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auction, auctioneer, auctioneers, auctions, best, effortless, online auction, platform, safeguard, software, uptime
Auctioneers have to be careful saying “They are the best at …” unless they actually are. Same with auction platforms that might say “We are the best at …” unless they are.
We wrote about the auctioneering side of this issue here: https://mikebrandlyauctioneer.wordpress.com/2017/01/06/the-burden-of-auctioneer-prowess/. We’ve seen many auctioneers get caught up in litigation because they proclaimed expertise they didn’t have.
I think recently I’ve seen maybe 4-5-6 emails or social media posts from various auction platforms that proclaim they are the best. Can they all be the best? Maybe they are the best at 4-5-6 different things? We would suggest maybe some words should be carefully considered …
For instance, “safeguard,” “effortless,” or “best” might be better expressed as “help safeguard,” “nearly effortless,” and “we think the best” which tend to qualify the platform’s prowess and lessen liability for service or product lapses.
Oh, your platform never goes down? You are the best? Bidders can bid effortlessly? If you believe that, you are living in an alternate reality. All platforms have issues, and the best implies nobody is better? Effortless implies little or no effort at all?
Or is this “puffing?” Is this merely “sales talk?” Does everyone (auctioneers) know the platform is exaggerating? I’m certainly not convinced they do. I’m equally not convinced the platforms know this risk.
Lastly, I always find it interesting that when a platform goes down or has other problems, auctioneers scream they need another platform — which will also eventually go down, or have other problems. https://mikebrandlyauctioneer.wordpress.com/2022/08/02/your-auction-platform-is-down-so/.
Let me know when you find that platform that never goes down and is the best, most effortless, and able to completely safeguard everything. I’ll have my phone ready to answer that text or call …
Mike Brandly, Auctioneer, CAI, CAS, AARE has been an auctioneer and certified appraiser for over 30 years. His company’s auctions are located at Mike Brandly, Auctioneer, Brandly Real Estate & Auction, and formerly at Goodwill Columbus Car Auction. He serves as Distinguished Faculty at Hondros College, Executive Director of The Ohio Auction School, and an Instructor at the National Auction Association’s Designation Academy and Western College of Auctioneering. He has served as faculty at the Certified Auctioneers Institute held at Indiana University and is approved by The Supreme Court of Ohio for attorney education.
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