Buying
Online Timed Bidding Procedures
We strongly advise you to view the auction in person when possible.
Our sales are all based online and do not involve a live auctioneer. You will need access to the internet via a computer or Smart phone and having found what you'd like to bid on then:
Register first on the sale you wish to bid in.
View the photographs of the lots and descriptions and request a condition report by email to conditions@criterionauctioneers.com, then follow the instructions to place your Maximum bid and click BID.
You can bid online at any time the catalogue is LIVE up to when a Lot starts closing with Lot 1 from 7pm and thereafter at 20 second intervals per Lot by entering or increasing your maximum bid should you become the underbidder having been notified by us via email that you are no longer the winning / highest bidder.
Our bidding platform acts as an automated Auctioneer there is not a live Auctioneer. The bids are placed for you automatically until the last bid is made unless you've opted to place your own bids during the sale.
All our sales catalogues are live for a minimum period of 5 days and bids can be placed at anytime during this period. After 7pm if a bid is placed within 5 minutes of the lot closing and each lot closes at 20 (sometimes 40) second intervals, the sale of that lot will be extended for a further 5 minutes until no more bids are received. Each lot has a visual counter on screen for you to monitor the duration of bidding time left on each lot.
Please note the following bidding options are not possible when using our timed online technology:
We cannot host timed online auctions across multiple platforms as they cannot be synchronised.
There is NO telephone bidding.
The Timed online method gives you the bidder 5 minutes of your own time to make a counter bid, less pressure and total certainty and assurance when you bid with this method. The technology is not new but more recently has been improved and made more user friendly with onscreen live prompts advising you that you are the leading bidder or the under bidder. This quick bidding service avoids the need to rely on receiving an email notification (although you will be sent an email for every instruction as well) and allows the user to sit in front of the computer screen and watch the bidding take place giving you a truly live interactive connection to the auction.
Invoices
All invoices will be generated after the sale has closed and emailed to the email address you registered with. See example below of our Buyers Premium.
Example Pricing
Hammer Price = £100
Internet surcharge (bidding platform the-saleroom.com fees) = 3% + VAT = 3.6%
Buyers Premium excluding internet surcharge = 22% + VAT = 26.4%
Total = 30%
Total to pay = £130.00
Payment Terms
Upon receiving your invoice there will be two types of payment options, the first being the ability to pay using your debit card via our 3d secure and the second to make a direct bank transfer.
We ask that you settle your invoice as quickly as possible but within 3 days from the sale date for UK buyers and 10 days for International to allow for transfers to clear. The quicker payment is made, the quicker we can release your items and prepare them for collection/delivery.
Please remember when you bid on items you do so at your own risk, the Auctioneer does not warrant or undertake to verify any information about the lot unless it is misdescribed.
Buyer Beware, if you place a bid and win then you are legally responsible to pay for the item even if you made the bid in error or changed your mind.
Only in extreme circumstances where the item is clearly not what is described shall you have the right to return the goods and expect a refund, this must be done within seven days of the auction.
All lots are identified by their catalogued description and NOT by their photograph(s).
BE AWARE -
1.7. Storage Fees for Buyers will be applied after one week of FREE storage. Late collection will incur storage fees of £5 per Lot per day for all items. All Vendor Lots not entered for sale must be collected by the following Wednesday 6pm unless by prior arrangement with the Auctioneer. Buyers Lots not collected after the storage period allowed will incur storage fees of £5 per Lot per day. If Storage fees amount in value to more than the value of the Lots purchase price and or the low estimate the Auctioneer will take immediate ownership of the Lot(s) to recover the Storage Fees and be at liberty to resell the items to recover the fees under its own name;
and
25 (b), to store the Lot at the Auctioneer’s premises or elsewhere and to release the Lot to the Buyer only after payment in full of the purchase price together with any other fees due. The Auctioneer reserves the right to resell the lot(s) if not collected within the time frame agreed with the Auctioneer at the time of bidding prior to the sale closing and after 7 days following the sale irrespective of whether the invoice has been paid for. Furthermore, a storage charge of £5 per Lot per day for items or Lots not collected by the 1st Tuesday 5.30pm after the sale or by the time specified in writing from the Auctioneer together with any removal expenses. In addition, interest will be charged at 2.5% per month or part thereof (34.4% APR) on any accounts that remain unpaid in part or full after Wednesday 5.30pm after the sale. Interest and storage will be charged from the date of sale. In addition, the Buyer shall be liable for all legal and court costs incurred by the Auctioneers in pursuit of payment from the Buyer. The Auctioneer reserves the right to refuse any cheques and will not release Lots purchased until evidence has been received that any cheque or other payment method accepted has been cleared.
Criterion has limited space to store items for long periods of time and hence it relies on its clients to adhere to these terms and conditions of business and storage.
Please see our full Terms and Conditions for further explanation and our Glossary of General Auction Terms and Glossary of Painting Terms.