At a glance
| What's sold | Bankruptcy and receivership stock, trade-in cars, art, tools, horeca equipment |
| Lots located in | Belgium (100%) |
| Who can bid | Adults (18+) with a personal or business account; closed car auctions need extra checks |
| Buyer's premium | 17% of hammer; check each auction |
| VAT on premium | 21% on every lot, margin lots included |
| Payment deadline | As set in your payment request; older terms say 24 hours |
| Pickup deadline | One fixed slot per auction, often one hour |
| Verdict | Real stock, but high real costs, provisional car awards and poor communication |
What's sold
Hammertime is a small Belgian auction house based in Hoevenen, near Antwerp. It sells bankruptcy stock (faillissement) and goods from receivers, banks and leasing firms. You will find trade-in and classic cars, horeca equipment, tools, art prints, garden sheds, furniture and "1 euro" household auctions.
Who can bid
- Private buyers: You must be 18 or older, give a valid phone number and register only once. Hammertime may check your identity in external databases. The current terms ask for no deposit, but the older English and French terms allow an advance of up to 50% if your solvency is in doubt. Allowed countries: not confirmed.
- Businesses: You need a separate business account, which is for entrepreneurs only. Foreign EU businesses first pay the full amount with VAT. You get a VAT-free corrected invoice only after you supply a valid VAT number, a signed destination declaration and proof of transport abroad.
Registration
- Pick a personal or business account; buying both ways needs two accounts.
- Fill in your name, address, phone number, email and a password.
- Type in the activation code sent to your email.
- If the auctioneer (veilingmeester) must approve you, wait; you cannot bid before approval.
- For closed car auctions (besloten veiling), ask cars@hammertime.be to verify you; the criteria are not published.
Fees and real total cost
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer's premium (opgeld) | 17% of hammer | Help page says it may differ per auction |
| VAT on premium | 21% | Also charged on margin lots |
| VAT on hammer | 21% or 0% | 0% on margin lots (Marge kavel), such as cars and art |
| Per-lot or handling fee | None seen | Lier auctions add an unstated fee for late pickup |
| Payment fees | Not confirmed | Bank transfer is the only documented method |
| Resale right (volgrecht) on art | Not confirmed | Charged "when applicable" |
| Storage after missed pickup | EUR 30 per lot per week; EUR 90 for vehicles | VAT included |
| Non-payment | Premium plus 25% of the price | The sale may be dissolved |
Worked example, normal-VAT lot:
| Step | EUR |
|---|---|
| Hammer price | 1,000.00 |
| Premium 17% | 170.00 |
| VAT 21% on hammer | 210.00 |
| VAT 21% on premium | 35.70 |
| Payment fees | not confirmed |
| Total paid | 1,415.70 |
On a margin lot there is no VAT on the hammer, so you pay EUR 1,205.70. Both totals exclude payment fees, transport and storage. The "next bid incl. tax" figure leaves out the premium, so check the total on the confirmation screen.
How bidding works
- You can bid a fixed amount straight away, or set a hidden maximum (proxy bod) that the system raises in minimum steps.
- Observed increments: EUR 2 below 50, 5 up to 99, 10 up to 499, 25 up to 999, 50 up to about 5,000, then 100.
- A bid in the last 5 minutes adds 5 minutes to that lot, with no limit. Lots usually close in staggered steps.
- Lots marked "VOORLOPIGE TOEWIJZING" have a hidden minimum, and the seller decides whether to award, with no stated deadline. All cars are sold this way.
- Every bid is binding and you cannot withdraw it. Consumers buying from a professional seller are bound only at the final award.
- If the top bidder does not get the lot, the seller can hold the next bidder to their losing bid.
- No bid history is shown, and Hammertime settles disputes alone without giving reasons.
Watch out
- Buyers often win car lots that are later not awarded, with no reason given.
- Goods are sold as seen, descriptions are thin and many auctions have no viewing.
- Faults and missing parts found at pickup have led to only small refunds.
- Miss your pickup slot and storage fees grow; once they pass the price, you lose the goods.
- Ignore the "gallery price" (galerijprijs) on art; one "limited edition" print was reported to be a copy.
Verdict: Bid only with your all-in cost in mind and only on lots you can inspect and collect. Treat a car bid as an offer, not a purchase.