Lien auctions
Bid13
Bid13 runs online auctions of abandoned self-storage units for facility owners and operators across the United States and Canada. Facilities post units and remote bidders compete for them. Private sales are not allowed: only auctions posted by storage facility owners or operators.
Listing is free for facilities, with no listing fees, no cancellation fees, no contracts, and no payment information collected. Bid13 earns a 15% buyer's premium charged to the winning bidder, so an auction that ends at $500 pays the facility the full $500 while the buyer's card is charged $75. Free integrations exist with Sitelink, StorEdge, Hummingbird, Cubby, and Storage Commander, and a Host Feed publishes a facility's auctions on its own site through prebuilt plugins for platforms such as WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla, libraries for frameworks such as Code Igniter and Symphony, or an API. Custom API integrations are built at no cost.
To post an auction, a facility films a one to two minute video of the unit contents from the doorway without touching, moving, or opening anything, then keeps filming while the door is closed and a numbered tamper-proof seal is applied; Bid13 mails seals free on request. Bidders create a free account with no monthly fees and pay only on winning: the buyer's premium hits the card on file, and the confirmation code plus photo identification is presented at the facility, where the full unit price, any applicable sales tax, and a refundable cleaning deposit are paid. Failing to empty the unit in the allotted time forfeits the deposit and gets the account banned.
Bid13 operates out of Canada and collects sales tax on the buyer's premiums it charges on units sold in Canada, but not on units sold in the USA; state or provincial sales tax may still be payable to the facility. Support is available by telephone, email, and live chat, though the site states two different sets of support hours, so weekend coverage is worth checking before relying on it.
Best for
Self-storage operators who want lien auctions run online at no cost to the facility, and buyers who want to bid on units remotely. Not for private individuals selling the contents of their own unit, which Bid13 does not allow.
What they do
- Online lien auctions for self-storage units
- Free facility listings with no contracts
- Buyer account registration and verification
- Integrations with Sitelink, StorEdge, Hummingbird, Cubby, and Storage Commander
- Host Feed to display auctions on a facility's own website
- API and custom integrations at no cost
- Public auction notices
- Free tamper-proof seals mailed to facilities
Details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| How they charge | Free for storage facilities, with no listing fees, cancellation fees, or contracts. Bid13 charges the winning bidder a 15% buyer's premium on every unit sold. |
What stands out
- Free for storage facilities: no listing fees, no cancellation fees, no contracts, and no payment information collected.
- Charges winning bidders a 15% buyer's premium, so a $500 auction pays the facility $500 and bills the buyer $75.
- Free integrations with Sitelink, StorEdge, Hummingbird, Cubby, and Storage Commander property management systems.
- Operates out of Canada: sales tax is collected on buyer's premiums for units sold in Canada, but not for units sold in the USA.
- Does not allow private sales, only auctions posted by storage facility owners or operators.
Common questions
- What does it cost to bid on Bid13?
- Creating an account is free and there are no monthly fees. A 15% buyer's premium is charged to the card on file only when an auction is won, so a $50 winning bid carries a $7.50 premium plus applicable sales tax. The unit price itself, any sales tax, and a refundable cleaning deposit are paid at the facility.
- What does Bid13 charge a storage facility?
- Nothing. Bid13 says it is a free service for storage facilities, with no listing fees, no cancellation fees, and no contracts, and that it never asks for payment information. Its revenue is the 15% buyer's premium charged to winning bidders.
- How should a unit be filmed for auction?
- Bid13 asks for a video of roughly one to two minutes shot from the unit doorway, without touching, moving, or opening any contents. Filming continues while the door is closed and a tamper-proof seal with a visible number is applied. Bid13 will mail seals to a facility free of charge.
- Can a private individual auction their own storage unit?
- No. Bid13 does not allow private sales. Only auctions posted by storage facility owners or operators are permitted on the site.