BCA Answers Your Questions

Learn more about how to buy at BCA in each country

BCA is the largest European used car marketplace

Get to learn BCA

1. Who are BCA?

British Car Auctions is part of BCA Marketplace plc, a company listed on the London Stock Exchange. We are bringing together used car sellers and buyers. We sell more than one million vehicles annually and are Europe’s largest vehicle remarketing company.

2. In which countries do BCA sell cars?

We are managing used car sales around 50 centres across 10 countries: France, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, Sweden and UK.

3. Where do the vehicles come from?

We develop partnerships with many contributors, sometimes exclusively, to offer a wide selection of cars. Vehicles for sales come from dealer trade-in, finance and leasing houses, rental companies, manufacturer, fleet operators and adminitrations among others. BCA features a unique used vehicle stock.

4. What type of cars can I find?

We sell a wide variety of cars, commercial vehicles, damaged cars, non-runners, two-wheelers and even trucks and machinery! The vehicle type is mentioned on the vehicle detail page.

5. How can I find a car?

In the menu, you can either search for a specific vehicle in stock or search for a sale in the calendar. The calendar will contain a selection of similar vehicles to offer you a larger choice.

Get to know all about BCA´s sales

Discover our different types of sales, who is eligible to attend and how to register with us.

1. What is a sale, and what do X-Bid, Live Online, Buy Now, Auction in hall mean?

A sale is an event, online or in hall where we present a wide range of vehicles. To access online sales, you must be registered and connected. At BCA, we provide different type of sales:

  • Bid now: this type of sale gives you the opportunity to place bids in online auctions, at any time of the day directly within vehicle detail page.
  • xBid: Most of the bid now sales end with an X-Bid session which start 5 minutes after the first sale. It is a new opportunity to bid on the vehicle.
  • Live Online:  An "In house" application which allows you to attend an auction from your home, either the auction takes place physically in "an auction place" or only online. You can hear the auctioneer and send a message to ask questions.
  • Auction in hall: In Netherland, Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal, some auctions take place in a hall so you can go there to bid and buy in person.
  • Buy now: you can find and purchase vehicles online 24/7 at a fixed price.
  • Sealed bid: You place a bid of the amount of your choice, you can modify this amount whenever you want. After the auction has ended the highest bidder receives a notification by email.

2. Who can access our sales?

Access to our sales is reserved for professionals from the automotive industry.

3. How to register?

To register at BCA, fill in the online form, we'll call you back asap to learn more about you and ask you to provide a few documents.

4. What are the required documents to register and when will I be able to buy

After receiving your documents listed here below, we send you your online login within 24 hours:

  • Copy of the ID Card of the company owner (front and back)
  • If the buyer is not the owner: the purchasing power of attorney + copy of the ID Card of the buyer
  • Signed Terms & Conditions

5. How long does it takes to get registered?

It takes within 24 to 48 hours to register, check your documentation and send you your login.

6. What should I do if I did not receive the activation email?

If after 48 hours of your online registration you have not received the activation email sent by the Customer service :

  1. Check your spam box
  2. If the email is not there, please contact the Customer service, from 9:00 to 17:00 to +39 0371 193 2002 or by email to info.ita@bca.com

7. In which country should I register?

You should register with your local BCA subsidiary. If you came from a country where BCA is not present we will automatically assign your account to the team best placed to support you.

8. I want to buy in another country, should I register again?

No, once you are registered in a BCA, you can get access to all international sales across Europe. Please contact your local team and request the access. Further information or documentation might be required.

All about BCA buying process

From bidding to receiving your invoice, all the information you need to know.

1. Can I cancel a bid?

During our online sales, each of your bids commits you. All the bids are active until the end of the auction. If you win a vehicle, you are obliged to go ahead with the transaction. During an auction in hall, if you raise your hand and the auctioneer accepts the bid, this is legally binding and cannot be revoked.

2. Can I find the starting prices of the vehicles before the beginning of the auction?

Depending on the sale and BCA country, you might have access to this information before the auction starts. You will find it on the vehicle detail page.

3. Is it safe to buy online?

The BCA website respects all the standard practices of online security. To bid and buy, all the users have to connect with secure passwords. The website uses the standard internet cryptographic Protocol SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), supplying a safety and an integrity of the data for the web communications.

4. How do I know if I have won a vehicle?

You will be notified via email shortly after the end of the sale.

Furthermore, you will also find this information under MyBCA (with the exception of purchases done on Live Online)

5. What and how to pay?

You have to pay the vehicle hammer price and buyer fees. You must pay by bank transfer within 2 days from the delivery of the invoice. Please note that buyer fees and payment details are different depending on the country sale management.

Pick up your car or get it delivered

Get more information about how to pick up a vehicle and our delivery options.

1. How to pick up a car from a BCA branch?

After receiving payment of the invoice, BCA will complete all formalities relating to the sale and transfer of ownership of the Vehicle.  After that you will receive an issue voucher so that your vehicle can be released. After the payment of your invoice, you will receive an issue voucher so that your vehicle can be released. You have up to 12 days to pick up the car free of charge. Starting from 13th day, a storage fee of 15€+VAT (PC) or 20€+ IVA(LCV and HGV) per day will be charged. After 20 days BCA will arrange for the Vehicle to be transported to the buyer's address.

2. How do I know where to pick up the car?

 You will find the details of your vehicle's location in the vehicle´s detail page in My BCA. To get the local center details and opening hours, please check the location page.

3. Does BCA can help to deliver a car?

Yes, BCA can help to deliver you the vehicle. For more details, please refer to the Delivery section.

4. Does BCA can help to export vehicles?

Yes, BCA can help you to get some documents and deliver the vehicle abroad. For more details, please refer to Buy in Italy page

Submit a claim on a vehicle you purchased

At BCA we want to ensure your satisfaction. Thus why we have a dedicated team to process your claims. We accept claims on certain vehicles and conditions.action. Thus why we have a dedicated team to process your claims. We accept claims on certain vehicles and conditions.

1. Can I submit a claim on a vehicle purchased at BCA?

At BCA we want to ensure your satisfaction. Thus why we have a dedicated team to process your claims. If after carefully studying our terms and conditions you would like to submit a claim, please follow the process and fulfill the dedicated form.

2. In which case can I claim?

Please note that the following cases cannot be subject to any claims - for more info please refer to our terms and conditions :

  • Cars sold in auction for less than 1 500 euros, excluding fees and VAT
  • Cars with age over 10 years or mileage over 180 000 km
  • Cars sold as damaged, accident cars, non-runners, ELV End-of-life-vehicles or “Sold as it is”
  • In case that car was registered/sold to the final customer/3rd party
  • The cars are not checked on the lift – no claims on hidden parts acceptable
  • Repair costs for optical and technical damages up to € 400
  • Repairs done - Car must remain in original condition from the auction, it cannot be repaired or modified
  • All wear parts subject to maintenance and small components
  • No claims on following parts/items: Wheels/rims/tyres/spare wheels, Windshield/glass parts, Lights - unless it is proven transport damage

3. Are there some required documents I should provide to open a claim?

 To assure the correct progress of claim request, the customer takes care sending us within 48h all the necessary information:
1) the license plate of the vehicle or, if deregistered, the invoice number
2) DDT/CMR signed by the parts with indication of the emerged damage
3) detailed pictures of the damages
4) estimate of the reinstatement on letterhead with detailed intervention, hours of labour, consumer products, parts of replacement to be used, etc..

4. How to open a claim when I purchased on a european sale?

You open a claim on the same website as you log in. Please refer to the country claim policy in the pdf guide to ensure the eligibility of your claim which depends on local rules.

Not familiar with auctions?

Visit the Jargon Buster page to learn more