Lot Fee
A storage / handling fee charged by the auction yard while a vehicle waits to be sold or picked up.
A lot fee is the daily storage charge an auction yard imposes on a vehicle while it sits in their facility. Lot fees come in two flavours: pre-sale lot fees (charged to the seller, typically built into the consignment agreement) and post-sale lot fees (charged to the winning buyer if the vehicle is not picked up promptly).
At major auction houses post-sale lot fees are usually free for a grace period of 2 or 3 business days, then escalate sharply — $25–$50 per day is typical, and after 30 days the auction can re-take possession and re-sell the vehicle to recover storage debt. International buyers using shipping consolidators are particularly exposed: any delay in transport coordination racks up lot fees that can erase the deal’s margin.
Lot fees are listed separately from the buyer fee on the auction invoice. Buyers should account for at least 3–7 days of pickup-window lot fees in their landed-cost calculation, especially when bidding remotely or arranging third-party transport.