Terms and Conditions

The Auctioneers' Conditions of Sale are on display in the Auction rooms. Vendors are considered to have had notice of these and to have agreed acceptance of the same.

• All buyers must register with the Auctioneers before bidding and the Auctioneer reserves the right to REFUSE a sale to a prospective Purchaser who has not registered before bidding.

• No person shall advance on any bid less than the sum named from time to time by the Auctioneers.

• The BIDDING to be regulated by the Auctioneer, who reserves to himself the right of refusing the bidding of any person, and to bid for himself or any other client.

• If a dispute arises as to any bidding then at the discretion of the Auctioneer either:
  The lot which the disputed bid relates shall immediately be put up again OR
  The Auctioneers shall determine the dispute and their decision shall be final and 
  binding on all parties.

• The person making the highest accepted bid shall be the Purchaser.

• All goods shall be at the risk of the vendor or, after sale, of the Purchaser whilst on the premises or in the care of the Auctioneers. Vendors and Purchasers are advised to obtain adequate insurance to indemnify them in the event of their losses. Insurance can be arranged through the Auctioneers at their discretion.

• The BUYERS PREMIUM is 15% added to the hammer price (minimum £1) plus VAT.

• The AUCTION COMMISSION is 15% or £1.50 whichever is the greatest.(£1.50 being the minimum commission charged at their discretion per lot) plus £1.00 per lot lotting fee.

• The Auctioneers reserve the right to catalogue goods as they see fit, determine in which sale these shall be included and refuse any lots considered to be unsaleable or of negligible value. They shall not be held responsible for any expenses or loss incurred thereby or for the postponement or cancellation of sales, for whatever cause. Any goods refused entry will be disposed of without further notice to the vendor.

• The Auctioneers act as agents only and do not hold themselves responsible for any default on the part of Vendors or Purchasers. Furthermore, the Auctioneers give notice that they are not liable for faults or imperfections found with any lot or for any errors of description made by the vendor or persons on their behalf. All statements made as to authenticity, genuineness, dispute between the Purchaser and the Vendor.

• The Vendor shall indemnify the Auctioneers against any claims in connection with goods sold on the Vendor's instructions.

• Insurance will be charged at 2% of sale price. The Auctioneers disclaim responsibility for all loss or damage to goods unless directly the result of negligence on the part of one of their employees.

• Payment (without interest) will usually be made to the Vendor within 14 days of the sale date, after the deduction of commission, VAT and expenses, where applicable (expenses shall include transport, insurance, storage and valuation); but the Auctioneers shall not be liable for any payment to the Vendor until they themselves receive full payment from the Purchaser.

• Cheques are not accepted. The Auctioneers reserve the right to charge a 2.5% premium on the total bill on any credit card transactions i.e. Visa, Access etc. Payment other than cash will be entirely at the discretion of the Auctioneers. Payment by Switch card will also be at the discretion of the Auctioneers. Purchasers who pay by cheque will not normally be permitted to remove goods until their cheques have cleared through the bank. Whether removal is permitted or not, ownership of goods will not be deemed to pass to the Purchaser until his cheque has cleared.

• The Auctioneers reserve the right to charge a storage fee of £1 per lot per day on any goods not collected within 3 days of sale unless prior arrangements have been made. Failure to collect items after this period may result in goods being sold, without reserve, to cover expenses.

• Notwithstanding any other of these Terms and Conditions of Engagement, if within 7 days of the sales of any lot the Purchaser gives written notice to the Auctioneers that in his or her opinion it is a deliberate forgery, as defined below, and within 14 days of such notice, returns the lot to the Auctioneers in the same condition as it was at the time of sale and by producing evidence (the burden of proof being on the Purchaser) satisfies the Auctioneers that the lot is a deliberate forgery; then the Auctioneers will be entitled rescind the sale and will refund the purchase price to the Purchaser if the same is still held by the Auctioneer. If the purchase price has been paid to the Vendor the Auctioneer shall be under no obligation to the Purchaser for the refund of the purchase price.
  In the context of this guarantee, 'a deliberate forgery' means a lot made with the intention to deceive when considered in the light of the catalogue entry and which at the date of sale had a value substantially less than it would have had, had it been in accordance with the description. However, there will be no right where the catalogue description, at the time of sale, was in accordance with then general opinion of experts, or fairly indicated there to be a conflict of opinion. The Auctioneers reserve the right in forming their opinion to consult and rely upon any expert or authority considered to be reliable.

• Goods withdrawn prior to sale but after cataloguing or valuation, 'Bought-in' lots and unsold reserved goods (where reserves have not been agreed with the Auctioneers) will attract a charge at the rate of 5% of the value based on reserve prices or valuation provided by the Auctioneers (plus expenses where applicable) which shall be binding upon the Vendor. This charge is levied in addition to any other fees which may be payable.

• A Vendor may place reserves on any lots (minimum £10) but unless instructed to the contrary, all lots will be sold without a reserve or at the Auctioneer's discretion. Lots failing to reach reserve prices may be sold after the sale or above the reserves or entered into a subsequent sale(s) without reserve.

• The Auctioneers reserve the right to dispose of all unsaleable lots, which they consider to be of negligible value, without reference to the Vendor and at the Vendor's full expense.

• The Auctioneers shall not be responsible for any loss or injury whether accidental or otherwise (not arising out of their negligence) which may be suffered by any person on the sale premises.

• All goods are sold entirely at without guarantee or warranty unless expressly stated by the Auctioneer at the time of the sale.