Motoronline, the automotive e-business portal, has entered into a joint venture with the country`s only business-to-business online motor vehicle auction company, Automotive Online. The move forms part of motoronline`s vision to bring the SA motor industry together and provide comprehensive services to all sectors of the industry.
According to motoronline CEO Chris de Kock, the deal gives motoronline access to proven auction technology which will be used to enable real-time, on-line auctions of not only motor vehicles, but parts and accessories as well.
Motoronline is a R50-million strategic venture between the Retail Motor Industry (RMI), Dimension Data and WesBank and is currently rolling-out a host of value-added, e-commerce services to the SA automotive industry.
"Over the past three years, Automotive Online has auctioned over 10 000 new and used vehicles to dealers throughout SA and as far afield as Botswana and Namibia. The concept of being able to participate in a live auction without having to leave one`s office is growing in popularity. It`s a service we`ll now be able to offer motoronline users, without having to `reinvent the wheel` and develop the enabling technology ourselves," de Kock adds.
Automotive Online CEO Mark Dankworth says there are enormous synergies between the two companies.
"From Automotive Online`s perspective, we`ll be able to extend our reach to motoronline`s large customer base including RMI members and, by using motoronline`s database, we`ll be well placed to introduce auctions of a wide range of automotive products," he explains.
Motoronline subscribers will be able to access - and participate in real-time auctions via the motoronline.co.za portal.
"These auctions work like any other - except they are completely electronic. Appraisal reports of each vehicle are provided on the Internet which dealers can go through at their leisure prior to - and indeed during - the auction. Dealers are informed of the starting time of the auction and once it gets underway, they bid via the internet as each lot comes up for sale, simply by pressing the enter key.
"Bidders are able to track the proceedings and can bid at any time until the virtual `fall of the hammer`. Unlike many other online auctions, bidders don`t have to wait hours or days to find out if their bid has been successful. They know immediately and can then decide whether or not to bid on the next vehicle offered. Around 30 vehicles can be sold in this way in half-an-hour," Dankworth concludes.
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