3:09 pm, March 21, 2020
BCA is to conduct all its sales online from Thursday in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
As of March 26, all its sales will only be accessible through BCA Live Online and the BCA Buyer app, with no physical buyer attendance at sales anywhere across the 23-centre network. It said it was being introduced as a temporary measure and would be regularly reviewed.
The move follows the announcement by Manheim three days ago that it would be shutting every auction centre temporarily as of Monday and holding sales via its Simulcast platform instead.
BCA will continue to run the full programme of sales nationwide, with all centres selling digitally. The full programme of online-only auction sales, Bid Now and Buy Now sales also continues.
Stuart Pearson, BCA’s chief operating officer for UK Remarketing, said: ‘BCA have continued to operate normally for as long as possible to support our customers, but we have decided that from Thursday 26th March all BCA sales will only be accessible online.
‘We remain committed to providing customers with access to our market-leading remarketing services, offering buyers the best choice of stock and sellers a range of remarketing platforms to meet their needs. In the current circumstances, we believe this will be best done digitally to prioritise the well-being of customers and our people alike.’
Customers can still pay for vehicles at their local BCA auction centre. Alternatively, BCA can email the invoice with instructions to pay online.
Buyers can continue to collect vehicles from their local auction centre, with BCA advising customers to contact the centre in advance to check the arrangements. It can also organise delivery for customers, with online booking available.
BCA customers who don’t currently have access to BCA Live Online can apply to bid by completing the BCA online application form. To download the BCA Buyer app, search for ‘BCA Buyer’ on the App Store or Google Play Store.
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