Selling at auction through Biddurs, how consignment actually works

If you've got pallets, overstock, end-of-line, or specialist items and you're tired of listing them one by one on eBay, consignment to an auction platform can be faster, less hassle, and, in the right categories, more profitable.

Here's how it works on Biddurs, with the numbers.

What consignment means

You hand over the stock. We list it on the right auction event, run the auction, ship it to winners, handle returns, handle payment, and at the end of the month you get paid for what sold. We keep a commission of the hammer price. You get the rest.

You don't need to:

• Photograph each item
• Write descriptions
• Run a customer service mailbox
• Pack and ship
• Handle non-payers
• Wait for buyers to pay

You do need to:

• Get the stock to our warehouse (you arrange, or we'll quote collection)
• Set a reserve where appropriate
• Provide a manifest for pallets

The commission

Default rate: 15% of the hammer price. Higher rates apply for specialist items requiring extra inspection or photography (vehicles, art, high-value electronics with verification needs). Negotiable for high-volume consignors, we'll discuss when you onboard.

Worked example. You consign 20 items, total hammer comes to £2,000:

Gross hammer:        £2,000.00
Commission (15%):     £300.00
VAT on commission:     £60.00  (20% of £300)
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Net to consignor:   £1,640.00

VAT on commission is a real cost, we have to charge it because we're VAT-registered. If you're VAT-registered yourself, you can reclaim it.

When you get paid

Payouts run on the 1st of every month by BACS. The cycle:

1. Buyer wins your lot and pays automatically at the end of the event
2. 7-day hold on the funds (cooling-off / refund window)
3. After the 7 days, the funds are eligible for the next batch
4. On the 1st of the month, every eligible sale across all your lots is bundled into one BACS transfer
5. You see the breakdown on your /consignor/payouts dashboard

So if you consign on the 15th of the month and items sell mid-month, you're getting paid on the 1st of the next month. Items that sell in the last week of the month roll into the following month.

This delay is real, it's how every consignment auctioneer works, and it exists so buyer refunds don't claw money back from us after we've already paid you.

What gets listed

Anything legal you have title to, in sellable condition, with realistic resale value. Practical examples we list well:

• Amazon returns / overstock pallets, Biddurs's bread and butter
• Liquidation stock from closing businesses
• Customer returns from your own e-commerce
• End-of-line retail stock
• Single high-value items (vehicles, equipment), though these get listed in specialist events

What we don't list:

• Counterfeit goods (instant ban, we report)
• Recalled products
• Restricted items (weapons, drugs, age-restricted alcohol without proper licensing)
• Anything stolen, we ID-verify consignors and audit serial numbers on high-value tech

What we do with unsold lots

A lot that doesn't sell goes through a relisting cycle:

1. Unsold → automatically queued into the next event of the same category, up to 3 times
2. After 3 unsold cycles → marked Permanently Unsold and we ask you what to do (return to you at cost, donate, write off)

You can also withdraw a lot at any time before bidding closes. Common reason: you've sold it privately and want to pull it.

How we compare to eBay direct selling

eBay is better for one-off items where you've got time. Biddurs is better when you've got 50 items you want gone in a week.

What you'll see as a consignor

You get a separate dashboard at /consignor:

• Live lots, what's currently on the block
• Sold lots, winners, hammer prices, your net
• Payouts, pipeline + history
• Profile, bank details, VAT number, commission rate

We email you when:

• One of your lots sells (with the hammer + your net)
• A monthly payout is sent (with the BACS reference)

Practical first-time tips

1. Start with a small batch. 10–20 items so you see how the cycle works before you commit a pallet.
2. Pack lots for shipping. A pallet listed as one collection-only lot is way easier than 200 individual postable lots. Bundle aggressively.
3. Set realistic reserves. A reserve that's higher than 30% of retail value will probably go unsold. We can advise based on category history.
4. Keep a manifest. Anything you don't list with us, write down. Helps for tax records and lets you compare resale routes.
5. Read the consignor agreement. It covers what we will and won't list, our right to refuse stock that turns up not matching its description, and what happens if a lot turns out to be defective on arrival.

How to onboard

Email hello@biddurs.com with a rough description of what you've got, quantity, category, approximate retail value. We'll come back within a working day with:

• An estimate of which event(s) we'd list into
• Commission rate confirmation
• Collection vs delivery options
• Onboarding paperwork

Once that's signed, you get a CONSIGNOR login and stock can start moving.