CV auctions go eBay-style
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To catch absent buyers, the Fleet Auction Group and Protruck Auctions now offer stock that wasn't sold at auction online Words: Kevin Swallow The Fleet Auction Group and Protruck Auctions believe their decision to add a timed online sale to complement its physical auction opens the door to buyers who miss the original sale.
Unsold stock from the physical sale is put online in a timed sale that runs from the following Friday, over the weekend, finishing on Monday.
While both auctioneers firmly believe there is no substitute for physical auctions with proven auctioneers, a purely internet-based auction can act as a complement for absent buyers.
Charlie Wright, MD and auctioneer at Protruck Auctions, said: "People like buying from auctions, coming along and physically bidding on things they can see and touch — but not everyone can make it there. We are [targeting] the ones who can't make the physical sale."
Several attempts have been made to offer online eBay-style, stand-alone sales for CVs, but failed. But Wright believes that having it as an addition to its physical sales will help make it work.
Most of the stock listed for the online-only sale tends to be aimed at the export market. On average, between 70 to 100 trucks, trailers and plant go online. "We do some off-site entries for customers too, for low-value goods that are not economical to move to the auction site," he said.
Last year, Fleet Auction Group bought Protruck Auction for an undisclosed sum.