How to sign up and bid in our Calgary online auctions
New to bidding with us? Registering is free, takes a few minutes, and you only do it once. After that, every weekly sale is open to you, from featured lots, furniture, electronics and liquidation stock and vehicles to whatever else is in the sale. Here's how it works, step by step.
Short video on registering and placing a bid
Works on your phone, tablet or computer.
The same thing in five steps
Step 1: Open this week's auctions
Click Bid now at the top of any page. It opens our bidding site, where every current auction is listed with its date, type (online only or live webcast) and whether bidding is open.
Step 2: Pick an auction
Click View Catalog to browse the lots. If you already have an account, log in and you're ready to bid. First time? Click Register to Bid and follow step 3.
Step 3: Create your account (first time only)
Register to Bid takes you to a login page. Choose Sign Up, enter your email (or sign in with Google, Apple or Facebook) and click Continue. You'll be asked for a username, a one-time code sent to your email, a credit or debit card (a temporary hold of about $1 may appear and then drop off), your pickup preference and a tick to accept the terms, then Complete Registration. New bidders are reviewed by our staff, which can take a few minutes to a few hours, and you'll get an email when you're approved. After that you log in and bid in any auction. Register before the auction closes so you're not waiting at the last minute.
Step 4: Place a bid
Open a lot. The bid button shows the next bid amount, for example Bid 12.50 CAD. Click it, and on the confirmation screen you can enter a maximum bid, and we'll bid for you up to that amount, one step at a time, only when someone else bids against you. Click Confirm Bid. A buyer's premium and GST are added to every winning bid. The rate is shown on the auction page.
Step 5: See if you won
Your Bids page shows every lot you've bid on and whether you're winning or outbid. Turn on outbid email alerts in your account settings so you don't have to keep checking. After the auction closes we email an invoice listing what you won, with payment and pickup details.
Ready to bid? Open this week's auction. For background, see our guide to online auctions or auction sites in Canada.
If anything doesn't work, call (403) 777-9393 or email info@grahamauctions.com. A real person answers during office hours.
60 thoughts on “How to Bid in an Online Auction”
How do you register to online bidding? Where do I find what you have for merchandise for online bidding? Thx!
Hey Diane! Thanks for reaching out — To bid in one of our Online Auctions all you need to do is click the ”Bid Now!” button in the main menu above. What you see here and our bidding portal are separate auction sites. Be sure to check back as we update it daily with hundreds of new items as the auction is set up throughout the week. The catalogue will have its last major upload occurs on Friday evening.
If you’re new to the Online Auction and want to get a better idea of what we sell, you might want to check out this resource hub ➡️ What we sell in our various Calgary Auctions
Please let us know if you have any more questions!
How long do I wait for the confirmation email of a successful bid? My credit card has been charged but I have not been notified. (I checked all spam folders)
Hey Brenna, sorry for the delay! For new bidders registration — approval is generally confirmed within 24 hours as long as we can verify the information. Returning Online Auction bidders are generally approved within 3 hours.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any further questions! You can also check out our customer support page.
Have a great day!
Why does my bid say pending approval by the auctioneer?
Hey Graham, thanks for reaching out! We review new Online Bidders manually to confirm that the information they submitted is correct. New customers are usually confirmed within a few hours!
If you need any help at all please make sure you get in touch with us or check out one of our customer support resources.
Have a fantastic day!
Hello,
I am a new bidder and trying to join the forum but I do not know how to go about it despite the fact that I read your manual. Please I would like you to but me through.
Thank you
Hi there Omoniyi, sorry to hear you were having trouble signing up to bid! You can always access our current Online Auctions through the “Bid Now!” button at the top of the page.
We’d be happy to help you however we can, feel free to contact us at any time or check out our FAQ resource
want a toyota highlander
Hey Viola! We have plenty of vehicles in our weekly Calgary Car Auction! Feel free to browse the catalogue for this week’s sale or reach out to us!
Have an awesome day!
Hello!
I was wondering if the bidding starts at 9am on Saturday’s and how long does it usually run for?! First time online bidder but previous in person bidder :)
Thanks!
Hey April, we’re glad you reached out!
Online bidding for the Wholesale Liquidation Auction actually spans throughout the entire week starting on Monday, and closes at 10:30 AM on Saturday. You can sign up and view the catalogue by clicking the “Bid Now!” button.
The Car Auction is hosted via Live Webcast starting at approximately 12:30 PM every Saturday.
If you need any more help or have any further questions feel free to get in touch or visit our support resources.
Have a wonderful day!
Once I receive the email from you, how long do I have to pick the items up?
Hey Sandy, we hold onto the items you won for two weeks after the sale. During that time we’ll send you a few reminders, but you’re also welcome to make arrangements with us to ship or pick them up at a later date.
If you have any other questions please feel free to reach out to us or check out our auction customer care hub!
I am in need of a new oven, When can I view items.
I have never bid on line before and I want to bid tomorrow on some items , what do I need to do to be successful at entering the bidding process tomorrow.
Hey Bernie, we get plenty of kitchen appliances that come through our weekly online auction in Calgary! I’d recommend checking the catalogue throughout the week by clicking the “Bid Now!” button in the top menu – Or we welcome you to come see in person as well.
Hope to see you soon!
Hello Bernard, you can register to bid in our weekly sale through our online auction catalogue and entering any of our current auctions.
We also have a few helpful strategies and online auction tips on the blog – Here’s one that you might find useful: Strategies for Success in an Online Auction
Have a great weekend!
Do you offer a record of what the winning bids were from previous auctions.It would be nice for us neophytes to get a feeling of the market value of some items we are interested in.
Hey Jack! Looking into the average market value before bidding is something we definitely recommend.
We’d love to see how we can help you here – Please feel free to reach out to us at info@grahamauctions.com.
You could also check out our guide covering online auction strategy here.
Thanks for reaching out!
I was hoping to watch a few first
Can i cancel a bid i made by mistake ?
Hey Greg! You can create a watch list through any of our online auction catalogues by clicking the star beside the item you’re interested in.
Hey Ken, glad you reached out! We can help you with this if you contact us at info@grahamauctions.com!
Hi This is Anne Marie Yule from Gleichen. I am new to online auctions. I think I understand the bidding but I can’t seem to find how long I have to pick up my items. Also is there a time I can look at the merchandise. I have read the procedure to pick up anything I have purchased . I haven’t read anything about the cars . At this point I am not going to purchase a car
Thank you for your information
Anne Marie
Hey there Anne, we’d love to help you however we can! The best solution would probably be to give us a call at +1-403-777-9393 during the hours of 9 AM – 5 PM MST or shoot us an email at info@grahamauctions.com
Hello,
How long do I have to pick up a won vehicle and is there an in person viewing for vehicles? Also is there a buyer’s fee and or GST on won vehicles? Thanks
Hi Queenie,
We are flexible on picking up vehicles once they are purchased, generally, it is 7 days, beyond that we can store the units for a monthly fee.
We are flexible on picking up vehicles once they’re purchased, 7 days is our general policy. Beyond that we can store the units for a monthly fee to help you keep your vehicle safe and secure while it sits idle!
Buyers fees are as follows for our weekly vehicle sale;
Vehicle Buyer’s Fee Schedule per vehicle:
Purchase Price between $0 – 999 is a $150 fee
Purchase Price between $1000 – 1999 is a $200 fee
Purchase Price between $2000 – 2999 is a $250 fee
Purchase Price between $3000 – 3999 is a $300 fee
Purchase Price between $4000 – 4999 is a $400 fee
Purchase Price between $5000 and over is a $500 fee
Feel free to contact us at any time at info@grahamauctions.com if you have any further questions!
Does your auction allow “maximum” bids? What I mean is I can put a maximum on how much I’m willing to pay even if my current bid is lower so that I don’t have to worry about hovering over my keyboard for the last 30 seconds of the auction in case someone makes a higher bid (like eBay allows).
Hi Lauren,
You absolutely can leave your maximum bid, which would be separate from the current bid as you say. However, the way our online auction software is set up to run, if someone bids during the final minutes of the sale – the bid notification doesn’t always come out in time for the end of the auction. Just something to be mindful of!
Hope to see you soon!
What are your hours and days to pick up items you have won on an auction?
Hi Carla,
The items you win in the auction can be picked up on:
Saturday until 7:30 pm
Monday from 9 am-7:30 pm
Tuesday – Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Please note: All items must be picked up within 7 days of the closing auction date.
Please let us know if you need any additional details.
What does it mean when an auction is “x2″? Does that mean you pay 2 x the winning price or you will get two items for the winning price?
Hi Kelly,
When a lot has the x2 or x10 icon, multiple items are in that lot number, and you would pay your winning bid times the money.
For example, if a x4 multiple bid is $10.00. You would pay $40.00 plus buyer’s fee and GST.
Enjoy your day!
I have noticed that it tells us there could be or is a 12 % buyers premium. Is this always charged?
Hi Tracy,
Thanks for reaching out. We have had the current buyers’ premium in place with the same rates since 2017.
Please let us know if you have any other questions, otherwise have a fantastic day!
If I bid higher (in email says maximum bid) would I still have to continuously bid? On the vehicle I Bid on it shows my bid as what I have for the maximum I’m willing to pay! However say I won but the last bid was 2-300 less than my maximum bid would I ONLY pay the next amount up for the bidding or would I be paying my maximum bid regardless of what the last bid was?
Hi Richard,
You are correct in your assumption that if you place a maximum bid and the lot’s final selling price is under the maximum bid amount, you would win the item for the actual bid price, not your maximum. For example, if you place a $3,000 maximum bid and the top bid is only $2,500, you would win that item for the $2,500. If you are outbid, you will receive an outbid notification until the auction starts. Currently, we recommend that you watch the item to ensure you remain the top bidder.
Please reach out any time if you have any further questions!
Hi, is there any assistance provided for loading heavier items onto pickup truck such as with a forklift?
Thanks Bruce
Hi Bruce,
Pick-up assistance is available on large/heavy items. One thing to note, however, is that when using our machinery to load large lots, we ask that the buyer accept liability in case of any potential damage that occurs as part of this process.
Please let us know if you have any questions!
What are the payment methods and If the highest bidder on a vehicle is for example $500 is it sold at that price or is there a reserved bid on all vehicles?
Hi Jodi,
We accept bank drafts, cash, wire transfers or Interac e-transfers on vehicles. We also accept credit cards for deposits up to $500.
Please let us know if you need any additional information!
If I see a vehicle that I would be interested in bidding on, is it possible to view the vehicle before the auction?
Hello Darlene! Yes, we encourage bidders to visit our vehicle lot in Calgary before bidding to inspect the cars available for auction. This allows people to participate in our live webcast auction and bid with confidence. Thank you for reaching out!
Hi, why does it say pending review after I bid? It appeared I had the high bid on several items last week and then eventually it went from pending review to not accepted. I don’t understand how that happens if the bid ended below my max bid?
All bids are subject to the auctioneer’s approval. In some cases, when bidders register during the auction or the auctioneer has reasons to contact the bidder, bids may remain in pending status until the auctioneer verifies the account. We can confirm that your account has been verified, and you now have permanent bidding permission at all of our auctions. Thank you for reaching out, have a wonderful day!
Hi. What does “outbid” mean? THX, Dan
Hi Dan! “Outbid” is a term used in auctions to describe when a person places a higher bid than the current highest bid on an item. When someone is outbid, they no longer have the winning bid, so they must decide whether to increase their bid to regain the leading position or to stop bidding on that item.
How long does it take to get an auctioneer’s approval for bidding?
Hi Abbi,
For new bidders registration, approval is generally confirmed within 24 hours as long as we can verify your information. Returning bidders are generally approved within 3 hours.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any other questions!
Hello, if i will win something, what is the process? where should I pick? It will be in Calgary? If I live in Calgary?
Hi Natalia,
If you win an item in the online auction you can pick up after the sale ends on Saturday or in the following week! Please feel free to reach out at (403) 777-9393 or info@grahamauctions.com if you have any additional questions.
We appreciate your support, and hope you have a wonderful weekend!
What does “lot passed” mean?
Hi Emily,
Lot passed means the bidding did not meet the owners reserve and the lot may still be available for purchase.
Please let us know if you have any questions, or if we can help with anything else!
Hi, is there a way to see the new items added each day so I don’t have to look through the entire catalog every time?
Hi Todd,
Unfortunately, our online auction system does not have a way to sort for recently added lots specifically. However, this is something we will definitely look into! We add approximately 500-600 new lots daily, so we agree that this is something that would be useful.
Thanks for your support!
Do you have any bedroom furniture in your next auction?
Hi Gary! Yes, we typically have bedroom furniture in our auction every week. Our inventory changes frequently as items are constantly being added. We recommend checking our auction catalogue for the most current listings. If you don’t find what you’re looking for at the moment, please check back later this week as our catalogue is updated daily.
Is there anyway to tell if a vehicle is in running condition. Does description section cover that thanks new bidder
Welcome Richard!
The lot description provides all the details you need. We recommend contacting our head office if you need additional information, and if possible, inspecting the vehicle in person.
Hope that helps!