Auctioneer

General 

Are there any fees for participants?

Currently, the usage of the Auctioneer for participants is completely free of charge.

How do I access an auction?

By clicking on Auctioneer > Bids, you will be directed to the auction overview. Here, you can see all ended, upcoming and started auctions. You will only be able to access ended or started auctions, as upcoming auctions are in the process of being set-up. Once started, you are able to click on the respective auction to view its details and bid on its content.

On the left side, you can expand the filter options to customize the auction overview to your liking.

What types of auctions are available?

On the IATA MRO SmartHub, we distinguish between the auction type and the bid scope. The Auction type refers to the process of bidding and the interaction with other participants. The bid scope refers to what you can bid on as a participant.

Currently, there are two different auction types available on the IATA MRO SmartHub: blind auctions and english auctions.

Blind auctions: Participants will not be able to see any bidding information on other participants in the auction details. Participants can only place bids that are higher than their previously submitted bids.

English auctions: Participants are able to see the highest bid on package or single-part level. Participants can only place bids that are higher than the current highest bid in package auctions.

Currently, there are two different bid scopes available on the IATA MRO SmartHub: package auctions and single-parts auctions.

Package auctions: Participants are able to bid on the whole auction part list. Single parts are not available.

Single-parts auctions: Participants can place bids for each individual item in the auction part list. You are not required to place a bid for every item.

Who can I contact if I have further questions?

If you have questions about specific auctions, please use the Comments section in the auction details to contact the auctioneer. They will be notified if new comments were posted.

If you have general questions about the Auctioneer, please contact us via our contact form (How to contact IATA?). The IATA Customer Support will get back to you as soon as possible.

Who can participate in an auction?

The IATA MRO SmartHub offers two types of participation: public and private auctions.

Public auctions: Every user on the IATA MRO SmartHub will be able to participate in the auction.

Private auctions: Only users of invited companies are able to participate in the auction.

Users without an active IATA MRO SmartHub account can register at https://mrosmarthub.iata.org/registration

Setting up an auction 

What is the minimum price for packages or parts?

The minimum bid specified during the auction creation will be shown to the participants later. Placing bids below the minimum bid will not be allowed for them.

Is it possible to no show the minimum reserve value in the bidding process but let all parties know once it is reached?

Setting a reserve price and not showing it to the participants is not possible by default. However, there are two options to set a minimum bid:

Setting a minimum bid during the creation process. This value will then be shown to every bidder and they cannot place any bids below.
Going with the default minimum bid of $1. This would allow the participants to place bids w/o disclosing your reserve price. However, in this case it is highly recommend that the existance of a reserve price is stated in the auction description and only bids above this price will be considered for acceptance. Once the price is reached you can post a new comment in the auction to let the participants know.

During an auction 

Can I bid on complete auction listings?

This depends on how the auction was set up by the seller. On the IATA MRO SmartHub, two auction types are available: package auctions and single-parts auctions. The auction type is shown in the overview table and in its details.

For both auction types, you are able to bid on the complete listings. For package auctions, you are required to do so, whereas for single-parts auctions you are also able to bid on individual auction items.

Can I edit my bid?

You can submit new bids until the auction ended. During the auction, it is only possible to increase your previous bids. Once submitted, a bid is binding and cannot be removed or decreased.

Can I get a list of the items being auctioned?

Yes, a list of all items being auctioned is included in the auction details. You can open the auction details by selecting an auction in the auction overview. Then, scroll down to the section Part list and you will see an overview of the parts within that auction. If you wish to download the part list, you can click on the button Export part list.

Can the content of an auction change during the auction process?

No. After the auction process has started, the content of an auction is locked and cannot be changed by the seller. However, the seller is entitled to communicate relevant information related to the content of an auction, in form of attached information. All active participants of an auction are notified via e-mail when new attachments are uploaded.

How can I contact the seller to ask for additional information on the auction or auctioned items?

Each auction contains a comment section to allow communication between participants and the auctioneer. For compliance purposes, comments are visible to everybody participating in the respective auction. This reduces the number of duplicated questions and ensures that every participant has the same information at hand to place bids.

The auction can also attach a FAQ as a PDF document to an auction to provide additional information or to summarize answers regarding the auction. All participants are able to download this FAQ in the auction details.

How do I place a bid on an auction?

You are able to place bids in the Managing bids section of the auction details. Depending on the auction type, you have different bidding processes:

Package auctions: You can submit your package bid by entering your bid into the Enter new package bid field and clicking Save bid.

Single-parts auctions: You have to download the part list in CSV format by clicking on Export part list. You can then enter your bids in the exported file. After entering your bids, save your file. Then, upload the file with your bids by clicking Upload bids and selecting your file. Bids will then be placed based on your inputs.

If you are using Microsoft Excel to open the export and edit your bids, please refer to this Microsoft Support page that explains how you can convert CSV files into an easy-to-edit format.

How much should I bid?

For package auctions, the IATA MRO SmartHub only accepts bids that meet or exceed the required minimum bid defined by the seller. In addition, bids reducing an already placed bid, are not accepted.

For item-by-item auctions, the IATA MRO SmartHub validates your bids during the upload process. Only bids that either meet or exceed the minimum bid or exceed your current highest bid for the item are placed in the auction. You will be notified if any bids are rejected due to these restrictions.

Can I cancel my bid?

Cancelling a bid is not possible. Every bid placed is considered binding until the end of the auction.

Is there a minimum bid within an auction?

It depends on how the auction was set up by the auctioneer. If a minimum bid is required, only offers equal or higher than the minimum bid are allowed.

Package auction: Offers below the minimum bid are not accepted and you will be notified about the rejection during the bidding process.

Single-parts auction: Offers for listings below the required minimum bid are not accepted. Any remaining valid bids within the same upload sheet are accepted and considered for the auction.

After an auction 

I was not contacted after the auction ended. What can I do?

If you did not receive any direct communication from the auctioneer, you can try to contact them via the Comments section within the auction details.

What happens when the auction ended?

After the end of an auction, the auctioneer receives a summary of all activities. Auction participants will not be able to bid on this auction anymore. The auctioneer can then decide on their next steps. Your contact details will be revealed to them after the auction, so they can inform you of their decisions.