ROCHESTER, N.Y. -

Kelly Bianchi believes that many dealers would like to participate more in independent auto auctions.

“But they get frustrated with the disconnect,” said Bianchi, who is president of AuctionVcommerce LLC.

AuctionVcommerce seeks to address that disconnect with a new VIP buyer program that it says can help dealers work with independent auto auctions through a centralized approach.

“It is our job to alleviate customer burden, attract digital customers and make sure they get the same fuzzy feeling as when they physically attend the sale,” Bianchi said in a news release.

With the program, dealers can register with AuctionVcommerce as a single entry point for receiving technical support, and the company says it offers a “concierge approach” to auction services.

Through the program, dealers gain single-touch access to engage with any participating auction through a call center representative. Or, with a universal app, buyers can track their auction activity, submit their post-sale requests, scan and track vehicles, arbitrate and coordinate auction schedules.

AuctionVcommerce started out in 2015 in response to Bianchi’s belief in a need for digital infrastructure.

 “Auctions put their businesses online, and our goal was to help them create ‘online businesses,’” Bianchi said.

The company focuses on a digital strategy, stating that helping the independents become more sustainable and competitive online is its primary objective.

After the company engaged in discussions with veteran auction buyers, the initiative to approach the buying community directly began.

“The difficulty in working with independent auto auctions is that, even on single log-in platforms, you still have to approach each auction on its own terms,” said Peter Levy, chief operating officer of RumbleOn, which is the parent company of Wholesale Inc.

Levy went on to say, “In addition, you have multiple account numbers, departments, representatives — There’s a lot to track.  The AuctionVcommerce VIP Buyer program provides a universal approach to minimize the burden and ultimately, I think it will help everyone on both ends of the spectrum to operate more efficiently. It’s definitely more desirable for us to work with auctions that have a consolidated approach to service and support.”

Hoping that the initiative will improve online confidence and eliminate additional barriers that impair a dealer’s ability to attend or bid in a live simulcast event, the company is offering the program for free to dealers.

“This universal approach allows us to be more proactive about online support,” Bianchi said. “A dealer can call or text us with the five auctions they plan to attend in the upcoming week, and we will make sure they are eligible. The worst thing is when an auction loses a bidder because the bidder didn’t know they were inactive, needed to update their information, or that they still had a balance on their AR.”

For enrollment, dealers can call or text (833) BID-TECH with their request to join.