Auction buying advice?

[drcarlos]

Going to take the plunge tomorrow. Anyone got any advice as it’s about 15 years since I last went there?

There’s about 20 of this type of vehicle being sold tomorrow and I’ve checked out fees and what it would cost from a dealer, so l have a ballpark of what they are paying and what would make it a nice deal for us. Also spoke to a couple of mechanics to get model specific advice. Anything I’ve missed?

Carl

[dinny_g]

Don't scratch your nose ??

Only kidding - Sounds like you've covered all the basis but I'm sure experts will be along to confirm.

I've only ever been to one Auction - I bought nothing and my Mate bought a Speedboat (but no trailer... ) we had to find a trailer that afternoon to get it home.

[Foz]

How old is the car? Do not get carried away bidding to "win", if the prices aint right, walk away, and have a slush fund...

[Gavin]

Not sure I would be brave enough to buy at auction nowadays, unless it was a snotter. Good luck.

[Zonda_]

Are you able to find out who has put it in the auction? I'm considering this route and the website I've been looking at tells you e.g., some have come from rental companies, some are finance repos, might give you a better idea of the life the car has had.

[drcarlos]

Snotter territory this, This is a cheap little van for the wife to use for her job. Vauxhall Combo Ex-GPO in DCR probably with stickers to be removed. I know a guy who looks after these and gave me a run down of what to check (condition is everything, hear cold start, check gears are all fine). 20 to choose from and with a budget where I can look to make a saving over the local dealers I should be able to outbid them as they have to have a margin and they don't sell for much. Still a bit daunting mind.
I have to give them a call to confirm it's a public day (not sure what or why would constitute a private auction or why you'd have one though). I assume I just rock up with a credit card, check in and bid.

Carl.

[IanF]

My family and I have bought plenty from Auctions. Don’t think many (any?) take credit cards, I’ve always used debit, but cash is fine. Check for engineering reports, check all the tool kits, parcel shelves etc are there. If not, they won’t show up later.

Useful guide:
https://www.british-car-auctions.co.uk/ ... t-auction/

Others will bid, even if they don’t want it, just to ensure you don’t get too good a deal. Cunts.

Don’t think you have to come away with any particular car/van. There’ll be another one along in a few minutes that may also do the job. Also, don’t feel you have to leave with any car, at all!

First time, pop down before and just watch a few bids. Don’t get excited, auctions are fun and it’s very easy to get carried away!

Good luck!

[drcarlos]

My family and I have bought plenty from Auctions. Don’t think many (any?) take credit cards, I’ve always used debit, but cash is fine. Check for engineering reports, check all the tool kits, parcel shelves etc are there. If not, they won’t show up later.

Useful guide:
https://www.british-car-auctions.co.uk/ ... t-auction/

Others will bid, even if they don’t want it, just to ensure you don’t get too good a deal. Cunts.

Don’t think you have to come away with any particular car/van. There’ll be another one along in a few minutes that may also do the job. Also, don’t feel you have to leave with any car, at all!

First time, pop down before and just watch a few bids. Don’t get excited, auctions are fun and it’s very easy to get carried away!

Good luck!

Funnily enough that's where I'm going as it's only a 10 minute walk from home. I missed the part about deposit not being payable be CC, no worries I'll take cash for that. The balance is payable by CC though, so that's cool.

Carl.

[Nathan]

Sorry to point out the obvious but are you sure it is worth it when you pay all the private punter fees?

£48 doc fees
£360 buyers fees on approx £1600

20% value added on the hammer price on comercials

[drcarlos]

Sorry to point out the obvious but are you sure it is worth it when you pay all the private punter fees?

£48 doc fees
£360 buyers fees on approx £1600

20% value added on the hammer price on comercials

Yeah, I did the sums on it last week. Handily they leave a copy of the standard buyers fees online, but looking now it says 'blue standard' I have an account but don't know what level it is as I just have a login to browse. I know what they will have to sell for to make it worthwhile based on that online guide, any more and I might as well visit a local dealer and buy from them. Wondering if there's anything over the VAT, buyer fee that I can see online and the DVLA fee now?
Reading about other peoples experiences from people bidding on them it would seem that the figure I have in mind is ballpark hammer price as it leaves a margin for the dealers to make some money. It's should yield a 25% saving over going to the dealer all told.

Carl.

[Nathan]

Carl, Blue is the low level trade account

Call them to confirm, I think you might be surprised

[drcarlos]

Carl, Blue is the low level trade account

Call them to confirm, I think you might be surprised

So I called them. Some interesting points are that according ot the guy I spoke to everything is included in the hammer price, buyers fees, VAT, the DVLA and inspection fees. The fees are linked to that sheet online, the blue account just gives discounts on inspections if done, so it would appear to be a bit more simple than I thought.I don't know how they work it but I guess that it get deducted from the hammer price and what's left goes to the seller.

The difference in the VAT is that for VAT commercial it can be claimed back, for margin it can't. However I'll confirm all this with the guys at the time.

Carl.

[PaulJ]

Going to take the plunge tomorrow. Anyone got any advice as it’s about 15 years since I last went there?


Carl

Don't get caught up in a bidding war if there's a 250 GTO there.

[JLv3.0]

Don't expect to have a clue what's going on your first time there - they're quite odd environments. And I still don't know how the auctioneer sees some of the bids, if they even exist.

[Nathan]

Carl, Blue is the low level trade account

Call them to confirm, I think you might be surprised

So I called them. Some interesting points are that according ot the guy I spoke to everything is included in the hammer price, buyers fees, VAT, the DVLA and inspection fees

Sorry, but that is incorrect.

The blue card is the low tier trade account that you have to prove trade status for (trade insurance) and provides cheaper fees than a private punter.

What sale is this ?

[Nathan]

Don't confuse having an account to browse the catalogues to having an actual bidding account

[drcarlos]

Don't confuse having an account to browse the catalogues to having an actual bidding account

It's a BCA sale - Blackbushe, Royal Mail LCV, Start: 04/10/2018

I was quite specific about the account telling him I was just a member of the public with a web login that allowed me to browse auctions and not a card holder of any type.
I told him that the buyers fees online had the blue account listed at the top and I was confused as to what I may have to pay as I didn't have any account.

The customer services guy on the phone told me that the blue account did provide any discounted scheme for buyers fees only that it provided discounts on inspections, the discounts on buyers fees were provided by the higher ranking accounts.
I then quizzed him about how the fees were added too.

I will ask again tomorrow at the info desk when I get there and confirm.

Surely being CS he must know how they operate though?

Carl.

[Nathan]

I use a black a card, unless they have changed things at lower end of the scale I'm not sure...

But to make clear : the hammer price does not include buyers premium.

Don't pay to much for those Royal Mail Combo's : they typically go way, way under Cap Clean

[drcarlos]

I use a black a card, unless they have changed things at lower end of the scale I'm not sure...

But to make clear : the hammer price does not include buyers premium.

Don't pay to much for those Royal Mail Combo's : they typically go way, way under Cap Clean

I won't be as I can go to a dealer 10 mins from home and buy one for about £2300.

I did see that google suggested they have been going for less than 1/2 that at auction.

For a day spent tidying it up I can live with that.

Carl.

[Sundayjumper]

I've not been to Blackbushe for a while but the last couple of times stuff was either utter, UTTER shite, or it was going for near enough retail. Feck knows who was was buying it at that price.

But if you're definitely going tomorrow I might pop over in the afternoon, I'm unemployed right now and have little else to do