At Route 66 Auctions, we distinguish between:
1. A complaint about Route 66 Auctions or our services
and
2. A dispute between the buyer and seller concerning a purchased vehicle.
This distinction is important because Route 66 Auctions facilitates the online auction platform but, in principle, is not a party to the purchase agreement concluded between the buyer and seller following the auction.
1. A complaint about Route 66 Auctions
Are you dissatisfied with our services, the operation of the platform, our communication, an invoice, or any action taken by Route 66 Auctions? You may submit a complaint to our customer service team.
Please preferably include:
- your name and contact details;
- the relevant lot or auction number;
- a clear description of your complaint;
- relevant correspondence or documents;
- what you expect Route 66 Auctions to do in order to resolve the complaint.
We will review your complaint and contact you as soon as possible.
If additional information is required in order to assess your complaint, we may ask you to provide it.
A complaint concerning the actions or services of Route 66 Auctions will be handled by Route 66 Auctions itself.
2. A dispute between buyer and seller
Does your complaint concern the vehicle itself, the condition of the vehicle, an alleged defect, the vehicle description, delivery, vehicle documents, or any other obligation arising from the purchase agreement?
If so, this will in principle constitute a dispute between the buyer and seller.
The purchase agreement for the vehicle is concluded between the buyer and the seller. Route 66 Auctions brings the parties together through its platform but is neither the buyer nor the seller of the vehicle and is not a party to the purchase agreement.
Therefore, in the event of a complaint concerning the vehicle, the buyer must first contact the seller directly.
The buyer and seller are jointly responsible for discussing and resolving the dispute.
What can Route 66 Auctions do in the event of a dispute?
Although Route 66 Auctions is not a party to the purchase agreement, we may attempt to facilitate communication between the buyer and seller.
For example, we may:
- put the parties in contact with each other;
- request relevant information or documents;
- share information in our possession concerning the transaction with the parties, insofar as permitted;
- request that the parties attempt to reach a mutually agreed solution;
- take measures relating to the settlement of the transaction within the limits of our General Terms and Conditions.
Such assistance does not mean that Route 66 Auctions becomes a party to the dispute or assumes the obligations of either the buyer or the seller.
Payment temporarily blocked in the event of a dispute
If a dispute arises before the sales proceeds have been paid out and both the buyer and seller claim entitlement to the same funds, Route 66 Auctions may, in accordance with the applicable terms and conditions, temporarily suspend further processing of the payment.
This is a precautionary measure and does not automatically mean that Route 66 Auctions has ruled in favour of either the buyer or the seller.
Any assessment made by Route 66 Auctions in connection with the settlement of the transaction is intended solely to determine which measures Route 66 Auctions may or must take under its terms and conditions. Such an assessment does not constitute a binding legal ruling on the dispute between the buyer and seller.
If funds are held by an external administrator, payment service provider, or in a third-party account, the terms and obligations of that party may also apply.
Buyer and seller are unable to reach an agreement
If the buyer and seller are unable to resolve the matter between themselves, they remain responsible for resolving their dispute.
They may, for example:
- obtain legal advice;
- use mediation or another form of dispute resolution;
- submit the dispute to the competent court or another competent dispute resolution body.
Route 66 Auctions cannot act on behalf of either party and cannot require the buyer or seller to accept a particular solution, unless a specific authority of Route 66 Auctions arises from the applicable terms and conditions or the law.
Important
Submitting a report or complaint to Route 66 Auctions does not alter the legal relationship between the buyer and seller.
Where the complaint concerns the purchase agreement or the vehicle, the buyer and seller remain responsible for their respective rights and obligations.
The General Terms and Conditions, Buyer Terms and Conditions, and Seller Terms and Conditions of Route 66 Auctions remain applicable at all times.
