Asking the seller a question

How does it work?

• Current availability: unit questions are built, but RideAuction switches them on only after its legal counsel approves the Q&A terms. While they are off, the Questions & Seller Clarifications tab explains that questions are unavailable and offers no question or answer form and nobody can ask or answer — rely on the listing, the seller’s disclosures, the photos and any condition report, and contact RideAuction with anything unclear.
• RideAI Insights and questions: the RideAI Insights tab on the lot page can link to Questions & Seller Clarifications from its “Before You Place a Bid” panel or its closing paragraph. That link appears only while questions are switched on; while they are off, RideAI Insights show the same unavailable or sign-in wording instead and no link. Asking is still done in the Questions tab, and the seller’s answer — once RideAuction approves it — is a numbered clarification, not part of AI Notes.
• Who can ask: signed-in staff with RideAuction buying access. The seller’s own dealership cannot ask about its units, and signed-out visitors do not see questions at all.
• Anonymity: the seller sees only “A RideAuction dealer” and you see the seller as “RideAuction Verified Dealer”. RideAuction staff see both dealerships so they can review fairly.
• What not to include: phone numbers, email addresses, links, dealership names or addresses, offers to deal or pay outside RideAuction, price haggling (“will you take…”), the reserve, Max Bids or other bidders. Such a question is refused with the reason — never edited for you — so you can change it and send it again.
• Timing: questions close 24 hours before the lot’s scheduled close; the seller can answer until 6 hours before; RideAuction publishes answers until 2 hours before. If the auction’s schedule changes, these times move with it. The lot page shows the exact times. A 60-minute auction is different: questions, seller answers and publication are open from its publication until its bidding opens, and all close at that moment (the Questions tab shows that one time).
• Limits: up to 5 questions per dealership on one lot, and 20 per dealership in 24 hours.
• Review and publication: a seller’s answer is reviewed by RideAuction, except when the seller is an active Trusted Dealer — then it is published straight away, and RideAuction can still hide it. A published answer appears with your question as “Seller clarification #N” for every eligible dealer, with its time. Published clarifications are part of the unit’s disclosure record.
• Important clarifications: when an answer changes or adds to the seller’s disclosures, it is marked “Updates the disclosures”, the lot shows “Updated after publication”, and everyone who bid on or watches the lot is notified. Bidding is not paused automatically, and bids already placed remain binding — there is no bid retraction.
• Declined and unanswered questions: the seller may decline with a standard reason, which only your dealership sees. A question with no published answer before the deadline is never published; you are told it was not answered.
• Editing: you can edit or withdraw your question until it is answered. Published answers are never changed — a correction is published as a new numbered clarification and the original stays visible.
• Reporting: if a published clarification shares contact details, is inappropriate or seems misleading, use “Report this clarification”. RideAuction reviews every report; nothing is removed automatically. A removed clarification shows as removed, never silently disappears.

What do I need to do?

• Open a lot, choose the “Questions & Seller Clarifications” tab and read the existing clarifications first — your question may already be answered.
• Type a clear question about the unit and choose Send question. If it is refused, the message says exactly what to remove.
• Watch your notifications: you are told when the answer is published, declined or not answered.

What happens next?

Read every Seller clarification, especially ones that update the disclosures, before you bid. Your bids remain binding.