Pickles Online Frequently Asked Questions

What is Pickles Online?
Where are Pickles Online Items Located?
What is Buy Now?
What is the difference between Pickles Live and Pickles Online?
What are the different online services offered by Pickles?
Do I need to place a deposit to use Pickles Online?
What fees and charges apply to Pickles Online auctions?
How do I bid in a Pickles Online auction?
Can I adjust my bid if I make a mistake?
How do I adjust my bid?
Why am I being asked to place my Maximum bid?
What is the difference between the Maximum bid and the Current bid?
What is a bid increment?
How is a bid increment calculated?
Why was my bid rounded down in the Confirmation Screen?
What is a pre-authorised deposit?
What is the difference between the sale end time and the lot end time?
Why can the lot end time change before an auction ends?
How do I know if I've won an item?
Why didn't I win the item when I had the highest bid?
What shipping options are available for Pickles Online?
Where can I see the Pickles Online terms and conditions?

What is Pickles Online?

Pickles Online is Pickles’ exciting new online-only auction system. Auctions run over a period of several days and at any time you may indicate your maximum bid amount. The Pickles Online system will then bid on your behalf up to your maximum, but not beyond it. This frees you up so that you don’t have to keep watching the progress of an auction.

To participate in Pickles Online you will need to open a My Pickles account. Next, simply sign-in and locate the Pickles Online item you are interested in. All bidding takes place on the Pickles website – there are no additional software downloads required.

When you are ready, enter your maximum bid. You will be asked to provide registration details the first time you bid in a sale. You will also be asked to pre-authorise a deposit for each item you might win.* If at any time you are outbid and choose not to increase your maximum, you can use your deposit to bid on any other item in that sale.

Buy Now – in addition to being offered through online auction, some lots are offered for immediate purchase. We call this Pickles Online Buy Now. Take the stress out of bidding – accept the Buy Now price, pay your deposit online and the item is yours today! You don’t even have to wait for the auction to end. Normal charges apply.

* Permanent Buyers do not need to register or pre-authorise a deposit to participate in Pickles Online.

Note - deposits apply only to vehicles (e.g. cars, trucks, etc) and not other items.

Where are Pickles Online Items Located?

Pickles Online items may be located at any Pickles branch throughout Australia. Therefore please check each item’s location prior to bidding or choosing to Buy Now. The item’s location is listed at the bottom of the item details screen. (This is the same screen where you place your bid or click the Buy Now button).

What is Buy Now?

Buy Now allows you to purchase an item immediately, online, without having to wait for the auction to end. Items being offered for immediate purchase will always display a Buy Now price.

To purchase an item immediately using Buy Now you will first need to open a My Pickles account. After this, find the item you are interested in, and sign in.

To purchase the item,

Click the Buy Now button next to the Buy Now price.
In the next screen, confirm the purchase amount.
You will be asked to confirm your buyer details if you have not already registered in this sale (Permanent buyers skip this step).
Click the Confirm button
You will be asked to pre-authorise a deposit if you have not already done so (Permanent buyers skip this step).

Note: You need to enter your buyer registration details the first time you bid or Buy Now in each auction.

Note: You need to pre-authorise one deposit for each item you might win.

Take the stress out of bidding – accept the Buy Now price, pay your deposit online and the item is yours today!
You don’t even have to wait for the auction to end. Normal charges apply.

What is the difference between Pickles Live and Pickles Online?

Pickles Live allows you to participate in our traditional auctions from the comfort of your own PC. You will hear the auctioneer’s call, see photos of the item being auctioned and be able to place bids at the click of a button. To participate in Pickles Live you will need to open a My Pickles account, register for the sale you are interested in, pre-authorise a deposit and download our Pickles Live software. When the auction starts, sign in and use the software to bid or to observe the auction.

Pickles Online auctions are online-only and run over a period of several days. The Pickles Online system can bid on your behalf up to a maximum amount that you specify – so you don’t need to continuously watch the auction. To participate in Pickles Online you will need to open a My Pickles account and then place a maximum bid on the item you are interested in. You will then be asked to confirm the bid amount, register your details and pre-authorise a deposit. Normal charges apply. All bidding occurs on the Pickles website – there are no additional software downloads.

What are the different online services offered by Pickles?

You are able to access a wide range of online services with Pickles:

Pickles Live

Pickles Live allows you to bid online, in real-time, against our traditional physical auctions. From the comfort of your PC you can hear the auctioneer’s call, see photos of the item which is up for auction and place bids.

Pickles Online

Pickles Online auctions are online-only auctions which run over several days. You can indicate your maximum bid and the system will bid on your behalf up to – but not over – your maximum.

E-Salvage

E-Salvage auctions are also online-only auctions, specialising in damaged insurance vehicles which are located in rural and remote regions throughout Australia.

Buy Now

Some Pickles Online items are also available for immediate purchase. To secure your item without the pressure of bidding simply accept the Buy Now price, pay your deposit online and the item is yours. Normal charges apply.

Other Services

In addition to the above online services, Pickles can assist with all of the following:

Finance
Warranties
Insurance
Valuations
Trade-ins
Vehicle prices
Selling your vehicle

Do I need to place a deposit to use Pickles Online?

Permanent buyers do not need to pre-authorise deposits.

For all other buyers, in order to bid in a Pickles Online auction you will need to pre-authorise a deposit online, using a credit card. A “pre-authorisation" is not the same as a payment. When you pre-authorise your deposit, no money is deducted from your account and you are not charged interest. However, the deposit amount is “held" and you are also unable to spend it.

If you purchase an item using Pickles Online then we will instruct your bank to pay us the amount of the deposit. At this point the money will be deducted from your account. If you do not win any item using Pickles Online then your pre-authorised deposit is automatically released to you within 5 to 10 days of when it was first held, depending on your financial institution.

You will need to pre-authorise one deposit for each item you might win. Therefore the first time you bid in a Pickles Online auction you will be asked to pre-authorise one deposit. If you are outbid on that item then you are free to bid again on the same item, or any other item in that sale and you will not be required to pre-authorise any other deposit. However, if you are the highest bidder on the item and you choose to bid on a second item (at the same time), then you will be asked to pre-authorise a second deposit.

If you choose to purchase an item outright by accepting the Buy Now price and paying your deposit online, then you will be asked to pre-authorise a deposit. Once this has successfully occurred, then if the item has not sold to any other buyer, and if bidding has not ended on the item, then you will become the winner and we will instruct the bank to pay us the deposit amount.

There is a small chance that two buyers may attempt to purchase an item outright at the same time. The first buyer to successfully pre-authorise their deposit will become the winner of the item. The other buyer may bid on, or Buy Now any other item without requiring any additional deposit. If they do not win any further item then the pre-authorised deposit will be automatically released to them within 5 to 10 days depending on their financial institution.

If you are required to pre-authorise a deposit then you will be asked to do so after confirming your bid or Buy Now instruction.

What fees and charges apply to Pickles Online auctions?

A processing fee, which may vary from sale to sale, applies to all purchases made through Pickles Online. You can check the processing fee amount on the bid confirmation and on the Buy Now confirmation screens. This processing fee applies whether you win through bidding or through carrying out a Buy Now purchase. The fee is calculated on the final sale price of the item (and not on your maximum bid). If you win through bidding, then the final sale price is the current bid. If you win by choosing to Buy Now, then the final sale price is the Buy Now price. Remember, if you are bidding, then the fee shown to you on the confirmation screen is the most you should expect to pay and the actual fee will be less if the final sale price is less than your maximum bid.

How do I bid in a Pickles Online auction?

To bid in a Pickles Online auction you will first need to open a My Pickles account. After this, find the item you are interested in, and sign in.

To bid,

Enter your maximum bid amount in the Bid Box and click the Bid button
In the next screen, check your bid.
You will be asked to confirm your buyer details if you have not already registered in this sale. (Permanent buyers skip this step.)
Click the Confirm button.
You will be asked to pre-authorise a deposit if you have not already done so. (Permanent buyers skip this step.)

Finally, you will be taken to My Pickles where you will see the results of all your Pickles Online bidding activity including the lot you just bid on.

Note: You need to enter your buyer registration details the first time you bid or Buy Now in each auction.

Note: You need to pre-authorise one deposit for each item you might win.

Can I adjust my bid if I make a mistake?

Yes – if you are the current bid holder, you can adjust your maximum bid up to any value you like. You can also adjust your bid down to the current bid value.

For example, if you accidentally bid $100,000 but you meant to bid only $10,000 then you will probably be winning the lot. The current bid may be an amount such as $7,000. In this case you may adjust your maximum bid down to any amount which is at least equal to $7,000.

You are free to adjust your bid as many times as you like.

How do I adjust my bid?

To adjust your maximum bid amount:

Return to the item details screen for the lot in question
Enter a new maximum bid amount
Click the Bid button
Confirm your new maximum bid in the next screen
Click the Confirm button

You may adjust your maximum bid as often as you like.

Why am I being asked to place my Maximum bid?

When bidding, you are asked to enter your maximum bid. The Pickles Online system will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid but not beyond it. This means that you do not have to keep returning to the website to make sure you stay ahead of other bidders – Pickles Online does this for you.

The Pickles Online System attempts to win the auction at the lowest price possible. Therefore if your maximum bid meets the vendor's reserve price then the current bid will increase to the reserve amount so that you are winning the item. Pickles Online never bids beyond your maximum bid.

It is possible for you to win the item at far less than your maximum bid amount.

If another buyer indicates a higher maximum amount than yours, then you will be outbid. We will send you an email if this happens and you may return to the Pickles website to increase your maximum bid if you choose. Please note that email can be an unreliable communication method and we advise you to always log in to My Pickles to check the status of your auctions.

If another buyer indicates exactly the same maximum amount as you have, then you will remain the highest bidder because you placed the earlier bid.

What is the difference between the Maximum bid and the Current bid?

Maximum Bid

Your maximum bid is the most you are prepared to bid for an item. When bidding, you are asked to enter your maximum bid. The Pickles Online system will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid but not beyond it. This means that you do not have to keep returning to the website to make sure you stay ahead of other bidders – Pickles Online does this for you.

It is possible for you to win the item at far less than your maximum bid amount.

If another buyer indicates exactly the same maximum amount as you have, then you will remain the highest bidder because you placed the earlier bid.

Your maximum bid is not revealed to any other buyers. Only you and the Pickles Online system know the value of your maximum bid.

Current Bid

The current bid is the amount at which the item will sell if no further bidding occurs, no-one buys the item using Buy Now and if the vendor’s reserve price is met.

All buyers can see an item’s current bid. The minimum bid a buyer may place on an item is the current bid plus a bid increment. The amount of the increment depends on the current bid.

If there is no current bid on an item then the minimum bid (or starting bid) is set by Pickles.

The Pickles Online system attempts to win the auction for you at the lowest possible price. Therefore if your maximum bid meets the vendor's reserve price then the current bid will increase to the reserve amount so that you are winning the item. Pickles Online never bids beyond your maximum bid.

What is a bid increment?

Each bid placed in a Pickles Online auction must exceed an item’s current bid by the “Bid Increment". The bid increment amount depends on the item’s current bid.

For amounts under $100

The bid increment is $1

For amounts between $100 and $1000

The bid increment is $10

For amounts over $1000

The bid increment is $50

For example, if the current bid on an item is $50 then the bid increment is $1 and the next bid must be at least $51 ($50 + $1).

If the current bid is $750 then the bid increment is $10 and the next bid must be at least $760 ($750 + $10).

If the current bid is $18,800 then the bid increment is $50 and the next bid must be at least $18,850 ($18,800 + $50).

Remember – when you place a bid you are indicating the maximum you are prepared to pay. The system will bid on your behalf up to your maximum, but not beyond it. Therefore the current bid on an item may be less than the maximum indicated by the bidder. Only the bidder knows their maximum. New bids must exceed the current bid by at least the bid increment.

The minimum valid bid is always shown on the bidding form for each item.

Also – the current bid holder can adjust their maximum bid at any time, as long as their new maximum is at least equal to the current bid.

How is a bid increment calculated?

The bid increment amount depends on the current bid on an item.

For amounts under $100

The bid increment is $1

For amounts between $100 and $1000

The bid increment is $10

For amounts over $1000

The bid increment is $50

For example, if the current bid on an item is $50 then the bid increment is $1 and the next bid must be at least $51 ($50 + $1).

If the current bid is $750 then the bid increment is $10 and the next bid must be at least $760 ($750 + $10).

If the current bid is $18,800 then the bid increment is $50 and the next bid must be at least $18,850 ($18,800 + $50).

Why was my bid rounded down in the Confirmation Screen?

When you place a bid it is required to be an exact multiple of the bid increment.

For amounts under $100, the bid increment is $1

For amounts between $100 and $1000, the bid increment is $10

For amounts over $1000, the bid increment is $50

For example, a bid of $10,000 is valid because it is an exact multiple of $50. A bid of $10,025 is invalid because it is not an exact multiple of $50. In this case the Pickles Online system will round your bid amount down to the nearest bid increment, i.e. $10,000.

Bids will never be rounded upwards.

What is a pre-authorised deposit?

A pre-authorised deposit is an amount held against your credit card for a period of time. The amount is not deducted from your account and you are not charged interest. However, you are also unable to spend the amount.

In order to participate in Pickles Online you will be asked to pre-authorise one deposit for each item you might win. If you do win the item then we will direct your bank to pay the deposit amount to us. At that time the deposit amount is deducted from your account. Normal charges apply.

If you do not win the item then your pre-authorised deposit is automatically released to you within 5 to 10 days of when it was first held, depending on your financial institution.

Permanent buyers are not required to pre-authorise deposits.

What is the difference between the sale end time and the lot end time?

Every Pickles Online sale has a scheduled end time. All lots within the sale are scheduled to end at the sale’s end time.

However, if there is any late bidding activity against a lot then we will extend the end time for that lot.

Therefore individual lots within a sale may end later than the sale’s end time – and at different times than each other.

Extending a lot's end time provides all buyers with the opportunity to respond to late bidding activity.

Why can the lot end time change before an auction ends?

If there is any bidding activity against a lot during the last 10 minutes of the auction, then we will extend the end time for that lot. This provides all buyers with the opportunity to respond to late bidding activity.

The new end time for that lot is calculated as the time of the bidding activity, plus 10 minutes.

For example, if a lot is scheduled to end at 8.30pm and a buyer attempts to place a bid at 8.27pm then the lot’s new end time will be 8.37pm.

If there is any other bid attempt during the last 10 minutes then the lot’s end time will extend again.

For example, if there is another bid attempt at 8.30pm then the lot’s new end time will be 8.40pm.

If a lot’s end time is extended then the auction will end for that lot once there has been a period of 10 continuous minutes without any bidding activity.

How do I know if I've won an item?

It is possible to be the highest bidder on a Pickles Online item, but still not win the auction. This is because the vendor that owns the item may set a reserve price. If bidding reaches the vendor’s reserve then the item will be sold. However if bidding does not reach the vendor’s reserve then the item will not be sold.

If you are the highest bidder on an item and the current bid meets the vendor’s reserve, then you will win the item. We will send you an email with a statement attached but you can always find out the status of all items you are bidding on by signing in to My Pickles.

To find out if you have won a Pickles Online auction after bidding has ended, sign in to My Pickles and click on “Pickles Online" in the Bidding menu.

You will see four sections on the next screen:

My Current Bids
My Closed Bids
My Buy Now History
My Deposits

All items for which bidding has ended will appear in the "My Closed Bids" section. The outcome of your bid is shown alongside the item.

Apart from having the highest bid which meets reserve at the end of the auction, you can win an item outright by electing to “Buy Now". As soon as anyone elects to buy an item outright using Buy Now, it is withdrawn from bidding and the Buy Now purchaser wins the item.

Items you have bought using Buy Now appear in the My Buy Now History section in My Pickles.

Why didn't I win the item when I had the highest bid?

In order to win a Pickles Online item, you need to be the highest bidder and your bid must meet the vendor’s reserve price. If bidding does not meet the vendor’s reserve then the item remains unsold at the end of the auction.

In addition, some items may be purchased outright via the Pickles Online “Buy Now" service. An item being offered via Buy Now will always show a Buy Now price. If any buyer accepts that price and pays their deposit online, then the auction ends immediately and that buyer wins the item. Normal charges apply.

What shipping options are available for Pickles Online?

There are two shipping options available for Pickles Online items

Pick-up

In most cases buyers collect Pickles Online items directly from the branch which is running the Pickles Online sale.

Delivery

Cartage (delivery) may be arranged for Pickles Online items. To enquire about cartage simply contact the branch in question. Branch contact details are available on the Auction Details page for any item. Additional charges apply.

Where can I see the Pickles Online terms and conditions?

The Pickles Online terms and conditions can be viewed here. The first time you participate in each Pickles Online auction you will be asked to register your buyer details. This registration includes a link to the Pickles Online Terms and Conditions (Permanent Buyers skip this step).