Home Sellers Guide Buyers Guide How to Find Us When looking to buy a car, there are several approaches that you can take, from buying new from a dealer to finding one in the private ads, and of course buying from a car auction. Buying a car at auction can be one of the cheapest ways of getting hold of a second hand car, as these places sell large volumes of cars and the profits that are taken by the parties involved are generally low, leading to cheap prices for the buyer. When buying at auction you need to know what you are looking at, if you are not mechanically minded and don't have anyone who is to advise you, then a car auction is probably not for you. Before the car that you are interested in comes into the auction, you need to be prepared if you are going to get a good deal. The first thing that you will need to do is inspect the car as thoroughly as possible, and read the description of it carefully to make sure you know exactly what you will be bidding on. When the car does roll into the auction, stay calm and wait to see how the bidding is going. When bids start it's time to start bidding. Make sure that you know what your limit is and don't be tempted to go over it - it's easy to spend more than you intended and remember there are always other cars. If you win the car auction then you must pay for the car the same day and also cover the auction fees applicable, be sure to check the car properly as soon as you can as you will generally only have an hour after the sale in which to reject the car if you discover an undisclosed major fault. Decide in advance what type of vehicle you require and how much you intend to pay. Make several visits to the auction beforehand to note the prices achieved and watch the sales in progress. Important: take special care listen to the auctioneer. When you are finally ready to buy the car of your choice, examine it as carefully as possible before it is driven into the auction ring, make a note of the lot number, decide how much you are prepared to pay for it, then follow the car into the rostrum. Important: take special care to listen to the auctioneer. All vehicles are auctioned under the following conditions: a) Sold as Seen: Any description appearing on the vehicle must be ignored and no sale may be cancelled. Certain vehicles such as 'Direct from Company', 'Local Authority' and 'Commercials' are SOLD AS SEEN regardless of age or value and the same terms apply. b) Sold With A Warranty: When sold with a mechanical description, vehicles may be test driven accompanied by one of our drivers. If any dispute arises with regard to the mechanical description, the matter is referred to our representative when a cancellation of the sale may be agreed. Trial Period: Any complaints relating to the condition of a vehicle SOLD WITH A TRIAL must be referred to the representative within one hour from the time of purchase. Complaints after this time limit has expired cannot be considered. Payment: If you are successful in bidding, you will be required to pay a deposit immediately and give your full name and address. Deposit required is £100 if the sale price is below £1000 and 10% thereafter with a minimum of £200. The deposit may be paid in cash, by debit card or cheque (credit card transcations are subject to a handling fee of 4% of the total invoice value). Please note that all bank drafts and building society cheques will be verified before the vehicle will be released. Buyers Fee: A fee (plus V.A.T.) is charged on the purchase price of each vehicle which enables the auction to check that the vehicle is not subject to any outstanding hire purchase agreements, is not recorded as stolen and has not been written off by an insurance company as the result of accidental damage. Full details of the scheme are listed on the reverse of your purchase invoice. Value Added Tax (V.A.T.): This is payable on most commercial vehicles and is calculated on the invoice price at the current rate. Provisional Sale: Sometimes, the bidding on a vehicle may stop slightly short of the reserve price. At this point, the auctioneer may offer the last / highest bidder the option to purchase subject to further negotiation with the vendor. This usually results in a successfully completed sale and the normal requirement for a deposit applies, as do standard auction rules. Liability: At the fall of the hammer, the vehicle becomes the responsibility of the purchaser and so it is your own interest to pay for and insure it at the earliest opportunity.