FAQ

Why buy from bidONE?

Buying a used car without a certificate? No way!

The aim of bidONE is that as many vehicles as possible are bought and sold with an expert opinion from a testing organization such as DEKRA, TÜV etc. or at least with our own status report. At a later point in time, bidONE plans to place an advertisement exclusively with reports from a testing organization without the internal bidONE status report.

What an expert report from a testing organization can show:

• Current overall condition
• Condition of brakes, tyres, loss of oil on the engine/transmission, etc.
• Damage to the paintwork (scratches, dents)
• repaints
• Accidental damage not properly repaired
• Own legal protection for purchase/sale
  
  

The points mentioned are decisive in determining whether the car purchase goes smoothly or ends up in court.

From our experience in the auto trade, too many cases end up in court, why? – The vehicles are sold or bought without a certificate from e.g. DEKRA, TÜV and Co. Most of the time, only appraisers can see the actual condition of the vehicle. Furthermore, bidONE has no intermediaries, so you have the option of purchasing the car directly from the owner.

Status report and expert opinion, what for?

Most buyers know next to nothing about the car they want to buy apart from the equipment.

Are there repaints? How old are the tires? Are the brakes still good? Do the gap dimensions fit?

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There are many important questions about buying a car that a layman cannot know. An appraiser does, they do it every day. An appraisal from TÜV, DEKRA and Co. costs around €100-150. Compared to possible problems after purchase, this is a small sum to shed more light on the dark.

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Appraisers are usually very meticulous and note every little scratch on the car. Most cars have “signs of use” – in the appraisal you have to differentiate between serious and normal signs of use.

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An appraisal or status report should be part of every purchase contract as security. 

How to register

• Individual: Fill out all fields and press Register.
• Trader: Fill in all fields, upload the business registration and ID card of the managing director for verification.
• You will receive a confirmation link on your email address, confirm this by clicking on the link.
• After a successful check, you will receive a confirmation email and can get started.
  
  
  

What do buyers look for when buying a car?

• Most want a clean car
• Maintenance history shouldn’t be too sketchy
• Condition of brakes, tires, paintwork, interior
• What possible costs will the buyer incur (wear and tear, etc.)?
• 2 keys should be present
• Information on repainting and accident damage
  
  
  

When is a car legally maintained?

All inspections and maintenance work recommended by the manufacturer must have been carried out on the vehicle by an authorized workshop. All of these inspections and maintenance work must be fully recorded in the checkbook.

Please check exactly what information is given in the purchase contract. In the age of legal protection insurance, many people go to court. Secure yourself legally!

B2B | Business to Business

Vehicles that are marked with B2B in the title picture can only be auctioned by traders. The background is that traders can exclude the statutory liability for material defects among themselves. If a trader sells his company car to a private individual, the seller is liable for possible technical defects for the period prescribed by law.

Only registered commercial customers can bid on B2B vehicles at bidONE.

Accident car and minor damage

There are many court hearings due to incorrect information about damage to the car or damage is deliberately not reported.

There is no legal limit for minor damage, but the BGH determined in 2004 that repair costs of over 700 euros are no longer minor damage.

Nowadays, almost every exchange or repainting of a component (e.g. fender) is more expensive than 700 euros. It is all the more important to have an appraisal when buying and selling, every letter from a lawyer costs more than a car appraisal!

Common problems when buying and selling a car

• No or incorrect information about accidental damage
• No or incorrect indication of repaints
• Incorrect information on the maintenance history
• Incorrect indication of the actual number of vehicle owners
• Incorrect information about the actual condition of the vehicle (dents, scratches, etc.)
• Missing keys (there is only one key instead of 2)
  
  
  

Who can participate in bidONE?

• private individuals
• entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs can choose before selling whether the car is only offered B2B

Buy | Process

• Choose a car / check all details and facts about the car
• Download the expert opinion or bidONE status report in the “Evaluation” field and check it carefully
• Pay attention to when the vehicle will be available and in which country it is
• Place a bid and wait to see if you are the highest bidder
• OR send a price offer to the seller
• If you are the highest bidder at the end of the auction and your bid is above the seller’s minimum sale price, then you have successfully bought the car -> My Account -> Purchases -> click on the auctioned car -> 1. transfer the displayed sales fee to bidONE, 2 .contacted the seller (call or email) and pay for the car.
  
  
  

Vehicle identification number VIN

What information can I get from the VIN?

• Vehicle equipment ex works (ex works and actual condition must be checked, rims, etc.)
• Request maintenance history from the manufacturer (observe data protection)
• Request damage history from the manufacturer (observe data protection)
• Indicating the VIN in the auction can be helpful for a good selling price
  
  
  

Who is my contractual partner?

Contractual partners are always sellers and buyers. In this case, bidONE makes the online marketplace available. As a seller, pay attention to the correctness of all information when advertising, mistakes when handing over the vehicle are not always easy to get out of the world.

As a buyer, you should examine the auction and the car as closely as possible and make no mistake when bidding.

After a successful auction, both parties have the contact details of the other, the communication runs between buyer and seller.

COC papers – Important for sales

The COC (Certificate of Conformity) is a European approval document that confirms that a vehicle conforms to European standards and regulations. The COC paper contains information about the vehicle such as its identification number (VIN), type, dimensions, weight, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. It is important as it is required when registering the vehicle in another European country.

Make an offer

• Make sure you understand all the facts about the car

• In the “Bid Amount” field, type your bid

• Below, in the gray field, you can see the total price including our buyer’s fee

• Tap on the green “Place bid” button and confirm it again in the small window

• If you are the highest bidder, you will be notified

• If you are not the highest bidder, enter a higher bid
  
  
  

Send price suggestion

If you want to buy the car faster, you can send the seller a binding price proposal directly on the detailed view.

The suggested price has nothing to do with the minimum sales price set by the seller. The seller receives a message and can accept or reject the price proposal. A price proposal is valid for 48 hours and expires automatically without a response from the seller.

If your price proposal has been accepted, the auction will land in ->My Account ->Purchases.
Pay the bidONE buyer fee, contact the seller, discuss payment and collection.

How do I pay for the auctioned car?

If you are the highest bidder after the end of the auction and your bid is above the seller’s reserve price, then the auction ends up in -> My Account -> Purchases.

Click on the auction, below you have the contact details of the seller. Call them or write an email. Arrange for payment and collection.

You will also find bidONE’s bank details below. Transfer the deposited buyer’s fee within one week. This consists of the submitted bid price and the buyer’s fee of 2.95%.

What defects can a vehicle have?

Cars can have various defects, both optical and technical. Optical defects are usually a matter of perception, with technical defects you have to differentiate whether they are acute or still okay in the long term.

• Stone chips in front -> a lot or few
• Rims slightly damaged, scratched when parking or similar.
• Rims badly damaged with impact from a strong impact
• Cracked windshield or stone chips in sight
• Dents and dents (these can be seen if you look at the component at an acute angle (in good light)
• Front and rear bumper underneath damaged/scratched due to touchdown (car park, etc.).
• Engine/ transmission are wet with oil (is it “just” wet with oil or is it dripping properly)
• different tire brands and types mounted
• Transmission jerks when shifting
• Brake discs are out of balance
• Transfer case defective (judders when accelerating)

How do I interpret the status report/assessment?

Expert opinions can sometimes be very harsh. Inspectors who evaluate vehicles every day go to work very soberly. Appraisers also see things that vehicle owners do not see on their own car.

• If there is a report from DEKRA, TÜV, etc., then open it
• Read it page by page
• It is usually divided into a technical and an optical part
• Sometimes there are calculations / repair prices which are officially necessary to make the car almost new again
• The points on accident damage, currently existing technical defects and repainting are important
• The report should contain information on the brake system and tires

Study the report and try to get an overall picture of the vehicle.

Buying from private | What is to be considered?

Bought as seen? Nothing there!

A car purchase must be well planned, both financially and not to catch a pig in a poke. Especially from private to private, it is easier to exclude liability for material defects.

• It is best to only buy vehicles with reports from DEKRA, TÜV, GTÜ, KÜS and other experts
• If the seller resists an appraisal, there is a reason
• Pay attention to the correct wording when concluding the liability for defects
• A short appraisal doesn’t cost the earth, but it can protect you against hidden costs
• Link the appraisal to the purchase contract, buyer and seller are aware of the condition of the vehicle at the time of purchase/sale
• Pay cash? Only in a bank at the counter
• With a copy of the vehicle registration document, you can get information from the local police station as to whether the vehicle may have been stolen. For this information you have to appear in person
• When buying, pay attention to the correct formulation of accidental damage (if there was any)
• Do not transfer a car to the seller’s license plate, you save yourself a lot of trouble
  
  
  

Buying from traders | What is to be considered?

Not only car dealers have to observe the statutory liability for material defects. If a private individual buys a car from an entrepreneur (regardless of what he does for business), the entrepreneur is also subject to the warranty obligation.

What documents do you need to get from the seller?

• Vehicle letter and license (registration certificate part I and II)
• all keys, mostly two
• Remote control for auxiliary heating (if available)
• Handbook with instructions
• Service book (more modern vehicles already have digital service books)
• COC paper if available (only important for EU countries to register)
• possibly an invoice if the seller is a company
• Detachable trailer hitch available? Don’t forget the key
• Pay attention to the rim lock, usually in the trunk
  
  
  

What are the “Hottest Deals” on the homepage?

The “Hottest Deals” on our homepage are simply a free selection from the system. The Hottest Deals do not show any special offers or similar.

When do I get the contact details from the seller?

After a successful auction, you can find the contact details of the seller under MY ACCOUNT-> PURCHASES under the respective auction. Get in touch with the seller and arrange payment and collection.

Vehicle auctioned – Kfz letter is financed by the bank

If a car is financed by the previous owner, which is often the case, then you should proceed as follows:

• The seller must have received a transfer offer from the bank
• The transfer fee must be transferred to the bank, preferably directly from the buyer
• Difference between selling price and transfer fee goes to the seller (if there is a difference)
• Call the bank, the vehicle letter should be sent directly to the buyer with authorization from the seller
• The dispatch of the vehicle letter, which is at the bank, usually takes 14 days
  
  
  

Vehicle handover

• Make sure that the car is deregistered when it is handed over
• If not yet registered, then transfer with the yellow 5-day license plate
• Make sure the documents are complete
• Do not transfer to the seller’s license plate (insurance, etc.)
  
  
  

Smart Repair & DellenDoc | Paint and polish scratches

Cars get scratches and dents in the paint over time, sometimes more sometimes less. Most scratches can be removed with proper polishing. Just google: Smart Repair, Paint Doctor in your city.

Smart Repair/ Spot Repair is “spot painting”. Significantly cheaper and very effective, you can get a lot out of a small budget.

Dent in component? Googling: Dent Doctor in your town. A dent doc gets most dents pushed out without painting.

Smart Repair | Rims scratched, what to do?

Rims scratched?

google: Smart Repair in your city. Good smart repair specialists can repair almost all scratched wheel rims.

Vehicle condition deviates massively from the description

If the condition of the vehicle deviates significantly from the report or the description of the condition, you can negotiate on site. In extreme cases, you should of course cancel the purchase.

Reasons for a deviation can be subsequent damage to the vehicle after the report has been prepared. The seller did not see various damage to the vehicle (knowingly or unknowingly)

How is the purchase price made up?

Your bid price plus the bidONE buyer’s fee of 2.95% including VAT.

When and how do I pay the buyer’s fee to bidONE?

The buyer’s fee of 2.95% of the bid price is due immediately after a successful purchase. Under My Account -> Purchases in the respective auction, you can see the buyer’s fee shown and our bank details. You will only receive the invoice for the buyer’s fee by e-mail from us to your stored e-mail address.

Transfer number plate – how and where can I get it?

You can get a 5-day license plate or transfer license plate in every registration office. You need the vehicle letter and license (registration certificate part I and II), as well as a valid main inspection (HU/AU). You can get the EVB number (electronic insurance confirmation) on the Internet or from the respective motor vehicle insurer. Most registration offices also accept a copy of the vehicle letter, license and HU/AU, but please clarify in advance whether this is possible.

B2B | Net sales to the EU

Du hast deinen Firmenwagen mit MwSt. z.B. in die Niederlande verkauft an einen Gewerbetreibenden? Der Holländer kann das Auto direkt zum Nettopreis kaufen oder du erstattest ihm später die MwSt:

• Check the foreign company (Federal Central Tax Office, check VAT ID)
• If your company has been active for a relatively long time, you can have it paid directly net
• If the company is new to the market, let them pay the gross price
• You need a power of attorney when you hand it over, copies of your passport from the person collecting it
• When handing it over, have the person collecting you sign a so-called declaration of intent (Google…)
• After arrival in the destination country, have the recipient fill out a so-called confirmation of arrival by e-mail/post (important for the tax office later)
• As soon as everything is available, the VAT can be refunded to the customer
• Please speak to your tax advisor in advance
  
  
  

Why sell at bidONE?

Do you want to sell your used car? Then at bidONE!

What are the dangers of selling used cars? The car is an accident car, but you don’t know it. There are repaints that you are not aware of. These and other points can pose legal problems for you as a seller.

With bidONE, you advertise your car with reports from DEKRA, TÜV and other testing organizations, so the buyer knows the exact condition and there are no discussions after the sale.

Furthermore, bidONE helps you to get the best possible price. With us, the bids are transparent and you are in control. Sell Europe-wide bidders directly to the highest bidder without intermediaries!

Status report and expert opinion, what for?

An appraisal/condition report clearly shows the most important data and facts about the vehicle. A potential buyer doesn’t feel like calling 50 times and asking how old the tires are, have components been repainted, how many mm of tread the tires have, what condition are the brakes in, etc. Sometimes a layman cannot provide this information at all.

With bidONE, sellers advertise the car with expert opinions and protect themselves against possible legal consequences if the information about the car is incorrect (which happens relatively often), and the transparent and Europe-wide bidding process gives you the chance of a very good sales price.

This is how you register

• Privatperson: Fülle alle Felder aus und drücke auf Registrieren
• Trader: Fill in all fields, upload the business registration and ID card of the managing director for verification.
• You will receive a confirmation link on your email address, confirm this by clicking on the link
• After a successful check, you will receive a confirmation email and can get started
  
  
  

Who can participate in bidONE?

• Private person
• Entrepreneur
  
  
  

What do buyers look for when buying a car?

• Most want a clean car
• Maintenance history shouldn’t be too sketchy
• Condition of brakes, tires, paintwork, interior
• What possible costs will the buyer incur (wear and tear, etc.)
• 2 keys should be present
• Information on repainting and accident damage
  
  
  

When is a car legally maintained?

All inspections and maintenance work recommended by the manufacturer must have been carried out on the vehicle by an authorized workshop. All of these inspections and maintenance work must be fully recorded in the checkbook.

Please check exactly what information is given in the purchase contract. In the age of legal protection insurance, many people go to court. Secure yourself legally!

Common problems when buying and selling a car

• No or incorrect information about accidental damage
• No or incorrect information on repainting
• Incorrect information on the maintenance history
• Incorrect indication of the actual number of vehicle owners
• Incorrect information about the actual condition of the vehicle (dents, scratches, etc.)
• Missing keys (there is only one key instead of 2)
  
  
  

Sell | Process

• Decision -> appraisal or status report (we always recommend an appraisal from the inspector). Purchase contract and appraisal are a safe combination when selling.
• Zustandsbericht downloaden oder Termin beim Gutachter machen (TÜV, DEKRA und Co.)
• Clean up the car a bit before the report (always well received)
• Have an appraisal done or fill out the evaluation form truthfully and to the best of your knowledge and belief (look carefully for dents or deeper scratches)
• Take good pictures of the outside and inside (Good pictures and presentation is half the battle)
• Click on “Sell” in the header at the top, upload the expert opinion or the completed bidONE status report.
• Fill in all necessary fields of the sales mask.
• Mindestpreis festlegen -> unter diesem Preis kommt kein automatischer Verkauf zustande!
• Choose the duration of the auction. Are you in a hurry -> 3 days. Time? -> 7-30 days
• In addition to the pictures, you can take photos of the service booklet, additional tires and possibly invoices
• Press “Advertise vehicle”, after a few minutes the auction is online
• Receive bids and price offers. If you like a price offer then accept it and the car is sold immediately.
• Get in touch with the buyer -> arrange payment and collection
  
  
  

Enter vehicle identification number VIN

Is it safe to state the VIN (formerly the chassis number)? Actually, there is not much to be said against it, the VIN contains the entire vehicle equipment (equipment, engine, etc.). Most dealers need the VIN to properly value a car. In order to reach more possible buyers, you should enter the VIN, as they need the chassis number to calculate taxes etc.

Set minimum sale price and term

• Enter your reserve price
• If your reserve price has not been reached, you can still consider after the auction whether or not to bid the vehicle for the highest bid (you can try again later)
• If your minimum sale price is exceeded, it will automatically be sold. Your ad stays online for further higher bids.
• You can choose between one and four days as the term
• The longer the ad is posted, the more potential buyers you can reach
• Enter your zip code in the pick-up location field. Due to data protection, only the first two digits will be visible in the advertisement
  
  
  

B2B | business to business

Vehicles that are marked with B2B in the title picture can only be auctioned by traders. The background is that traders can exclude the statutory liability for material defects among themselves. If a trader sells his company car to a private individual, the seller is liable for possible technical defects for the period prescribed by law.

Only registered commercial customers can bid on B2B vehicles at bidONE.

In the sales mask, as a commercial user, you can choose to only sell to B2B.

Accident car and minor damage

There are many court hearings due to incorrect information about damage to the car or damage is deliberately not reported. 

There is no legal limit for minor damage, but the BGH determined in 2004 that repair costs of over 700 euros are no longer minor damage.

Nowadays, almost every exchange or repainting of a component (e.g. fender) is more expensive than 700 euros. It is all the more important to have an appraisal when buying and selling, every letter from a lawyer costs more than a car appraisal!

What should be considered in the bidONE status report?

• Download the status report from our home page above
• First of all: fill out the form truthfully and to the best of your knowledge and belief
• The condition report gives the buyer a much better overview of the vehicle
• Note the number of previous owners and read it correctly from the vehicle registration document (google helps). The number of holders plus yourself gives the current number of owners
• provide the most correct information possible about repainted components (there are various legal disputes on this subject). If you are unsure, you can purchase a paint depth gauge online
• who owns the vehicle? You yourself, a third person or the bank, leasing company?
• provide correct information about accident damage, repairs and/or “parking lot bumps”. Information on hail damage, pressed dents or Smart Repair is always helpful
• Differences between accidental damage and minor damage. You can find more information about this on the internet
  
  
  

Receive price suggestion

You can get price suggestions from potential buyers. As soon as your ad has received a price suggestion, you will receive an info email. Go to the listing under MY ACCOUNT-> AUCTIONS and consider accepting or rejecting the offer. A price proposal expires automatically within 48 hours.

Smart Repair | DentDoc and painting scratches

Cars get scratches and dents in the paint over time, sometimes more sometimes less. Most scratches can be removed with proper polishing. Just google: Smart Repair, Paint Doctor in your city. 

Smart Repair/ Spot Repair is “spot painting”. Significantly cheaper and very effective, you can get a lot out of a small budget.

Dent in component? Googling: Dent Doctor in your town. A dent doc gets most dents pushed out without painting.

Smart Repair | Rims scratched, what to do?

Rims scratched? 

Googeln: Smart Repair in your city. Good smart repair specialists can repair almost all scratched wheel rims. 

What reports are there from testing organizations?

• TÜV NORD AutoKaufCheck
• TÜV SÜD Auto Privat Check (various options)
• DEKRA vehicle assessment/ condition report
• GTÜ used car appraisal
• KÜS used car check
• ADAC used car check
  
  
  

COC paper – Important for sales

The COC/ EWG document is now required almost everywhere in the EU to register a vehicle. If your car still has the COC paper then photograph it and add it to the photo gallery so that buyers abroad can also bid on your car. This gives you more chances of a successful sale.

The COC (Certificate of Conformity) is a European approval document that confirms that a vehicle conforms to European standards and regulations. The COC paper contains information about the vehicle such as its identification number (VIN), type, dimensions, weight, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. It is important as it is required when registering the vehicle in another European country.

How do I commission an expert opinion, what should be considered?

• Make an appointment with a well-known test center (DEKRA, TÜV Nord, TÜV Süd, GTÜ, KÜS or another test center for vehicle reports)
• It is advisable to clean the vehicle before the expert opinion in order to leave a good impression
• Bring the following documents to the vehicle with you to the appointment: vehicle letter and certificate (or a copy), service booklet with maintenance records, other invoices if available (window replacement or other repairs carried out), all keys, on-board folder, COC paper if available (EEC declaration of conformity), information to other existing tires or rims
• Drive to the appointment, the appraiser will check the vehicle and note down all the necessary information in the condition report. You then have to upload this condition report to bidONE
  
  
  

How do I take good pictures

Good pictures of the vehicle increase the chance of a successful sale. Pay attention to the following points in the photos:

• Pay attention to the weather: not in direct sun, preferably when it is cloudy
• Clean the car from the outside, once through the car wash is enough
• Remove all personal items from the interior so the car looks neutral
• Right Front, Center Front, Left Front, Left Side, Left Rear, Center Rear, Right Rear, Right Side
• Cockpit photo, rear seats, trunk, both front seats, speedometer, photo of all keys, photos of accessories (trailer hitch, extra tires, etc.), center console, engine compartment
• each rim individually
  
  

Who is my contractual partner?

Contractual partners are always sellers and buyers. In this case, bidONE makes the online marketplace available. As a seller, pay attention to the correctness of all information when advertising, mistakes when handing over the vehicle are not always easy to get out of the world.

As a buyer, you should examine the auction and the car as closely as possible and make no mistake when bidding.

After a successful auction, both parties have the contact details of the other, the communication runs between buyer and seller.

Does the seller have to pay a fee?

No! With bidONE, the buyer pays a buyer fee. The seller has no costs when selling. The exception to this is the possible cost of the pre-sale appraisal, which is highly recommended.

How do I interpret the vehicle document? (Kfz Brief)

• Number of previous holders plus the current holder, field B (1)
• Date of first registration in field B
• VIN in field E
• HSN and TSN (for insurance) in field 2.1 and 2.2
  
  

When will I receive contact details from the buyer?

After a successful auction, you can find the contact details of the seller under MY ACCOUNT-> SALES under the respective auction. Get in touch with the seller and arrange payment and collection.

B2B | Net sales to the EU

Did you sell your company car with VAT, e.g. in the Netherlands to a trader? The Dutchman can buy the car directly at the net price or you can refund him the VAT later:

• Check the foreign company (Federal Central Tax Office, check VAT ID)
• If your company has been active for a relatively long time, you can have it paid directly net
• If the company is new to the market, let them pay the gross price
• You need a power of attorney when you hand it over, copies of your passport from the person collecting it
• When handing it over, have the person collecting you sign a so-called declaration of intent (Google…)
• After arrival in the destination country, have the recipient fill out a so-called confirmation of arrival by e-mail/post (important for the tax office later)
• As soon as everything is available, the VAT can be refunded to the customer
• Please speak to your tax advisor in advance