The seller's final checks before auction day
- Reading time
- 3 minutes
- Last reviewed
On this page
Before an equipment auction proceeds, confirm that the authorised seller has approved the current lot list, sale instructions and arrangements for unresolved questions. This is the final decision check. It should expose anything that still needs to be held or corrected.
Use one dated approval record. A folder of separate messages saying 'looks fine' can conceal that different people reviewed different versions.
Make a go-or-hold record
| Check | Evidence to record | Hold or escalate when |
|---|---|---|
| Authority to sell | Named approving person and any limits on their authority | Ownership or permission remains unresolved |
| Lot scope | Approved catalogue version and excluded items | Site assets and published descriptions disagree |
| Reserve instructions | Written instruction for each relevant lot | Numbers are ambiguous or approval is missing |
| Condition changes | Latest confirmed changes and the sale manager's response | New information has not reached the approved description |
| Viewing and contact cover | Named people and availability | Nobody can handle a necessary question or agreed appointment |
| Collection assumptions | Confirmed site availability and stated conditions | The advertised timetable cannot be met |
| Exceptions | Item, owner, decision needed and deadline | A material issue has no responsible decision-maker |
The record can fit on one page. Attach detailed evidence where it belongs instead of copying the whole preparation file into the checklist.
Distinguish correction from approval
The earlier catalogue checking process should already have dealt with identification, wording and photographs. At this stage, confirm that the approved corrections actually reached the current version. Do not restart proofreading from the oldest draft.
Likewise, setting reserves is a commercial exercise completed before final sign-off. Here, check that the written amounts and authority match that decision. 'Same as discussed' is weak evidence when several figures appeared in the conversation.
Where an item must be removed or held, follow the withdrawal process through the auctioneer. Deleting a line from the seller's own spreadsheet does not establish that the public catalogue or bidder communications changed.
Give exceptions a clear owner
Suppose a machine develops a new fault after photographs were approved. The final checklist should not simply show a tick beside 'catalogue checked'. Record the fault, notify the sale manager and confirm the resulting instruction. The decision may affect description, reserve, timing or inclusion, depending on the circumstances.
Another example is a change to the premises deadline. If the advertised collection window no longer fits, the relevant people need to resolve that before relying on the old arrangements. Use the sale timetable to identify the affected steps.
Do not call a sale ready because most rows are green. A single unresolved ownership or material-description issue can matter more than ten completed administrative tasks. Ask the responsible professional what must be resolved or held.
When arranging an auction with UK Auction Group, agree who receives final seller approval and how late changes will be handled. The finished record should identify exactly what was approved, by whom and when.
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.