Buyer FAQs

• How does bidding work?

  • We use an automated bidding system to make things easy for you! Simply enter the maximum amount you are willing to pay for a vehicle. Our bidding platform will automatically bid on your behalf in fixed increments until you are either the highest bidder or your maximum bid has been reached.

  • If the auction has a reserve, and your maximum bid is the first to meet or exceed the reserve, our bidding platform will use the reserve amount as your first bid. Otherwise, our bidding platform will always place your first bid at one increment above the current bid. Our bidding platform will then increase your bid in fixed increments until you are either the highest bidder or your maximum bid has been reached. If someone outbids your maximum bid, you’ll receive an email to notify you, so that you can increase your maximum bid and stay in the lead.

  • If you win the auction, you will be charged a 6% + VAT non-refundable buyer’s fee on top of the winning bid, with a minimum of £695 + VAT. Keep in mind that all bids are binding and cannot be cancelled. If you fail to pay the Buyer's fee or complete the transaction, you will be in violation of the Auction Terms and Conditions and PistonHeads reserves the right to remove you from the site.

• How do I register to place a bid or make an offer?

  • Anyone can bid on PistonHeads auctions, as long as they have a registered account and a saved payment card. We accept all major credit and debit cards, including Visa, MasterCard or AMEX.
    
    Click this link to 'Sign in' or select 'Create account', if you don't already have a PH account.

  • Once you've successfully created an account and signed in, be sure to complete your 'Classifieds profile' with the required information and add a 'Payment Card'. You can see these options by clicking on 'My Account'.

  • After you've entered your details and saved the changes to your account, you should be able to place a bid on any live Auction.

  • Rest assured that your information is kept safe and secure in accordance with Stripe’s Privacy Policy, and your card will not be charged unless you win an auction.

• When do auctions end?

  • Auctions run for 7 days unless otherwise indicated. The timer on the listing shows how long you have left to bid. 

  • We also have a ‘no sniping’ policy. This means that if a bid is placed during the last 2 minutes of an auction on PistonHeads, we extend the auction by another 2 minutes. If a buyer places a bid in the extended 2 minutes, the auction will be extended an additional 2 minutes. This gives all bidders a fair chance to win the auction.

• How much is the buyer’s fee if I win?

  • The non-refundable buyer’s fee is 6% of the selling price + VAT, with a minimum of £695 + VAT. Keep in mind that all bids and offers are binding and cannot be cancelled.
    
    If you fail to pay the Buyer's fee or complete the transaction, you will be in violation of the Auction Terms and Conditions and PistonHeads reserves the right to remove you from the site.

• How do I know whether there is a reserve or what the reserve is?

  • We never disclose a vehicle’s reserve on the PistonHeads site. However, once a reserve is close to being met or has been met, we will make it clear on the auction listing. We also show a badge on auction listings that have no reserve indicating such.

• How does ‘Make an Offer’ work?

  • ‘Make an Offer’ gives interested buyers an opportunity to offer the Seller the amount they are willing to pay for the vehicle, before the Auction begins. All offers that meet the Seller’s minimum threshold will go to our Consignment team and are then presented to the Seller. If the offer is accepted by the Seller, the vehicle will be considered sold and there will be no Auction.

  • All offers made on a vehicle are binding for up to 2 business days and are subject to our non-refundable buyer’s fee of 6% + VAT (with a minimum of £695 + VAT) upon the Seller accepting the offer.

  • If you fail to pay the Buyer's fee or complete the transaction, you will be in violation of the Auction Terms and Conditions and PistonHeads reserves the right to remove you from the site.

• Are there any limitations on how many offers I can make?

  • You can make as many offers as you like; however, your highest offer will supersede any other offers that you have made. Offers will only be accepted up until 48 hours before the Auction is set to begin. If the Seller does not accept any of the offers they receive, the Auction will begin on the date listed.

• When will I be notified of the decision on my offer?

  • Offers are only valid for up to two business days after they are received by the Consignment team. Therefore, you will be notified of the Seller’s decision within this period. If you do not receive any communication from the Consigner, you should assume that your offer has been rejected and make a new offer if you are still interested in the vehicle.

  • If your offer is accepted, you will be required to pay the non-refundable buyer’s fee of 6% + VAT (with a minimum of £695 + VAT). Once you have made your payment to PistonHeads, you will receive an email with instructions on how to contact the Seller for payment and car collection. 

  • If your offer is rejected, don’t worry. You’ll still be able to place a new offer up to 48 hours before the Auction is set to begin. If the Seller does not accept any of the offers they receive, the Auction will begin on the date listed. You’ll still be able to place a bid and win the Auction.

• How do I know if there is a warranty on a vehicle?

  • Unless otherwise stated in the listing description, there is no warranty on auction vehicles. This applies to all vehicles listed for sale on PistonHeads auctions, including those being listed by a trade seller. It is the responsibility of the buyer to verify whether any warranty will be provided with the seller directly.

• How do I find out more about a particular vehicle? Can I contact the seller during the auction?

  • If you have a question about the auction listing, we encourage you to ask the seller by adding a comment to the forum thread associated with the listing, where all questions and answers will be available to the public during the lifetime of the auction. The corresponding forum thread can be found on the Q&A section of the listing. 

  • Sellers are encouraged to reply to your comment in the forum thread. This avoids duplicate questions from other bidders.

  • Before asking a question, remember to check all the photos and descriptions provided.

• Can I inspect the vehicle in person during the auction?

  • We strongly encourage you to view and inspect the vehicle in person before placing a bid. 

  • To arrange a viewing with the seller, simply click on the Q&A section of the listing to be taken to the corresponding forum thread. You’ll then be able to click on the Seller’s profile and send them a direct message with your request. Bidders should aim to only use direct messages to arrange viewings. 

  • If you are unable to view the vehicle during the auction, we encourage you to use the Q&A forum thread to ask for more information.

  • If the seller is using the concierge service, you can arrange a viewing by contacting our concierge service provider directly. If you are unable to visit the vehicle in person during the concierge service providers regular business hours, as indicated on the auction listing, you can view the walkaround video posted in the Q&A thread.

• Can I trust the description?

  • The listing is written by PistonHeads in conjunction with the seller.  We aim to publish comprehensive listings and we pride ourselves on providing transparency to our buyers.

  • While we do not conduct any inspection, where applicable, our network of photographers document the car’s condition and verify that the vehicle meets the description provided.

• How do I know a seller is trustworthy?

  • As part of the consignment process, a member of the PistonHeads team will speak with each seller to get a description of the vehicle. Any seller that we have deemed to have misrepresented their vehicle is banned from the site. We take our reputation seriously and hold our buyers and sellers to high standards.

• Has PistonHeads inspected the vehicles?

  • We do not conduct any inspections, however, you are able to and are encouraged to view the vehicle in person.

• As a buyer, what is the concierge service?

  • Concierge service is a premium service for sellers where we handle cleaning, viewings, storage and sale administration. Buyers can visit the relevant concierge partner for viewings instead of making arrangements with the seller.

• How do maximum bids work?

  • Our bidding platform is automated so that you don’t have to manually enter bids during the auction. When you are ready to place a bid, simply enter the maximum that you are willing to pay for this vehicle (your ‘max bid’). 

  • If the auction has a reserve, and your max bid is the first to meet or exceed the reserve, our bidding platform will use the reserve amount as your first bid. Otherwise, our bidding platform will always place your first bid at one increment above the current bid.

  • Our bidding platform will then continue to bid on your behalf in fixed increments until you are the highest bidder or your max bid has been met. If someone outbids your max bid, you’ll receive an email to notify you, so that you can increase your max bid and stay in the lead.

  • Your maximum bid does not include the non-refundable buyer’s fee. If you win the auction, you will be charged a 6% + VAT non-refundable buyer’s fee on top of the winning bid, with a minimum of £695 + VAT. If you fail to pay the Buyer's fee or complete the transaction, you will be in violation of the Auction Terms and Conditions and PistonHeads reserves the right to remove you from the site.

• What are the bid increments?

  • We use the following increments to increase your bid through our automated bidding platform:

  • • For bids between £0 and £9,999, the bid increment is £100

    • For bids between £10,000 and £49,999, the bid increment is £250

    • For bids between £50,000 and £99,999, the bid increment is £500

    • For bids £100,000+, the bid increment is £1,000

• What happens if two people set the same maximum bid?

  • If someone else enters the same max bid as you, whoever placed their bid first will continue to be the highest bidder.

• Can reserves be lowered during an auction?

  • Yes, sellers can lower the reserve at any time by written email request to PistonHeads (auctions@pistonheads.com). Sellers also reserve the right to accept the next highest bid at the end of the auction, if the reserve is not met.

  • All bids are binding and you may still win the auction even if the reserve is not met.

• Why has an auction been extended beyond the time shown on the listing?

  • We have a ‘no sniping’ policy. This means that if a bid is placed during the last 2 minutes of an auction on PistonHeads, we extend the auction by another 2 minutes. If a buyer places a bid in the extended 2 minutes, the auction will be extended an additional 2 minutes. This gives all bidders a fair chance to win the auction. 

• Can I buy a vehicle ‘subject to inspection’?

  • Unfortunately, no - all bids are binding. 

  • By placing a bid, you are committing to purchase the vehicle if you win the auction. At the end of the auction, your credit card will be automatically charged a 6% + VAT non-refundable buyer’s fee, with a minimum of £695 + VAT.

  • This non-refundable amount is payable to PistonHeads, and does not include the amount payable to the seller.

• What happens after an auction, if I am the winning bidder?

  • After the auction ends, your payment card will be automatically charged the applicable non-refundable buyer’s fee of 6% + VAT, with a minimum of £695 + VAT.

  • You will receive an email from PistonHeads with instructions on how to contact the seller to arrange payment and the collection of the car.

  • If you fail to pay the Buyer's fee or complete the transaction, you will be in violation of the Auction Terms and Conditions and PistonHeads reserves the right to remove you from the site.

• What happens after an auction, if the reserve was not met?

  • If the reserve is not met at the end of the auction, we offer sellers the option of accepting the another offer. As an interested buyer, you are encouraged to get in touch with the consignment team if you would like to increase your offer at the end of the Auction.

  • If all offers are rejected by the Seller, they then have the option to relist their vehicle at a lower reserve price or for free in the classifieds.

• What is a 'Buy it Now' listing?

  • A 'Buy it Now' listing gives you a second chance to make an offer on a vehicle that was previously listed at auction.

  • Sellers will set a fixed price for the vehicle. If you agree to the vehicle's list price, all you have to do is click 'Buy it Now' to make an offer and begin the purchase process. Once an offer has been made, the vehicle will not be available to other buyers.

  • Similar to our auction listings, once you have made an offer, your credit card will automatically be charged the 6% + VAT non-refundable buyer's fee on top of the fixed price, with a minimum of £695 + VAT.

  • You will then receive an email from PistonHeads with instructions on how to contact the seller to arrange payment and the collection of the vehicle.

• What protection do I have if the vehicle does not match the description?

  • All bids placed are final and therefore we will not refund you the buyer's fee. Before placing a bid, it is your responsibility to conduct research on the vehicle. We do not inspect the vehicle, however, we have done the required checks on the background of the car at the time we listed the vehicle and we do our best to write accurate descriptions based on the information the seller gives us and encourage the seller to provide comprehensive photos that show all parts of the car (including any damage). We also offer the opportunity for bidders to ask questions and arrange a viewing with the seller. 

  • If after all this, you find that the vehicle’s condition has been misrepresented, then we advise that you contact the Seller to negotiate a refund and return. PistonHeads has no responsibility in the transaction between the Buyer and the Seller.

• How do I collect the car?

  • After the auction ends, and your credit card has been automatically charged the applicable non-refundable buyer’s fee, you will receive an email from PistonHeads with instructions on how to contact the seller to arrange payment and the collection of the car.

• How soon after an auction ends do I need to collect the vehicle and transfer the funds to the Seller?

  • While it will be up to the Buyer and Seller to determine when and how to best exchange the vehicle and the funds, we recommend that you aim to collect the vehicle and pay the Seller within 7 days after winning the auction. If the Seller is using the Concierge Service, then the vehicle should be collected within 7 days after winning the auction, otherwise you will be responsible for any storage costs incurred after those 7 days.

• Can I finance a car from PH auctions?

  • Yes, you can. Our funding partner Charles & Dean are able to use specialist funders to fund auction purchases. Due to the time sensitive nature of an auction it would be advised to get pre approved in advance of the auction finishing so you know how high you can bid and have confidence in your options. Please speak to a dedicated Finance Specialist at Charles & Dean to find out more.

• Which payment methods do you accept?

  • We accept all major credit and debit cards, including Visa, MasterCard or AMEX for our non-refundable buyer’s fee. You are required to enter your credit card details to place a bid. However, your card will not be charged unless you win an auction.

  • At the end of the auction, it is up to you to agree upon a suitable payment method with the seller for the amount payable to them.

• Why do I need to give my payment card to bid?

  • Adding a payment card before bidding in an auction is a simple yet crucial step that ensures the auction process is safe, transparent, and fair for everyone involved. This requirement helps verify your identity, showing sellers you're a serious bidder, which builds trust. It also protects against fraudulent activities and ensures only genuine bidders participate, making the auction more secure for both buyers and sellers. Moreover, it streamlines the payment process, making it easier for you to quickly secure the auction. Essentially, this step is about creating a trustworthy environment where you can confidently bid on items, knowing that the auction platform is committed to maintaining integrity and transparency throughout the process.

• What do you do with my email address?

  • We will use your email address in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

• Where are your full terms & conditions?

  • You can view our terms and conditions here.

• If I have a question, how can I get in touch?

  • For any questions or concerns related to PH Auctions, please email auctions@pistonheads.com or call +44 2071 238330.