Buying and selling at auction should not be a complex task and here at Bourne End we endeavour to make it an enjoyable experience for all. If you are new to our Auction Rooms, we hope you will find the notes below helpful. All transactions are subject to our Terms and Conditions and these are printed at the bottom of the page.

Guidance notes for new/prospective buyers

• Our auctions start at 10.30am each Wednesday. Our viewing times are 9.30am – 7.00pm on Tuesdays and 9.00am - 10.30am on Wednesdays. Personal viewing is recommended.
• If you are unable to attend the viewing, you may request a condition report and/or images of individual lots. Condition reports are given as a matter of opinion only and all requests must be received before 5.00pm on the day before the sale.
• Our office is open throughout the auction for enquiries although no transactions relating to the sale can be made before the auction has ended. There is no viewing of sale goods on the ground floor once the auction has started.
• Catalogues are available from our office on viewing days and sale days at £2.50 per copy. Detailed Conditions of Sale are printed on the back. All transactions are subject to these conditions. Catalogues for our monthly ‘Antique and Collectors’ sales are also available online from the Saturday morning preceding the sale.
• You may bid in person at the Auction Room, by telephone (by prior arrangement), or by completing an absentee/commission bid form, available online or from the Auction Room. Written bids must be submitted before 9.30am on the morning of the sale. A registration form must be completed before bidding in person for the first time.
• Telephone bids must be requested in writing and received by us no later than 7.00pm on the day before the sale. They are limited to lots that are estimated at £250 and over and are accepted at the discretion of the Auctioneer. We have a limited number of telephone lines and these will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
• Lots are sold at the hammer price (plus buyer’s premium) as permitted by the reserve. The Buyer’s Premium is 13% + VAT.
• Prospective buyers should contact the office after the auction, and, if successful, item(s) purchased must be paid for and collected before 12 noon on the Saturday following the sale. Collection times are Wednesday, after the auction till 5.00pm, 9.00am to 5.00pm Thursday and Friday and 9.00 to 12 noon on Saturday.
• Items not paid for, or collected by the above deadline, will incur a storage fee of up to £3 per day.
• Payment can be made by Debit card, Credit card (2% surcharge applies), Cash or Bank transfer. We do not accept American Express and regret we are no longer able to accept payment by cheque.
• For any other queries related to buying, please do not hesitate to contact us.

To all our clients and customers

• There is limited, free customer parking in the designated bays immediately outside the Auction Rooms. However, you may be asked to move your vehicle if we have vans delivering and unloading. The rest of the car park is controlled by Thames Trains and is ‘Pay and Display’. There is also a short term ‘Pay and Display’ car park behind Lloyds Bank, a two or three minute walk away.
• A toilet is available for customer use. Please ask at the office for the key.
• Our sale-room is on the first floor of the building, accessible by stairs only.
• For security reasons, our premises are monitored by 24 hour CCTV.
• There are local shops, banks, cafes and pubs within a short walking distance of our premises.
• If your mobile phone rings whilst on our premises, please take your call outside.

AUCTIONEERS’ TERMS AND CONDITIONS

GENERAL:

1.       The Auctioneers’ terms and conditions are displayed at the Auction rooms and are in print on the Entry Form. Vendors and purchasers are therefore deemed to be aware of the terms of sale.

2.       The Auctioneers reserve the right to catalogue and lot goods as they see fit. No commitment can be given as to when such goods will be offered for sale.

3.       The Auctioneers give no guarantee as to the quality of the goods sold.

4.       All persons attending a Sale under the conduct of the Auctioneers - whether at their Sale Rooms or elsewhere - shall be deemed to be on the land and premises at their own risk and shall have no claim against the Auctioneers or their principles in respect of the cancellation/postponement of a Sale or any loss, accident or injury, however occasioned, save in so far as the same is proven to be caused by the direct negligence of an employee(s) of the Company.

5.       Persons handling lots do so at their own risk and shall make good all loss or damage howsoever sustained; such estimate of cost to be assessed by the Auctioneers whose decision shall be final.

6.       At the fall of the hammer, the highest bidder, acceptable to the Auctioneers, shall be the Purchaser and any dispute shall be settled by the Auctioneers, whose decision shall be absolute and final.  No lots shall be transferred.

7.       The Auctioneers may divide, combine, add or withdraw lots and make any catalogue alterations without notice. They shall regulate the advance of bidding, accept or reject any bid at their discretion and without consultation and bid on behalf of the Vendor, where there is a reserve price or at their discretion.

8.       The Auctioneers shall not be responsible for default on the part of Vendors or Purchasers.  Any resultant deficiency, together with interest, cost and expenses, shall be made good by the defaulter, recoverable as and for liquidated damages. The Auctioneer, in appropriate circumstances, will enforce a Sale Contract at the fall of the hammer unless there are reasonable circumstances which would seem to indicate otherwise.

9.       Any claim under any Statute must be received in writing within 10 days of the Sale.

PURCHASERS:

10.   Catalogue descriptions shall be taken as a matter of opinion only. The Auctioneers accept no responsibility for faults or imperfections of any lot described in the catalogue or given verbally by a member of staff.  Intending purchasers must satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise as to the description, condition, quality and originality of any lot prior to bidding.

11.   At the fall of the hammer, all lots shall be and remain, in every respect, at the absolute risk of the Purchaser, including those of fire, burglary, etc, and damage occasioned to lots by the removal of other goods.

12.   The Auctioneers are prepared to accept commission bids on behalf of intending Purchasers unable to attend at the time of the Sale, providing requests are made in writing and up to half an hour before the commencement of a Sale and given to the Auctioneer or the Auction Rooms Manager. This complimentary service is made at the purchaser’s own risk and the Auctioneer cannot accept liability for failure to receive and/or place any such bids. The Auctioneers cannot be held responsible for, nor are they connected with, commission bids given to Auction Room Porters or any other member of the Auctioneers’ staff.

13.   A Buyer’s premium of 13% plus VAT is chargeable on the hammer price.

14.   If an asterisk (*) precedes any lot number, VAT will also be payable on the hammer price.

15.   Payment for goods purchased at the Auction should be made on the day of the Sale or no later than the Saturday morning following.

16.   Bourne End Auction Rooms accept DEBIT CARDS and most CREDIT CARDS with the exception of American Express.  A 2% levy will be charged on credit card transactions.

17.   No goods purchased at the Sale may be removed without payment first being made except with the express permission of the Auctioneers.

18.   Purchasers are requested to collect all items bought by the Saturday morning following the Sale. Items not collected by 12:00 noon on the said Saturday will be subject to a storage charge of £3 per day.  Should the items still remain after 14 days, the Auctioneers reserve the right to re-offer them in the next available Sale to recover costs.

VENDORS:

19.   It is a condition of the Auction that the Vendor indemnify the Auctioneers against all and any claims made in connection with the goods sold.

20.   Vendors’ goods held at the Auction Rooms are insured at the rate of £1.50 premium per £100 value.  There is a lotting fee of £3.50 per lot.

21.   Reserves should be agreed mutually between the Vendor and the Auctioneers but all lots valued below £20 must be offered without reserve.

22.   Should a reserve figure not be agreed mutually between Vendor and the Auctioneer and the lot remains unsold, the Auctioneers reserve the right to levy a charge of 5% of the Auctioneer’s estimated value.

23.   A withdrawal fee of 5% of the reserve price (or lower estimate) will be made if a lot is entered and then withdrawn by the Vendor prior to the Sale.

24.   Vendor’s commission is charged at 13% plus VAT on the hammer price.

25.   Payment to Vendors will be made within 14 days of the Sale.

26.   Vendors are requested to remove any unsold lots by the Saturday morning following the Sale.  There is a storage charge of £3 per day after this period.

27.   If unsold lots valued above £20 remain uncollected after 14 days the Auctioneers retain the right to offer such lots for sale without reserve.

28.   Should a Vendor fail to remove unsold lots with an estimated value of £20 or less by noon on the Saturday following the Sale, the Auctioneers reserve the right to dispose of such items.

29.   Where a lot remains unsold and is requested to be placed in a later sale, the Auctioneers retain the right to reduce the original reserve by 25%.  The £3.50p lotting fee applies each time a lot is entered into a Sale.

30.  Auctioneer’s discretion may be used to sell a lot at up to 10% below the reserve price, unless a fixed reserve is specified at the time of entry.