The Cattle Auction
Terms of Service
Effective November 3, 2026. These terms govern use of thecattleauction.com.
The platform is a venue
The Cattle Auction operates an online marketplace where ranchers offer livestock lots and buyers bid. We are not the seller, buyer, broker, or auctioneer of record for the cattle. A sale of cattle is a contract between the listing rancher and the winning bidder. We do not take title to the animals and we do not hold the hammer price.
What you pay the other party
The winning bid, or the buy-it-now price, is paid by the buyer directly to the seller by wire, check, ACH, or another method they agree on. Delivery, shrink, freight, health papers, and brand inspection are arranged between those two parties under the listing's delivery and pickup terms. Failure to pay the seller or to deliver the cattle is a dispute between them. We may suspend an account that we believe is being used to misrepresent livestock, but we do not guarantee collection or delivery.
What you pay the platform
We charge only our own fees, by card through Stripe. The current amounts are shown before you list or bid and can be changed in the operator's admin settings. The usual listing fee is $5, charged before a lot goes live. Through the end of January 2, 2027, America/Chicago time, that listing fee is $0 and no card charge is made to publish a lot. After that date the configured listing fee applies on its own. An optional featured upgrade, $15 unless the operator changes it, can still be bought during the free period. A seller commission and a buyer premium, each 2% of the final sale price unless changed, are charged when a lot sells. Fees are in U.S. dollars. A lot that closes unsold, including when a reserve is not met, does not incur the commission or the buyer premium. A listing fee that was actually charged is not refunded because the lot was published. You authorize us to store a payment method and to charge the commission or buyer premium off-session when a sale settles. Sellers keep a card on file during the free-listing period for that commission. Buyers add a card before bidding. If a settlement charge fails, the account is flagged and new listings or new bids stay closed until the open fee is paid.
Listings and bids
Sellers must describe the lot in good faith: head count, weight basis, breed, sex, health program, and location. Photos and video must be of the cattle offered. Bids are offers. Proxy bidding raises the visible price only as far as the rules on the lot page describe. A bid in the final minutes can extend the close. You must be able to pay if you win. You must be at least 18 years old and able to enter a livestock contract where the cattle are.
Livestock risk
Cattle are living animals. Weight, health, pregnancy status, and behavior can change. The platform does not inspect lots, does not provide veterinary advice, and does not warrant that an animal is fit for breeding, feeding, or slaughter. Buyers should rely on the listing, the video, and their own inspection. Death loss, condemnation, and freight risk follow the agreement between buyer and seller unless they write a different rule.
Accounts
You are responsible for activity under your login. We may refuse or close an account that misuses the market, fails to pay a platform fee, or lists animals the seller has no right to sell. Sample lots, when shown, are marked and are not offers.
Disputes with us
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Nebraska, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Courts in Nebraska are the venue for a claim against the platform. Claims between a buyer and a seller about the cattle are not claims against the platform. Have your own counsel review this page before you rely on it in a commercial launch; the operator can replace the governing-law sentence with the state where the business is organized.