Buying Frequently Asked Questions

To purchase equipment at auction, you must register for an account on the Hilditch Group website. Kindly allow up to 24 hours for your registration to be processed. Once your registration is complete, you will be able to register for the auction. After we approve your auction registration, you will be eligible to place bids.

Please be aware, to purchase equipment from our retail store, you must register for a separate account. The registration process is quick with majority of accounts being finalised within 60 seconds.

Hilditch Group offers several sales routes:

• Live webcast auctions: Real-time auctions hosted by auctioneers, accessible both in-person and online.
• Timed online auctions: Bidding is open throughout the sale period, and the highest bidder at the end wins.
• Retail sales: Items are inspected, serviced, and quality-assured by medical engineers, with a warranty included.

Yes, you must create and verify an account to bid in any auction. Registration can be completed via the ‘Register’ button on the website. Once authorised, you can participate in all auctions and sales

• You can place commission bids before the auction starts, indicating the maximum amount you are willing to pay.
• During live auctions, you can bid in real time.
• In timed online auctions, you can place bids at any time until the auction ends; the highest bid at the close wins.

Payment must be made within ten working days of the sale. Accepted payment methods include secure bank transfer, and for UK sales debit card, and business credit card (with a surcharge for credit cards). Card payments via phone are limited to £1,500, and cash payments are limited to £8000 per customer per auction.

A secure payment payment link for business credit/debit cards can be provided for unlimited values relating to UK purchases.

You will be charged a 22.5% buyers premium on the hammer (bidding) price for all lots purchased.

Plus, local VAT or sales tax will also be charged in addition to the hammer price and buyer’s premium. (E.g. UK VAT at 20%)

VAT is only applicable on the hammer price when indicated on specific lots by our ‘V’ symbol.

The address on your purchasing account will need to match the overseas address which is where you are shipping the goods to. You will need to pay your invoice in full in the first instance including the VAT and then send in proof of shipment to enable us to refund you. Equipment needs to be shipped within 3 months of the purchase date and export documentation sent to us as soon as it is finalised to enable us to refund your VAT. You have 12 months to submit your claim, claims after a year will not be processed.

What to include in your claim – Shipping documents/proof of shipment with references to the invoice numbers you have shipped, copies of the invoices and if you require a bank transfer for the refund your bank details OR we can keep your credit on account to use against future sales invoices.

Please note these claim rules are governed by HMRC legal guidelines and they are non-negotiable.

Claims can take up to 5 working days to process and complete, please do not rely on VAT claims being completed in time to deduct from your current outstanding invoices – this is a separate service that sometimes can take longer than the timeframe owed invoices need to be paid in full by.

Engineer reports are our medical engineers’ comments on the item’s functionality and condition, where appropriate they will be included on the lot page and are not a guarantee.

Please Note: It is not always possible to write engineer reports for all items in a sale. Any comment on an item is the opinion of our engineers, not statements of fact – all items are sold as seen.

You may inspect lots before placing bids. Most lots are kept at our Malmesbury showroom, unless otherwise stated. Please contact us sales@hilditchgroup.com to arrange a visit.

Yes, just register your interest and we will send you an email when new sales are published relating to your areas of interest.

Buyers responsibilities

The Buyer accepts responsibility for having the equipment checked before use and thereafter maintained appropriately; ensuring its continued safe/effective use, while also following any instructions, advice or warnings issued by the manufacturer or other competent body.

The seller/s of the goods listed on the invoice, and the Auctioneer, accept no responsibility for the use or condition of the item. All items are strictly ‘sold as seen’.

Removing bids

Confirmation of a bid is a legally binding commitment to purchase the item, therefore bids cannot be removed once made.

Reserve prices

These are the minimum prices a lot may be sold at, once a reserve price has been met the lot may be sold.

Is my bid guaranteed?

No, your bid is not guaranteed. You will be notified with all items you were successful with, once the auction has ended.

Invoices that are not paid within 10 working days of the invoice date are at risk of cancellation. If your invoice is cancelled you will have had prior warning and be sent an invoice with a cancellation fee. Our T’s and C’s state all losses and expenses shall be borne by the defaulter (see conditions of sale). Losses can include buyers premium and vendor commission + VAT.

Should you default your account will be suspended and you will no longer be able to bid with us until these charges are paid in full and a deposit has been paid.

Yes, items come with a 3-month Hilditch warranty as standard

Head to Conditions of sale | Hilditch Group for full Terms and Conditions.   (that was updated prior to launch- last paragraph is all about retail)

No. the price advertised includes commissions etc. Shipping costs are shown clearly at the checkout stage. UK VAT is applicable to these purchases.

Yes. Equipment will be packed as part of the service; however, the buyer will be responsible for shipping outside of the UK.

Add the item(s) you would like to your basket, complete the checkout process (including 2 min registration if not a retail account holder already) and either pay online by card, or pay upon collection at Hilditch.

Buyers are responsible for collecting their lots from the specified location. Arrangements for collection should be made with the vendor or their agent as soon as possible after the auction.

Purchases are restricted to medical equipment dealers or qualified users of medical equipment. or buyers intending to ship equipment overseas. Buyers must agree to the terms and conditions before participating. If a buyer is intending to ship equipment overseas, it is the buyer’s responsibility to ensure they are complying with export regulations.

• To update your account details, log in and make changes under ‘My Hilditch’ > ‘Account,’ then save.
• To close your account, contact Hilditch Group directly by email or phone

The Auctions & Retail Sales team is available to answer questions, organise equipment viewings, and provide installation and maintenance services, contact the team via our contact form, or by telephone or email.