Lifecycle Pro recently completed a BidRush online auction with $49,164 in auction sales (CAD $68,279) with everything starting at just $1 with no reserves, 100% sold and 327 people participating.
Lifecycle Pro’s previous online auction platform used a complicated and inconsistent seller-fee structure.
Depending on the customer and arrangement, seller fees offered on other platforms could be 30%, 15%, 6% or even 0%. In some arrangements, the auction company's “partner” could receive 6% or 12% of the platform’s seller-fee revenue (as a percentage of the fees, not of the total proceeds of the auction). Depending on the arrangement, the other auction company's partner’s actual share represented only approximately 1.8% to 3.6% of auction proceeds.
BidRush, however, has a transparent 12% platform fee, plus payment processing of 2.9% plus 30 cents an invoice - which total less than 16%. Partners choose their own buyer’s premium, and keep 100% of this as revenue for their business.
“We realized our clients were overpaying for online auctions relative to the value they were receiving. We switched to BidRush and set a reasonable 13% buyer’s premium, and we keep 100% of it for all the work we do. Our total platform and payment costs are less than 16%, so the buyer’s premium offsets almost all those costs. That brings our effective auction cost below 3%. We also have more control over our auctions, our brand, our marketing and our relationships with buyers. Results on BidRush and the net proceeds we get speak for themselves.” — Jason Suderman, Lifecycle Pro Estate Liquidators (completed more than 20 auctions and over $260,000 in sales on BidRush since he switched less than a year ago.)
The important question to consider is whether you are receiving enough value to justify what it pays, and whether the quoted seller fee tells the complete story. It usually does not.
The Buyer’s Premium Still Matters
Buyers were charged an 18% buyer’s premium on Lifecycle Pro’s previous platform. (unchanged when a customer’s seller fee was reduced to 15%, 6% or 0%)
Lifecycle Pro decided to look beyond any discounts they were offered and evaluate the complete economics: What do buyers pay? Who keeps the buyer’s premium? What value does the platform provide? What does the auction company ultimately retain? Who controls the auction, brand and buyer relationship?
Lifecycle Pro switched to BidRush after a hard look at not only the fee math but also the operational efficiencies gained from switching.
The final results from Lifecycle Pro's latest BidRush Auction:
US$49,164.25 sold (CAD $68,279)
327 auction participants
165 of 165 lots sold
100% sell-through
2,786 bids placed
Every lot offered without a reserve
Bidding started at just $1
Every item was given the opportunity to find its market through competitive bidding, and every item sold well. Lifecycle Pro did not sacrifice auction performance by moving away from its previous platform’s variable-fee model. It also demonstrated that impressive platform metrics are simply vanity numbers. Saying two million buyers on the platform doesn't matter. What matters is if it attracted the right buyers.
Standout Auction Results
The auction included an impressive collection of gold jewelry, luxury names, sterling silver, collectibles, furniture and estate contents.
Among the leading results were:
Vintage 18K Gold Sputnik on a 14K Bracelet — Sold for US$4,650 (approximately CAD $6,458)
The auction’s highest-selling lot attracted 15 bidders and received 54 bids.
Vintage 14K Gold Jewelry Collection — Sold for US$4,300 (approximately CAD $5,972)
This substantial 45+ dwt jewelry grouping attracted 12 bidders.
18K Florentine Gold Bracelet and Gemstone Cocktail Ring — Sold for US$3,506 (approximately CAD $4,869)
Fourteen bidders competed for this 18K gold grouping, placing 45 bids.
Vintage 14K Chunky Charm Bracelet — Sold for US$3,150 (approximately CAD $4,375)
This distinctive bracelet generated 45 bids from 11 bidders.
Vintage M.C. Mossalone 14K Necklace and Jewelry — Sold for US$2,650 (approximately CAD $3,680)
1950s Tonka Toys Hydrolic Dump Truck Sold for US$276
Why the Seller-Fee Percentage Never Tells the Whole Story
On Lifecycle Pro’s previous platform, one auction company might pay 30%, another 15%, another 6% and another nothing at all. But buyers were still charged an 18% buyer’s premium—and the platform kept it.
That creates two important questions:
If buyers reduce their bids because of a high premium, is the seller really paying nothing?
If the auction company creates the inventory, serves the client and performs the work, why should the platform keep the entire buyer’s premium?
The cost may not appear as a deduction from the seller’s proceeds. It may instead appear through the buyer’s total cost, bidding behaviour and the auction company’s lost opportunity to retain the premium as revenue.
Lifecycle Pro switched to BidRush and established a 13% buyer’s premium—a rate it believed was more reasonable for its bidders. More importantly, Lifecycle Pro keeps that buyer’s premium.
A discounted seller fee can be attractive, but it should not distract from the complete financial and operational picture.
How Lifecycle Pro’s Effective Cost Falls Below 3%
Lifecycle Pro’s BidRush economics are straightforward:
13% buyer’s premium retained by Lifecycle Pro
Less than 16% in total platform and payment costs
Less than 3% effective cost after applying the retained buyer’s premium
What the Switch Changed for Lifecycle Pro
The value of the switch is not simply a list of software features. It is what those capabilities allow Lifecycle Pro to do for its business and clients for better operational efficiency:
- Publish and update auctions (even when auction is live) without waiting on the platform
- Set a buyer’s premium that works for its bidders and business
- Keep the buyer’s premium as revenue instead of giving it away
- Build the Lifecycle Pro brand with every auction (BidRush marketing promotes your brand)
- Direct access to buyers for smoother pickups
- Innovative features such as 'giveaways' (to easily handle any unsolds), 'second chance' to offer any lots not picked up to underbidders, and fully integrated (optional) shipping features
"BidRush has carved out its own category in the Online Auction space. It's an innovative model that gives professional senior move managers, professional organizers and estate liquidators greater control over their revenue, buyers, brand and client experience. Honestly, there is no comparison." says Jason Suderman of Lifecycle Pro who has completed more than 20 auctions and over $260,000 in sales on BidRush since he switched less than a year ago.
Are You Receiving the Same Value for What You Pay?
If your auction company is paying a substantially higher seller fee than other customers, giving away its buyer’s premium or losing control of its bidders, it may be time to examine what your current platform is really costing you.
If you are hesitant about switching to BidRush, give Jason Suderman a call.
CAD equivalents are approximate and based on the Bank of Canada daily exchange rate of US$1 to CAD $1.3888 on August 28, 2026.