Buying Guide

Before the Auction Starts test
Auctions are held twice a week; Wednesdays at 11am and Fridays at 4pm. Commercial vehicles are now included in every Wednesday Sale.
We are open from 9:00am until 5:30pm Monday to Thursday and from 9am until the end of the auction on Friday. We recommend that you arrive in plenty of time to familiarise yourself with the vehicles offered for sale.
All vehicles are checked using HPI to ensure that their number plate and VIN/chassis number match and that they are not registered as stolen or on security watch. They are also checked for outstanding finance, accident damage, vehicle identity and any plate transfers.
All vehicles have their background information displayed on the windscreen. The catalogue will state if a vehicle has been inspected. Vehicles not inspected will have images uploaded to the website www.ebca.co.uk . There will be no comment made on the vehicle’s general condition. Reports for inspected vehicles can be found on our website www.ebca.co.uk or by scanning the QR code located in the top right hand corner of the information sheet on the vehicle windscreen.
A QR reader can be downloaded to your smartphone via the app store. Known faults will only be listed on the online inspection report.All vehicles sold at ECA are ‘Sold as Seen’.
No negotiations regarding mechanical or vehicle condition will be entered into after the sale, unless the vehicle was sold with an ‘End of Sale Trial‘ is taken up by the purchaser. All vehicles are sold as seen. You may bring a mechanic along to look over any vehicle prior to the sale day.
Catalogues are printed approximately 20 minutes before the start of each sale. You can collect a catalogue from the boxes located outside the offices in the Auction Hall.

 

Bidding & Payment
Once your bid is made you have entered into a legally binding contract with ECA and your bid may not be withdrawn so please be absolutely sure that you want to purchase the vehicle before you raise your hand.
If you are the highest bidder when the hammer falls the vehicle is yours.
You should immediately make your way to the office where a member of staff from the rostrum will take your details including your ID and collect your £400 cash deposit.
Provisional bids
Most vehicles have reserve prices. The reserve price is the minimum amount, set by the vendor, required for the vehicle to sell. If the highest bid does not meet the reserve price the auctioneer may provisionally sell the vehicle. If yours is the highest bid you should make your way immediately to the office where a member of the rostrum staff will take your details, including your ID and collect your £400 cash deposit. Your bid will then be submitted to the vendor who will decide whether to accept or decline it. Your bid will stand for a maximum of 24 business hours or until the vendor has notified us of their decision whichever is sooner. If the vendor declines your offer your bid will have been unsuccessful your deposit will be refunded. If the vendor accepts your offer the lot will be yours and the sale will proceed as though the hammer had fallen during the sale.
If a vehicle has been offered with an ‘End of Sale Trial’, the purchase price must be agreed and the invoice settled in full before the trial can be undertaken.
Following the sale of the vehicle, the office staff will raise a sales invoice.
A buyers fee and an Admin Fee are added to the sale price on all vehicles sold (all fees are subject to VAT at the prevailing rate) and any deposit already paid is be deducted from the total invoice amount.
The outstanding balance is payable by the end of the following business day (that is by 5.30 pm on the Thursday following a Wednesday sale and by 5.30 pm on the Monday following a Friday sale).
Should a purchaser fail to pay the outstanding balance within the stated time the deposit is non-refundable. In order to take advantage of any ‘End of Sale Trial,’ the vehicle must be paid for in full on the day of the sale.
A £400 Cash deposit is required on each purchase or provisional purchase, please go to the main reception and give your details to a member of staff. Don't forget your photo ID. The balance of payment must be made by bank transfer. No other forms of payment may be used.
Once a vehicle is sold it must be removed from the auction premises within twenty-four hours of the sale. If not a parking charge will automatically be made.
In cases where sold vehicles are not removed for seven days or more, they can, at the auctioneer's discretion, be put up for resale whether or not the full purchase price has been paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Purchasing A Vehicle

Q: When are 'Physical' auctions held?
A: Auctions are held twice a week:
Wednesdays at 11 am
Fridays at 4 pm.
We now include Commercial & Plant in every Wednesday sales.

Q: When are 'Timed' auctions held?
A: Between Thursday & Monday ending at 11.00 am.


Q: What happens when I bid for a car?
A: If you are the highest bidder when the hammer falls the vehicle is yours. You should immediately make your way to the office where a member of staff from the rostrum will take your details including your identification which shows your name and address and collect your £400 cash deposit.

Q: What if I cannot make the auction and want to bid?
A: If you are unable to make the auction leave us your £400 cash deposit and we will bid on your behalf up to the amount you wish to pay, or you can register on this website for a temporary online bidding account.

Q: What is Proxy Bidding?
A: Proxy bidding is used when you leave an online bid on a vehicle prior to the sale. You are effectively getting the online system to bid on your behalf. The Proxy Bid system will only bid up to your maximum bid. Should your Proxy Bid be the highest bid on the vehicle that is the amount that we submit (not necessarily your maximum bid). To use Proxy Bidding you must be a registered account holder.

Q: Do I have to pay any charges?
A: Yes. A buyers fee and an Admin Fee
are added to the sale price on all vehicles sold (all fees are subject to VAT at the prevailing rate). Other charges may be added.

Q: How long do I get to pay the balance?
A: The outstanding balance is payable by the end of the following business day (that is by 5.30 pm on the Thursday following a Wednesday sale and by 5.30 pm on the Monday following a Friday sale) unless the vehicle is purchased with an, in which case full payment is due on the day of the sale (where it is offered). Should a purchaser fail to pay the outstanding balance within the stated time the deposit is non-refundable.

Q: What are your methods of payment?
A: Deposits if required are £400 in cash. The balance has to be paid by  'Bank Transfer'.
‍All transactions are subject to our full Terms and Conditions of Business.


 

End of Sale Trial
To help confidence when bidding on a trade or private entry the vendor will be given the option of selling their vehicle with an End of sale Trial (Conditions and fees apply) or to sell their vehicle Sold as Seen and the purchaser will then have the option to take up the end of sale trial (Conditions and fees apply) or accept the vehicle as Sold as Seen.

If the option is taken up the purchaser will have up to 1 hour from the end of sale to have a 5 min test drive conducted by an ECA member of staff to check the items listed below.
During the End of Sale Trial, the ECA member of staff will check the following conditions:-
Clutch That the clutch operating is correctly and that there is no noise from the dual mass or clutch release bearing.
Engine That there are no major oil leaks or any signs of overheating.
Gearbox That all gears can be engaged correctly.
Brakes That the brakes adequately stop the vehicle.
Steering That the steering wheel turns in both directions without knocking or resistance.
Automatic Transmission That the gearbox goes up and down through all gears.  

Please view terms and conditions on our website for  more detailed information or call the office and speak to either Rich, Henry or Kevin

What is NAMA Grading?
The aim of the NAMA grading scheme at its highest level is to deliver key benefits to all the parties involved in the transaction.  It is designed to facilitate the buying and selling process of a used car in a condition that is better understood by both parties.  With a better understanding of a vehicle condition, it should be possible to more accurately anticipate a selling price that is consistent with the typically observed prices for similar cars in the same trading period, subject to similar market conditions.
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Grading
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As soon as a vehicle arrives at Eastbourne Car Auctions it will undergo an examination by one of our qualified vehicle inspectors, and graded according to its condition. We use the well recognised NAMA grading system to access any damage – this is the standard grading scheme for many motor auctions in the UK. Click the button to find out more.
NAMA Grading