Auction Format
Bidding
Create An Account: To participate, you’ll need to create a free account on our website.
Add A Payment Method: To ensure only verified users are bidding in our auction, we require each account holder to have a valid credit card on file. The credit card is initially for verification purposed only. You can choose to use it to pay for your winning bid or you can choose a different payment method at that time.
Place A Bid: Once the online auction has gone live, the lots will display the opening bid amount and bid/max bid buttons. There is no warning message, if you click the bid button, you are bidding. Bid amounts are automatically incremented. You cannot bid lower or higher than the incremented amount unless you place a Max Bid.
Max Bids: Max Bids are the highest amount you are willing to pay and the system will bid on your behalf against other bidders up to that amount. If another user places a Max Bid the system will make them bid against each other until one wins (this happens almost instantly). Whichever Max Bid is highest, will win at one increment above the competing Max Bid. In the event of a tie, the Max Bid placed first will win.
Lot Status: Our auctions are real time. Users visiting the site will see bids as they are placed and do not need to refresh the screen. There may be times where a bid is placed and it may take a few seconds to process. If you are the highest bidder on a lot, it will be highlighted green. If you have been outbid, it will highlight orange. Those who have not bid yet will not see a color change until they enter the bidding process for that lot.
Reserve Pricing: Auctions on this platform are conducted with reserve unless explicitly stated otherwise. The seller, or the auctioneer acting on the seller’s behalf, reserves the right to bid on any lot up to (but not beyond) the reserve price. Such bids are placed in the ordinary course of the auction to protect the seller’s minimum acceptable price and are not considered shill bidding. The existence or amount of any reserve is not disclosed to bidders.
Extended Bidding: To prevent sniping, our auctions automatically go through 1 round of extended bidding, after that, if a bid is placed the auction will extend based on the sale settings (usually 5 minutes). The site admin may adjust the extended bidding period lower (i.e. 2 minutes) if extended bidding is continuing for a long time.
Final Call: Our auctions feature a Final Call option to mimic the excitement and fairness of a live auctioneer-led sale. During the extended bidding period (after the initial scheduled close), the auction can enter Final Call at any time at the discretion of the platform or auctioneer. Once activated, the auction enters an open-ended phase with no definitive end time—it continues until bidding activity naturally stops.
Features
Watch List: Users have the ability to add auction lots to a watchlist to keep track of their status.
Text Messaging & Email: By default text messaging and email messages are enabled for your account. If you are outbid, you will receive a text message and an email notifying you. If you win an auction you will also receive a text message and email notifying you. You can disable these messages in your account settings. Winning bids will still receive an email with payment details and status.
Payment and Pickup
Winning Bids: Should you win a lot, you have 5 days to arrange payment and pickup/delivery options with Dowling Cattle Co.
Payment Options: You will receive an email with your invoice, you can pay online or in person. Available payment methods include cash, check or money order on pickup, or ACH Bank payment online (a maximum $5.00 fee) and credit/debit card online (2.9% + .30 fee).
Pick up: Purchased lots must be picked up or shipped within 10 days of purchase. Dowling Cattle will assist in delivery within 100 miles of Dodge City, KS. Buyer will be responsible for shipping outside of the 100 mile radius. Genetics will be shipped at buyers expense. No lots will be picked up, delivered or shipped prior to payment in full.