For buyers
Buy Plant, Machinery, Vehicles and Business Assets at UK Trade Auctions
You are bidding against other businesses rather than the public. Bid online from anywhere in the UK or overseas.
Universal Auctions Group runs timed online auctions for trade buyers across the UK and overseas. Lots include plant and machinery, commercial vehicles, ex-fleet vans, agricultural equipment, catering equipment and mixed business assets from owners, traders, dealers, fleet operators, businesses and insolvency-related disposals.
What comes up for sale
Six categories run through our sales, plus the mixed contents of businesses that are closing. Lots come up week to week, so it is worth watching the category you buy in.
Plant and machineryExcavators, telehandlers, dumpers, forklifts, rollers, access equipment, generators and other construction or industrial machinery.
Commercial vehiclesVans, HGVs, tractor units, rigids, tippers, dropsides, Lutons, curtainsiders, trailers and specialist vehicles.
Ex-fleet vansPanel vans and light commercial vehicles described as ex-fleet, ex-lease or business-use stock where that history is supplied by the vendor.
Agricultural machineryTractors, telehandlers, harvest and grass equipment, implements, trailers and farm vehicles.
Catering equipmentOvens, cooking equipment, refrigeration, warewashing, stainless equipment, bar equipment and complete kitchen contents.
Liquidation and insolvency AssetsMachinery, vehicles, stock, workshop equipment, office assets and mixed business contents from closures and formal or informal disposals.
How buying with UAG works
Six steps, from registering to driving it away.
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Register to bid
Create an account and register for the relevant sale. Manual approval and identification may be required, so register before the closing day.
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Read the individual lot
Check the description, photographs, location, VAT treatment, Buyer's Premium and any auction-specific additional fees shown for that lot. Lot information is provided for guidance and may be based on seller information or third-party records.*
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Arrange a viewing
Viewing is available strictly by prior appointment and is strongly recommended. If condition, dimensions, mileage, hours, specification or completeness matter to your bid, verify them yourself before bidding.
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Bid to your own ceiling
Timed auctions use automatic extensions when bids arrive near the closing time. You can enter a maximum bid and the platform will bid incrementally on your behalf up to that amount.
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Pay within 24 hours
Winning invoices are payable in full by bank transfer within 24 hours of issue.
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Collect by appointment
After cleared payment, collection details are released. You or your haulier collect from the seller's premises or stated lot location at an agreed time.
The closing rule
Nobody wins on the buzzer
Every lot has its own end time, and the lots in a sale close a few seconds apart. Bid in the last ten minutes and that lot's clock resets to ten minutes.
It resets again on the next bid, and the lot closes when ten minutes pass with nobody bidding. That makes a lot won on price. A bid placed in the final second buys no advantage, because anyone still interested gets another ten minutes to answer it, and if you are outbid late you get another go.
The practical answer is a maximum bid. Work out what the lot is worth to you all in, enter that one figure, and the platform bids up to it in steps on your behalf, through every extension, whether you are at your desk or not. Most buyers win below their maximum, and nobody ends up chasing a number they settled on at nine in the evening with a clock running.
Work out your all-in cost before bidding
Four things make up a winning bid, and all of them are on the lot page before you commit: the hammer price, a buyer's premium, any internet surcharge, and VAT.
| What | How it is charged | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Hammer price | The figure you bid | The lot page |
| Buyer's premium | A percentage of the hammer price. The rate varies by lot | The lot's Additional Fees tab |
| Internet surcharge | A further percentage of the hammer price. Only applicable to certain auctions or lots where expressly stated. | The lot's Additional Fees tab |
| VAT | 20% on the hammer price where it applies to that lot, and on the premium and surcharge | The lot description |
| Collection and transport | Yours to arrange, from the seller's premises by appointment | Allow for it in your ceiling |
Add them up and you have your real ceiling. Set it before the lot opens and you never do arithmetic with a countdown running. Work backwards from what the machine is worth to you finished and earning, and the number you enter looks after itself.
There is no listing fee, no card-processing charge and no buyer administration fee on top. Pay and collect on time and the invoice you receive is the whole of it.
Whether you can reclaim the VAT depends on your own VAT position and on the treatment of that particular lot, so read the lot description and take your accountant's view where the figures are tight. Some lots carry no VAT on the hammer price at all.
Collection and transport after you win
Buyers are responsible for arranging collection and transport. Any delivery option specifically stated within a lot is provided by the seller and subject to separate agreement.
Collection is from the seller's premises at a booked time, once your payment has cleared. We send you the details and you or your haulier arrive to a confirmed slot, so nobody turns up to a locked gate.
On anything heavy there are two questions worth answering before you bid: who is loading it and with what, and what size of vehicle can actually reach your own yard. Ground conditions and a narrow entrance have stopped more collections than distance ever has.
Overseas buyers
Buy from anywhere, and export it
Overseas trade buyers are welcome to participate. Buy a UK lot without leaving your own country, and bid in the same sales as every other trade buyer.
Export buyers are responsible for transport, customs formalities and export documentation. Where VAT is taken as an export deposit, any refund is subject to the auction terms and the required evidence being supplied within the stated deadline. VAT on the Buyer's Premium is not refundable.
Questions buyers ask
Who can bid in Universal Auctions Group sales?
UAG auctions are trade-only. Bidders register and purchase in a business capacity, and UAG may request identification or further information before approving an account.
Does Universal Auctions Group inspect or test the lots?
No. UAG acts as auctioneer and agent for the vendor and does not independently inspect or test every lot. Descriptions, photographs and supporting information are for guidance, so buyers should view and complete their own due diligence before bidding.
Can I view a lot before bidding?
Yes. Viewing is available strictly by prior appointment and is strongly recommended. Contact UAG with the lot number so a viewing can be arranged with the seller.
How much do I pay on top of my bid?
Check the individual lot's Additional Fees information for the Buyer's Premium and any auction-specific fees, and the lot description for VAT treatment. UAG is not currently applying a standard internet surcharge. You should also budget for collection, transport and any repairs or testing needed.
When do I have to pay?
Payment is due by bank transfer within 24 hours of the invoice being issued.
Where do I collect from?
Collection is normally from the seller's premises or the location stated on the lot. Once cleared payment is received, collection details are released and collection is booked by appointment.
What happens if the reserve is not met?
Where bidding finishes below the reserve, UAG may submit the highest bid to the vendor. Bids can remain open for the period stated in the auction terms, and the vendor may accept a provisional bid within that period.
Can I bid from outside the UK?
Yes, overseas trade buyers can bid online. You are responsible for arranging transport, customs and export documentation, and you should read the export VAT provisions in the auction terms before bidding.
Ready to bid?
Register now and you will be set up and approved before the next lot you want comes up.
Have a question on a particular lot? Send us the lot number. If auctions are new to you, the guides go through one category at a time and cover what to look for. The provisions that govern every sale are in the auction terms and conditions.