Has anyone won an auction on proxibid? I’m just wondering what to watch out for. 
Cheers
Stank

I have bought many items there. Always read the auction terms. Fees and Premiums are critical.

yes, I have won items from Proxibid.  I have also lost items for the same price as an onsite bidder.   They usually charge an extra percentage over the auction house's juice  to cover the convenience.    The best thing to do is sign up at the auction house site for online bid or ask them to call you when your item of interest is coming up. That's the best way to win an item.    I watch Proxibid all the time to find potential ways to waste money,   then I call the auction house and set up an account there.  I get tons of emails afterwards    

I watch Proxy bid, but if I see something of interest I go to the auction source and register to bid there. No reason I'd want to pay the extra 2.5% fee to have a middleman in the end price, or chance losing an item because my bid got matched at the auction.

I’ve been dealing with just two on-line bidding firms for over twenty years. BidSpotter and Proxibid ever since most of the industrial machinery, construction and agri auctioneers started to back away from completely running live auctions. Since the early 90’s I’ve been an active auctioneering hound' and in so doing bought enough industrial woodworking and construction machinery to either equip my three woodworking shops or two small construction gigs for my Brother or to just buy, restore and resell. I’ve always done my homework, was willing to drive the miles if the pot was big enough or I needed hands-on info. I had a bidding formula, stuck with it and never once got screwed on a lot purchased, some close calls but that’s it. 

When BidSpotter and Proxibid started to take over the auction game I had to learn all over and often found myself pulling an empty trailer home. The real skilled live auctioneers gradually relinquished the bid tracking business to these companies. But in so doing I believe they lost a certain amount of personal control you only have auctioneering face to face. Good auctioneers understand and appreciate that most in attendance drove long miles spending out of pocket to attend their auction.  After a while they recognize their regulars and will throw a guy a bone now and then. Same with used machinery or equipment dealers who are always at the auctions and they too remember the players considering them as future customers. Like others these guys have come to dislike nondescript remote buyers on screens from where ?  They, of course, will have to get over it cause that is the real world now, ie, people who refuse or can’t drive and look at the sale. It’s a double edged sword; before the internet you didn’t know about these far away auctions now you do but can’t afford to drive them. Great opportunity for truckers and riggers and related costs.Lately I’ve heard that used dealers will occasionally team up or go solo to buy the entire inventory, sans an auction. When you see a canceled auction pop up that is often the reason, a buy out. These guys will let Proxi or BidSpotter get in and tie up some labor, and costs then buy the whole enchilada lock stock & barrel. This does not make P & B happy at all.

Auctioneers need you and visa versa. The auction business is hotter than ever with more and more companies going offshore or like printing companies just closing up. Unfortunately the original  American Auction model is losing traction these days and more and more buyers are bidding remote and either can’t or won’t attend or preview the lots and end up playing the game like it’s a casino. My opinion only, but bidding in auctions based on a few photos is almost a form of gambling. So‘ Buyer Beware ‘ still holds true as there are no warranties in the auction game, at least not if your fairly new. However if you’re a known or recognized  player with a track record there are usually a few considerations in a good auctioneer’s pocket. Bidding on line is not alway a gamble though.Then there are the truly smart well informed bidders who (1) know the seller and the item(s) for auction, (2)  know enough information on the lot being auctioned to eliminate most inherent risk, (3) have other inside info on the lot other bidders may or may not be privileged too, (4) be the actual owner of the auctioned lot.   

Years ago I bought a $12K forklift in upstate NY from an auctioneer I’d dealt with many times. I agreed to let the machine stay on site to help load out three days of woodworking machinery and let him pocket rigging fees with the agreement to truck the machine down to my shop in NC. After three days running the lift in my NC shop it was running hot and sucking the radiator dry. Obvious head gasket with but with scored cylinder walls on sleeved Waukesha engine. Called auctioneer explained. He actually came down picked up my machine and took it to Amsterdam, NY where he rebuilt the engine then delivered it back to NC —No Charge. Talk about honest. Those old school auctioneers are special

Rick