FAQs

How do I take part in an auction online?

You will need to create a British Medical Auctions account prior to taking part online.

1) To create an account click here.
2) Complete your contact information and read/agree to the user agreement
3) Complete your account by entering your Billing and Shipping information under the ‘Profile’ tab within your account

To Take Part in an auction

1) On the Auction page, identify the auction you wish to participate in
2) Click the ‘Register to Bid’ button to agree to the Terms and Conditions and to join the auction
3) Once you are approved, you will receive confirmation by email and be able to bid

How do I place a bid?

Once your account has been set up and you have registered for an auction, you can place bids via the "view lots" button which displays each lot, its starting or current price. You can place a bid by either selecting the next price required, or by entering a higher "max bid" and clicking the "bid now" button.

Can I bid without placing a deposit?

All new registered buyers are required to pay a refundable deposit of £250.00. New buyers will be set a maximum spend limit of up to £3,000. Should a higher limit be required, an additional deposit will be required. Please contact enquiries@britishmedicalauctions.co.uk for further information.

Once you have registered, bid and completed your payment and collection successfully within our Terms and Conditions in at least three auctions, your account will no longer require a deposit to take part in our auctions.

Can I remove a bid?

Acceptance of a bid is a commitment to purchase and legally binding by the bidder. We are unable to remove any bids once placed in an auction.

What is an absentee or commission bid?

Absentee/commission bids are bids placed on a Timed auction lot, prior to the auction completing. You can place absentee/commission bids on any lot as soon as the auction is live on our website. When other bidders place a bid on the Lot which your absentee/commission bid has been placed on, your absentee/commission bid will be automatically increased up to the maximum value. Should the bidding exceed your maximum absentee/commission bid, you will no longer be the highest bidder. 

You will receive a notification by email each time a new bid has been allocated or you have been outbid.

What is a max bid?

A maximum bid can be placed at any time prior to the auction completing. You can enter the maximum amount you are prepared to pay for that item using the max bid.

How can I place an absentee/commission bid?

Our online bidding platform enables buyers to leave a pre-bid (absentee) or commission bid, up to the maximum they are willing to pay for an item. Our system will bid on the buyer’s behalf until the maximum amount has been reached, so you never miss an item.

Submitting a pre-bid is quick and easy:

1) Navigate to the item detail or catalogue page for the item of interest
2) Click the “Enter maximum bid” link under the “Bid Now” button
3) Enter the maximum amount you’re willing to bid and click the “Place Bid” button. Be sure to click “Confirm Bid” to complete the process.
4) Your maximum bid is now submitted and can be tracked in the “My Items” tab of your British Medical Auctions account.

What is the reserve price?

A reserve price is the minimum price required for the Lot to be sold in an auction. Any Lots with a reserve price will be indicated with a "reserve not met" status, until such time as the current bid has met or exceeded the reserve price.

Can I view the lots in person?

We welcome inspections of equipment.

All items, unless specified in the description, are sold ex-warehouse from our saleroom in Bracknell, RG12 2PW. Please contact our team at bookings@britishmedicalauctions.co.uk to arrange to visit to inspect equipment.

Our warehouse is open 08.00-17.30 Monday to Friday.

Who do I contact if I want to sell with BMA?

Contact us via email - enquiries@britishmedicalauctions.co.uk - or by phone on +44 1252 299024 to speak to one of our Account Managers who can help setting up your account.

Can you collect my equipment?

Yes, we can arrange transport to collect equipment. You will need to provide an inventory list of your equipment that you would like to sell through our auctions.

Please visit our collections page for more information.

Can I get a valuation before you collect?

We can provide an expected price range for equipment based on our auction database.

Please visit our valuations page for more information.

Can you clear the data from my equipment?

Yes - our in-house service can provide an accredited data erasure service, and provide a certificate of completion.

Please visit our data erasure page for more information.

Can I put a reserve on my equipment?

Yes - any reserve pricing would be discussed with your Account Manager, who can help with determining realistic reserve pricing where required.

How do you make sure I get the best price for my equipment?

We carry out professional photography, power on testing, cataloguing and data erasure to guarantee your equipment looks great before it’s sold. To make sure we achieve the best sale price, we list your equipment with similar items in our most suitable, upcoming specialist auction.

When will I receive payment for my equipment?

Payment will be made at the end of the following month from the auction sale.

What happens if my equipment doesn't sell?

If equipment does not sell in a particular auction, we would re-list the equipment in up to three auctions in total. If equipment does not sell after a third auction, we would discuss with you whether to re-list, return or recycle the equipment.

How do I create an account?

To create a British Medical Auction's account, please visit https://auctions.britishmedicalauctions.co.uk/signup

How do I register for an auction?

Once you have created a British Medical Auctions account, simply click the 'register to bid' button for each auction to agree to the Terms and Conditions. You will receive an email notification that you are now registered for that particular auction.

Do I have to register for each individual auction?

Yes. You need to click 'register to bid' and agree to the Terms and Conditions for each auction you want to bid in.

 

How long does it take for my registration to be approved?

Registration approval is an automated process and will be confirmed by email immediately following registration.

Why has my registration not been approved?

New bidders may not be approved for the following reasons:

  • Insufficient or incorrect details on registration
  • If you have not confirmed the £250 initial refundable deposit
How do I update my account details?

To update your account details online, log in to your account and then visit https://auctions.britishmedicalauctions.co.uk/profile/view

How do I close my account?

To close your British Medical Auctions account, please contact the team on enquiries@britishmedicalauctions.co.uk

When do I need to pay for my equipment?

You will receive an email with your invoice details following each auction closing and payment is required in full within five working days of the invoice date.

How do I pay for my equipment?

Full payment instructions are included on your invoice. Invoices are sent following completion of the auction, or can be generated during an auction on request. Payments are accepted by Bank Transfer, BACS, credit or debit card over the telephone or in cash, in-person.

If paying by cash, a maximum of £8,000 can be accepted per auction, per buyer. Proof of ID will be required.

What is the buyer's premium?

The hammer (sales) value is subject to an additional buyers premium charge of 20% of the hammer value on all auction Lots.

Please see below example:

Lot hammer value: £100.00

Buyer's premium: £20.00 (20% of Lot hammer value)

VAT (if applicable): £24.00 (20% of Lot hammer and Buyer's premium)

Is there a charge for using international payment cards or paying by cash?

Yes - payment using an international card transaction will attract an additional fee of 3.95% of the invoice total.

Payment by cash are accepted up to a maximum of £8,000 per invoice and will attract an additional fee of 2% of the total cash accepted. 

Does the hammer price and buyer's premium include VAT?

No, VAT will be chargeable in addition to the hammer price and buyer's premium, at the UK VAT rate of 20%.

How do I get a VAT refund?

For international Buyers, British Medical Auctions may refund the VAT paid by the Buyer on the production of a completed bill of lading or relevant export document to the satisfaction of British Medical Auctions, provided the export has been completed within three months of the invoice date. The export documentation must include the relevant invoice numbers to qualify for a VAT refund.

How long do I have to collect the equipment I purchased?

Please contact our collections team at bookings@britishmedicalauctions.co.uk as soon as possible to arrange collection within 5 working days of the auction completion date for UK registered buyers and 10 working days for international buyers. Our warehouse is open 08.00-17.30 Monday to Friday.

You will need to pre-book a collection time to ensure that your equipment is available for you to collect when you arrive. Please allow a minimum of 48 hours notice when requesting a collection time.

Where can I collect my equipment from?

All items, unless specified in the description, are sold ex-warehouse from our saleroom in Bracknell, RG12 2PW, UK.

Can BMA arrange packaging and loading?

We can provide a packaging service to enable collections by courier for most items – please contact the collections team for a quote within 3 working days of an auction closing date. We can also recommend professional crating and packaging suppliers.

If arranging to collect equipment by container, we can provide a container loading service. Please contact the team at enquiries@britishmedicalauctions.co.uk to book in your container collection and for a quote for loading.

What happens if I don't collect my equipment within the specified time?

All items are required to be collected within 5 working days of the auction completion date for UK registered buyers and 10 working days for international buyers. Our warehouse is open 08.00-17.30 Monday to Friday. We are unable to provide additional storage for purchased Lots after this date.

Any Lots which remain uncollected after 5 working days for UK registered buyers, or 10 working days for international buyers, will be subject to a late collection storage charge of £3.00 per lot per day.

Any Lots which remain uncollected after 20 working days will be considered abandoned. 

Can BMA arrange shipping?

It is the buyer's responsibility to pay for and arrange collection of items purchased. If you require any assistance with your transport & shipping arrangements, we can provide recommendations of shipping and freight forwarding companies who our existing customers work with. Please contact the team as soon as possible following an auction to confirm your collection arrangements.