3 days or less.

ESS

prowlett said:

We have had a number of units go for more than was owed. we don't get to keep any proceeds over the amount owed but at least we aren't out money as often, 

That's awesome!!

Orkocean

prowlett said:

We have had a number of units go for more than was owed. We are using Storageauctions.com. Dan Dotson is awesome! We started focusing on our presentation and have had really good turn outs because of it. Naturally, per state lien laws, we don't get to keep any proceeds over the amount owed but at least we aren't out money as often, we don't have to pay to have the units cleaned out, and we can typically turn the unit around in 3 days or less.

Focusing on your presentation? I'm confused, so you're staging units? I'll do that with build up/manager units but if it's an actual customers unit that's something I wont touch, too many liabilities plus most bidders once they realize someone has gone into the unit lose trust in the facility for future auctions. I personally wont buy from any storage auction where I have even a hint of someone going in the unit and have left live auctions as soon as I pick up on it.

prowlett

We enter the unit just enough to get pictures. When I say Presentation, I'm talking about the quality/type/amount of pictures we take along with how well we describe the contents of the unit. We aren't touching anything. We also don't require a minimum bid. Its all about the presentation and description of the contents of the unit on the website - we don't do live auctions.

Orkocean

Ok that makes sense to me. I completely agree then. It amazes me the sites that will post 1-4 pictures, blurry, no items really listed worth a damn and then you go the ones with 1-4 pictures who put a story in the description about "ohh look at that box, it looks interested, what could be in it??" so on and so on... I stick to the picture method I mentioned in another post and list the main items that are visible, focus on the ones that obviously could make the person some money and ignore the bad.

prowlett

I agree. Dont need to waste anyone's time with extra wording. Our descriptions are pretty straight forward. If there is a serial number/make/model, we will include a picture of that and then enter it into the details so it can be searched. I try to use very broad terms for search purposes.