Auction Rules

These Auction Rules supplement and form part of our Terms of Service. By placing a bid or listing a vehicle, you agree to these Rules. whatmoves is a venue; each vehicle is sold by its seller, not by us.

A bid is a binding offer to purchase the vehicle at the bid amount, plus the buyer fee and any applicable taxes. Bids cannot be retracted. If you are the high bidder when the auction ends and any reserve is met, you are obligated to complete the purchase.

Minimum bid increments scale with the current price:

• Under $1,000 — $25
• $1,000 to $9,999 — $100
• $10,000 to $49,999 — $250
• $50,000 and above — $500

A seller may set a confidential reserve — the minimum price they will accept. The reserve amount is hidden; the listing shows “Reserve not met” until bidding crosses it. If the reserve is not met at close, the seller is not obligated to sell but may choose to accept the high bid.

Auctions run for a fixed seven days. To prevent last-second sniping, any bid placed in the final two minutes extends the auction by two minutes from the time of that bid. Extensions repeat as needed, so an auction ends only after two minutes pass with no further bids.

At close, the highest bid wins if the reserve (if any) is met. The winning bidder and seller are connected to complete the sale. The winning bidder must pay the hammer price, the buyer fee, and arrange the balance with the seller within the timeframe communicated on the won-listing page. Title transfer, inspection, and registration are completed between buyer and seller per provincial requirements.

Buyers pay a fee of 5% of the hammer price, with a minimum of $250 and a maximum of $7,500. The fee is shown as part of the estimated all-in total on the bid panel.

Sellers pay a listing fee of $99, waived to $0 for no-reserve listings. We do not charge sellers a commission on the hammer price.

Failing to complete a purchase you have won is a breach of these Rules. Consequences may include cancellation of the sale, suspension or termination of your account, liability for the buyer fee, and being barred from future auctions. We may also offer the vehicle to the next-highest bidder or relist it at the seller’s discretion.

Any provincial tax figure shown is an estimate for convenience only. We do not collect provincial sales tax. Actual tax is assessed and collected by your provincial registry at the time of registration. Always confirm the amount with your provincial registry — we never guarantee a tax number.

For imported vehicles, the listing surfaces the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) status, country of origin, and import date where provided. Vehicles 15 years or older are generally RIV-exempt. Buyers are responsible for confirming import compliance and completing any required RIV, inspection, or admissibility steps.

Title and safety requirements vary by province (for example, Ontario’s Used Vehicle Information Package). Completing the transfer, safety, and registration is the responsibility of the buyer and seller. We provide province-specific reminders as a convenience only.

Listing descriptions, photos, AI-assisted write-ups, fraud scores, and records reflect seller-supplied information and automated screening. They are not a warranty or guarantee of a vehicle’s condition, history, or fitness. Buyers are encouraged to inspect a vehicle, review records, and ask questions before bidding.