A CARVED CHINESE JADE SCULPTURE

Information for buyers Introduction 

The below are aimed at helping Bidders and Buyers, especially those who are unfamiliar or new to our salerooms. Our Terms and Conditions, as well as any notices displayed in our salerooms or announced by the Auctioneer at the auction, govern all of our auctions. Our Terms and Conditions are accessible for review in our auction rooms, and the Terms of Sale are written at the back of our auction catalogues. If there is anything in our Terms & Conditions that you do not completely understand, our team would be delighted to assist you. 

Terms & Conditions - Buyer InformationPayment Options 

Before lots can be picked up or transported, they must be paid for. We ask that people attending the auction pay for their lots on the day of the sale. Payment methods are provided on our Website, including online payment upon receipt of your invoice, and should be made by 5 p.m. on the Friday following the sale. We can take cash up to a maximum of 10,000 euros equivalent. We accept credit card payments up to a maximum of £5,000 per transaction. Before you can take the goods away, any cheques must be cleared. 

Storage and collection 

All Lots must be paid for and picked up by 5 p.m. on the Friday following the auction. Commission bidders should monitor the status of their bids and make arrangements for payment, collection, or shipment within this time frame. Please refer to the collection and storage criteria stated in the catalogue and on our website, which defines the appropriate costs, for our auctions. Items not removed before 5 p.m. on Friday. If items are not removed within this time frame the purchaser may be subject to additional charges; with storage charges of £10 (plus VAT) for administration and £2 (plus VAT) per lot each day. 

Agency 

As an Auction house, we typically work on behalf of the Seller, whose identity is not ordinarily disclosed for reasons of confidentiality. When you buy at auction, you enter into a contract with the Vendor, not with us as the Auctioneer. 

Estimates 

Estimates are intended to assist you in determining the amount of money that may be associated in the purchase of a specific Lot. Estimates are subject to change and should not be regarded as the final sale price. The lower estimate might indicate the Reserve Price (the lowest price for which a Lot can be sold) and will not be less than the Reserve Price. The Buyer's Premium and VAT are not included in the estimates (where applicable). Estimates are produced some time before the auction and can be changed by a saleroom notice or a statement made by the Auctioneer prior to the auction of the Lot. They are not conclusive. 

Buyer's Premium 

The Terms of Sale require you to pay a Buyer's Premium of 25% on the Hammer Price of each (except for motor vehicles where a premium of 12.5% plus VAT) will be added. Lot won Furthermore, VAT is levied upon those Premiums (see below). 

VAT

Lots in our catalogue may be marked with a dagger or double dagger, indicating that VAT is due by the Buyer on the Hammer Price and Buyer's Premium at either the regular rate (currently 20%) or the reduced rate (currently 5%), depending on the legislative requirements pertaining to that Lot. 

 VAT is not due on the Hammer Price of lots that do not contain one of the symbols above. This is due to the Auctioneers' Margin Scheme being used to sell such Lots, more information about this here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/auctioneers-scheme-for-vat-notice-7182.  

The VAT included into the Premium is not reclaimable as input tax. 

Shipping costs are subject to VAT and must be paid by the buyer. 

Buyer's Inspection of the Goods 

We rely on information supplied by the Seller concerning their Goods since we work on their behalf. We will inspect Lots and make reasonable judgments regarding them. Nevertheless, we are usually unable to conduct comprehensive checks of Lots to determine their condition in the same manner that a Buyer would. You will have sufficient time to assess the Goods. You must examine and research any Lots on which you want to bid prior to them being offered at the hammer. Please take special note of the exclusion of obligation for the condition of Lots set forth in article 12.4 of the Terms of Sale. 

Condition Reports 

We are able to assist Buyers who are unable to view the auctions by providing a written or verbal condition report, however these are entirely based on our own judgement and are provided for guidance only, with no responsibility accepted for their correctness. Viewing is strongly suggested for prospective buyers. On the day of the sale, condition reports cannot be prepared. 

Goods Removal/Transport 

For small nonfragile lots purchased, we can provide an in-house delivery service. Shipping costs may be estimated prior to sale on our website under each Lot and are dependent on value, size, and your selected location. The cost of shipping can be added to your account and paid online after the auction. If you buy numerous lots from the same auction, we will combine packaging/delivery to save you money on shipping. For things that cannot be automatically estimated, such as furniture, you may receive a custom Shipping Cost from our website to any location in the UK. 

Electrical Items 

These are only available as 'antiques.' If you acquire electrical goods for use, you must have them checked by a qualified electrician to ensure that they comply with safety requirements before you use them. 

Goods Exported 

If you plan to export goods, you must first determine: 

if an export permit is required; and whether importing Goods of that nature is banned, for example, because the Items include restricted substances such as ivory.

Bidding 

Before the auction begins, bidders must register with us. We reserve the right to set a deadline before the auction for you to register or for us to receive a Commission bid. If you want to bid on high value Lots, the deadline may be several days before the auction to provide us enough time to do the appropriate inspections. Lots will be billed to the person and address listed on the registration form. You must give us with evidence of your identification in a form acceptable to us, as well as any other information we may ask. Please inquire ahead of time regarding our telephone or online bidding procedures. 

Please keep in mind that we may refuse to register you if you do not supply us with all of the requested information and documents, or at our professional judgment. 

Bidding by commission 

You could leave Commission bids with us specifying the highest sum to be offered against a Lot (minus the Buyers' Premium and/or any applicable VAT). We intend to implement Commission bids at the lowest feasible cost, taking into account the Reserve (if applicable) and competing bids. We may favour the first bid received if two Bidders submit exact Commission bids (where this can be reasonably ascertained). We prefer leaving Commission bids online through our Website, but please contact us if you choose to leave bids by phone, fax, or email. All absentee bids must be submitted at least 30 minutes before the auction begins; we cannot guarantee that Commission bids received after this time will be fulfilled. 

Bidding over the phone 

When you're unable to attend the auction, you may be able to bid on higher value Lots over the phone. Keep in mind that this service is only available for Lots with an estimated value of £100 or more for UK bidders and £1000 or more for international bidders. Because the number of lines is limited, we want to encourage only serious phone bidding and ask that you be totally prepared to go above the maximum estimate. It is best to leave the highest possible covering offer in case we are unable to reach you by phone. All lines will be scheduled and confirmed in writing before the auction day, preferably ahead of time. Phone bidding includes numerous factors, and while we take every precaution to ensure that this service runs well, we cannot be held accountable if your bids are missed for any reason. 

Bidding Online 

Any Lots won through a live online bidding service may incur an extra Commission fee on the Hammer Price payable by the Bidder, based on the rates stated by the online provider. These fees will be reduced to 0% from 1st October 2021, if you bid using the Hutchinson Scott website. If you bid on the-saleroom.com, you will be charged 4.95 percent + VAT (5.94 percent). These fees will be in addition to the Hammer Price and our Buyer's Commission. 

IMPORTANT NOTICES 

Lots must be removed from the premises by 5.00pm at the latest on the Friday following the sale. Hutchinson Scott reserve the right to transfer any leftover Lots into safe storage beyond this time, whereby a fee will be charged. 

Electrical Goods 

All electronic items that are certified safe must all be re-commissioned by a suitably certified electrician. 

Upholstered Furniture After 1950 

Many of the furnished lots in our sales are being offered for sale as a piece of art. The products may not conform with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) Safety Regulations 1988 and should not be utilised in a private residence as a result.