Auctioning4u, iSold It?

5/12/2007 at 23:03

What’s happening at the UK’s most prominent trading assistant and drop off shop, Auctioning4u? It’s barely eight months since they acquired the UK arm of the failed iSold It franchises but now it appears they’ve sold themselves.

The auctioning4u eBay ID has changed it’s name today to clocktronix and items listed today no longer have the Auctioning4u listing template.

The Auctioning4u website now states that Auctioning4u is “a brand owned by Bob Rock Ltd“, who also happen to own another trading assistant – Serial Sellers.

If Auctioning4u have sold out this must indicate all is not well in the Trading Assistant world. Auctioning4u in the past insisted, whilst eBay drop off shops were a difficult model to operate profitably, their success came from a centralised processing facility. In July this year Auctioning4u called it quits on their drop off stores, including closing the last remaining iSold it franchise just two months after taking over the brand.

It’s unclear if all, or just part, of the Auctioning4u business has been transferred to Bob Rock Ltd / Clocktronix, another of the Auctioning4u eBay user IDs TheToyAuctioneer hasn’t changed it’s branding or listing templates.

Auctioning4u rasied £4 million from venture capitalists, acquired Auctionicity, Auction Partner, Trading Nation, Sell It Shack and Recycle UR Stuff. iSold it appears to have been their last acquisition before they sold it.

To date there is no press announcement regarding the business transfer to Bob Rock Ltd on the Auctioning4u website.