Physical auctions gone for good?

[Lakeside 94]

I know this has been mentioned before over the last few months but I was thinking yesterday with furlough ending next month and a lot of auction staff still off work are physical auctions gone for good?
 

Bca seam in no rush to reopen and having recently launched their collection booking app I can’t see it happening anytime soon.

 

[Halfpenny 114]

Online greatly benefits the auction co's.  They will strongly resist a return to physical auctions - no doubt about that!

[Lakeside 94]

20 minutes ago, Halfpenny said:

Online greatly benefits the auction co's.  They will strongly resist a return to physical auctions - no doubt about that!

Surely they only have until next month to make a future decision though? Doubt they’ll pay wages of all the drivers, auctioneers, canteen staff etc currently on furlough.

[justina3 518]

I started off thinking they would miss the revenue from the cafe's the private buyers who get run up and pay eye watering fees, however on there flip side the trade seem to be paying way into and more often than not over cap clean so i guess with half your staff off its a very close numbers game and there clear lack of urgency to reopen it just could be the final nail in the coffin. 

 

[Highlinev8 28]

Think it suits them fine to keep the sites closed so they will stick with it as long as they can. Possibly sell off or build on unprofitable/break even sites.

The fact that they are still selling a large amount of sight unseen metal online will have made them re think the business model. 

The compromise would be to allow pre-booked inspection slots but all auctions seem resistant to this except Aston Barclay. BCA are not even allowing pre viewing of Caravans so I dont think they will be changing soon. 

[Halfpenny 114]

1 hour ago, Lakeside said:

Surely they only have until next month to make a future decision though? Doubt they’ll pay wages of all the drivers, auctioneers, canteen staff etc currently on furlough.

Redundancies ahead. In many other sectors too.  Once the furlough music stops there will be a lot of people with nowhere to sit..

Ditto the Working From Home. Working from home actually means working from anywhere - and that can include places where professional employees earn 25% of UK wages.

[Lakeside 94]

1 hour ago, Highlinev8 said:

. Possibly sell off or build on unprofitable/break even sites.

 

I was thinking about this too, bca measham is one of our local sites, huge place but very little being sold from there online at the min. All seams to be coming from Walsall. We’re spoilt for choice for bca sites in the midlands so can’t see them keeping them all open personally. 

[metcars 397]

The auction houses are onto a winner. Online only is better in every way. Auction sites just become glorified storage/prep facilities. They can claw back customer parking too. No need to have to provide facilities for customers. Everything online. Everyone has to register and provide ID. Private buyers can still join but only basic access and not only pay over but get stung for delivery! For auctions it’s a win win! They have got us more by the knackers than ever at the moment! 

The thing I find odd is listening to auctions where the auctioneers are actually sitting in the auction hall with no hall bidders! Way not just do it remotely in a nice A/C office with the vendors being entertained with lap dancers and all that!

personally, I think online only was inevitable and covid has just given them the opportunity to bring it forward. I think the big auction houses are seeing the difference and the potential. I’ll miss my trips to the block. It’s the best bet of the job for me. It’s what makes it interesting.

Edited September 9, 2020 by metcars

[Casper 272]

1 hour ago, metcars said:

The auction houses are onto a winner. Online only is better in every way. Auction sites just become glorified storage/prep facilities. They can claw back customer parking too. No need to have to provide facilities for customers. Everything online. Everyone has to register and provide ID. Private buyers can still join but only basic access and not only pay over but get stung for delivery! For auctions it’s a win win! They have got us more by the knackers than ever at the moment! 

The thing I find odd is listening to auctions where the auctioneers are actually sitting in the auction hall with no hall bidders! Way not just do it remotely in a nice A/C office with the vendors being entertained with lap dancers and all that!

personally, I think online only was inevitable and covid has just given them the opportunity to bring it forward. I think the big auction houses are seeing the difference and the potential. I’ll miss my trips to the block. It’s the best bet of the job for me. It’s what makes it interesting.

You really do miss it . Even just the blether and social interaction with the other traders auction staff etc .. 

I agree with the everyone I think it will be a long time before any of us set foot in a physical auction .  

[justina3 518]

i dont miss it one little bit, I know a few mates who never logged in on line once who have had a huge wake up call into the modern way of doing business, I did giggle when overheard someone down the mot station last week say they spent an hour on there computer looking for cookies to delete as they couldnt get on line to work...gesh old school at its best.

 

[Casper 272]

36 minutes ago, justina3 said:

i dont miss it one little bit, I know a few mates who never logged in on line once who have had a huge wake up call into the modern way of doing business, I did giggle when overheard someone down the mot station last week say they spent an hour on there computer looking for cookies to delete as they couldnt get on line to work...gesh old school at its best.

 

use both ways really either or works but did enjoy the catch up with staff and other traders 

I do wonder how it affects some of the old school who have never used a computer i know a couple of elderly traders  from the auction that don't so much as own a smart phone  

always liked to see stuff in the flesh as was never a great believer in some of the grading systems . But as you say its the modern way for everything inc banking etc so guess we all have to move with the times ..  

Edited September 9, 2020 by Casper

[LSP Vehicles 11]

As someone who is new to the trade, have to say, I don't think i could have started at a better time, in terms of being able to buy online. I can carry on with my day job, and buy and reserve a time to collect, it's wonderful for efficiencies. As far as BCA go, looking out what things are selling for, why would they go back to a physical auction, even if the prices weren't silly, they are saving enough on not having their sites open to public as it is. For a buyer, guess it puts us on a level playing field.

[Casper 272]

1 minute ago, LSP Vehicles said:

As someone who is new to the trade, have to say, I don't think i could have started at a better time, in terms of being able to buy online. I can carry on with my day job, and buy and reserve a time to collect, it's wonderful for efficiencies. As far as BCA go, looking out what things are selling for, why would they go back to a physical auction, even if the prices weren't silly, they are saving enough on not having their sites open to public as it is. For a buyer, guess it puts us on a level playing field.

Is deffo a plus to us having them not open to the public . 

 

[Halfpenny 114]

31 minutes ago, LSP Vehicles said:

As someone who is new to the trade, have to say, I don't think i could have started at a better time, in terms of being able to buy online. I can carry on with my day job, and buy and reserve a time to collect, it's wonderful for efficiencies. As far as BCA go, looking out what things are selling for, why would they go back to a physical auction, even if the prices weren't silly, they are saving enough on not having their sites open to public as it is. For a buyer, guess it puts us on a level playing field.

For us long in the tooth traders there is no substitute for seeing and hearing cars in the flesh. You develop a good eye for sorting the wheat from the chaff. Online just doesn't cut it. And no, I don't trust the gradings. The savings and efficiencies benefit the auction house, not the buyer.

[LSP Vehicles 11]

8 minutes ago, Halfpenny said:

For us long in the tooth traders there is no substitute for seeing and hearing cars in the flesh. You develop a good eye for sorting the wheat from the chaff. Online just doesn't cut it. And no, I don't trust the gradings. The savings and efficiencies benefit the auction house, not the buyer.

Oh I agree, there is no substitute for seeing and hearing in person, but at lest it creates a level playing field for all. I find i save a lot of time being able to buy online and arrange a collection.

[Lakeside 94]

1 hour ago, LSP Vehicles said:

Oh I agree, there is no substitute for seeing and hearing in person, but at lest it creates a level playing field for all. I find i save a lot of time being able to buy online and arrange a collection.

I agree with this, feels like we’re all in the same boat now. 
 

Before, when watching online, if something was going through the hall cheap it actually put me off bidding as I’d often wonder why nobody in the hall was interested. Stupid as it sounds I feel like I have more confidence bidding online now that I used to.

Edited September 9, 2020 by Lakeside

[David Horgan 564]

BCA are looking at opening a very restricted type of sale , one buyer per account & masked up , but its looking like the type of sale thats for the cheapie stuff just one day a week or two weeks . 

Thats from the horses mouth when i collected a car from our local BCA and talking to the manager , confirmed by another guy same day too .

Online is far to easy for them isnt it 

Less admin people , less cleaners , No drivers. Cars dont need moving , More car park space , The staff arent in uniform , No Vendors to take care of creeping about . 

Just too easy at present 

[trade vet 703]

The way the online prices are going,it might be the contrarian buyers ( ungraded and grade 5 stuff ) that will score.Another thought,I think being an auction grading officer might prove to be a lucrative job ( know what I mean Harry ? )

While online cars are far too expensive  has anyone seen the price of commercials,several thousand over book !

[LSP Vehicles 11]

5 minutes ago, trade vet said:

The way the online prices are going,it might be the contrarian buyers ( ungraded and grade 5 stuff ) that will score.Another thought,I think being an auction grading officer might prove to be a lucrative job ( know what I mean Harry ? )

While online cars are far too expensive  has anyone seen the price of commercials,several thousand over book !

We actually deal in commercials and yup, the price's people are paying are crazy, seriously wonder how they make anything! 

[Casper 272]

1 hour ago, LSP Vehicles said:

We actually deal in commercials and yup, the price's people are paying are crazy, seriously wonder how they make anything! 

 

1 hour ago, trade vet said:

The way the online prices are going,it might be the contrarian buyers ( ungraded and grade 5 stuff ) that will score.Another thought,I think being an auction grading officer might prove to be a lucrative job ( know what I mean Harry ? )

While online cars are far too expensive  has anyone seen the price of commercials,several thousand over book !

Ive a 2 separate mates deal only in commercials both have been buying direct out of companies lately one says its cause he cant see what he's buying  in person the other say its due to online places

although i buy a bit of both mainly cars  though i can honestly say I've not bought a decent small van in a few months  

[metcars 397]

15 hours ago, David Horgan said:

BCA are looking at opening a very restricted type of sale , one buyer per account & masked up , but its looking like the type of sale thats for the cheapie stuff just one day a week or two weeks . 

Thats from the horses mouth when i collected a car from our local BCA and talking to the manager , confirmed by another guy same day too .

Online is far to easy for them isnt it 

Less admin people , less cleaners , No drivers. Cars dont need moving , More car park space , The staff arent in uniform , No Vendors to take care of creeping about . 

Just too easy at present 

+1 It was always going to happen.

[Rory RSC 596]

@David Horgan   will be the cheapy sales that open up first makes sense.

 

Buying more expensive cars and newer cars online is a bit less risk anyway. I haven't bought in person for a long time.

[metcars 397]

Not forgetting the auction houses are monitoring how they can run with much fewer staff? Even if it means poorer service. Any problems or interruptions are automatically blamed on the virus. But, obviously they are excuses not reasons.

Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for my card issue to be 'actioned'. I have made contact with a person but somehow, pushing the button has been affected by Covid! Never got a reply from the message i sent transport, that was nearly a week ago now. Shocking!

[metcars 397]

I noticed that Manheim are going to offer pre booked slots to inspect cars prior to purchase. They've nicked that idea from Copart. But I wonder how that's going to work, I wonder how many 'slots' they'll have available in a day?

[David Horgan 564]

49 minutes ago, metcars said:

I noticed that Manheim are going to offer pre booked slots to inspect cars prior to purchase. They've nicked that idea from Copart. But I wonder how that's going to work, I wonder how many 'slots' they'll have available in a day?

Just an excuse to half open and keep selling online , whos going to travel to LOOK at a car then bid online day after or later in the day .