Selling your car at auction in the Netherlands

The kinds of car auction you will come across

The word auction covers several quite different things in the Dutch car market. Before you sign up anywhere, it helps to know which kind you are looking at, because the bidders, the fees and your own freedom to say no all differ between them.

• Trade auctions, where registered car businesses buy and sell among themselves. A private seller normally reaches them through a dealer or a platform, and seldom takes part directly.
• Online auction platforms for private sellers. You describe the car, sometimes have it inspected, and traders bid on it during a fixed period.
• General online marketplaces with an auction option, where anyone can bid. These work much like a private sale, with the price set by bidding.

This guide is mostly about the second kind, because that is the one an expat with a single car is most likely to use.

How an online car auction works for the seller

Every platform has its own process, so read its description and its terms. The outline is usually similar, and it looks roughly like this from your side.

1. You register the car with its number plate (kenteken) and describe the condition, the mileage and any damage.
2. You add photographs, or the platform arranges an inspection and writes a report on the car.
3. The car is offered to traders for a set period, and they place their bids.
4. When the period ends, the platform tells you the highest bid and whether it meets its conditions.
5. You accept the bid, or decline it if the terms allow you to.
6. The buyer pays, picks the car up and registers it in its own name with the RDW.

Ask in advance who collects the car, where, and when payment reaches you. Those three answers tell you more about the platform than any advertisement.

Fees, the reserve price and the terms to read

Auction platforms earn money in different ways. Some charge the seller, some charge the buyer, and some do both. The fee may be fixed or may depend on the selling price. Read the current terms on the platform itself, because fees change and the amount you receive is the bid minus whatever you pay.

Look for four things in the terms. First, whether you can set a reserve price (minimumprijs, what this meansminimumprijsThe lowest amount you are willing to accept. Some platforms let you set one, and a car that does not reach it stays unsold.). Second, whether you may decline the highest bid without paying anything. Third, what happens if the inspection or the buyer finds something that is not in the description. Fourth, what happens if the winning bidder withdraws. If a term is only available in Dutch and you are not sure what it means, ask the platform to explain it in writing before you register the car.

The RDW transfer after a winning bid

Winning at auction does not change the RDW rules. If a business buys, that business registers the car to itself and passes the vrijwaringsbewijs, the proof of transfer, to you. Before that step you remain the registered keeper, with road tax, insurance and fines attached to your name. The seller's side of the procedure is set out in the guide to the RDW transfer.

Hold on to the kentekencard and the two halves of the tenaamstellingscode until the moment of collection. The car may leave once the payment shows in your own bank account and the transfer proof is in your hands. A message that says the money is on its way is not the same thing.

What an auction means if you are leaving the country

For someone with a moving date, the main risk of an auction is time. An auction runs for a set period, and if no bid reaches your reserve price you start again. Plan for at least one round that ends without a sale, and do not book the auction for the last week before you go.

Language is the second point. Most Dutch platforms and their terms are written in Dutch, and the traders will often reply in Dutch. Browser translation helps with the pages, but the terms are a contract, so take the time to understand them. Our guide to selling before you leave explains why the car should be out of your name before you deregister from your municipality (gemeente).

When a direct offer suits you better

An auction lets several traders compete for one car, and that is its strength. The cost is uncertainty: you do not know the outcome until the bidding closes, and you may have to accept or decline in a short window.

A direct offer works the other way round. You ask one buyer, you receive one offer, and you can take as long as you need to think about it. That is how sellcar.nl works: request an offer by entering the plate, and it remains valid until you reply. Should you say yes, the collection is free wherever the car stands in the Netherlands, the RDW transfer is done during that visit, and payment is made when the keys change hands. The handover is described step by step on our how it works page. Many sellers compare both routes, and that is a sensible thing to do.

What you need

• The registration card (kentekencard) and both parts of the registration code
• Clear photographs of the outside, the inside and the dashboard
• The exact mileage and the date of the last APK
• The service book and recent garage invoices
• The platform's current terms, read before you register the car
• A reserve price you have decided on in advance
• A date by which the car must be sold, with time for a second round