Getting the price and the buyer right are the two things that decide whether a used machine sells well. This guide gives a simple way to set a price, and explains the common scams to avoid when you sell a machine. For listing photos and descriptions, read the guide on how to sell used machinery.
Setting the price
- Look at what similar machines are asking. Search for the same make, model and age, and read the asking prices. These are asking prices, not sale prices, so allow for some negotiation. Start with the machines for sale on MachineFinder.
- Adjust for condition. Hours, wear, damage, missing parts and the state of the wheels, tyres, tooling or batteries all change the value. Be honest about each.
- Adjust for paperwork. Service records, inspection reports, manuals and a clear history make a machine easier to trust and worth more.
- Adjust for the situation. A machine that is installed and working, near a buyer, or available straight away is worth more than one that needs dismantling and a long journey.
- Decide your lowest price in advance. Then list a little above it, so you have room to negotiate without feeling pushed.
If you are not sure, ask a dealer or a valuer, or list the machine at a fair price and see how much interest it gets. If there is a lot of interest and no offers, the price is probably too high. If it sells in a day, it may have been too low.
Price or “price on application”
Buyers search by price, so a listing with an asking price usually gets more enquiries than one without. If you give a price, say whether it includes VAT, and say whether delivery or installation is included.
Common scams when selling
- Overpayment. A buyer sends more money than the price, or a cheque or payment that is later reversed, and asks you to send back the difference or pay a shipper. Do not return any money until the funds have cleared in your account, and be wary of any buyer who offers more than you asked.
- Buyer who cannot view. A buyer who will not come or send someone to see the machine, and wants to pay and arrange collection by a courier they have chosen, deserves extra care.
- Fake payment confirmations. A screenshot or an email that says a payment has been made is not proof. Check that the money has arrived in your own bank account.
- Requests to move the deal off the site. Pressure to use a different email, a messaging app or an unfamiliar payment service is a warning sign.
- Fake agents and shippers. Be careful of a “shipping agent” that the buyer insists you use, or one that asks you to pay them first.
Safer ways to sell
- Let buyers see the machine and meet them at your premises.
- Accept payment by bank transfer once the money has cleared in your account, before the machine leaves.
- Give the buyer a written receipt that names both parties and the machine, with the serial number, and that says the machine is sold as seen. Keep a copy. Sold as seen does not remove a business seller’s safety duty or a consumer’s legal rights. Read the guide to PUWER and second-hand machinery.
- Keep the machine and the paperwork until you have been paid in full.
- Do not share your bank login, security codes or one-time passcodes with anyone.
If you think you have been targeted by a scam, tell your bank straight away and report it to Report Fraud, the national service that replaced Action Fraud in December 2025. In Scotland, report it to Police Scotland on 101. You can also let us know through the About page.
Summary: pricing and selling safely
Price using similar listings, adjust for condition, paperwork and situation, and decide your lowest price first. Take payment by bank transfer only after the money has cleared, and be careful of buyers who cannot view, overpay or want to move away from the site. When you are ready, list your machine.
Used machinery for sale
Nothing listed right now. More used machinery will be listed as sellers join.