FAQs

Bidders are reminded that their bidding number should not be lent to anyone else as they are personally liable for the purchase of all lots on the number. Lots will not be transferred and no invoices will be split. Money deposited for a bidders number must be collected within 2 weeks after the sale date. If not, the deposit will be rendered null and void.

Sometimes, the auctioneer will accept something called a provisional bid. This simply means that the highest bid was lower than an item’s reserve or guide price. If this happens, we’ll contact the seller to see if they will accept your bid, or even negotiate on your behalf. We’ll always try to get an answer for you before the auction ends, although there are occasions when this may take a little longer. Answers will be obtained ASAP and your bidding deposit will be held until then.

Depending on what you are buying, you may want to inspect the item to satisfy yourself prior to purchase. Mid Ulster Auctions aim to provide as much information as possible online; Illustrations and descriptions in catalogues or brochures are for identification only. Descriptions in each case are provided by the Vendor. All Lots are available for inspection and Purchasers should satisfy themselves prior to the Auction to as to the condition of each Lot and should exercise and rely on their own judgement as to whether the Lot accords with its description.

The Purchaser of any Lot is deemed to have inspected the Lot prior to purchase. You are invited to inspect the item(s) yourself, or have a mechanic, operator or other experienced individual conduct the inspection for you.

Each and every Lot shall be sold ‘as is, where is’. Specifically, but without limitation, the Auctioneer makes no representation or warranty that any of the Lots:

1. Conform to any standard in respect of safety, pollution or hazardous material or to any standard of requirement of any applicable authority, law or regulation, or
2. Are fit for any particular purpose, or
3. Are merchantable or financeable, or
4. Are of any particular age, year of manufacture, model, make or condition

The purchaser agrees he has satisfied himself and is not relying on the Auctioneer, nor are the Auctioneer liable, for any matter in respect of the above. Bidder further agrees to repair, at his cost, any Lot purchased at the Auction to a safe operating condition and, without limitation, to a condition which meets any standard or requirement of any applicable authority, law or regulation including those concerning any use to which the Lot may be out.

Each and every Lot shall be sold ‘sold as seen’ basis. No item is sold with a warranty, unless a valid manufacturer’s warranty applies. The Purchaser of any Lot is deemed to have inspected the Lot prior to purchase, and deemed to have satisfied themselves prior to bidding. If you’ve done a thorough inspection, and have factored possible repairs or upgrades into your purchase price, you will be less likely to have an after-purchase issue.

Children are welcome! Mid Ulster Auctions is fast-paced and exciting, with lots going on. While we’re happy for children to enjoy the experience, if they’re under the age of 16 they must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Yes, all Buyers are charged commission plus VAT. Please refer to auction catalogue.

If you are viewing the live stream of an auction on our website via an iOS device, you will experience visual or audio problems simply because iPad and iPhone do not support Flash. However, there are various apps available on the iOS App Store for iPad and iPhone that will help. You can install one of the following apps to watch a live online auction;

• Puffin (Blocked in China, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates)
• Photon

Yes. The Terms and Conditions you agree to during the online registration process are substantially the same as those you agree to when you register in-person at Mid Ulster Auctions.

No. Your Internet Bidder number, which is permanently assigned to you can only be used for online bidding. If you attend the auction in person you still need to register at the counter and receive your catalogue and bidder number.

No. At this time, registrations for bidding in person at the auction site and for bidding over the Internet are separate. To bid on the Internet you must first register on the website, and to bid at the auction in person, you must register at the auction site.

During the auction, Mid Ulster Auctions may need to contact you regarding any purchases you have made or to discuss your account. If Mid Ulster Auctions are unable to contact you at the number you provided, Mid Ulster Auctions reserves the right to revoke your online account until such time that you can be reached.

No. The key to bidding online is to bid based on the value displayed in your bid button. While the audio is helpful and generally synchronised with your bid button, it’s important to focus on the value displayed in your bid button, as this is the amount that is submitted to the auctioneer. Please note the bidding process is fast paced.

Your Bid button will be disabled so you cannot bid against yourself. If your bid button becomes enabled again it is because another bidder has outbid you!

No. All bids submitted using the online service are final and irrevocable. When you click the bid button you are submitting a binding bid in the amount displayed in the bid button to the auctioneer. If you are the high bidder and the auctioneer sells the lot to you, you are the new owner of the lot. So, if you do not intend to buy the item, do not click your bid button.

When you activate your bid button, you are signalling your intention to bid. If you activate your bid button and then click your bid button, you are submitting an irrevocable bid.

You can, but we advise that you exercise caution if you elect to do this.

As with all technology, the Internet is not 100% reliable. From time to time, you may experience Internet disconnections while you’re logged into the auction. If this happens, re-establish your connection as quickly as possible.

All auctions held by Mid Ulster Auctions are conducted in Sterling Pounds (GBP).

When the auction has completed by default all deposits paid by credit or debit card will be refunded if no purchases have been made. If your deposit was paid by cash, you need to collect this deposit from our office.

When you are the high bidder a message will be displayed on your screen indicating that you have won the lot; if you are bidding online. During the bidding process you will hear the auctioneer ask for the bidder number from his clerk. You can also check with the office staff at any point during the auction.

Payment for items purchased using the online service is handled in the same manner as any Pre bid. You will be emailed an Invoice for your purchases once the auction has been completed. By logging in to your online bidding account you will also be able to view your invoice and make payment via SagePay.

Payment for items purchased in the auction are made in the currency in which the auction is being conducted, GBP.

Usually it is requested that Lots are not collected any earlier than the Monday morning following the auction.

Cash transactions are also limited in size by anti-money laundering regulations; €10,000 or equivalent sterling amount and may be subject to ID check. Therefore, due to MLR Regulations we do not accept any cash payment above £5,000 Stg or Euro equivalent. Please note that all cash amounts are recorded for HM Revenue & Customs and any significant amount of cash over £2,000 will require further confirmation in terms of ID and Utility Bill verification.

Our online bidding service is available at all our auctions, as well as at any off-site locations in which we conduct an auction, unless otherwise stated.

In the majority of cases all items are available for online bidding. Please check with the online catalogue in advance of the auction to determine which items can be sold online. You may choose to use the ‘Pre Bid’ option for items online.

Mid Ulster Auctions frequently sell Lots on a choice basis, i.e. similar Lots are grouped together and offered to the bidders. The Auctioneer commences bidding on the entire group and if you are successful you have a short time to choose which of the Lots you wish to purchase. By default the online bidding system selects the first item numerically. You can choose to purchase all of the Lots in the group if you are the high bidder.

Yes we use leading industry standard web and email security software to protect its network and the privacy of its customer’s details. Please treat your user details as you would your Bank details and do not write them down or disclose to others.

Yes. VAT is payable by the Purchaser on the Hammer Price of all Lots at 20%. The Purchaser can request a refund of this VAT from the Auctioneer provided the Purchaser provides to the Auctioneer satisfactory original bill of lading and shipping documents in connection with the purchased Lot. These documents must be provided to the Auctioneer not later than three months from date of Auction. It is important to note that you must inform us of your intention to export so the VAT is not paid over to the vendor. We cannot refund VAT if you do not make this clear.

– EU Purchasers outside the United Kingdom
This does not apply to any item that bears a registration number.

VAT is payable by the Purchaser on the Hammer Price of all Lots at 20%. The Purchaser will not have to pay VAT provided the Purchaser is validly registered for VAT in a European Union state outside the UK and provides to the Auctioneers satisfaction third party proof prior to payment. Proof includes a certified copy of your EU VAT certificate, Customers EU VAT registration number including the 2-letter country prefix code, ID and a completed transport documentation, specifically detailing the asset acquired (including registration numbers, serial numbers etc.) which proves removal from UK. All Lots must be exported from the UK within 30 days from date of Auction.

– EU Purchasers outside the United Kingdom
Applies to any item that bears a registration number.

In accordance with HMRC procedures the following process will apply in relation to VAT refunds. As we do not control delivery of the goods, we must apply VAT to ALL purchases. Once the goods have left the UK an application can be made for a refund of the VAT – Provided the application is made within 3 months of the sale date. It is important to note that you must inform us of your intention to export so the VAT is not paid over to the vendor, failure to do so will result in no VAT refund to the Purchaser. We cannot refund applications received after this time in accordance with VAT notice 725 section 4.4.

An application for a VAT refund together with VALID DOCUMENTATION must be received within 3 months of the date of the auction sale to our accounts office at: Mid-Ulster Auctions Ltd, 1 Loves Hill, Castledawson Road, Magherafelt, Northern Ireland BT45 8DP Phone 028 7946 9564. The following documentation is required to support your claim for a refund.

1. Proof of re-registration in the country of arrival i.e. V5/Tax Book. Proof of removal MUST be confirmed before a VAT refund is issued.
2. Third party shipping/ transport documentation, specifically detailing the asset acquired (including registration numbers, serial numbers etc.) which proves removal from UK.
3. Customers EU VAT registration number including the 2-letter country prefix code – to be supplied at time of payment.
4. VAT refund form – fully completed, SIGNED and DATED.
5. ID for individuals involved – to be supplied at time of payment.
6. Certified copy of your EU VAT certificate and a certified English translation (if applicable) – to be supplied at time of payment.

Goods must be paid for in full before any items can be removed from the auction yard. All items purchased must be collected within the time specified after the auction. Any items not collected within the period specified will attract a daily storage charge, per item.

Monday to Friday – 9am to 5pm
Saturday – 9am to 11am
Please check with office as times vary on Saturdays

Buyers must inform Hauliers of Buyer number and/or Lot numbers.

When ‘Documents’ are referred to in the catalogue; ‘Documents’ means the Tax Book/V5 for the vehicle.

The definitions are as follows:

• Full – V5 Present.
• Part – Only Section(s) of the V5 Present. Not a Full V5. However, the sections which are present may be found to be sufficient by the buyer depending on their purpose.
• To Follow – No V5 currently present. The vendor has promised documents are available and will follow.
• None – No V5. The onus is on the Purchaser to obtain from DVLA at their own expense.

When ‘VCAR’ (Vehicle Condition Alert Register) is referred to this means the vehicle has been subject to insurance claim/had accident damage. VCAR status remains with the vehicle for the rest of its life, regardless of it being repaired and checked to be of a safe standard.

What are the changes?

For the past decade, write-offs have been grouped into four categories: A, B, C and D. These were graded in order of severity, with Category A for irreparable damage and Category D for vehicles that could – potentially – be returned to the road.

The new system introduced in October 2017 substitutes C and D for the new categories of S and N, ranking write-offs as follows:

• CATEGORY A: SCRAP ONLY.
  A vehicle that has been written off and which must be completely destroyed and cannot be used for parts
• CATEGORY B: BREAK FOR PARTS.
  A vehicle that has been written off but where its parts may be re-used. The body shell cannot be re-used and must be destroyed.
• CATEGORY S: STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED BUT REPAIRABLE.
  The new Category S means the vehicle has suffered structural damage. This could include a bent or twisted chassis, or a crumple zone that has collapsed in a crash. Category S damage is more than just cosmetic; therefore, the vehicle has to be professionally repaired.
• CATEGORY N: NOT STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED, REPAIRABLE.
  Vehicles graded accordingly haven’t sustained structural damage, so the issue may be cosmetic, or a problem with the electrics that isn’t economical to repair. An insurance write-off for other reasons such as the repair costs may be less than the value of the vehicle. It is suitable to repair to make it roadworthy.

Full Payment must be received within 3 working days.

If you’re working with a fixed budget and want to give yourself some breathing room, financing may be your best bet. Low monthly payments instead of a lump sum outright purchase can help make it affordable and give you more financial flexibility in both the short term and the long term. We can raise the invoice to the finance company; however collection of goods will be upon receipt of payment from the finance company. Finance should be arranged before the sale – failure to obtain finance does not remove the buyers obligation to pay. If you are looking to secure Finance on any of the items you have purchased we would recommend the following:

• Danske Bank –
  Anne Lappin, Belfast 077 7415 5310
  Christopher McSwiggan, Ballymena 074 3654 7789
  Mark Sproule, Derry-Londonderry 074 3656 4686
  Joan Maneely, Omagh 077 9903 6985
  Richard Jennings, Portadown 077 7415 5306
• Close Asset Finance – 028 90 269295
• Hanna Financial Services – 028 91 273441 or 07817 111195 Alistair Hanna