FAQ
We welcome all questions, if you were thinking it then so are millions of other people. Please email us all inquiries and we will post them for everyone to read.
Can anyone bid on these units?
Yes, anyone who is of 19 years of age or older and who personally holds a major credit card.
Is it true that Storage Units go into arrears and then sold at Public Auction?
Yes, this is a regular occurrence that takes place each month The Self Storage Manager and/or Owner work very hard to try and contact their customer using the most current information provided to them by the customer. Very often the Managers will go above and beyond their legal obligation and attempt to research online or look up customers on published directories, or try to contact family and friends to find and notify their customer. It is unfortunate, but people do fall into personal and financial hard times, or they may have passed away, and are nowhere to be found.
Who is legally responsible for selling the Auction Units at Public Auction?
It is the Self Storage Owner and/or Manager that takes full responsibility for selling their delinquent auction unit. Each Owner and/or Manager have a legal obligation to fulfill all required steps set out by their Lease or License, and follow through all the rules and regulations stated by their Federal, Provincial or State Law. iBid4Storage takes no responsibility.
When do the locks get cut?
Unlike what you see on Storage Wars, or Storage Hunters or any show on TV, the locks very often get cut way before the public auction takes place. Every Lease or License is different and every location is located in different jurisdictions and thus have different Federal, Provincial and or State Laws that dictate timing of lock cut. It has been a rule of thumb in the Self Storage Industry to cut the locks of past due accounts between the 31st and the 45th in arrears. The storage Owner and or Operator will cut the customers lock, inventory the items seen from the front of the locker, and then place a seal and lock on the door.
When the lock is cut can anyone enter the space?
No, initially, when the lock is cut by the Manager or Operator, the persons cutting the lock will inventory the delinquent unit by viewing the items from the outside of the unit, then sealing and locking it with one of their locks. At the time of the Auction, no one is permitted to enter the space and must bid on the space based on what they see.
Can I get a refund if I do not like what I bought?
NO REFUNDS, all auctions are final sale and sold as is, on a `what you see is what you get` basis.
What do we do with the personal items found in the Auction Unit?
All personal documentation, passports, bank records, pictures, personal videos, etc must be returned immediately to the self storage office.
How long do I have to pay and remove the goods from the storage space?
Once you won the bid you will have 24 hours to pay in full, and 48 hrs to remove the items at the Self Storage location where the online Auction took Place. If you require any additional time you might have the option to rent the space or get an extension but you must make these arrangements with the Storage Manager or Operator immediately after winning the bid.
What if I don`t want all the stuff that is in the unit?
It is your responsibility to remove and dispose of all items in the space. You can haul it yourself or hire a Junk Removal company, ie.
1800-Got-Junk, to do so, at your cost. Get the best deal by emailing
[email protected]
Book today and save 10% with your iBid4Storage.com discount
Can I bid on any Storage Auction Unit ?
We at iBid4Storage recommend that you bid on Storage Auctions that are in proximity to your home and or business. Remember, it is your responsibility to empty the space within 48 hours!!
Why do Storage Auctions take place?
In order to cut their losses on accounts that have fallen into default, the Storage Owner, Manager, and/or Operator must try to recoup some of their losses by selling the units or items left in storage. More often than not , the Storage Owner or Manager end up selling the spaces for pennies (much less than what is owed on the unit). Their main goal is for them to cut their losses, sell the items, empty the space and get it ready to re-rent.
What do some of the wording mean in the Terms of Use?
These terms are used very often to describe the conditions of the sale of each storage auction unit. "As is" is referred to the condition of the goods and items in the space and no warranties or guarantees are provided. As for the "where as", the items cannot be shipped and must be picked up at the location or address of the space sold at auction.
Are there any extra fees if I buy the delinquent auction unit?
The winning bid amount is what you pay the storage facility plus applicable taxes. You will also be asked to leave a cleaning deposit which gets returned once all the items are removed. iBid4storage.com charges a buyer premium once you win the unit.
Why do some units disappear before the auction closes?
The units are uploaded and managed by the storage location, the seller. As per the Terms and Conditions, the seller has the right to remove the units prior to closing if they choose to do so. More often than not, the customer has paid and redeemed the unit prior to closing. It is the discretion of the seller whether they want to accept the tenants money and withdraw the unit from Auction. All inquiries should be addressed to the location seller.
What does a soft close mean?
A soft close is different from a hard close auction, which offers a firm closing time. Rather, iBid4Storage offers a soft close on all our live units. What this means is if someone places a bid on an auction unit that has a minute or less to go from closing, the auction end time will extend for 2 more minutes and will refresh automatically until one bidder remains with the highest bid for 1 minute.
What does Proxy Bidding mean?
Proxy bidding (iBidMANAGER) is also known as max bidding, automatic bidding or absentee bidding.
iBidMANAGER allows bidders the convenience of entering their maximum bid amount on a particular unit and having the system place bids on their behalf, automatically. When competing bids are placed, iBidMANAGER will instantly bid on behalf of the bidder, in increments of $10, keeping that bidder on top until their max has been reached. If the maximum bid has been reached before the unit is sold, iBidMANAGER will notify the bidder (by text/email) that their max has been met. The bidder may then choose to increase their Proxy and keep bidding or concede the unit, as desired.
Our PLATINUM bidders can use iBidMANAGER to save time, as they don`t have to continually monitor an auction to stay on top. As well, iBidMANAGER makes it easy to bid on multiple units online, without having to be in front of a computer.
What Happens if there are multiple Proxy Bidders?
There can be several bidders using iBidMANAGER at the same time on the particular unit. In these cases, the high bid may jump by more than the normal $10 increment depending on the Proxies (max bids)
Example:
Unit #C2525 is running and has current high bid of $300
Jack arrives, looks at the unit and decides he would pay up to $500 for this unit.
Jack enters his proxy bid (max bid) into iBidMANAGER of $500 and walks away.
iBidMANAGER now bids for Jack, putting him on top at $310
Another bidder (not using iBidMANAGER) comes in at $320
iBidMANAGER bids for John at $330
Now, Diane shows up.. she looks at the unit and decides she would pay up to $700 for this unit.
Diane enters her proxy bid (max bid) into iBidMANAGER of $700 and walks away.
**now there are 2 bidders using iBidMANAGER on the same unit**
The high bid instantly goes from $330 to $500 (Jack`s max) and Diane becomes high bidder at $510.
Diane will stay on top until somebody bids $710, whether by proxy or manual bid, or until the auction closes.
Does iBid4Storage know my maximum bid (Proxy)?
No.
In order for the process to work and to ensure confidence with our Bidders, neither iBid4Storage nor it`s Sellers have access to Bidder`s maximum bid (proxy). The Proxy Bid is encrypted and secured on a third party server.
Can I change my Max or Proxy Bid!!
It is important that you are logged in to your account in order to change your Proxy or Max Bid higher only. Simply re-enter your higher amount and click on the BID NOW button. Once complete the green message above the amount will now reflect your higher bid.
What is SMS?
SMS stands for Short Message Service and is another term commonly used for texting.
What happens when I win an auction?
Once a user has successfully purchased a unit, a new page will prompt users to check their personal emails.
The information will contain an invoice that can be printed for personal keeping.
Emails should be sent shortly, within a few minutes. If not, please contact iBid4Storage.
The email will include the unit number, facility location, as well as a link to view and print a hard copy of the invoice.
Please click on the highlighted link provided, to view the wining auction invoice.
The invoice will provide Winners with details on how to locate and contact the storage facility.
Once won, Winners have 24 hours to pay the full amount for the storage unit, in person, at the storage facility.
Afterward, Winners have 48 hours to clear the entire contents of the locker.
It is important to read the Terms and Conditions of a facility to assure correct payment and pick-up protocol, as these terms may vary.
Should users wish to obtain a copy of any other invoices, they can find all copies in "My Account" under Billing Overview. For more details please, visit "How to View Billing Information" in iBidHelp
How does the BUY NOW button work?
The "Buy Now" option allows Bidders to purchase the entire storage unit, in one bid, for the Sellers top price.
Please be advised, clicking "BUY NOW" will end the auction immediately and the Winner will have 24 hours to pay the full amount, at the facility, in person.
The Winner will have an email sent, where they can find the invoice, contact and location information of the storage facility attached.
Remember to read the Terms and Conditions of the storage facility as they may vary.
How to Add iBid4Storage to Your Email Addresses as a Safe Recipient?
Some email providers impose restrictions on email delivery, which may impact our ability to communicate with you. To ensure you receive your iBid4Storage email, please check the list below for instructions on how to add us.
AOL 8.0
1. Open a message from the desired sender.
2. Click the Add Address icon on the right side of the window.
3. Click the Save button
AOL 9.0
1. Open a message from the desired sender.
2. Click the Add Address icon on the right side of the window.
3. Click the OK button.
AOL Mail
1. Open a message from the desired sender.
2. Click Show Images: Always for this sender.
Earthlink Total Access
1. Open a message from the desired sender.
2. In the From field, right-click the email address.
3. Click the Add to Address Book link in the menu.
4. Click the Ok button
Earthlink Webmail
1. Click on Address Book (it’s over on the left, below your Folders).
2. When your Address Book opens, click the Add new contact.
3. On the Add Contact screen, find the Internet Information box.
4. Enter the desired address into the top Email box. 5. Click Save.
Gmail
1. Open a message from the desired sender.
2. Click Always display images from (senders address).
3. Click the arrow next to reply on the top right.
4. Click Add sender to contact list.
Mac Mail
1. Open a message from the desired sender.
2. Go to Message in the top tool bar.
3. Click Add Sender to Address Book from the drop down menu.
Netscape 6 or 7
1. Open a message from the desired sender.
2. In the From field, right-click the email address.
3. Click the Add to Address Book link in the menu.
4. Click the OK button.
Outlook 2011
1. Open a message from the desired sender.
2. In the From field, right-click the email address.
3. Click the Add to Contacts link in the menu.
4. Click the OK button.
Outlook 2010
1. Open a message from the desired sender.
2. Go to the Junk option in the top tool bar.
3. Select Never Block Sender from the drop down menu.
Outlook 2007
1. Open a message from the desired sender.
2. Go to the Actions option in the top tool bar.
3. Select Junk E-mail from the drop down menu.
4. Select the Add Sender to Safe Senders List option.
Outlook 2000
1. Open a message from the desired sender.
2. In the From field, right-click the email address.
3. Click the Add to Contacts link in the menu.
4. Click the OK button.
Outlook Express 6
1. Open a message from the desired sender.
2. In the From field, right-click the email address.
3. Click the Add to Address Book link in the menu.
4. Click the OK button.
Yahoo! Mail
1. Open a message from the desired sender.
2. From the Actions menu, click Add Sender to Contacts.
What is iBidHelp?
iBidHelp is an online step by step tutorial for Sellers and Buyers. It walks the user through the most common asked questions and educates them on how to solve their inquiries by themselves.
How do I rotate or straighten my pictures?
Change Default Image Format from HEIC to JPEG
Apple has recently changed the way their pictures are saved
Apple does not give an option to change the default setting in the camera app. You will have to go to Settings to switch formats.
Here`s how.
- Go to Settings on your iPhone.
- Tap Camera. You will be shown some options like Formats, Grid, Preserve Settings, and Camera Mode.
- Tap Formats, and change the format from High Efficiency to Most Compatible.
- Now all your photos will be automatically saved as JPG instead of HEIC.
What payment method do you accept?
iBid4storage.com accepts Visa, Mastercard, Prepaid credit cards (Visa and Mastercard). We accept Debit Visa but we do not accept Debit Mastercard. Please read the terms and conditions for payment methods that the facilities accept.
