ATLANTA -

Dealers realize every wholesale auction transaction whether in-lane or online centers on one key question: What’s the value of this unit?

To give more clarity to that issue, Manheim recently introduced a new feature on OVE.com, allowing buyers to “make an offer” and suggest the value they think a vehicle is worth on designated Buy Now vehicles.

“The ‘make an offer’ feature puts full control in the customers’ hands to determine the true market value of a unit,” explained Joe George, group vice president of Manheim Digital.

“Our goal is to give both the buyer and seller an opportunity to work a deal when they are close on price,” George continued. “It makes OVE.com a more dynamic marketplace by improving the possibility of dealers completing a transaction.”

Because seller engagement is important, Manheim emphasized all sellers are given the opportunity to decide if they want to receive offers on their Buy Now vehicles when they list each unit.

Officials stated both sellers and buyers are notified proactively of offer activity when they login to Manheim.com and via email to ensure they don’t miss out on reaching a deal. 

“After talking with dealers, we learned that opening dialog within the marketplace was critical for them,” stressed Amy Mills, senior director of product management at Manheim Digital.

“With the ‘make an offer’ feature, once the buyer has put his or her offer on the table, sellers aren’t limited to simply accepting or rejecting; sellers have the option to negotiate with buyers,” Mills continued.

“At the end of the day, that exchange can be the difference in making a sale or not,” she added.

The new capability is already being well received. Mike Collins, owner of Kool Kars in Nederland, Texas, offered his assessment.

“Everybody is looking to save a little bit of money, so I would be happy to ‘make an offer’ while I’m on OVE.com looking for inventory,” Collins noted.

“It’s time consuming to find phone numbers, pick up the phone and call sellers when I’d like to pay just slightly less,” Collins emphasized. “This new avenue will save me time as a buyer and will provide another option to help me make more deals as a seller.”

The auction company insisted dealers can easily manage and track all offers from their buying or selling activity areas of Manheim.com.

Customers interested in learning more about how to “make an offer” can call (866) 626-4346.