Receiving a private offer before an auction starts
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Refer a private offer received before an auction to the person managing the sale before accepting it. Your existing agreement may affect withdrawals, fees, advertising and how offers must be handled. An attractive price does not settle those points.
A direct approach can be useful evidence of interest. Treat it as a proposal to assess, not an instruction to remove the equipment from the catalogue. Start by capturing enough detail for the auctioneer to evaluate the same offer you are seeing.
Use a short referral note
Asset or lot: [identifier and included items]
Buyer contact: [name and route of enquiry]
Offer: [amount, currency and stated VAT basis]
Conditions: [inspection, finance, testing or other requirements]
Payment proposal: [method and proposed timing for confirmation]
Collection proposal: [date, responsibility and any work expected of seller]
Expiry: [when the buyer says the offer ends]
Seller's question: [may this be considered within our agreement, and what costs or approvals apply?]
If an item is offered as part of a package, list the package. A buyer quoting for a machine, its tooling and spare motor is not necessarily offering the same thing as a machine-only auction lot. Comparing offers on a consistent basis starts with this scope check.
Ask what accepting would change
The sale manager needs to establish whether the offer can be considered, who has authority to accept it and what happens to existing marketing or bidder interest. Check the relevant parts of your seller agreement, including any withdrawal or commission provisions. Do not infer that an auction which has not started is automatically free of commitments.
Ask for a net comparison: proposed proceeds less applicable costs, compared with the realistic alternative. The amount alone can be misleading when one buyer wants immediate access or extra preparation that was not included in the planned sale.
A fictional example illustrates the issue. A seller receives an offer on Friday, conditional on collection on Monday. The equipment is still being used and no release arrangements exist. Even before comparing the price, that proposed date needs checking. An offer with an impossible condition is not ready for acceptance.
Keep a single response route
Agree who will answer the buyer and by when. Do not have the owner, site supervisor and auctioneer each suggest different prices or collection dates. Record questions that remain open and label the offer accordingly.
If the agreed route changes to a negotiated private sale, confirm the new instructions and catalogue updates. If it remains an auction, retain the enquiry as buyer feedback without promising a future outcome. For a broader decision to remove an item, see withdrawing equipment from an auction.
UK Auction Group's asset disposal service covers auction and private-sale routes. When discussing a proposed sale, ask how unsolicited offers will be referred and approved. Settling that small process beforehand makes a later approach easier to assess calmly.
Explore the auctions and private sales guides.
Sources
- UK Auction Group: asset disposal Checked
This guide gives general information. Equipment-specific, legal, tax and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser or competent specialist. The guides do not promise sale prices, fees or results.