How to bid?

Register on Benzin, then complete your profile with your information (you will be invited to do so when you bid for the first time).

There are then several ways to submit an offer on Benzin:

1. Manually enter the amount of the offer you wish to submit in the box provided, directly on the ad. If this amount is higher than other bids and the auction has not ended, you become the highest bidder.

2. Use the "Quick Bid" buttons, which allow you to quickly bid 1, 5 or 10 steps higher.

3. Use the Automatic Bidding system. Enter your maximum bid (the maximum amount you are willing to offer), and the system will automatically keep you high bidder up to that amount. If there is a tie with another bidder, the oldest bid takes priority.

Bids are always expressed in Euros € including tax. Bid only if the vehicle interests you and your financing capacity is sufficient to acquire the vehicle.

 

How do Ads work?

Benzin offers a Listing system, which allows you to purchase a selection of vehicles either by direct purchase or by submitting your offers. When you buy directly or your offer is accepted by the seller, the system puts you in contact with the seller, you benefit from the Secure Payment system (eligible vehicles), our transport solutions and Benzin support.

 

What is Secure Payment?

For eligible vehicles, Benzin provides an automatic Secure Payment service which allows you to pay for your vehicle through the use of an escrow account. Thus, the funds are deposited and held in a secure third-party account until you take possession of the vehicle and authorize payment to the seller (except in the case of transport, see Conditions).

Vehicle eligibility is indicated by a green "Secure Payment" logo on the advertisement. When the vehicle is not eligible, the buyer and the seller organize the payment themselves.

 

How to sell?

Just fill out our sales form here. The ad is not published immediately because we first check the eligibility of your car and you do not pay for the upload right away. Complete the information about your car (photos, video and vehicle details), or leave some blanks and let us contact you to complete your file together. Once your file is complete, your ad is published for 5 to 10 days on Benzin.

 

What kind of vehicles are accepted on Benzin?

Benzin is the best way to sell a vehicle of interest: a vehicle that by its type, engine, condition, rarity or configuration stands out from the rest of the fleet. We have no criteria of state or budget; all vehicles of interest are accepted. In any case, you can complete the online sales form and our team will give you a quick feedback on the eligibility of your vehicle.

 

Why am I being asked for my credit card?

Making an offer during a sale commits you to the Benzin service. In order to ensure the seriousness of buyers, we make an imprint on your credit card, the amount of which varies according to your bid: € 300 from € 0 to €25,000 an €600 beyond. A single imprint is taken for all auctions you place on the site, including on different lots. This imprint is released if you do not win the sale or your offer is not accepted by the seller.

Your credit card data is processed and stored securely by our payment partner Stripe. Your card information is stored for a minimum of 20 days to ensure the security of the transaction.

Note: during the bank imprint, your bank may ask you for a 3D Secure payment confirmation. Even if it is presented as such, it is not a payment, but a pre-authorization.

 

I have entered a credit card but I cannot place a bid, what should I do?

Several reasons are possible: your account does not have sufficient funds for the amount of the imprint, the limit of your bank card has been exceeded, your card has been declared lost or stolen, your card has additional security and you must contact your bank to authorize payment to Benzin.

If the problem remains after contacting your bank, contact our team.

 

Am I charged if I bid?

When you bid, no amount is debited but a fingerprint is made for a guarantee amount. If you your offer is accepted automatically (i.e. your offer is the highest and it is higher than the reserve price) or if your offer is accepted by the seller within 2 working days of the end from the sale, you are charged a Benzin service charge. Otherwise, we will never charge your card without your consent, except in the case of a withdrawal.

 

Is there a reserve price on sales?

The presence of a reserve price is indicated on each advertisement. The reserve price is never communicated because it is negotiated by Benzin in order to allow members to buy at the best price. This reserve price is only valid within the framework of the auction, which is why it is interesting to bid on Benzin.

 

Can I know the reserve price?

The reserve price is never communicated because it is negotiated by Benzin in order to allow members to buy at the best price. However, the bidders have an indicator allowing them to know if the reserve price is reached or not. This indicator is deactivated on the last day of the auction.

 

Can I contact the seller on an ad?

You can ask your questions in comments, the seller can answer you directly.

 

Can I see the vehicle?

Most sellers accept visits during the sale. After completing your Benzin profile, you can request a visit by clicking on the "Visit" button available on the ad. You will then be put in contact with the seller. For security purposes, a bank imprint is passed on your bank card to validate the request.

 

Why do some bidders outbid themselves?

When you bid, an indicator is displayed letting you know if the reserve price is reached, close or not. Some bidders bid step by step in an attempt to reach the reserve price without delay. This indicator is deactivated on the last day of the auction.

 

How does the auction end?

The auction ends at the end of the stopwatch. However, each new auction placed in the last 2 minutes extends the clock by an additional 2 minutes to ensure fairness between all bidders and avoid panic attacks.

 

Can I withdraw from an auction?

When you bid, the service offered by Benzin begins immediately: the seller receives your bid, you receive an indication of the reserve price, and you prevent others from making the same or lower bid. Thus, it is not possible to retract on Benzin. If you win an auction or your bid is accepted, you are liable for the service charge.

 

Can I win a vehicle even if I am not the best bidder?

Yes. Your auction remains valid for 2 working days after the end of the sale. In other words, your offer can be accepted by the seller at any time during this period.

 

How much does it cost * to buy or sell on Benzin?

Seller: The upload starts at € 19 including tax. If your vehicle is sold, a 3% HT (3.6% TTC) fee of the final price with a minimum of 166 € VAT Excl. (199 € VAT Incl.) and a maximum of 3,250 € VAT Excl. (3,900 € VAT Incl.) will be charged.

Buyer: fees of 3% HT (3.6% TTC) of the final price with a minimum of 166 € VAT Excl. (199 € VAT Incl.) and a maximum of 3,250 € VAT Excl. (3,900 € VAT Incl.) are charged at the end of the sale if you win the auction or if your bid is accepted by the seller within 2 business days after the auction ends.

* Pricing in effect since November 1, 2024

 

But why buy on Benzin?

Benzin allows you to buy your vehicle at the best price, effortlessly and in a secure manner. On Benzin, you will only find real listings from verified sellers. Benzin encourages sellers to honestly present their vehicles in order to rule out questionable ads. Benzin secures payment through the use of an escrow account (for eligible vehicles). Finally, Benzin pre-negotiates reserve prices (when there are any) to ensure that you are buying interest-bearing automobiles at a good price.

 

But why sell on Benzin?

Benzin allows you to receive the best price for your vehicle effortlessly, securely and within 10 days. Your vehicle is best presented by taking advantage of a complete advertisement including unlimited photos, videos and a description written by our team. We take care of promoting your ad to a targeted audience through a large network in order to collect the best offers. Our auction system saves you from endless negotiations and allows you to receive only serious bids. Bidders are verified by credit card and the winner is debited for the sale costs at the end of the auction in order to lock his engagement. Finally, Benzin secures payment through the use of an escrow account (eligible vehicles).

 

What happens when I win the auction?

When you win an auction (meaning that your offer has been accepted by the seller), you are debited for the amount of service charges by the bank card you have entered. You will then receive instructions on how to pay for the vehicle.

 

How do you pay for the vehicle?

For eligible vehicles, when you win an auction, you access a secure payment platform that allows you to find all the details of your transaction. You then have 7 days to make a bank transfer to an escrow account assigned to you. Note that after this period or without proof of your commitment to pay for the vehicle, Benzin may consider that you are in default of payment and will charge the residual costs of 3% excluding tax of the final auction price. So only bid if you are really interested in the vehicle!

 

Should I sell with a reserve price?

The reserve price is optional. A vehicle sold without reservation attracts more attention and is likely to fetch a higher end price. However, we can work with sellers to define a reasonable reserve price, based on vehicle analysis and market observations.

 

If my vehicle is not sold on Benzin, can I put it back on sale?

In general, we do not put the same vehicle back online twice, in order to maintain the interest of the community, which is always hungry for new things. However, if your vehicle is not sold we will accompany you to negotiate with the bidders in order to find common ground.

 

What if I am interested in a car but the sale is closed?

If the sale is not won, the vehicle remains available for sale for 48h. You will be able to purchase it directly by clicking the "Buy Now" button, or to submit an offer.

 

Why am I not receiving Benzin emails?

Some mailboxes place our emails in junk mail (especially @ orange.fr and @ laposte.net). Check in your spam if our mails are there, if not, add @ benzin.fr to your verified senders (green list).