How iBiD Works: all four process guides
Your iBiD auction listing process
Submit a project inquiry → review the sale approach with iBiD → agree on the auction seller terms → prepare and approve lots → support inspections → complete removal and settlement.
Start with an auction project review. This is a reviewed process: submitting equipment does not automatically list it or open an auction. The auction seller’s fee is 15%; standalone listings use an individually agreed commission.
Auction learning center · All machinery guides · Ask iBiD a question
A useful woodworking machinery auction listing tells buyers exactly what is being sold, what is known about its condition, and how it can leave the site. Prepare that information before setting the sale date.
1. Confirm authority to sell
Identify the legal owner and the person authorized to approve the sale. Disclose financing, liens, leases, third-party assets and lender or landlord requirements to iBiD before listing. Establish how any required releases will be obtained. Keep private ownership and financing documents out of public listing photos.
2. Build an asset list
- Manufacturer, brand, model, serial number and year when verified; mark unknown information as unknown.
- Quantity, location, operating status, last use, known defects, missing components, damage and relevant maintenance records.
- Voltage, phase, frequency, power requirements, air and dust-extraction needs, approximate footprint and verified weight if available.
- Included tooling, pumps, transformers, conveyors, manuals, control backups and other accessories; list exclusions explicitly.
- Software and controller details, including whether licenses, passwords, dongles or service access can transfer.
3. Photograph and demonstrate accurately
Provide overall views, the serial and electrical plates, controls, working areas, accessories and known faults. Date running videos and explain what they demonstrate. Have an authorized operator conduct any demonstration under the site’s safety procedures. Do not reconnect an isolated machine or remove guards for a better video. If the machine cannot be tested, say so and explain why.
4. Agree on lots and sale terms
Discuss whether equipment should sell individually, as a production line, or in grouped lots. Record whether a bid buys the whole lot or one unit multiplied by the quantity. Make shared accessories and dependencies clear so the same item is not promised in two lots. Agree in writing on any reserve, approval condition, withdrawal arrangement and treatment of unsold lots before the auction is offered.
5. Plan removal before marketing
Record the building exit deadline, inspection hours, pickup window, loading access, door dimensions and floor restrictions. Assign responsibility for electrical and utility disconnection, dismantling, rigging, loading, freight and site repairs. Arrange removal sequencing so one buyer does not lose access after another machine is moved. Get contractor quotes early. The removal guide provides a scope checklist.
6. Understand your proceeds
iBiD charges a 15% auction seller’s fee. On a $10,000 final sale price, the seller’s fee is $1,500, leaving $8,500 before any separately agreed charges or other deductions. Confirm settlement timing, payment-clearance requirements, any lien payoff and an itemized statement in your written sale agreement. The buyer’s separate 15% fee is not an additional deduction from the seller’s sale price. Review the fee examples.
7. Review, release and reconcile
Check descriptions and lot boundaries before publication. Report any condition change promptly. Keep each lot’s accessories and documents together. Follow the agreed paid-release process before allowing removal; reconcile collected lots and retained items against the final inventory and settlement statement.
Start a machinery auction or plant-project inquiry. For a single machine, you can also use Sell Machinery.
Before committing: Read the terms for the specific auction and lot, and resolve missing or conflicting details with iBiD in writing. This guide explains preparation; it does not set payment deadlines, pickup dates, deposit rules, warranties, or other event terms.
iBiD Machinery · Updated October 14, 2026
Ready-to-list checklist
- Owner and sale authority confirmed; financing or liens disclosed.
- Asset list with manufacturer, brand, model, serial, quantity and condition.
- Photos, available video, included accessories and explicit exclusions for each lot.
- Lot numbering, bidding quantity basis and any reserve agreed in writing.
- Signed auction seller agreement, 15% fee and other authorized charges confirmed.
- Inspection access, contractor responsibilities, removal sequence and deadlines agreed.
- Publication approval, release and settlement arrangements confirmed.