Glossary

The terms you will see on this site, explained.

Bidding & auction

Bid increment: The minimum amount by which a raised offer must exceed your previous offer on the same lot.
Binding offer: An offer that commits you to buy the lot at that price if it is selected. You can raise it before the lot closes, but you cannot lower it, and you cannot withdraw it without written approval from BodemexBid.
Buy-now price: An asking price the seller has set on some lots, shown when you click Reveal price. Revealing it does not buy the machine or commit you to anything, and it may be marked as negotiable.
Final invoice: The invoice issued once your payment has been received. It is the tax document for the purchase and shows the VAT treatment that applies.
Proforma invoice: A request for payment sent to the selected buyer. It is not a tax invoice; the final invoice follows once payment has arrived.
Reserve price: The lowest price the seller will accept for a lot. It is never published; if no offer meets it, the lot is not sold.
Sealed bid: An offer that only the platform can see. Bidders never see each other's amounts, and no current highest bid is shown while a lot is open.
Settlement: Everything between the close of a lot and the handover: confirming the buyer, invoicing, payment, and releasing the machine for collection or transport.
Starting price: The lowest offer a lot accepts, shown on the listing. It is a minimum for offers, not an estimate of the sale price.
Winner selection: After a lot closes, our team reviews the sealed offers and confirms the buyer — normally the highest offer that meets the reserve. It is done by hand, not automatically at the closing time.

Machine & technical

Chassis number: The identification number the manufacturer stamps on a machine's frame. On road vehicles it is the VIN; on many construction and agricultural machines it is called the serial number or PIN.
Engine power (HP): The engine's output in horsepower. Manufacturers state it under different standards, so figures from different sources are not always directly comparable.
Hour meter: A counter that records how long the engine has run, in operating hours. For most machines it says more about wear than distance does.
Hydraulic system: The pump, valves, hoses and cylinders that use oil under pressure to move a machine's arms, buckets and attachments.
Inspection report: A written record of a machine's condition, made by an inspector or workshop on a given date. It describes what was checked and what was found; it does not guarantee the condition later.
Mileage: The distance a vehicle has travelled, in kilometres, as shown on the odometer. It is used for trucks and other road vehicles rather than for machines measured in hours.
Operating weight: The weight of a machine ready for work, usually with a full tank, its standard equipment and an operator. It matters for transport and for the ground the machine works on.
PTO (power take-off): A driven shaft, usually at the rear or front of a tractor, that powers attached implements such as mowers, balers or pumps.
Registration document: The official document that records a road-registered vehicle and its keeper, such as the German Zulassungsbescheinigung. Machines that are not driven on public roads often have none.
Service history: The record of maintenance and repairs on a machine, from invoices, a service book or a dealer's system. A documented history makes the hours and condition easier to trust.
Transmission type: How power passes from the engine to the wheels or tracks — for example manual, automatic, powershift, hydrostatic or continuously variable (CVT).
VIN: Vehicle Identification Number: a 17-character code that identifies a road vehicle such as a truck or trailer. It is stamped on the chassis and shown on the registration document.

Legal & tax

Commercial register number (HRB): The number under which a company is entered in the German commercial register, given together with the register court. HRB is the section for corporations such as a GmbH.
Export (outside the EU): A sale in which the goods leave the EU. Exports are generally exempt from EU VAT, provided the export is proven with customs documents.
Incoterms: Standard trade terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce, such as EXW or DAP. They define who arranges and pays for transport, and where the risk passes from seller to buyer.
Intra-community supply: A sale of goods from one EU country to a VAT-registered business in another, with the goods transported between the two. Under the conditions of EU VAT law, it is exempt from VAT in the seller's country.
Leistungsdatum (supply date): The date on which goods were delivered or a service was performed. German invoices must state it, and it can differ from the invoice date.
Margin scheme (§25a UStG): A German VAT rule for second-hand goods under which VAT is calculated only on the dealer's margin, not on the full price. Invoices under this scheme do not show VAT separately.
Reverse charge: A VAT rule under which the buyer, rather than the seller, accounts for the VAT. The invoice then shows no VAT and states that reverse charge applies; it is typical of business-to-business sales across EU borders.
VAT ID: The number a business uses for VAT purposes in the EU, starting with a country code, as in DE123456789. Its validity can be checked in the EU's VIES database.

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Bidding & auction

Bid increment

The minimum amount by which a raised offer must exceed your previous offer on the same lot.

Binding offer

An offer that commits you to buy the lot at that price if it is selected. You can raise it before the lot closes, but you cannot lower it, and you cannot withdraw it without written approval from BodemexBid.

Buy-now price

An asking price the seller has set on some lots, shown when you click Reveal price. Revealing it does not buy the machine or commit you to anything, and it may be marked as negotiable.

Final invoice

The invoice issued once your payment has been received. It is the tax document for the purchase and shows the VAT treatment that applies.

Proforma invoice

A request for payment sent to the selected buyer. It is not a tax invoice; the final invoice follows once payment has arrived.

Reserve price

The lowest price the seller will accept for a lot. It is never published; if no offer meets it, the lot is not sold.

Sealed bid

An offer that only the platform can see. Bidders never see each other's amounts, and no current highest bid is shown while a lot is open.

Settlement

Everything between the close of a lot and the handover: confirming the buyer, invoicing, payment, and releasing the machine for collection or transport.

Starting price

The lowest offer a lot accepts, shown on the listing. It is a minimum for offers, not an estimate of the sale price.

Winner selection

After a lot closes, our team reviews the sealed offers and confirms the buyer — normally the highest offer that meets the reserve. It is done by hand, not automatically at the closing time.

Machine & technical

Chassis number

The identification number the manufacturer stamps on a machine's frame. On road vehicles it is the VIN; on many construction and agricultural machines it is called the serial number or PIN.

Engine power (HP)

The engine's output in horsepower. Manufacturers state it under different standards, so figures from different sources are not always directly comparable.

Hour meter

A counter that records how long the engine has run, in operating hours. For most machines it says more about wear than distance does.

Hydraulic system

The pump, valves, hoses and cylinders that use oil under pressure to move a machine's arms, buckets and attachments.

Inspection report

A written record of a machine's condition, made by an inspector or workshop on a given date. It describes what was checked and what was found; it does not guarantee the condition later.

Mileage

The distance a vehicle has travelled, in kilometres, as shown on the odometer. It is used for trucks and other road vehicles rather than for machines measured in hours.

Operating weight

The weight of a machine ready for work, usually with a full tank, its standard equipment and an operator. It matters for transport and for the ground the machine works on.

PTO (power take-off)

A driven shaft, usually at the rear or front of a tractor, that powers attached implements such as mowers, balers or pumps.

Registration document

The official document that records a road-registered vehicle and its keeper, such as the German Zulassungsbescheinigung. Machines that are not driven on public roads often have none.

Service history

The record of maintenance and repairs on a machine, from invoices, a service book or a dealer's system. A documented history makes the hours and condition easier to trust.

Transmission type

How power passes from the engine to the wheels or tracks — for example manual, automatic, powershift, hydrostatic or continuously variable (CVT).

VIN

Vehicle Identification Number: a 17-character code that identifies a road vehicle such as a truck or trailer. It is stamped on the chassis and shown on the registration document.

Legal & tax

Commercial register number (HRB)

The number under which a company is entered in the German commercial register, given together with the register court. HRB is the section for corporations such as a GmbH.

Export (outside the EU)

A sale in which the goods leave the EU. Exports are generally exempt from EU VAT, provided the export is proven with customs documents.

Incoterms

Standard trade terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce, such as EXW or DAP. They define who arranges and pays for transport, and where the risk passes from seller to buyer.

Intra-community supply

A sale of goods from one EU country to a VAT-registered business in another, with the goods transported between the two. Under the conditions of EU VAT law, it is exempt from VAT in the seller's country.

Leistungsdatum (supply date)

The date on which goods were delivered or a service was performed. German invoices must state it, and it can differ from the invoice date.

Margin scheme (§25a UStG)

A German VAT rule for second-hand goods under which VAT is calculated only on the dealer's margin, not on the full price. Invoices under this scheme do not show VAT separately.

Reverse charge

A VAT rule under which the buyer, rather than the seller, accounts for the VAT. The invoice then shows no VAT and states that reverse charge applies; it is typical of business-to-business sales across EU borders.

VAT ID

The number a business uses for VAT purposes in the EU, starting with a country code, as in DE123456789. Its validity can be checked in the EU's VIES database.