Turners Auctions Ltd
Turners Auctions Ltd is New Zealand's largest used vehicle and multi-category auction network, operating 20+ physical branches nationwide with nearly 3,000 cars in stock plus an online bidding platform (Turners Live), serving individual consumers, commercial fleet operators, and business liquidators.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1966
- HeadquartersAuckland, New Zealand
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Turners Auctions Ltd does
Turners Auctions Ltd is New Zealand's largest used vehicle and multi-category auction house, operating a nationwide network of 20+ physical branches from Whangarei to Invercargill. Founded in 1966, the company sells approximately 3,000 cars at any given time with another 1,500 in preparation, and has transacted over 1 million vehicles across nearly 60 years of operation. The product portfolio spans Turners Cars (the core used-vehicle business), Trucks & Machinery, Boats & Marine, Motorcycles & Scooters, Buses/Caravans/Motorhomes, General Goods, and Damaged Vehicles, all running through a shared auction infrastructure.
The technical backbone is the Turners Live online bidding platform, which permits global remote participation in auctions with synchronized real-time pricing. Supporting systems include the Car Valuation Tool, saved search and email alert functionality, the CashNow direct-purchase appraisal service (online booking with sub-30-minute appointments), Turners Mobile Servicing (a dispatched service team), and The Good Oil Blog, a twice-weekly automotive content and newsletter property. The platform integrates with Trade Me for marketplace distribution and MotorWeb for vehicle history data, while NZTA authorization under section 241(1) of the Land Transport Act 1998 grants privileged access to ownership and title records.
The business operates as a fully privately held subsidiary of Turners Automotive Group Limited and generates revenue from multiple streams: buyer transaction fees (7% on general goods, 10.75% on boats), tiered seller commissions (e.g., 9.5% above $1,500 for boats, with $75 entry fees), BuyNow margins on owned inventory, finance and insurance referral commissions (personal/business/truck finance, motor and mechanical breakdown insurance), Trade Me marketplace commissions, and direct vehicle purchases via CashNow. Customers span individual consumers buying personal vehicles, commercial fleet operators disposing of vehicles and machinery, marine buyers and sellers, and businesses in liquidation or receivership selling surplus stock and assets through the Commercial & Industrial division.
Turners Auctions Ltd firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Turners Auctions Ltd
- Legal name
- Turners Group NZ Limited
- Website
- https://turners.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1966
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Turners Auctions Ltd is New Zealand's largest used vehicle and multi-category auction network, operating 20+ physical branches nationwide with nearly 3,000 cars in stock plus an online bidding platform (Turners Live), serving individual consumers, commercial fleet operators, and business liquidators.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Turners Auctions Ltd industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vehicle Auction Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online) (TLABAKAA)
Keywords
Where Turners Auctions Ltd is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Auckland
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices24 records
Markets served
Turners Auctions Ltd business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Auction Buyer Fees: Buyers pay a percentage fee on winning bids at auction, with minimum fees applied. For General Goods: 7% of bid with minimum $100 + GST. For Boats & Marine: 10.75% including GST with minimum $100. These fees cover guarantee of clear ownership and legitimacy.
- Auction Seller Fees: Sellers pay commission based on sale price tiers. For Boats: Up to $499 at 27%, $500-$1,499 at $360 plus 5.5%, $1,500+ at 9.5%. Entry fees of $75 per auction also apply. Marine goods have separate tiered structures.
- Vehicle Sales Revenue: Revenue from sale of owned vehicles through BuyNow pricing, with margins on vehicle acquisitions and subsequent sales to consumers.
- Finance & Insurance Services: Turners provides car finance, car insurance, and mechanical breakdown insurance through partnerships, generating referral and commission income.
- Trade Me Partnership: Auctions conducted in partnership with Trade Me marketplace, with shared traffic and bidding across both platforms.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | General Goods Buyer Fee: 7% of bid with $100 minimum + GST |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Boats Buyer Fee: 10.75% including GST with $100 minimum |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Boats Seller Commission: 9.5% for sales $1,500+, tiered rates below that |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | NZTA motor vehicle services: Cost + $7.50 transaction fee (incl GST) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Turners Auctions Ltd product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Turners Auctions Ltd operates New Zealand's largest used vehicle auction and retail network, listing nearly 3,000 cars across 20+ physical branches and the Turners Live online bidding platform. The company runs multi-category auctions spanning cars, trucks and machinery, boats and marine, motorcycles, buses/caravans/motorhomes, damaged vehicles, and general goods, with sales methods including auction, BuyNow instant purchase, and tender. Supplementary services include vehicle finance, car insurance, NZTA change-of-ownership processing, CashNow instant appraisals, and mobile servicing.
Product overview
Turners Auctions Ltd operates a multi-category auction and retail platform across New Zealand, serving as the country's largest used car network. The product portfolio consists of Turners Cars (core used vehicle sales), Turners Trucks & Machinery (commercial vehicles and equipment), Turners Boats & Marine, Turners Buses/Caravans/Motorhomes, Turners Motorcycles & Scooters, Turners General Goods (commercial and industrial goods), and Turners Damaged Vehicles. These divisions share the Turners Live online bidding platform for nationwide auctions, supplemented by BuyNow and Tender sale methods. Supporting services include Car Finance, Car Insurance, CashNow appraisal service, and Turners Mobile Servicing. The Turners Live platform enables online participation across all divisions, while The Good Oil Blog provides automotive content. The company maintains over 20 physical branch locations nationwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Turners Live: Online bidding platform for participating in auctions remotely
- CashNow
- Turners Mobile Servicing
Products and services
- Turners Cars NZ's largest used car network with over 20 dealer locations nationwide, offering nearly 3,000 cars for sale via auction, BuyNow instant purchase, and tender, with a 5-Day Moneyback Guarantee on BuyNow purchases. Targeted at individual consumers and small commercial buyers.
- Turners Trucks & Machinery Auction and sales channel for trucks, commercial vehicles, and heavy machinery, serving fleet operators, construction companies, and commercial & industrial sellers. Tenders feature photo-illustrated listings with minimum reserve prices.
- Turners Boats & Marine Auction and retail sales of boats and marine craft, including motorboats, sailing vessels, jet skis, and trailers, for both individual buyers and commercial marine operators.
- Turners Buses, Caravans & Motorhomes Auction and sales channel for buses, caravans, and motorhomes serving individual recreational buyers, tourism operators, and passenger transport businesses.
- Turners Motorcycles & Scooters Auction and retail sales of motorcycles, scooters, and related two-wheeled vehicles for individual consumers and small commercial buyers.
- Turners General Goods
- Turners Damaged Vehicles Auction sales of damaged, repairable, and insurance write-off vehicles for individual buyers, rebuilders, and traders seeking value-priced vehicles.
- Turners Live Proprietary online auction platform enabling real-time remote bidding on Turners' vehicle inventory, complementing in-branch auctions and providing nationwide buyer reach.
- Car Finance Vehicle financing product offered to Turners customers purchasing cars at auction or via BuyNow, supporting consumer and small commercial buyers with purchase funding.
- Car Insurance Vehicle insurance product bundled with vehicle purchases, providing cover for buyers of Turners' used cars, trucks, and other vehicles.
- CashNow Instant vehicle appraisal and cash purchase service allowing sellers to receive an immediate offer for their vehicle without going through the auction process, providing a direct liquidity option.
- Turners Mobile Servicing Mobile vehicle servicing operation that provides on-site preparation, Warrant of Fitness (WOF) inspections, and condition checks for vehicles sold through Turners auctions and BuyNow.
Quantifiable outcome
- Sold over 1 million cars to New Zealand customers
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Turners Auctions Ltd
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Turners Auctions Ltd technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
Turners Auctions Ltd partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Trade MecoreTurners conducts auctions in partnership with Trade Me marketplace. Listings appear on both platforms with synchronized real-time pricing. No additional buyer fees for Trade Me auctions. This partnership extends Turners' reach to Trade Me's large user base.
- NZ Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi)coreTurners holds authorization under section 241(1) of the Land Transport Act 1998 to obtain vehicle ownership and history information from NZTA for verifying ownership details during vehicle transactions.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Turners Auctions Ltd competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Grays (Grays eCommerce Group): Australian multi-category online auction house covering vehicles, equipment, and general goods. Comparable online auction model and asset category breadth to Turners' Turners Live platform.
- Pickles Auctions: Australia's largest auction group covering vehicles, trucks, machinery, and general goods with both physical and online channels. Closest geographic and structural analog to Turners, operating in the trans-Tasman market.
- Webb's Auction House: Established NZ auction house covering art, antiques, and luxury goods. Comparable in auction mechanics and NZ market presence but operates in non-overlapping asset categories rather than direct vehicle competition.
- Aalders Auctions: NZ-based auction house covering antiques, art, and general goods. Comparable domestic auction operation but in different asset categories, serving as a useful NZ auction industry comparable.
Broad incumbents
- Auto Auction Services (Manheim Australia): Australian arm of Manheim running physical and online vehicle auctions. Operates in the trans-Tasman market and represents the type of scaled, multi-channel vehicle auction competitor that could eventually contest the NZ market.
- Copart: US-listed salvage and used vehicle auction company with global operations. Comparable in online auction mechanics and damaged vehicle remarketing, a segment Turners serves through its Damaged Vehicles division.
- Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers: Global multi-category auction house including trucks, machinery, and heavy equipment. Comparable to Turners' Trucks & Machinery and General Goods divisions, and to its online auction infrastructure (similar in concept to Turners Live).
- Manheim (Cox Automotive): Global leader in wholesale vehicle auctions operated by Cox Automotive. Directly comparable as a scaled vehicle auctioneer with physical and online channels, though Manheim operates globally while Turners is NZ-focused.
Direct peers
- Barons Auctions: NZ-based auction house covering classic and specialty vehicles with online bidding. Smaller scale than Turners but competes in the NZ vehicle auction category, particularly for collector and specialty segments.
Emerging players
- Trade Me Motors: NZ's largest online vehicle marketplace and Turners' channel partner. Both platforms share traffic and pricing; Trade Me Motors is a key competitor for private vehicle listings while also serving as Turners' primary digital marketplace partner.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Turners Auctions Ltd social profiles
Digital presenceTurners Auctions Ltd compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Turners Auctions Ltd financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Turners Auctions Ltd leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Turners Auctions Ltd funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Turners Auctions Ltd M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Turners Auctions Ltd
What does Turners Auctions Ltd do?
Turners Auctions Ltd operates New Zealand's largest used vehicle auction and retail network, listing nearly 3,000 cars across 20+ physical branches and the Turners Live online bidding platform. The company runs multi-category auctions spanning cars, trucks and machinery, boats and marine, motorcycles, buses/caravans/motorhomes, damaged vehicles, and general goods, with sales methods including auction, BuyNow instant purchase, and tender. Supplementary services include vehicle finance, car insurance, NZTA change-of-ownership processing, CashNow instant appraisals, and mobile servicing.
Is Turners Auctions Ltd a public or private company?
Turners Auctions Ltd is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Turners Auctions Ltd founded?
Turners Auctions Ltd was founded in 1966. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Turners Auctions Ltd based?
Turners Auctions Ltd is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Turners Auctions Ltd make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Auction Buyer Fees are the primary driver. The others are auction Seller Fees, vehicle Sales Revenue, finance & Insurance Services and trade Me Partnership.
Who are Turners Auctions Ltd's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Grays (Grays eCommerce Group), Pickles Auctions, Webb's Auction House and Aalders Auctions. Broad incumbents are Auto Auction Services (Manheim Australia), Copart, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers and Manheim (Cox Automotive). Barons Auctions is listed as a direct peer. Trade Me Motors is listed as an emerging player.
Does Turners Auctions Ltd have an API?
No public API is recorded for Turners Auctions Ltd.
What industry is Turners Auctions Ltd in?
Turners Auctions Ltd's product category is Vehicle Auction Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLABAKAA, Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online).