Why Sell Your Equipment with InstruBid?

Selling through InstruBid means partnering with experts in test & measurement, laboratory, and technical instruments. We are not general auctioneers – we focus exclusively on scientific and technical equipment, so we understand your assets and their true worth. With over 10 years of industry experience, our team of engineers and technicians can accurately assess complex instruments (electronic, RF, fiber optic, telecom, lab apparatus, etc.) and target the right buyers.

Our Reach: As a trading arm of Techplant Ltd, InstruBid combines an established niche customer base with global exposure via BidSpotter’s platform. Your items will be marketed to hundreds of thousands of professional buyers worldwide, across 105+ countries. This specialist audience ensures strong demand and competitive bidding for your equipment, often yielding much better prices than selling privately or to general liquidators.

Competitive Fees: We offer very competitive commission rates for sellers. (Typical auctioneers charge around 15% seller commission and also take ~15% from buyers, which can eat into the returns. In contrast, our fees are lower – we believe you should keep more of your asset’s value.) We’ll agree on a transparent fee structure upfront, with no hidden charges, so you know exactly what to expect.

End-to-End Service: InstruBid handles the entire process professionally, so you don’t have to worry about the details. From initial valuation and asset cataloguing to robust marketing, secure payment handling, and logistics, we’ve got it covered. We are ISO 9001:2015 certified, following strict processes for quality management – meaning your sale is managed to the highest standards of reliability and efficiency.

Maximize Value, Minimize Hassle: Because we are specialists, we can identify and highlight the key features that add value to your instruments (e.g. optional modules, software licenses, calibration status), ensuring buyers fully appreciate what they’re bidding on. This expertise, combined with competitive buyer activity, helps achieve the best possible prices for you. Meanwhile, you avoid the hassle of dealing with tire-kickers or complex shipping – we take care of everything and then promptly remit the proceeds to you after the sale.

Sustainable & Ethical: Choosing InstruBid also means choosing a sustainable solution for your surplus assets. Rather than sending equipment to scrap or landfill, we help extend its life by putting it in the hands of those who can use it. E-waste is the world’s fastest-growing waste stream at over 50 million tonnes per year, yet only ~17% is recycled globally. By reselling and reusing technical equipment, you recover value and prevent unnecessary waste, benefiting both your organisation and the environment. We’re proud to facilitate the ethical reuse of technology – it’s good for you, the buyer, and the planet.

Our Selling Process – How It Works

1. Free Consultation & Valuation: It often starts with a conversation. Contact us (by phone or email) and tell us what equipment or inventory you’re looking to sell. We’ll schedule a free, no-obligation consultation where our experts assess the items. Thanks to our extensive market knowledge, we can provide a realistic valuation for each asset – i.e. an estimate of what it could fetch at auction. (Note: These are market-based valuations for auction purposes. Unlike formal RICS appraisals intended for financial statements, auction valuations are not legally regulated; however, our methodology is rigorous and data-driven. If a formal RICS-certified valuation is ever required, we’ll advise on that – but in most cases our expert assessments will suffice for deciding reserve prices and sale expectations.)

2. Proposal & Agreement: Based on the valuation and your goals, we’ll recommend the best sale plan. Typically, auction is the fastest and most effective route, but we also offer private treaty sales for the right situation (see Flexible Disposition Options below). We’ll discuss timing (when to hold the auction), any reserve prices or lotting strategy, and our terms (commission, fees, etc.). Once you’re happy with the plan, we both sign a simple Seller’s Agreement. InstruBid is a trading name of Techplant Ltd (Company No. 13141214), and all auctions are conducted under UK auction regulations – giving you peace of mind that you’re dealing with a reputable, registered firm.

3. On-Site Cataloguing & Photography: Our team will then get to work preparing for the sale. We can come to your site to inspect and catalog the assets. We take professional-quality photographs and record all relevant details (make, model, specifications, serial numbers, condition notes, service history if available, etc.). If equipment is sensitive or requires expert description, our engineers ensure the listing is accurate and appealing to buyers. We can also compile engineers’ reports or test summaries for key items to give bidders confidence (when feasible).

4. Marketing Your Auction: Once the auction lots are prepared, we list them on our platform and on BidSpotter. We’ll schedule the auction date (usually an online timed auction running over several days). Prior to and during the auction, InstruBid aggressively markets the sale: we notify our extensive network of buyers and send targeted emails to likely interested parties (for example, lab managers, tech companies, universities, etc., depending on the assets). Your auction will also be visible to all BidSpotter users searching for similar equipment. With BidSpotter as our partner, your assets get exposure to over half a million active bidders who use that platform. This multi-channel marketing ensures every potential buyer knows about your sale.

We can arrange viewing days if appropriate (either at your site or our warehouse, by appointment) so serious buyers can inspect high-value items. All inquiries from bidders are handled by our team – you won’t need to field questions. We make sure bidders have the info they need to bid with confidence.

5. The Auction (Bidding Phase): During the auction period, buyers place bids online. Our auctions are typically timed online auctions (no live in-person bidding, which is increasingly rare in this industry). The lots will have a scheduled end time; if last-minute bids come in, BidSpotter’s system may extend bidding to simulate a fair “going, going, gone” process (to ensure everyone gets a chance). Throughout the auction, we monitor activity and assist any bidder with queries. Because of our targeted outreach, you’ll see competitive bidding on your items – we strive to get you above-market returns by creating auction excitement.

If any lot doesn’t meet a reserve (a minimum price we agreed on), we will discuss next steps with you (we can negotiate a post-auction sale or include the item in a future auction). However, our high bidder turnout means unsold lots are rare. (We also offer a buy-out option: if you prefer to avoid any unsold risk, in some cases we can arrange a bulk purchase by one of our contacts ahead of the auction – see Private Treaty below.)

6. Payment Collection: After the auction closes, InstruBid handles all buyer payments. We invoice the winning bidders, typically requiring cleared funds within 1-3 business days of auction end. Buyers pay us directly (usually via bank transfer or online card payment for smaller totals). We take security and compliance seriously – all transactions go through proper escrow, and we adhere to UK regulations (including anti-money-laundering checks for high-value sales). Because we collect payment first, you don’t have to chase any buyers – we ensure we have the money in hand before releasing any item.

Buyers also pay a buyer’s premium on top of their bids, which is our fee from the buyer side. (This is another reason you, as a seller, typically achieve higher net proceeds with us. Industry-standard buyer premiums are ~15%; we set ours lower to encourage bidding, yet we still recover our costs without charging you excessive seller fees.)

7. Removal & Logistics: Once paid, we coordinate pickup or delivery of the items to the buyers. Here we offer flexibility:

If the assets remain at your site during the sale, we will organize supervised collection days. Our team can be on-site to assist and ensure each buyer only removes the items they purchased. We’ll schedule time slots to avoid congestion and verify that removal is done safely (especially for heavy or sensitive equipment). If needed, we arrange lifting equipment or specialized packing.

If we moved the assets to our warehouse for sale, then buyers will collect from our Blackburn facility. Our in-house logistics team can pack and ship items worldwide on behalf of buyers (at the buyer’s expense). We are experienced in shipping delicate instruments – whether it’s palletising large devices or export crating for international freight, we handle it per ISO quality procedures. Buyers love this service because it’s seamless; as a result, more international bidders participate, again increasing competition and prices for you.

Either way, we take care of post-sale logistics, so you (or the former asset location) aren’t burdened with random pickups. We aim to have all items collected or dispatched within a defined timeframe (usually 1-2 weeks post-auction). If your equipment contains any confidential data (e.g. IT equipment with storage), we offer secure data destruction prior to handover – giving you peace of mind that no sensitive information leaves your possession.

8. Settlement: After all buyer payments are received and collection is completed, we finalize the sale account. We will send you a settlement statement listing each lot, the hammer price achieved, and our agreed fees. We then pay you the net proceeds promptly (usually within 7-14 days after the auction completes, often faster). Payment is made via bank transfer. Our process ensures you get your funds quickly. We believe in transparency – the statement will show any deductions (our commission, any agreed costs like upfront logistics) so you can reconcile everything easily.

Throughout the entire process, our team will keep you updated. You’ll know when the auction is scheduled, when it goes live, and we’ll share results immediately after closing. Essentially, we treat your assets with the same care as if they were our own, guiding you at every step. InstruBid’s goal is to make selling surplus technical equipment easy, profitable, and hassle-free for you.

Flexible Disposition Options for Vendors

Every seller’s situation is unique. InstruBid can tailor the sale approach to best fit your needs:

On-Site Auction Service: If you have a large volume of equipment or an entire facility to clear, we can conduct the auction on location. Our team will come to you, catalog everything on-site, and the items can remain in place until sold. This is ideal for liquidations of labs or closures where equipment is bulky or installed. Buyers will know the pickup location in the auction catalog, and we’ll manage the removal logistics. You save on transport costs and can clear the site in an orderly way.

Warehouse Consignment: If you prefer to move items off your premises (e.g. to free up space quickly), we can transport your assets to our secure warehouse in Blackburn. We then handle the photography, storage, and sale from our location. This option is useful if you have scattered items or cannot host collections. Our facility is centrally located and equipped for handling sensitive equipment. Post-sale, buyers either collect from us or use our shipping service. You simply get a payment at the end.

Private Treaty Sales: In some cases, an auction might not be the optimal route – for example, if you have a very specialised set of assets that a few buyers might want in bulk, or if you’re concerned about any lots going unsold. InstruBid can leverage our industry contacts to negotiate a private treaty sale, essentially finding a direct buyer for some or all of your equipment at an agreed price. This can sometimes yield a higher overall return, especially when the buyer saves on fees and can pay a bit more. Private sales can also be faster if time is critical. We’ll advise honestly if we think this is a good option for you. (Even if we pursue a private sale, we can still run an auction for any remaining items, ensuring nothing is left on the shelf.)

Rest assured, whichever approach you choose, our priority is to maximize your return and ensure a smooth process. We are happy to discuss these options and provide a bespoke solution.

Ready to Get Started?

Turning your surplus tech instruments into cash is as simple as contacting InstruBid. Reach out to us today for a friendly chat about your needs – we’ll provide a free valuation and sale proposal with no obligation. We pride ourselves on being approachable, professional, and efficient. Our successful track record in test & measurement equipment auctions means you can trust us to handle your sale properly from start to finish.

Contact InstruBid: Call us at 0333 335 5044 or email hello@instrubid.co.uk. Our head office is located in Lancashire and can travel nationwide (and beyond) to assist with valuations and asset collections. Let us show you how we can turn your surplus scientific equipment into valuable returns.

(Techplant Ltd trading as InstruBid. Registered Address: 124 City Road, London EC1V 2NX. Company No. 13141214.)