Latin American remarketing experts Elebbre’s recent online auction of used mining and construction equipment on behalf of global construction giant Bechtel has been given an enthusiastic vote of approval. The month-long auction – the largest 100% online auction to date in Latin America – was powered by UK SaaS technology company Krank’s marketplace platform. Using the Krank platform allowed Elebbre to manage the entire auction and sale process itself, rather than relying on the support (and associated costs) of third-party auction houses.
The auction generated total sales revenues of $2.8 million and drew bidders from over 75 countries. Of the 152 lots put up for sale – which included dump trucks, boom trucks, cranes and excavators – almost half (47%) were sold, roughly double the sales ratio of a traditional auction. Unlike with traditional auctions, even when Elebbre’s 30-day sale was over – that wasn’t the end of proceedings. The use of vital runner up data – information that Elebbre wouldn’t have access to if it had used a traditional auction house – allowed it to sell a further 24 machines.
“In the past we used traditional methods, including third party auctions and direct sales for disposals of this kind,” said Elebbre’s Co-Founder and General Manager, Moisés Nunez. “But for a range of reasons – including cost, lack of sale data provided by third party auctions and the carbon footprint of moving machines to auction sites, we decided to take a different approach.”
“For this sale we were attracted to Krank’s reputation of providing cutting-edge and efficient platforms for equipment disposal,” Nunez continues. “We expected Krank’s platform to enhance our selling process by providing a user-friendly interface, and it did attract a broader range of buyers. In fact, the Krank platform exceeded our expectations. The auction performance was excellent and helped to maximise the value of our used equipment.”
Feedback from bidders was overwhelmingly positive. The user-friendly interface and transparent processes on Elebbre’s Krank-powered platform were both cited as making it easier for bidders to participate in the auction. From Elebbre’s perspective, the buyer data it captured is proving to be valuable for understanding market trends and buyer behaviour, information it can leverage in future equipment transactions.
“With no auctioneer fees to absorb, the cost savings are substantial compared to traditional methods,” continues Nunez. “Krank’s auction platform also eliminated the need and associated costs of transporting equipment to physical auction sites. This contributed to a significantly reduced carbon footprint compared to traditional auctions. Our overall impression of using the Krank marketplace platform to sell equipment has been overwhelmingly positive. Its effectiveness, user satisfaction and the financial benefits it offers make it an invaluable tool for our equipment disposal needs.”
