Payment Instructions
Use the invoice. Verify the instructions. Never pay from a forwarded screenshot.
Accepted methods and deadlines vary by auction. Follow the official sale-specific invoice and independently verify any wire instructions through a known Sterling Machinery Auctions LLC contact channel.
What you should know
- Sale-specific payment deadline controls
- Wire instructions must be independently verified
- Payment must clear before release
- Invoice name and lot details must match
Direct answer
After winning, review the official invoice for lots, buyer’s premium, tax, total, accepted payment methods and deadline. If paying by wire, call Sterling at 626-444-0311 using a number you independently know—not one supplied in a suspicious message. Never follow unexpected instructions that change the receiving bank, account name or payment destination.
Safe payment sequence
- Open the official invoice. Confirm your legal name or company, auction, lot numbers, premium, tax and total.
- Read the sale-specific deadline. Auction payment periods are often short; start bank or internal approvals immediately.
- Use only authorized instructions. Obtain instructions through the approved auction workflow and compare the beneficiary name with the responsible entity shown on the invoice.
- Verify independently. Call 626-444-0311 or another previously verified number. Do not use a phone number contained only in the same message you are trying to verify.
- Include the required reference. Put invoice number, bidder number or company name in the wire reference so funds can be matched.
- Wait for cleared confirmation. A bank screenshot or pending transfer is not a release. Sterling must confirm receipt and issue authorization before pickup.
Stop immediately if any of these occur
- An email or caller says the bank account changed after the invoice was issued.
- The beneficiary name does not match the entity identified on the invoice or sale documents.
- You are pressured to ignore the published phone number or avoid calling Sterling.
- The message uses a new domain, misspelled address, personal account, cryptocurrency, gift card or unusual payment service.
- The amount, lot numbers or payment deadline differ from the official invoice.
- A third party asks you to split payment without clear written authority.
Payment and release are different events
Sending money does not mean the machinery can be removed. Funds must be received and accepted, the invoice must be cleared, required tax documentation must be resolved and the removal appointment must be approved.
Never dispatch a rigger based only on a wire confirmation from your bank. Wait for the auction’s paid release or other written authorization.
If you think you sent money to a fraudster
- Call your bank’s fraud or wire department immediately and request a recall or hold.
- Contact Sterling Machinery Auctions LLC at 626-444-0311 through a known channel.
- Preserve emails, headers, text messages, invoices, account details and call records.
- Report the incident to appropriate law enforcement and fraud-reporting authorities as advised by your bank or counsel.
- Do not continue communicating with the suspected fraudster except under professional guidance.
Related auction resources
Use these pages to continue without starting over.
Frequently asked questions
What payment methods does Sterling accept?
Accepted methods vary by auction. Follow the official invoice and sale-specific terms; do not rely on a method used in a previous sale.
Can I pay at pickup?
Do not assume so. Auctions commonly require full cleared payment before any removal appointment or release.
Can I use a credit card?
Only if the specific auction expressly allows it and within any stated limit or fee. Many industrial auctions require wire transfer or other certified funds.
Can another company pay my invoice?
Third-party payment may require review, identity verification and written authorization. Contact Sterling before sending funds.
Why has my machine not been released after I sent the wire?
The bank transfer may still be pending, unmatched or under review. Release occurs only after Sterling confirms cleared payment and other requirements.
Stop and verify before sending funds.
A two-minute verification call can prevent a permanent loss. Use a known Sterling Machinery Auctions LLC phone number—not contact information supplied in a suspicious message.
