Another successful online auction with Accelevents!

Pros

I have used the Accelevent platform to host online auctions for the past three years. We just wrapped up our 3rd online auction and the process couldn't be easier. I love how we can cut and paste auction items and descriptions from previous online auctions. This makes the set up of the new auction so smooth. All of the choices and features of settling the credit card payments are robust and straightforward. The bidder interface is intuitive and easy. We couldn't be happier. It is complex enough to solicit auction items, to set a bid price and to write the descriptions. To have the Accelvent platform so efficient to use with all of the necessary bells and whistles makes the overall experience from set up, to live auction to settlement is seamless and awesome! I love that Accelevents is constantly enhancing the site to accommodate all types of events. I love the new feature of accepting online donations. Also, the customer service is excellent. Someone is always available when I have a question! Thanks Accelevents for another successful event!

Cons

The only drawback is that I could not copy the photos from prior auctions.

Bringing our silent auctions to the next level

Absolutely fantastic. In the past we have never made over $900 on our silent auction portion of our reverse raffles ... with Accelevents, the past 2 years we have raised $2900 and $1900. So well worth the money.

Pros

I have now used this product for 2 silent auctions at our Band Parents Reverse Raffle. In the past, we would make under $1000 on our silent auctions and would have to deal with the vultures hovering around the tables. With the Accelevents silent auction, people are bidding constantly and I LOVE that my guests get a text message once they are outbid. No longer do they have to run over to the tables constantly to see if they are still the top bidder. They have it all in the palm of their hand. Also, as the primary organizer of the event for 2 years, as "go time" approaches, paranoia sets in and I start to second guess whether everything is set to go. This year I messaged them in the wee hours of the morning the night before the event and got an almost immediate response as well as getting some last minute questions answered just hours before the event started. I haven't had the chance to use the other portions of the product, but if they are anywhere near as good as the silent auction, I'm positive they won't disappoint! Thanks Accelevents!!!

Cons

Really have no cons to speak of. These peeps rock!

Easy to use platform at an affordable price.

Besides the ease of use for the auction holder and bidders, there are a couple of additional benefits that you may not receive from another auction site. One of them being the CSR addresses any question or concern immediately. No matter what time or what day, any question you have will be instantly addressed. The other benefit is the cost. You will have an amazing auction site with a very affordable price tag. There are no hidden fees. You will know exactly what you will be paying to use the site.

Pros

The site is extremely user friendly without the need to be a technical genius. It is very clear how to set up your main page and then to add items, including names, photos, and descriptions as well as bidding information.

The auction is also extremely user friendly for your bidders. People can simply bid from their phone or computer following an easy few step process. Bidders are also alerted immediately if they are outbid adding a competitive edge to the bidding. Because the auction is online, there is no limit on who it reaches. The site can be shared outside of your targeted group.

Cons

This was our second time using AccelEvents for our online auction. After our first auction, we made suggestions for areas that could be improved and all of those changes were implemented.

A-MA-FREAKING-ZING

the amazing immediate reply with in 30 seconds of asking any question

Pros

This software is so easy to use. JUST WHEN YOU THINK you need to have this software needs a function that doesn't exist you ask CUST SUPPORT in a panic how in the world you will possibly make it work they are 5 million steps ahead of you. Not only that but within 5 seconds they reply with a warm stress free reply that reassures you that your event that you spent countless hours on is going to be the most amazing and successful event that could have possibly existed for your cause. I AM NOT A TECH SAVY PERSON! BORN IN THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION I STUCK AT COMPUTERS! but they have made it beyond easy! My second year happy to plan this even thanks to these guys!

Cons

the only thing i don't like about this software program is that they don't have the outreach that other auction softwares have that they send out technical help for the actual event to make the event smooth as possible. Even though they are there to help at every second through the site i can only imagine the absolute craziness if the top notch service was right in front of you

Excellent online auction platform!

We have used Accelevents for 3 events, actually encompassing 8 different online auctions. They have been great to work with and very quick to answer questions. We are a small nonprofit in a smaller market, so we appreciate their low cost, but feel their product is top shelf. Our (not tech savvy) patrons have found the platform easy to navigate, and love the addition of mobile bidding to our events. We recommend them to every who asks about our experience, and will continue to use them.

Pros

Cost , ease of use for bidders, ease of use for staff

Cons

I wish you could more easily change the order of items once uploaded (more like a number system, like a Netflix wish list), and I wish that we had the option of sending out blanket notices to our bidders ("Auction closes in 10 minutes, place your best bid now," or a thank you to all bidders after the fact).

Greatly facilitated check-out process

Simplified check-out process, easy access to bidders and winners, pdf file of all auction postings.

Pros

Software was easy to use from setting up the ticket purchases to uploading the auction items. Guests easily purchased tickets and bid on auction items. None required much help the night of our auction. I liked the ability to print out the description of all the auction items, get spreadsheets of the prizes and the winners. Tech support was invaluable both before and during the auction. The guys were just a chat away, which was important the night of our event since a few questions and issues came up where we needed help.

Cons

The software was limiting in that we sometimes have multiples of the same item. This required us to list the item numerous times rather than having the top couple of bidders win the item. Also, we had a wine pull and a fund-a-cause during the evening. Normally, we would keep track of who purchased the wine and who funded the cause and bill them at the end of the evening. With the Accelevent software, people would have to pay for the wine, fund-a-cause, and auction winnings in three separate transactions. We would have liked one simple end-of-the evening transaction/charge.

Great Mobile Silent Auction Platform & Quick Customer Service Responce

Pros

Faster and more efficient with the the mobile bidding app, Easy to showcase and present items with descriptive information allowing bidders to completely understand what exactly they were bidding on. Quick customer service when we had any question that needed answered, along with being understand and truly caring about help us find a solution, and not be over looked VERY AFFORDABLE!!

Cons

When in the Auction Table cannot organize items in alphabetical order, Bidder in the mobile app were getting confused when to put in there names and bid amount.

Perfect Product for Non Profit

We hosted an event and utilized Accelevents for ticketing and managing our silent auction. Ticketing was easy to set and we could customize per our specific needs. Silent Auction set-up, execution and checkout was the easy, straight forward and user friendly. Customer service and help options were phenomenal….it's old school customer service....hard to find these days. We will use Accelevents for ALL our future needs.

Pros

Super user friendly
Excellent Customer Service
Many 'a la carte' features for NP various needs (auction, ticketing, etc.)
Only pay for what you need
Very cost effective for our small NP with little money to spend
Phenomenal customer service
No app needed for auction bidding

Cons

Wish we could group text all guests at event via software

The online/mobile auction solution I've been looking for!

I volunteer with a number of local non-profit organizations and often find myself working on silent auctions. For the past couple of years, I have looked into solutions for moving our auctions online, in order to increase visibility and participation. But most of the solutions would cost us the bulk of our fundraising. For small community organizations like PTOs, the giant platforms are just not a viable solution. Then, I found Accelevents. Exactly the type of solution that I was looking for, at exactly the right price. Set-up was easy and didn't require any huge investment in time or cost. I could build our auction at my own pace, as items became available. The user experience was equally as simple -- without requiring cumbersome account set-up from people who wanted to participate in the bidding. And the text-to-bid option was a huge bonus, making the bidding process simpler and more exciting. When people are busy enjoying themselves at a party, they don't want to be running around checking clipboards. With text notifications and bids, they didn't have to! The bidding came right to them! The integration with Stripe made the check-out process much simpler and faster for everyone involved. Our entire auction was closed out in under 24 hours, even when half the participants were not actually at the event. (That was a huge win too -- people did not have to be at our sold-out event to participate in the auction!) Finally, the support I receive along the way was exceptional. Questions were answered within hours -- and often within minutes. I would HIGHLY recommend Accelevents to anyone looking to bring their auction --of any size--online.

Excellent Resource for you Fundraiser

Accelevent's has allowed our foundation to provide a hands-on experience to our silent auction supporters. Along with this, it enables us the ability to reach supporters who were unable to make the event, which has increased our funds raised exponentially.

Pros

This software is incredibly fool-proof and is accessible via multiple devices which makes adding late arriving items a breeze.

Cons

We have had issues in regards to the ease of operation of our guests and difficulties signing in and staying signed in. This does not fall squarely on the shoulders of Accelevents as I am sure that much of it was operator error. If this service came in the form of an easy to use phone apps, it would be hands down the best product on the market!