So says Shoreham, which adds that providing used car buyers with online images and descriptions as early as possible prior to sale is the key to successfully negotiating the current tough used vehicle market.

The firm says that buyers are bidding on fewer vehicles at auction and when it comes time to spending money they are doing more research than ever to prove a vehicle’s provenance before parting with their funds.

Managing director Alex Wright commented: 'We’ve noticed a big difference – as soon as we upload new vehicles onto our website for forthcoming sales, the phone starts to ring with traders asking more detailed questions about a vehicle, which we welcome. We are seeing a steady growth now, with the number of buyers increasing every day.'

The firm says that the earlier an image is uploaded, the earlier the buyers can do their research and the more likely vendors are to see vehicles shifting.

Wright added: 'We have seen entries arrive on sale day, just a few hours before the start of the sale, which can result in a car being uploaded without the image or full description. In the current market it is not surprising that buyers are prepared to ignore this stock. Rightfully they are managing their risk and only buying the stock they have pre-qualified or that they have found a buyer for. Everyone has to work their cashflow hard in the current economic climate.'