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Trucks, plant, and heavy equipment for sale can often prove a real headache to move to an auction centre. How fortunate, then, that auctions are a moveable feast. CM looks at what OSCAs offer.
0 a-site customer auctions, or OSCAs as they are known, have been coming into their own over the past few years, proving highly popular with large organisations with mountains of stuff to sell. CMA Group, for example, which holds auctions of LGVs, plant, and MoD equipment at Leeds, Gloucester and Middlesbrough, has OSCA customers such as British Coal, the Ministry of Defence, and Freightliners. With all that heavy weight to offload, it hardly makes good financial sense to move it to an auction centre.
Also, if customers find it uneconomic to go to auction, then auctions can just as easily move themselves to the customer's premises. Experienced mobile auctioneering teams, prepared to travel anywhere in the UK, are available. They can sell to the customer's clients, to the auction company's customers, or to any targeted buyers.
How does the service work?
Valuation: The first step involves an experienced auctioneer visiting you to value the stock you have for sale.
At the same time, commission rates and charges are agreed and the format of any advertising. The sale date is a crucial factor—the normal lead time is around six weeks, with the best sale day being Saturday. A weekend auction can lift sale proceeds by as much as 10%. Cataloguing the sale items: Once the sale date is agreed, the auction house will catalogue all your stock before producing a detailed list in lot number order and including the date, time and location of the sale. This is then advertised nationally and locally.
Marketing the auction: In the final four weeks, the auction team really earns its percentage by operating a step-by-step marketing plan. This involves personally contacting everyone who could be interested in any of the sale items and persuading them to attend the auction.
Then, the day before the sale, the viewing day, an ()SCA team member visits the site to provide helpful information or specific details on sale items to potential purchasers.
The auction team: On the day, depending on the size of the sale, the auction provides either one or two auctioneers, together with a clerk, one or two accountants, who will bank all the cash, and a general help. The team will also ensure that no goods are released for two days after the sale until full payment has been made.
Paying the customer: The customer is then paid 10 working days after the sale. He also receives a statement which includes a breakdown of all agreed charges.