Impact Auto Auctions has enhanced its Interact merchandising platform with two new features, including one that offers a 10-second, under-the-hood video with full sound.
The company said the new tools provide buyers with additional vehicle details to research, bid and buy with greater confidence and trust.
Impact Auto Auctions, which is the Canadian subsidiary of IAA, said that the new features — called Engine Starts and Key Image — also bring a more competitive bidding environment and higher proceeds for sellers.
Engine Starts offers a 10-second, under-the-hood video with full sound that a yard attendant captures using OnYard, IAA’s vehicle check-in system.
With the video, vehicle buyers can assess an engine’s condition as it runs.
Key Image features photos showing key or fob condition and type.
“Providing a wealth of detailed vehicle information, these new merchandising tools are enhancing the customer experience by helping our buyers make decisions with greater confidence and trust,” Impact managing director Blair Earle said in a news release.
Earle also said, “Engine Starts and Key Image allow confident, informed decisions by ensuring buyers receive vehicles that are accurately and consistently described.”
Coupled with a 360° imaging technology called IAA 360 View, the imagery tools on the Interact merchandising platform create an immersive buyer experience that replicates physical interaction with a vehicle, according to IAA. The technology has been in use in the United States since 2019 and can also help buyers to de-risk transactions by allowing them to more accurately assess a vehicle’s value.
Both merchandising tools are available via the vehicle detail pages at impactauto.ca.
Canadian auto auction ESP Auction and its president Alain Boisvert, along with former ADESA president and chief executive officer Stephane St-Hilaire, have acquired a majority stake in auction platform, TradeHelper.
ESP Auction is a physical wholesale auto auction in Montreal. TradeHelper is an online dealer-to-dealer auto auction platform in Eastern Canada. The two plan to combine their networks and integrate their online and physical auction services. The companies say the result will be the first independent auto auction to expand its services with its own online dealer-to-dealer auction platform.
Boisvert emphasized the increased importance of independent auto auctions to allow their dealers to buy or sell cars from their lots as well as at a physical auction location.
“TradeHelper, together with ESP’s 17 years in the auto auction industry, is the perfect combination for complete vehicle remarketing services in the Canadian market," Boisvert said in a news release.
St-Hilaire noted that TradeHelper is a growing Eastern Canada online dealer-to-dealer platform that serves close to 5,000 car dealers.
“When you combine that with ESP’s auction expertise, strategically located real estate and best in class customer services, you have a uniquely complete and powerful remarketing service offering to the dealer community both online and at the physical auction,” St-Hilaire said.
“We are excited to join ESP and continue our growth,” said TradeHelper president Karl Tremblay.
Tremblay continued, “We look forward to offering our customers more integrated services and enhance our product and customer experience.”
New bidding features, including buyers’ ability to use a new “jump bid” option to bid with a single click, are among Impact Auto Auctions’ latest enhancements to its Impact AuctionNow online vehicle auction platform.
Impact Auto Auctions, which is a subsidiary of Insurance Auto Auctions (IAA) and a business unit of KAR Auction Services Inc., said in a news release that the redesigned interface of Impact AuctionNow means buyers can create their own customizable, unique bidding experience. Impact says the convenience and data from the change makes for an easier vehicle purchasing process.
Impact Auto Auctions is a salvage auto auction with more than 14 facilities across Canada that serves the automotive total-loss industry.
With the new bidding features of Impact AuctionNow, an “auto bid” function is also available to buyers. Before the vehicle goes on the block, buyers can set up the auto bid function or queue future bids to ensure they don’t miss an opportunity to buy.
New auction viewing options are another new enhanced feature. While using enhanced filters for finding vehicles more quickly, buyers on the same page view can now view and participate in an unlimited number of auctions.
Another new feature is enhanced auction reminders, which Impact Auto Auctions says will allow buyers to use a “follow action” button and never miss another auction.
“Reminders help buyers better manage their time and ensure they can bid on the inventory they need most,” the company said in a news release.
Impact managing director Blair Earle said the company designed Impact AuctionNow to meet “the unique needs and buying preferences of all our buyers.”
“It is a one-of a kind platform in the industry that includes value-added features to reduce buying cycle times,” Earle said. “We can now cater to our high-volume buying participants as well as those simply looking for a unique vehicle.”
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