TIP launches an Internet auction
Page 49
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Rental giant TIP is to start auctioning ex-fleet trailers over the Internet. Trailers to be disposed of will be posted on the company's web site on a Monday and electronic bids will be invited.
Bidding will be closed the following Friday, and any trailers that fail to meet the reserve set by the vendor will be disposed of through conventional channels.
Prospective purchasers will have to register with the site before they can make an offer. They will see all previous bids, and will be automatically notified if someone out-bids them—then it's up to them to decide if they should place a higher bid.
All types of trailer of various ages, makes and specifications will come under the electronic hammer. Web site visitors will be able to inspect photographs of them as well as full written details; directions to the TIP depot where the trailers are held will also be included.
"We wouldn't expect people to buy them sight unseen, although last year we sold roo trailers from our web site to customers who didn't come and physically inspect them," says James Myatt, director of asset management.
TIP already lists trailers it wants to dispose of on the Internet, but has not auctioned them until now. It's using the auction as an additional, not an exclusive, route into the used market.
"We're simply applying a new technique in an old area, and we're hoping to create a little bit of excitement," says Myatt.
"What's more, people who buy from us have the assurance that we can guarantee that we own the equipment, and that we'll still be here tomorrow," he adds. "We can organise transportation for the buyer, and we can have the trailer he has bought refurbished if that is what he requires."
The auction programme is being launched in the UK but will gradually be rolled out across Europe.