NCM vs Eddisons vs BPI Auctions (2026): Fees, Stock & Collection Compared

NCM Auctions, Eddisons and BPI Auctions are UK online auctioneers that sell plant, machinery, vehicles, catering kit, IT and office contents, mostly from insolvencies and business closures, with some public-sector consignments. All three run timed online sales, add a buyer's premium plus 20% VAT, and require you to collect within a few days. In their recent sale terms the premium was 15% + VAT at Eddisons, 15% + VAT (plant sales) to 25% + VAT (general sales) at NCM, and anywhere from 5% to 25% + VAT at BPI depending on the sale. Today we index 1,700+ live Eddisons lots, 900+ from NCM and 1,000+ from BPI.

None of the three is a government auction site. The UK has no central government auction portal, and public bodies that want to sell plant or fleet hire commercial auctioneers. That is why these houses appear on a government surplus search: some of their stock comes from councils, colleges and other public bodies, and the rest is private and insolvency stock sold on the same terms.

Quick answer

• Lowest typical premium: Eddisons. Its recent sales charged a flat 15% + VAT on every lot. NCM also charges 15% + VAT on its plant and machinery sales, but 25% + VAT on most other sales.
• Most varied stock: NCM. Catering, gym kit, forklifts, plant, vehicles and IT, with named local authority and college clients.
• Most variable fees: BPI. The premium is set sale by sale, from 5% to 25% + VAT, so the number you pay depends on which sale the lot is in.
• Strictest collection costs: BPI. Its published storage charges after the 7-day window run from £25 + VAT per item per day up to £200 + VAT for an HGV.

Side by side

Terms change from sale to sale. The figures above are from each house's published terms and recent sale pages; the rate that binds you is the one on the sale you bid in.

Fees: what you actually pay

All three houses work the same way: hammer price, plus a buyer's premium on the hammer, plus VAT on the premium, plus VAT on the hammer if the lot is VAT-able. Since the rate is set per sale, the useful comparison is what each house charged in its recent terms.

Eddisons has been the most predictable. Its recent timed sales charged 15% + VAT on all lots and stated that VAT on the premium is not refundable. Its general terms add small admin fees: £10 + VAT to amend an invoice, and £20 + VAT to reinstate an account.

NCM splits by sale type. Its plant and machinery sales carried 15% + VAT ("unless specified per lot"), while its general terms and several non-plant sales carried 25% + VAT. It also charges £250 + VAT if it has to defend a card chargeback. If you mainly buy plant, NCM and Eddisons cost roughly the same; for catering, gym or office lots, NCM's 25% sale rate costs you more.

BPI publishes a fee calculator whose premium options run 5%, 10%, 14%, 15%, 18%, 20%, 23% and 25%, which tells you the range its sales use. VAT is charged on the premium, and paying more than £5,000 by card over the phone or in person adds 1.5%.

A worked example on a £4,000 hammer for a VAT-able lot:

The £480 gap is the whole difference between a 15% and a 25% sale on one lot. If you are VAT-registered and get a proper VAT invoice you can normally reclaim the VAT, which narrows the gap to the premium itself. Our true-cost calculator does this sum for any lot.

What each one sells

In our index today most lots from all three sit in mixed "miscellaneous" business contents, which is what insolvency and closure sales look like: racking, office furniture, catering equipment, IT and workshop tools, with plant and vehicles as the higher-value minority.

NCM lists catering, plant, vehicles, IT, forklifts and gym equipment among its sectors. It has a public-sector page covering local authorities and government bodies, and its homepage has shown sales for Doncaster and Bolton councils and several colleges. Among the three it has the clearest public-sector thread, though most of its stock is still commercial.

Eddisons describes itself as a leading machinery and plant auctioneer for the insolvency sector. It is part of a larger property and asset advisory group, and much of its catalogue comes from administrations and liquidations. It has sold surplus refuse vehicles for a client, but we could not find a named public-sector plant or vehicle client in its own pages, so treat it as mainly insolvency and commercial stock.

BPI covers agricultural, construction, engineering, catering, woodworking, forklift and vehicle sales. Its site does not describe a public-sector client base, so any council kit you find there is incidental.

Bidding mechanics

All three run timed online sales where you can leave a maximum bid and let the system bid in increments for you. The practical difference is the anti-sniping window:

• Eddisons: a bid in the last 10 minutes extends the close by 10 minutes, so lots can run well past the advertised time when two bidders are active.
• NCM: a bid in the last 5 minutes resets the clock to 5 minutes.
• BPI: its FAQ says a bid in the final 3 minutes extends by 3 minutes. Its full terms describe a slightly different 2-then-3-minute rule, so do not count on sniping at BPI either.

The upshot is the same everywhere: last-second bids do not win by surprise. Decide your ceiling, including premium and VAT, and enter it as a maximum bid.

NCM and Eddisons also list sales on BidSpotter and (for NCM) i-bidder. If you bid through one of those marketplaces rather than the house's own site, check the platform's own fee, which can be charged on top of the premium.

Registration and payment

Every house wants a payment card on file before you bid. BPI charges a non-refundable £1 registration fee and may ask for ID. Eddisons requires proof of identity and may ask for a deposit of up to 25%. NCM's terms allow it to take a deposit and to charge your registered card if an invoice is still unpaid after 10 days.

Payment deadlines are short: 24 hours at Eddisons, 48 hours at NCM and BPI. Eddisons and BPI will not take cash; NCM accepts cash in person up to £7,500. Card payments at NCM can take up to three working days to clear, which can push back your collection slot.

Collection and shipping

This is where most buyers get caught out. None of the three ships as standard.

• NCM: collection by pre-booked appointment only, with a deadline for each sale, and £40 + VAT per lot per day after it. It does not decommission or deliver unless the lot says so.
• Eddisons: collection by appointment, 9am to 4pm, with storage set per sale. It does not pack or box goods, but points buyers to a third-party courier. Heavy plant needs your contractor's risk assessment and method statement (RAMS) before removal.
• BPI: collection within 7 days, weekdays 8:30am to 3:30pm. Shipping is only arranged from its Wakefield premises. Storage after the window is £25 + VAT per item per day, £100 + VAT for vehicles, £150 + VAT for plant and £200 + VAT for HGVs.

Before you bid on anything heavy, find out where the lot is, whether there is a forklift or loading help on site, and what your haulier will charge. On a low-value lot the transport can cost more than the hammer.

What about Apex Auctions?

Apex Auctions is the fourth UK industrial auctioneer we index (620+ live lots today). It specialises in manufacturing plant (CNC, plastics, printing and woodworking machinery), often from liquidations. Its standard terms set an 18% + VAT premium unless a sale states otherwise, with VAT on the hammer as well. A bid in the final 10 minutes extends the close by 10 minutes, payment is due immediately after the sale, and collection is 9am to 4pm on weekdays by a deadline per sale. If you buy workshop and production machinery rather than general plant, check Apex alongside the three above.

Who each one suits

• Plant buyers watching costs: Eddisons or an NCM plant sale, both at 15% + VAT in recent terms.
• Buyers after council, college or catering kit: NCM, which has the most visible public-sector and catering flow.
• Buyers who want a wide spread of trade sales: BPI, but read the premium on each sale before bidding because it varies more than anyone else's.
• Buyers far from the lot: Eddisons, for its courier referral, or BPI, if the lot is at Wakefield. Otherwise budget for your own haulage.

Search all three at once

Because each house runs dozens of separate sales, the hard part is finding the right lot. GovAuctions indexes NCM, Eddisons, BPI, Apex, Ramco and Witham in one free search, with the source shown on every lot, and links you to the original sale to bid. The live per-source counts are on the UK sources page, and plant is gathered on the UK heavy equipment page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, NCM, Eddisons or BPI?

On recent sale terms, Eddisons (15% + VAT on all lots) and NCM's plant and machinery sales (15% + VAT) are the cheapest. NCM's general sales carried 25% + VAT, and BPI sets its premium per sale anywhere from 5% to 25% + VAT. The rate on the specific sale you bid in is the one that applies.

Do NCM, Eddisons and BPI charge VAT on the buyer's premium?

Yes. All three charge VAT at 20% on the buyer's premium, and VAT on the hammer price as well when the lot is VAT-able. VAT-registered buyers with a proper VAT invoice can normally reclaim it; private buyers cannot.

Are NCM, Eddisons and BPI government auction sites?

No. They are commercial auctioneers. Some of their lots come from councils, colleges and other public bodies, which hire auctioneers because the UK has no central government auction website, but most of their stock is insolvency and business-closure stock.

Can I snipe a lot in the last few seconds?

Not effectively. Eddisons extends by 10 minutes for a bid in the final 10 minutes, NCM resets to 5 minutes, and BPI extends by 3 minutes. A late bid simply gives the other bidder time to respond. Enter your real maximum instead.

Do any of them deliver?

Not as standard. All three expect you to collect or send a contractor. Eddisons refers buyers to a third-party courier, BPI can arrange shipping only from its Wakefield site, and NCM only delivers where a lot description says so.

What happens if I miss the collection deadline?

You pay storage and risk losing the lot. NCM charges £40 + VAT per lot per day, BPI £25 to £200 + VAT per item per day depending on the item, and Eddisons sets a storage charge per sale. Terms at all three allow uncollected goods to be treated as abandoned eventually.