Auction rules

1. Where bidding happens

Every lot shows its start time, its end time and the current price.

2. Maximum (proxy) bids

You can place a single bid, or set the most you are willing to pay. We then bid for you one increment at a time, only as far as needed to keep you in the lead, up to your maximum.

• Your maximum is private. It is never shown to other bidders, the seller or our staff.
• Bidders are shown publicly by a masked name only.
• If two bidders set the same maximum, the one set first leads at that amount.

3. Bid increments

The next bid must beat the current bid by at least the increment for that price:

4. Late bid extensions

If a bid that changes the current bid or the leader is placed in the final 2 minutes, the auction is extended so that it ends 2 minutes after that bid. It ends only when 2 minutes pass with no such bid, so every bidder gets a fair chance to respond. Raising your own maximum without changing the current bid does not extend the auction. The end time on the lot always shows the latest extension.

5. Reserves

Some lots have a confidential reserve, the lowest price the vehicle will sell for. The lot shows whether a reserve exists and whether it has been met. When the highest maximum covers the reserve, the current bid rises to the reserve straight away and the lot shows the reserve as met, so the current bid at that moment equals the reserve. If bidding ends below the reserve, we may offer the vehicle to the highest bidder at their highest bid, which they are free to accept or decline.

6. Buy It Now and offers

• Where a Buy It Now price is shown you can buy the vehicle straight away at that price, and the auction ends.
• Buy It Now is withdrawn once bidding reaches 90% of the Buy It Now price.
• On eligible lots you can make an offer. We will accept, decline or counter it by email. An accepted offer is binding in the same way as a winning bid.
• Where a lot shows a bidding fee, it is refundable and is deducted from your invoice if you win.

7. Binding bids

Every bid is an offer to buy. Please read the listing and the fees before you bid. Bids cannot normally be withdrawn; if you make an obvious typing error, contact us straight away and we will review it, but a retraction is not guaranteed.

8. Fair play

• Our staff, and anyone acting for a seller, may not bid on a lot to raise its price.
• Using several accounts, bidding without intending to pay, or interfering with an auction leads to suspension.
• If an auction is affected by a technical fault, we may extend, pause or re-run it. We will tell bidders on that lot what happened.

9. After the auction

If you are the highest bidder when the auction ends and the reserve is met (or the lot has no reserve), you have won, unless the lot is marked Result subject to approval (below). We confirm the sale by email and issue your invoice at once, which you pay within 10 minutes. If it is not paid in time, the sale is cancelled with no fee and the car is offered to the next-highest bidder at their own highest bid, then the next, until someone pays: the car goes to the first bidder who pays. See fees and our terms of sale for payment, collection and your rights.

Result subject to approval. Some lots show Result subject to approval on the lot page while bidding is open. On those lots the highest bid, including on a lot with no reserve, becomes a sale only once we approve it after bidding closes. If we approve it, you have won as above. If we do not, no sale is made, you owe nothing, and we email the highest bidder to tell them. Lots without this mark sell to the highest bidder automatically.