Frequently Asked Questions
Online auctions are very different from live sale events. Simply put, the following will happen:
- You’ll create an account by clicking on “START BUYING”. Then just follow the prompts. Its easy and its fast.
The first and most important thing to understand is a selling facility has legal obligations that are the same, regardless of online or live. All state’s lien laws must be followed and all have been amended to include online auctions as a method of sale, all other requirements remain the same.
Absolutely. Pictures are taken from the threshold without going into the unit or moving any items. The pictures are from the same view auction buyers would get if they were looking at the unit live.
All buyers need to be aware of the selling facility clean out time before bidding, as these facilities may each have different policies. The timeframe is usually 24 to 72 hours. Selling facilities do want these units cleaned out in their entirety and left free of debris and items. Please remember this is where storage facilities earn their regular income. This means that sellers are sticklers for clean out policy. Buyer please be aware of the details of these policies.
That depends on where the selling facility is located. Most often, the answer will be yes. Several states don’t require personal-property auctions to be taxed. If you’re unsure if a buyer will be charged sales tax, contact your city or state department of revenue. If you are a buyer please plan on paying sales tax or supplying acceptable exemption documentation if the selling facility accepts that documentation. Know the selling facility policy regarding sales tax before bidding.
Yes, most facilities charge a cleaning deposit to insure a full clean out of the storage locker, all are fully refundable upon successful inspection. Deposits typically range from $50 – $200. Please know the seller facility policies regarding deposits before bidding. Deposits are typically left in cash.
This will vary. Buyers / winning bidder will pay in full at the facility where the storage locker location is after paying the fee due to unpaidstorages.com. Unpaid Storages will typically automatically charge the credit card on file the fee and then send an invoice with showing that amount aid with the outstanding amount due the facility to email on record. Some providers accept credit cards and some facilities accept only US cash. Please know the seller facility policies regarding deposits before bidding.
Storage facilities are in the business of renting storage space. Therefore, they allow the renter of that storage space to pay right up to the point where the high bidder / buyer pays for the locker. Please understand that this policy is normal and regularly practiced. Unpaid Storages does charge a facility a cancelation fee due to this is an inconvenience for the buyers / bidders as well as Unpaid Storages. The buyer / bidder will lose no dollars and in this case is always refunded in full.
There are restrictions that differ state to state. Some states don’t allow motor vehicles to be sold at an online auction or have policies that interfere with the sale of vehicles at auction. California requires all vehicles being sold at auction to be available for inspection for at least 30 minutes before the auction at the location of the sale. Making online auctions shown at Unpaid Storages conducted online potentially problematic for selling facilities. States like Georgia don’t have procedures in place to grant a title to a motor vehicle sold at a self-storage lien sale. So when dealing with cars sold at Unpaid Storages it would be a great idea to reach out to the selling facility to help guide you through the process. Please know the seller facility policies regarding deposits before bidding.
Unfortunately, nothing is perfect, including online auctions. There’s no guarantee the buyer will show up. Sometimes a person will win and you’ll never hear from him again. Unpaid Storages upon validation of this will restrict and ban that buyer from buying and bidding in the future indefinitely.
Should there be a selling facility that has a locker that has been compromised and the buyer does not want to complete this transaction then upon validation Unpaid Storages will refund all fees paid to Unpaid Storages. Should the selling facility have a continuation of numerous occasions of this type of event Unpaid Storages at their discretion may ban the selling facility indefinitely.
Buyers / bidders pay the following:
- Will be charged the buyers fee upon successful high bid/s with Credit Card on file.
- Winning High Bid to Selling Facility in acceptable form of payment cash or credit card and applicable taxes at seller’s facility with emailed invoice.
- BUYERS FEE SCHEDULE – 9.87%
- Selling Facility are not charged any fees.
