Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your use of the MOTOR CARS AUCTIONS website and platform operated by MOTOR CARS AUCTIONS LIMITED of 7 Manor St, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 2PT, United Kingdom (“we”, “us”, “our”). By creating an account, browsing lots after verification, placing a bid, using Buy Now, or completing a purchase, you agree to these Terms, our Privacy Policy and our Cookie Policy.

1. Who we are and what we offer

MOTOR CARS AUCTIONS is an online marketplace for recovered and remarketed motor vehicles offered by timed auction and, where stated on a listing, fixed-price Buy Now. Stock may include vehicles arising from bank repossession, finance recovery, insolvency or enforcement releases, and other remarketing channels. We are not a traditional high-street dealership and do not hold ourselves out as selling new retail stock unless a listing expressly says otherwise.

Lot descriptions, photographs, guide prices and condition notes are provided to help you decide whether to bid or buy. They do not replace your own due diligence. Unless a listing states a specific warranty in writing, vehicles are offered as seen / as described.

2. Eligibility and accounts

• You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to enter binding contracts under the laws of England and Wales.
• You must register with accurate personal (and, for trade buyers, business) details, including a working email and phone number.
• You must keep your login credentials secure. Activity under your account is treated as yours unless you notify us promptly of unauthorised use.
• We may refuse, suspend or close accounts where we reasonably suspect fraud, money-laundering risk, abuse of the platform, or breach of these Terms.

3. Identity verification (AML-style checks)

Before Place bid or Buy Now is unlocked, you must complete our bidder onboarding. This typically includes:

• email verification;
• photo ID (for example passport or photocard driving licence);
• proof of address dated within a recent period (for example bank statement, utility bill or council tax); and
• acceptance of these Terms and acknowledgement that bids and Buy Now purchases are legally binding.

Document review is performed by our staff. Approval times are usually within one to two working days but are not guaranteed. We may ask for further information. Bidding and buying remain blocked until the required checks are complete.

4. Catalogue access and browsing

Guests may be redirected to register before opening the full catalogue or individual lots. Logged-in users who have not completed identity checks may browse limited areas but cannot place bids or complete Buy Now until those requirements are met.

5. Timed auctions

• Each live auction shows a countdown based on our server time. The displayed current bid is the highest valid bid recorded for that lot.
• Bids must meet or exceed the next allowed amount (current bid plus the minimum increment shown on the lot).
• All bids are binding. If you are the highest bidder when the auction ends (subject to any reserve and these Terms), you are the winning bidder and must proceed to contract, invoice and payment.
• Some lots may use a soft-close / anti-sniping extension near the end time. If enabled, late bidding can extend the close as described on the lot or in site settings.
• We may withdraw, pause or relist a lot for operational, legal or reserve reasons. If we cancel an auction before a binding sale is completed, any incomplete bidding process ends without a purchase obligation on that lot.
• Where a reserve applies and is not met, the lot may be unsold even if bids were placed.

6. Buy Now

Where Buy Now is enabled on a listing, you may purchase at the published fixed price without waiting for an auction to end. Completing Buy Now creates a binding purchase obligation on the same post-sale path as an auction win (contract, invoice, payment, then collection or delivery as offered).

7. Fees, buyer’s premium and VAT

On auction wins, a buyer’s premium of 10% of the hammer price applies unless a specific lot states a different premium. VAT may apply to the premium and/or the vehicle price where required by law; the invoice will set out the amounts due.

Guide prices and “current bid” displays are not a promise of the final amount you will pay. Your payable total is the agreed hammer or Buy Now price, plus buyer’s premium where applicable, plus any VAT and other charges disclosed on the lot or invoice (for example delivery if separately agreed).

8. Contract, invoice and payment

1. Contract. After a win or Buy Now, we issue purchase paperwork. You must sign and return it as instructed within any stated deadline.
2. Invoice. We issue an invoice for the amounts due. Quote the invoice or order reference on every payment.
3. Payment. Payment is completed by bank transfer to the account shown on the invoice, or by Open Banking / Crezco Collect where we enable that method. Cleared funds are required before release of the vehicle.
4. Failure to pay. If you do not pay on time, we may cancel the sale, re-offer the vehicle, and recover reasonable losses (including remarketing costs and any shortfall), without prejudice to other rights.

Title in the vehicle passes only when we confirm cleared funds and any required release conditions are met. Risk may pass on collection or on delivery handover as stated in your order instructions.

9. Collection and delivery

Collection and/or delivery options, locations, deadlines and any fees depend on the lot and what we confirm after payment. Storage charges may apply if you delay collection beyond the stated free period. You are responsible for arranging suitable transport and for complying with vehicle licensing and registration requirements after purchase.

10. Condition of vehicles — sold as seen

Unless we expressly state a warranty or guarantee for a named lot, vehicles are sold as seen and as described. You should review all photos, notes, odometer readings, and any history or check information provided. Mechanical condition, accident history, finance outstanding (where relevant to recovered stock processes), and suitability for your purpose are matters for your own assessment. Statutory rights that cannot be excluded under UK consumer law remain unaffected where you deal as a consumer.

11. Consumer information

If you are a consumer in the UK, nothing in these Terms excludes or limits rights you have under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 or other non-excludable law. Because lots are typically unique used vehicles sold by auction or fixed-price remarketing, cooling-off rights that apply to some distance contracts for standard goods may not apply in the same way to auction wins; where a statutory right does apply, we will honour it. Key process disclosures also appear in our How bidding works guide and on individual lot pages.

12. Prohibited conduct

You must not:

• manipulate bidding, use shill bidding, or coordinate with others to distort auction outcomes;
• submit false identity documents or false company details;
• scrape, attack or overload the platform, or attempt to bypass access controls;
• use the site for any unlawful purpose, including money laundering or sanctions evasion.

13. Platform availability and changes

We aim to keep the site available but do not warrant uninterrupted access. We may change features, fees, lot content, or these Terms. Material changes to Terms will be reflected on this page with an updated date. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms for future activity.

14. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss (including loss of profit, business or opportunity) arising from use of the platform or from a vehicle purchase, except where caused by our fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for death or personal injury caused by our negligence. Our total liability arising from any one lot purchase is limited to the amounts you paid us for that lot (hammer/Buy Now price plus buyer’s premium and VAT paid to us on that transaction), except where liability cannot lawfully be limited.

15. Intellectual property

Site design, branding, text and software are owned by us or our licensors. You may use the site for legitimate browsing and bidding only. You may not copy listing content for competing commercial use without our written consent.

16. Privacy and cookies

We process personal data as described in our Privacy Policy. Cookie use is described in our Cookie Policy.

17. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction, without prejudice to any mandatory consumer protections that may allow you to bring proceedings in your place of residence where applicable.