BCA British Car Auction preferential buyer fees

[rich12]

They can afford to pay quite a lot more as they don't need to make a profit. They buy a car for £1k less than retail and happy days. A trader can't afford to buy a car and make any money for the same money.

I was paying for a car a while ago and some bloke had won a Bentley Continental GT without thinking/knowing about the fees. That was very funny.

[AOK]

An article on the subject of buying at auction as an individual...
http://www.wiselysold.com/news/003-buying-a-car-at...

A £14,200 hammer price ends up being £15,000 all in.

[rich12]

Just for reference, I have a gold card and the last car I bought had a fee of £504. (£34,400 purchase).

[AdamIndy]

rich12 said:

They can afford to pay quite a lot more as they don't need to make a profit. They buy a car for £1k less than retail and happy days. A trader can't afford to buy a car and make any money for the same money.

I was paying for a car a while ago and some bloke had won a Bentley Continental GT without thinking/knowing about the fees. That was very funny.

I understand that but why would bca have a problem with that? The company makes more money, the vendor makes more money, purchaser pays less than forecourt(and will likely tell there friends meaning possibly more business and money for BCA) so it's a win win win. Private buyers won't buy everything so there is still plenty to fight over.

[interstellar]

jamhetmet said:

By law BCA cannot ban private buyers so they deter them with high fees for the private one off buys, which I have to say I totally agree with, private buyers are a pain in the bum for various reasons and should really stick to the small "local auctions". I will justify that comment if anyone is interested or offended by it.

Please justify it then as BCA have auctions every week that are "closed sales" on behalf of the manufacturers which only franchise dealers can attend. This happens all the time.

[AOK]

AdamIndy said:

I understand that but why would bca have a problem with that? The company makes more money, the vendor makes more money, purchaser pays less than forecourt(and will likely tell there friends meaning possibly more business and money for BCA) so it's a win win win. Private buyers won't buy everything so there is still plenty to fight over.

Because private buyers are generally more hassle and don't have any place in a wholesale environment. Mistakes are made, problems are found, complaints are made. They don't want or need that

[AdamIndy]

AOK said:

AdamIndy said:

I understand that but why would bca have a problem with that? The company makes more money, the vendor makes more money, purchaser pays less than forecourt(and will likely tell there friends meaning possibly more business and money for BCA) so it's a win win win. Private buyers won't buy everything so there is still plenty to fight over.

Because private buyers are generally more hassle and don't have any place in a wholesale environment. Mistakes are made, problems are found, complaints are made. They don't want or need that

In my experience, 10 years working at a car auction, auctioneering, booking, dealing with customers both trade and private, entries and sales, this isn't the case. 99% of private buyers are absolutely no problem at all.

Most of the problems come from small time dealers/traders playing the big "I am". Buyers remorse, auction fever or lack of funds being the most usual suspects. Equally, franchise dealers/larger garages are normally fine.


Edited to add, that probably sounds as though I was being arsey. I didn't mean for it to come across that way.

[rich12]

AdamIndy said:

I understand that but why would bca have a problem with that? The company makes more money, the vendor makes more money, purchaser pays less than forecourt(and will likely tell there friends meaning possibly more business and money for BCA) so it's a win win win. Private buyers won't buy everything so there is still plenty to fight over.

My mistake. From BCA's POV, it's a good thing.

Trade far out weigh private so not exactly a big deal.

[ex1]

AOK said:

Because private buyers are generally more hassle and don't have any place in a wholesale environment. Mistakes are made, problems are found, complaints are made. They don't want or need that

BCA actively encourage private buyers. They really dont care about their buyers or staff, the only people BCA value are the vendors.

They simply want to extract the most from the sale and keep the vendors happy. Private buyers help them do this, they really couldn't give a st if that equals more hassle or upsets the traders. The closed sales they conduct aren't their choice, this is something the vendor stipulates.