auctions
payment and collection
Q what forms of payment do you accept?
Q is it safe to use my credit card?
Q when will I receive my release note?
Q how long will it take to get set up on direct debit?
Q what if I have problems paying on the site?
Q how can I tell which credit card orders still require payment?
Q what do I need when I am picking up a vehicle?
Q what are the locations and contact numbers for the salvage sites?
Q can delivery and storage facilities be arranged?
Q how can I get a copy of my release note?
Q where can I view the details of my orders?
Q what does the ‘cancelled orders’ list show?
bidding
Q how do I bid?
Q what is being outbid?
Q what is proxy biding?
Q what is 'bidwatch'?
Q how do I place a bid in bidwatch?
Q how do I add/remove an auction to bidwatch?
Q how do I know if I am winning on bidwatch?
Q why it is so important to keep refreshing my screen?
Q how much should I bid?
Q how much does it cost to bid?
Q how can I check on past bids I've made?
Q how do I know if I've won?
Q how do I change or cancel a bid?
Q what happens when I win an auction?
Q why haven't my bids appeared yet?
other
Q how do I find a specific item for auction?
Q can I submit vehicles for auction?
Q when do auctions open and close?
Q can I view the cars'?
payment and collection
Q. what forms of payment do you accept? 
A. We accept two types of payment, Direct Debit and Credit/Debit/Charge Card (Visa, Mastercard, Switch, Delta, Eurocard)
Direct Debit
Direct debit is our preferred payment option as it eliminates manual effort both for you and us.
A Direct Debit electronically pays the amount due, direct from your bank account to bluecycle, without the need for cheques or phone calls.
Your bank account is automatically debited after we have notified you that your bid was successful.
If you would like to change to Direct Debit please contact our customer services team on 08700 480 500.
Credit, Debit or Charge Card Payment
Cards can only be used for payments that are less than £5000. 3% of the winning bid amount will be added to cover handling fees for all card payments.
Please note, payment can only be made on the site. We are unable to take payment over the phone.
If payments are over £5000 BACS/CHAPS/Telegraphic transfer payments can be arranged by contacting our finance team on 08700 480 500.
No other forms of payment are accepted.
All accounts must be settled and the car collected within 10 days of winning an auction. If you fail to pay within 10 days the vehicle will be re-auctioned.
If you have paid but failed to collect the vehicle within 10 days you will be charged a storage fee of £10 per day per vehicle and after 14 days your vehicle will be re-auctioned.
Q. how can I tell which credit card orders still require payment?
A. go to ‘my bluecycle’ then ‘my outstanding orders’ if the vehicle has make a payment in the left hand column then it requires payment. Click on ‘make a payment’ and you will be take to the page to make payment from
Q. when will I receive my release note?
A. This will depend on your method and time of payment.
If you pay by Direct Debit:
You will receive the release note on the 3rd working day, from 2pm onwards. For example; if the auction closes on 01/01/02, you will receive the release note on 03/01/02 from 2.00pm until early evening.
If you pay by Credit/Debit/Charge Card (Visa, Mastercard, Switch, Delta, Eurocard) before 2pm:
You will receive the release note on the same day, from 2pm until early evening.
If you pay by Credit/Debit/Charge Card (Visa, Mastercard, Switch, Delta, Eurocard) after 2pm:
You will receive the release note the following morning, from 4am onwards.
If you pay by BACS / CHAPS:
You will receive the release note on the day after the date the funds are received in our bank account.
**Please note release notes are system generated, and only released according to the times above. We are unable to speed up the release note process.
Q. how long will it take to get set up on direct debit?
A. It will take 10 working days from the day we receive your original direct debit mandate.
Q. what if I have problems paying on the site?
A. You should call your card issuer first. Your card issuer sets the maximum number of transactions and conditions under which a manual voice authorisation will be needed.
If you are still experiencing further difficulties in paying, please contact our Netbanx helpline on 01223 847 175 for assistance.
Q. is it safe to use my credit card?
A. Absolutely. bluecycle.com is backed and funded by Norwich Union, the largest UK-based insurer, so you know you can trust the people on the other end of the mouse. All credit card information is held in a secure, trusted bureau.
Q. what do I need when I am picking up a vehicle?
A. When you go to collect your vehicle you must call the yard a 24 hours before and confirm which day you will be picking up the vehicle.
To collect a vehicle you must have with you a copy of the release note.
You must check the vehicle thoroughly before accepting it. You are deemed to have accepted it when it has left the site.
Q. what are the locations and contact numbers for the salvage sites?
A. There are 6 bluecycle salvage partners. The name of the site as it appears on the auction description is underlined. To contact them, please call bluecycle on 08700 480 500 and select the appropriate option.
You should contact them if:
· you have a query regarding a specific car at, or collected from, their site
· you are planning to collect a vehicle
AG Watson
Tel 01383 418808
· Inverkeithing, Fife
· Featherstone, West Yorkshire
· Bathgate, West Lothian
. Addewell, West Lothian
. Doncaster, Doncaster
. Mossend, Bellshill
Century Salvage
Tel 01268 531289
· Basildon, Essex
· Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland
· Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
· Stourbridge, Dudley
D Hales
Tel 01179 654252
· Fishponds, Bristol
· Avonmouth, Bristol
· Avonmouth Way, Bristol
· Markyate Road, Luton
· Ogmore Value, Bridgend
Norman Marshall
Tel 01483 273571
· Ewhurst, Surrey
Simpson Bros
Tel 01759 372728
· Stamford Bridge, York
Temples Autosalvage
Tel 02892 639889
· Lisburn, Co Antrim
· Turnaface Road, Moneymore
Q. can delivery and storage facilities be arranged?
A. Our salvage partners may be able to deliver your salvage. Please call them to enquire. All vehicles must be paid for and collected within 10 calendar days.
Q. how can I get a copy of my release note?
A. once payment has been received go to ‘my bluecycle’ then ‘my orders’, click on the underlined order number of the order you want to view. Use the drop down to select print or send. If you select send bluecycle will send you a copy via e-mail
Q. where can I view the details of my orders?
A. go to ‘my bluecycle’ then ‘my orders’, click on the underlined order number and you can view the full order details. You can view a list of vehicles you have won and paid for over the last three months
Q. what does the ‘cancelled orders’ list show?
A. cancelled orders lists out the vehicles you have cancelled or been given a full refund for. Please note that cancelling credit card orders or Direct Debits may result in your suspension from auctions on bluecycle
Bidding
Q. how do I bid?
A. To bid on an item, you must be a registered user and logged on.
Then find the item you wish to bid on. This can be done by browsing through the categories or by searching for a specific word or phrase using the search facility on the menu bar. When you have selected your auctions, hit the 'place bid' button towards the bottom of the auction details screen.
You will then be shown the minimum required to top the current highest bid. You can raise this bid by typing in your bid. If you wish to place a 'proxy bid' you can do so at this point. 'Proxy Bidding' is explained further under 'What is Proxy Bidding?'.
Bids will be anonymous but you will be able to see your own name while the auction is running. No competing bidders' identities will be visible and competitors will not be able to see your user name.
Q. what is being outbid?
A. If another user bids above your opening bid (or above your proxy bid limit), you will receive an SMS message and an email to let you know that you need to place a higher bid to continue in the auction.
If you are using 'proxy bidding' you will only receive notification of being outbid after you reach your proxy bid limit. This is further explained in 'what is proxy bidding?'
Q. what is proxy biding?
A. Proxy Bidding is an agreement between you and bluecycle.com that bluecycle.com may bid incrementally up to your Offer Limit on your behalf. To set up a proxy bid, a user must enter (i) an initial bid and (ii) an Offer Limit. The system will automatically increment the user's bid each time it is beaten until either you win or a different user's bid is raised to match or beat your Offer Limit.
When two proxy bids have been placed, the computer will calculate the winning bid amount and show it on the site. Please note that not every bid increment will be shown just the winning bid.
In the case where two proxy bids for the same amount are set, the bidder who placed their proxy bid first will win.
Once you have set a proxy bid you can increase it the same way as placing the original proxy bid. By increasing the proxy bid it will count as a bid and the system will increase your bid by one increment.
Q. what is 'bidwatch'?
A. 'bidwatch' enables you to group together your favourite open auctions in a single place and place bids on several auctions at once. This facility is very useful if you have several auctions closing at similar times.
bluecycle will automatically add vehicles to bidwatch once you have bid on them. You can stop it from doing this by going to "my profile" removing the tick beside add to my bidwatch automatically when I bid then press "update"
On the bidwatch page you can see an image and description of the vehicle with the current highest bid, suggested bid amount, and a proxy bid box. The current highest bid will appear blue if you are winning or red if you are losing. The suggested bid amount is the next bid increment, and the proxy bid box is left blank for you to put your own amount in.
To bid on an auction you must first click on the blank box in the 'bid?' column. You can then change the amounts in the bid and proxy bid boxes. To place the bids, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click 'Submit'. This will submit all the bids that you have selected to make. The 'bid?' box must be ticked for the bid to be made. If it is not ticked, no bid will be submitted for that auction.
It is important to remember that the 'suggested bid' does not guarantee that you will win the vehicle and does not take into account proxy bids that have been placed, it is simply the next bid increment. Also, you should refresh the screen regularly to ensure it is updated with the latest bids - we suggest at least once every 30 seconds.
To remove an auction from your bidwatch, just click on the box in the 'remove' column and press submit. These auctions will be removed from your list.
The auctions will automatically disappear from bidwatch when they close.
Q. how do I place a bid in bidwatch?
A. To place a bid in bidwatch you must first click on the box in the 'bid?' column on the right of your screen. A black tick will appear and the amount boxes will then be enabled - indicated by the values in them being changed to black. You can then edit the amounts in the boxes. Then scroll down to the bottom of the page and press submit, and your bids will be submitted.
Q. how do I add/remove an auction to bidwatch?
A. bluecycle will automatically add vehicles to bidwatch once you have bid on them. You can stop it from doing this by going to "my profile" removing the tick beside "add to my bidwatch automatically when I bid" then press "update"
If the automatic function is turned off or you want to keep track of a vehicle you have not bid on yet then go to the auctions page, such as 'Category CDX South'. In the column titled 'bw?' click on the blank boxes and a black tick should appear. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and press 'Add to bidwatch'. The boxes that you ticked will turn grey, indicating that they have been added to 'my bidwatch.' You can view them by clicking on 'my bidwatch' in the screen menu or from the my "bluecycle" page
To remove an auction from bidwatch, go to the bidwatch screen and tick the box in the 'remove?' column. Then scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click submit. The auction will be removed from bidwatch.
Q. how do I know if I am winning on bidwatch?
A. The current bid for the vehicle is shown in blue if you are winning and red if you are losing, so you can keep check of the price easily. You must refresh the screen regularly to ensure you are seeing the latest bids - we would suggest you do so every 30 seconds.
Q. why it is so important to keep refreshing my screen?
A. The bid amounts that you see on the auctions and bidwatch pages will only be updated each time you refresh your screen. At busy times there are many bids made every minute, so to ensure the screen is providing you with the latest bidding information you must hit the refresh button in your toolbar at the top of your screen. Do not refresh the screen whilst editing your bids because you will lose any bids not submitted.
Q. how much should I bid?
A. The best way to work the site is to use Proxy Bidding. When you have decided the value you are prepared to pay for a vehicle, place a Proxy Bid for this amount. It is advisable to go back and check the auction within the last hour or so to see how you are getting on. There is a countdown timer on the Auction Details page that turns red with an hour to go.
Q how much does it cost to bid?
A. Bidding costs absolutely nothing. You do not pay anything unless you win an auction.
Q. how can I check on past bids I've made?
A. You can check on any items you have bid for, in the 'my bluecycle' section. This lists all the auctions that you have bid on in the last 2 months.
Q. how do I know if I've won?
A. bluecycle.com will inform you via e-mail when you win an auction. If you have entered your mobile number in the SMS field in your registration details, you will also receive a text message if your mobile phone can receive SMS messages. You can also check your bids through the 'my bluecycle ' section by clicking on the button at the top of the page.
Q. how do I change or cancel a bid?
A. Once you have bid for an item, you will be reminded of the bluecycle.com terms and conditions - you will then be asked to confirm or cancel your bid. You cannot change a bid after it has been submitted. In clear cases of error, please telephone us immediately.
Q. what happens when I win an auction?
A. When you win an auction you will receive an email and an SMS message confirming that you have won the auction. If you pay by Direct Debit this will be the same email as the Release Note which gives you permission to collect the vehicle immediately (Remember to take this with you when you go to collect). If you pay by Credit Card you will be requested to return to bluecycle.com to pay. When payment has been made, you will be sent a release note stating that you may now collect your vehicle.
In order to collect your vehicle, you must present your release note at the time of collection. This must be within 10 calendar days of winning the auction.
You are strongly advised to inspect vehicles at the time of collection. If you find significant unexpected damage, you can enter sensible discussions with our salvage partner. If you find unexpected damage after you have accepted the car, we cannot refund you. The descriptions and photographs on the site are for guidance only. For further details, see our terms and conditions.
For information regarding payment, please see 'How do I pay'
Q. why haven't my bids appeared yet?
A. At busy times your bid may not appear on the auction immediately because of the volume of bids being placed. As long as you see a ‘bid accepted’ screen, you can be sure the bid has been placed and will be processed.
Other
Q. how do I find a specific item for auction?
A. By using the bluecycle.com search. When you are looking a category or at a particular auction you will see on the top tool bar "search". Simply enter a word relating to the vehicle type you are looking for e.g. Escort. The search will look in the current sub-categorythat you are in (e.g. Auto Salvage - Category B South) for any auctions containing the word ‘escort’. If you are not currently in a sub-category it will search the entire auto salvage category.
Q. can I submit vehicles for auction?
A. Yes, you can submit your own vehicles for auction by prior arrangement with bluecycle.com however there are requirements and restrictions that have to be discussed and agreed beforehand. To discuss further please give us a call on 020 7922 5000
You can sell salvage, vehicles and parts (except Cat B) in our classified ads section. For more information on classifieds, select ‘classifieds’ in the menu bar on the left of the screen.
Q. when do auctions open and close?
A. bluecycle close auctions for Category B & C, 24 hrs after opening and Category D & X vehicles 48 hrs after opening. Auctions will open at 9am and will close between 9am and 1pm.
Q. can I view the cars'?
A. If it is possible to view the vehicle, details will be included on the individual auction.