Vehicle Consignment in Auckland: How MV Consignment Sells Your Car For You

Selling privately means fielding calls from people who never show up, negotiating with buyers who lowball you because they know you're desperate to move the car, and hoping nobody tries to scam you on the handover. I started MV Consignment in late 2022 because I was tired of watching people go through that, and because I knew the car market well enough to do it properly.

Here's exactly how consignment works, what it costs, and why it's different from a trade-in.

What vehicle consignment actually means

You keep ownership of your car. I sell it on your behalf, as a registered motor vehicle trader (MVT M0510401), which means the buyer gets the same Consumer Guarantees Act and Fair Trading Act protections they'd get buying from any dealer. That's a meaningful difference from a private sale, where none of that applies, and it's part of why consigned cars attract more serious buyers.

I handle the detailing, photography, listing, buyer enquiries, viewings, negotiation, and paperwork through to settlement. You don't deal with time-wasters or tyre-kickers. You get updates as things progress, and the money once it sells.

What it costs

I run three consignment tiers, GST included:

• Essential - $189
• Premium - $429
• Signature - $749

On top of that, every vehicle gets a pre-purchase inspection before it's listed, $200 at cost, refunded if the car sells for over $30k. This isn't optional. I want buyers confident in what they're getting, and I want to know what I'm selling.

Commission is tiered by sale price: 9% on $10k-30k, 7% on $30k-60k, 6% on $60k-80k. Under $10k or over $80k, get in touch and we'll work out a fair number for the vehicle specifically.

If you're storing the car with me while it sells, that's $20/week, billed monthly with the first week free. Vehicles are kept at my Glenfield premises, gated and under 24/7 surveillance.

Consignment vs trade-in vs private sale

A trade-in is the fastest option and the lowest return, the dealer needs margin to resell your car, so the offer reflects that. A private sale can get you the best price in theory, but it costs you time, exposes you to scams, and most people underprice their own car because they don't know the market.

Consignment sits in between, and usually ahead of both: you get dealer-level marketing and protection for the buyer, without giving up the margin a trade-in takes off the top. I've sold 150+ vehicles this way for over $1.5M in total sales.

Who this is for

I take on daily drivers, but where I add the most value is with classics, enthusiast builds, 4WDs, and race cars, cars where the buyer pool is smaller and specific, and where presenting the vehicle to the right audience matters more than blasting it onto TradeMe and hoping. I have international marketing reach for cars that deserve it.

What happens if I want to sell

Get in touch, 027 474 8942 or info@mvconsignment.nz, and I'll take a look at the vehicle and talk you through which tier makes sense. If you're in Auckland and want to see how it works before committing, I'm based in Riverhead and happy to have a chat.