Can you sell vehicles that still have finance on them?

Yes, where the funder agrees. Tell us at the outset which vehicles are subject to hire purchase, lease or loan. A vehicle on finance belongs to the funder until it is settled, so we contact them for a settlement figure and their agreement, and where they agree the settlement is paid from the proceeds. The settlement figure often sets the reserve, and early disclosure avoids delays.

What if a vehicle has no MOT or is not running?

It can still be sold. Non runners and vehicles without a current MOT are catalogued as they stand, with the fault described as you report it and photographs to match. Buyers need to collect by transporter or on trade plates, which we make clear in the catalogue. On a vehicle that is otherwise sound, an MOT before the sale removes one question for the buyer and the test costs little.

Do we need to move the vehicles to you?

Not usually. For a fleet of several vehicles we normally sell from your premises and hold the viewing day there. Buyers collect from the same location within the collection window. Single vehicles or small numbers can be brought to our site where that makes viewing easier. Either way the vehicles must be accessible and secure, with someone able to hand over keys on collection.

Who pays the buyer's premium and VAT?

The buyer does. The buyer's premium is a percentage added to the hammer price and paid by the buyer along with it. VAT is charged where it applies and shown separately on the buyer's invoice. The details for your sale are explained when we discuss it. We collect all of this from the buyer and account for it. Your return is the hammer price less the commission and any costs agreed in your instruction.

How long does a vehicle sale take?

As a guide, allow two to four weeks from instruction to collection, depending on the number of vehicles, the paperwork and buyer payment. That covers cataloguing, marketing, a viewing day, the sale and the collection window. Urgent cases can be quicker if the vehicles and paperwork are ready. The longest delays come from missing V5Cs, unsettled finance and vehicles that cannot be accessed for photographs, so deal with those first.

Sell commercial vehicles and fleets at auction

Aerial View of White Vans in Rows in Parking Lot

You may have a single van that is surplus, or a whole fleet to move on after a contract ends, a depot closes or the business changes hands. Vehicles cost money every week they sit unused: road tax, insurance, depreciation and yard space.

An online timed auction is open to trade buyers, hauliers, owner drivers and export buyers across the UK, and it sets a date for the sale and a window for collection. Tell us what you have and where it is through the contact form and we will come back to you with a view on the best route.

What these sales can include

Panel vans
Long wheelbase vans
Luton box vans with tail lifts
Tippers and dropside trucks
Refrigerated vans
Rigid lorries
Tractor units
Curtainside trailers
Flatbed and skeletal trailers
Minibuses and welfare vehicles
Pickups and 4x4s
Car derived vans
Plant trailers
Vehicle mounted equipment

When auction suits a fleet

Auction works well when you have several vehicles to clear at once and a date you need them gone by. A dealer buying the batch prices the vehicles they do not want into the offer. At auction each vehicle is lotted and bid on separately, so the odd ones (the tail lift box van, the tipper with a fresh MOT, the refrigerated van) are offered to whoever wants that type.

It also suits vehicles that are hard to value on paper. High mileage, mixed condition and specialist bodywork all make a dealer's offer cautious. At auction the vehicle is described and photographed as it stands, and the bidding sets the price rather than a guide book.

If you have one clean, late vehicle, a private treaty sale or a trade sale may return more. We will say so.

Paperwork that affects the price

A complete history lets a buyer bid on facts rather than guesses. Before the sale, gather for each vehicle:

the V5C registration document, or a note of where it is
the current MOT certificate and any recent test history
the service record and the last few invoices
all keys, including spares and any for tail lifts or lockers
tachograph calibration certificates for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes
the plating certificate showing gross and train weights

A vehicle on hire purchase, lease or a balloon agreement belongs to the funder until it is settled, so tell us at the start. It can only be sold with their agreement, and where they agree the settlement figure is usually paid from the proceeds. Missing V5Cs can be replaced, but that takes time, so start early.

Livery and fleet kit

We recommend removing branded livery before the sale. Vinyl removal is cheap, and it keeps your business name off a van that is going to somebody else's work. Where the livery is painted rather than wrapped, leave it and tell us so we can describe it.

Take out trackers, dash cameras and fleet management units if they are on a contract, and cancel the airtime. Empty the cabs and load areas. Remove fuel cards and any documents with customer details.

Roof bars, racking and ply lining can stay. They suit a buyer using the van for the same kind of work, and we describe them in the catalogue.

How the sale runs

We photograph and describe each vehicle, record the mileage and note known faults. The vehicles are listed in an online timed auction and the catalogue is marketed to trade buyers, hauliers, owner drivers and export buyers. Bidders can inspect on a viewing day, usually at your yard or ours, and lots close in sequence on the sale date.

Lots are offered as seen under the auction terms, and buyers are expected to inspect before bidding. The buyer pays the hammer price plus a buyer's premium, with VAT charged where it applies and shown separately on the buyer's invoice. Your charge is a separate commission, with any costs agreed in advance, deducted from the proceeds.

Reserves can be set on individual vehicles where there is a clear reason, such as a finance settlement figure.

After the hammer

Buyers pay and remove their vehicles within a collection window agreed with you, usually a few working days after the sale. How a vehicle leaves depends on its condition and whether it is road registered. We check the buyer has paid in full before releasing keys and documents, and we manage the handover so you do not have to.

You sign the V5C over to the buyer and notify the DVLA that the vehicle has been sold. Cancel the insurance and any road tax after the vehicle has gone, not before, and keep a copy of the sale record.

A vehicle that fails to meet its reserve can be offered to the underbidder, moved to the next sale or returned to you. We will discuss which before the sale rather than after.

Questions people ask

Can you sell vehicles that still have finance on them?: Yes, where the funder agrees. Tell us at the outset which vehicles are subject to hire purchase, lease or loan. A vehicle on finance belongs to the funder until it is settled, so we contact them for a settlement figure and their agreement, and where they agree the settlement is paid from the proceeds. The settlement figure often sets the reserve, and early disclosure avoids delays.
What if a vehicle has no MOT or is not running?: It can still be sold. Non runners and vehicles without a current MOT are catalogued as they stand, with the fault described as you report it and photographs to match. Buyers need to collect by transporter or on trade plates, which we make clear in the catalogue. On a vehicle that is otherwise sound, an MOT before the sale removes one question for the buyer and the test costs little.
Do we need to move the vehicles to you?: Not usually. For a fleet of several vehicles we normally sell from your premises and hold the viewing day there. Buyers collect from the same location within the collection window. Single vehicles or small numbers can be brought to our site where that makes viewing easier. Either way the vehicles must be accessible and secure, with someone able to hand over keys on collection.
Who pays the buyer's premium and VAT?: The buyer does. The buyer's premium is a percentage added to the hammer price and paid by the buyer along with it. VAT is charged where it applies and shown separately on the buyer's invoice. The details for your sale are explained when we discuss it. We collect all of this from the buyer and account for it. Your return is the hammer price less the commission and any costs agreed in your instruction.
How long does a vehicle sale take?: As a guide, allow two to four weeks from instruction to collection, depending on the number of vehicles, the paperwork and buyer payment. That covers cataloguing, marketing, a viewing day, the sale and the collection window. Urgent cases can be quicker if the vehicles and paperwork are ready. The longest delays come from missing V5Cs, unsettled finance and vehicles that cannot be accessed for photographs, so deal with those first.

All questions people ask

Related services

Guides

Selling a commercial vehicle fleet
Fleet sales turn on paperwork as much as on price. This guide covers the V5C, MOT and plating documents, clearing finance before listing, keys and livery, recording mileage and tachograph data, and how to defleet in batches while still trading.