For your convenience we have created this database of FAQ’s. It is uncensored, and unfiltered. We simply post the questions we have received from our clients and the responses we have given. We continually build on this database with any new questions that come in and are answered. We hope that some of these questions and answers will assist you in resolving any issues and concerns and please feel free to contact us with additional questions if you have them.

Q - Could you please tell me a little bit more about your company?

• Whole Auction is part of The Auction Registry. We are one company. We began originally in 2003 as a small art company providing art sculptures to nonprofits for their fundraising. We grew and evolved over these past six years, changing the company profile (and even our name), as we saw the industry and our client’s needs change.
• We have experience working with nonprofits for over six years now, which gives us more experience than any other similar company in the industry.
• We have worked with over 6,000 organizations across the country. Our primary service over the past years has been to provide the best and highest quality consignment items for auctions through The Auction Registry.
• • As we now evolve once again with the addition of event management software and services, including online auction software, we realize that our name ‘The Auction Registry’ is no longer inclusive enough and so we have adopted a new brand “Whole Auction™ ” which is also our new website.

Q - I know that places like C- Market charge percentages on the funds raised but they seem to offer a very complete service. I also know of other institutions that are very happy with their services. So I need to know why in our case, this being the first time that we would run an online auction, we might be better off with you.

• • We agree with you that other companies also provides an online software solution and we recommend that you compare their service with ours. We believe choosing a service provider should be based on a combination of factors such as, cost, support and experience. We know we have, by far, the lower cost. We are confident that our support is as good as any company in the industry, and our experience working with nonprofit clients has been longer than any competitor in the business. We have been working with nonprofits since before any of our competitors were even founded.
• Almost all software service providers in the industry charge a ‘performance fee’ which is a percentage of total revenue raised in the online auction. We like to refer to this as a ‘performance penalty’ since it clearly is a ‘tax’ on your success. We think that structuring a pricing strategy that benefits from your success is inappropriate. The effort expended by any service provider isn’t much different if you raise $100 or $10,000. The money raised by and for your organization is a direct result of your efforts, and the generosity of your patrons, and that success should not have to be shared with your service provider. Our low flat rate allows your organization to budget its costs, minimize your overall risk, and keep much more of the money you raise.
• We are very confident that when you consider all the important issues in deciding who to trust with your fundraising efforts, Whole Auction will be the partner you are looking for.

Q - I haven’t heard much about your company before. Why is that?

• We tend to be a little ‘quieter’ then others in the industry. Our approach to marketing is a little different. Historically we have not spent a great amount of time and energy promoting ourselves via the internet and media, preferring instead to grow our company through direct contact and word-of-mouth.
• We have a 90% return rate from our customer base and we win new clients every day.
• We recognize that our clients needs change, and our services and products expand, our approach to marketing also needs to change and we are working aggressively to improve our industry visibility.

Q - How long have you been doing online auctions?

• Our online service is new. We introduced Whole Auction on May 18th 2009. However, our newness does not introduce a high risk for you.
• Here is why: Whole Auction is partnered with a company called NorthWorld, which is our software partner. Northworld is the company that built and designed our Live Event and Online management software. Their software has run in over 40 different live events and we have personally visited live events to watch the software in action. (This was part of our diligence in choosing Northworld as our software partner.) The online auction software, has also been used for a dozen online auctions to date without issues. In fact there are repeat clients who have used the software to run their second online auction.

Q - Do you have documentation or fact sheets?

• Our goal is to educate all our clients on our products and services on a personal level. Our support manager (Steve Bangsund) will work with you directly. Our support operation is set up to work with clients individually and ‘guide’ them through the online auction site- building process.
• We conduct training Webinars every Wednesday for the Live Event Management Software suite.
• We provide individual phone training and support for every client on an as-need basis.

Q - I want to verify that the flat rate and the credit card fees is all we would have to pay in any of the product options.

• • Yes the only fees we charge are the $995 for our software service, whether it is the Online Auction or the Live Event Management. The banking fees will be charged by the bank, we have no control over this, however, unlike others, Whole Auction does not attach an additional fee to the bank charges. Every known software service company charges you an additional transaction fee on top of the bank fee. Sometimes it is a percentage and sometimes it is a specific charge like $0.20 for every transaction. In either case Whole Auction does not attach an additional charge to your banking fees.
• The merchant processor generally charges a transaction fee of 1.7 - 2.5% + $0.30/transaction. (This varies among banks, so this is only an example and may not apply to your specific case.) You’ll have to pay those charges because that is the bank you are using. If you have to set up a new merchant account, (and we assume that is not the case), there may be a setup fee for that new account, (est. cost $99), depending on the card processor you choose. We can recommend one for you without a signup fee if you need one.
• Savings to you could amount to a lot of money. If the typical transaction fee charged by a software service provider is 2% then your organization pays an additional $200 for every $10,000 raised, and this is almost always charged in addition to all their other charges.

Q - We will procure our own auction items, so we plan to build our catalog with our own items. However it seems to me that we could not RUN the auction online unless we also acquired the event management software. Is this accurate?

• This is NOT correct. Our online auction service (Whole Auction Online; WAO) allows you to completely build and manage and run your online auction independent of any other activity or event. The other service we offer is for a Live Event Management software package, (Whole Auction Management; WAM), which manages the live event activity, such as check-in and check-out, and catalog building, and inventory management etc. The Live Event Management package (WAM) is separate and is also priced at $995.
• However if you are planning to have a Live Event and you also plan to have an Online Auction in conjunction with the live event we offer the opportunity to buy both Live Event management software, (WAM), as well as an Online management package, (WAO) at a combined discount price of $1595, (instead of $995 X 2 = $1990). However you do not have to take that option. You can purchase one of the services or both, as you wish, and as your needs require.

Q - Do we build the online auction ourselves with the template or do you build it for us?

• We will provide you with a software template of the online auction. You will need to load your own items into the template by uploading the photos and individual item descriptions. Basically, you build your own online catalog from your inventory of donated and procured auction items.
• We will build your ‘home’ page and the banner for your auction. We will get the text and script from you that you would like to place on your auction home page explaining your cause, or the reason for your auction or any messages you want your patrons to understand. With the text you provide we will build your home page.
• Each auction gets its own individual URL address and is designed from scratch using our general purpose auction template. This is exactly the same as all other service providers. Everyone in the industry has their proprietary software which is their general purpose ‘template’ into which individual clients load their specific catalogs. Our software is also proprietary and performs the same auction tasks as most other online auction services.
• If you would like help building and uploading you own items into your online auction template, we can help. We have a service which does all the uploading of items for your auction. This service charges $5 per item.
• If you select any items from our Whole Auction Registry (catalog), such as Travel packages, or Charters, or Golf Clubs, or any other items we will upload these items into your online auction for you at no charge.
• If you select any of our Whole Auction Registry items for your Live Event we will provide them at no risk and no cost to your live event including shipping if shipping is available for that specific item.

Q - How can we see the design of a page for a client?

• Please visit our online demo or tour at……. http://www.wholeauction.com

Q - Is there space for sponsor logos on the site you build? Do you charge a fee for sponsorship money we might get for the auction or items?

• • We currently provide space on the site, in the individual items section for every donor or sponsor to be recognized for their contribution. Generally this is in the form of a text line that reads “This item was donated by ………”. We do not have a general ‘billboard’ space for sponsors on the home page.

Q - When you say “This item was donated by…” does a logo follow or is it written down? Is this logo linkable to wherever the donor might want?

• Our current version only provides for a text link. So for example the text could read “This Item is donated by ‘company name’ “ and the company name can be a hyperlink to the company website. Our current version does not allow for logos and images to be hyperlinked.

Q - Is our auction’s homepage linkable to our main website?

• Yes your Online Auction home page can be linked to your organizations main website and we recommend it strongly.

Q - Can people donate items and cash while the online auction is running?

• People can always donate and contribute cash to your online auction. This is simply a matter of knowing the contact information and then making the contact. We can easily provide contact information on your auction home page. We do not allow donors to contribute items online independently. Our clients have told us that they prefer to always have donations be filtered through them initially. The auction administrator can add or remove auction items while the auction is running so donated items can always be added at any time.

Q - Can we sell tickets to our main event in the auction site?

• The current version does not allow for ticket sales to happen on the Online Auction site. However, if you have a Live Event, for which you want to have online ticket sales, then we would recommend that you also get the Live Event Management Package, (Whole Auction Management), which includes the ability to order tickets online.

Q - What promotional tools do we get when the site is built? Can we manage emails directly from your site?

• We prefer that you use your own email functionality to promote your online auction. This maintains privacy and allows your organization to control and manage your patron database. We would want you to use your current method of patron solicitation.

Q - How about ‘refer to a friend’ features. Let’s say somebody sees an item that he/she thinks somebody else will like. Is there a possibility to do that directly through your site?

• We do not have a “refer to a friend” button in the current version. (We expect to have it within a couple of months). This was always a lower priority for us in the design and development of the software because it is just as easy to copy and past the current page URL on the very top of the page to anyone you want to email. Yes we will have that feature in the future but it is also extremely easy to just use the method that everyone in the world uses which is to copy and past the above URL into an email to a friend.

Q - Do we get reports on how the online auction is doing so we can take action to make it more successful?

• Yes. We provide reports on the site activity, in real time.

Q - Help with the silent auction after the online auction is only given through the event management software. That’s my understanding.

• The silent auction is a part of a Live Event and therefore is not included in the Online portion of the service. If you want to use software to help you manage the silent auction we would recommend you purchase Whole Auction Management software which is the live event management module and if you purchase it along with the online service it is a discounted combo pack.

Q - Can I have references on clients that have used your services, as well a consignment items?

• Yes we are always happy to provide references.
• We have been servicing many of our clients longer than any of our competitors. Our return rate is over 90%. We are exceptionally proud of our service and client support.

Q - In a nutshell I need to know how if your low price also means that this is a “do it yourself” type of auction service.

• Yes our Online service is a ‘do it yourself’ however that phrase is subject to interpretation. For example, virtually every online auction service company we know is a ‘do-it-yourself’ service in that everyone has to build their own catalog, and upload their own items.
• We can provide the service to upload your catalog for you. (The fee for this service is $5/item)
• We build your home page, and we host the auction on our secure server bank, and we assist you in setting up your merchant account, and we provide complete support and training for both online and live event services.