Auction Terms and Conditions
PHOTOPLATES
Please note that the photos are for general guidance only. Whilst they may provide an accurate indication of centring, perforation and type of cancellation, no presumption should be made as to the accuracy of colour reproductions.
Although we take every care to place the correct photos with the correct lot numbers, if you do notice that a photo doesn’t represent the description correctly please contact us to ensure that it is correct as we will not compensate based on the photos.
VIEWING
At our offices at any time, BY APPOINTMENT ONLY PLEASE, from now until the day before the auction.
EMAIL BIDS
Please send to tonylester@btconnect.com to be received by 12pm the day before the auction.
POSTAL BIDS
Must reach our office by the day before the auction – if in doubt, please telephone.
PAYMENT
Payments for lots purchased should be within 14 days of the sale date unless other arrangements have been made. Because of new Customs and Excise money laundering regulations we can no longer accept payments in cash of 15,000 Euros and over or equivalent in sterling etc. for any single transaction. Accounts still outstanding 1 month after the sale will be charged interest on the whole amount at 3% per month or part thereof. These conditions will be strictly adhered to.
Payment by debit/credit card – please see bid form.
Our Bankers: National Westminster Bank plc.
A/c No: 29630592
Sort Code: 52-30-02
IBAN GB65 NWBK 52300229630592
Please make cheques payable to TONY LESTER AUCTIONS LTD.
OVERSEAS PAYMENTS
Please ensure if making a bank transfer to our account that the invoice total in full is credited to our account and any bank charges must be paid by the purchaser. Lots will not be released until the invoice has been fully paid.
We do not accept payment by cheque in currencies other than sterling.
POSTAGE ON LOTS BOUGHT
Spurred on by the increase in Registered Post and other P.O. charges, we have negotiated a new deal with our insurers, and lots bought by postal bidders will now be sent as below unless you specifically require otherwise and state so on your bid form. (Please repeat any special instructions each time you bid, as our staff cannot guarantee all our customer’s specific requirements).
1. Inland Buyers
Up to £100 will be sent by ordinary post with certificate of posting.
Up to £250 will be sent by Recorded Delivery post.
Over £250 by Registered post.
Over 2kg will be sent by courier charged at £12 for up to 15kg, subject to change.
2. Overseas Buyers
Up to £100 will be sent by ordinary post with certificate of posting.
Over £100 by registered or insurance Air Mail etc.
This will result in reduced postage charges for the majority of customers. There will be a combined insurance/packing charge of £2 plus VAT on all inland invoices, and £3 on all overseas invoices.
CATALOGUE PRICES
Catalogue prices are by S.G. unless otherwise stated except for errors/varieties which are either by S.G. or from the online Pierron errors catalogue. As S.G. do not generally provide separate mounted and unmounted prices, then any catalogue price quoted should be read in conjunction with the rest of the description as to whether the stamps are hinged or not, and the condition of the stamps is of course reflected in our estimate.
BUYERS PREMIUM
A Buyers Premium equivalent to 17% plus VAT (20.4%) of the knock down price will be added to all purchases.
AUCTION RESULTS
If you wish to find out if you were successful in our auction we post the realisations on the ‘realisations’ page of our website or our page at easyliveauction.com. If more than one equal bid is received on a lot the lot will be sold to the first bid received. Alternatively you can telephone the office, but not before 11.00am the next working day after the sale.
IMPORTANT NOTE RE VAT
Lots with a “†” after the lot number are subject to VAT at 20% on the knock-down price of the lot, unless the purchaser is outside the EU and the lots are dispatched to an address outside the EU. Lots with an “X” after the lot number are subject to VAT on the amount (if any) by which the hammer price exceeds the face value of the stamps in that lot.
PHILATELIC AUCTIONEERS’ STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE (1985 REVISION)
subject to which all lots are offered at this auction at which members of the public are present in person bidding against each other for themselves or as agents.
The PHILATELIC AUCTIONEERS STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE (1985 REVISION) apply only to an auction sale which includes members of the public present in person bidding against each other for themselves or as agents. The PHILATELIC AUCTIONEERS STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE (1985 REVISION) do not apply to any ‘postal auction’ at which ‘bids’ consist exclusively of written or telephoned offers to buy at stated prices or limits and which does not include members of the public present in person bidding against each other for themselves or as agents.
NOTICE
Clause 1
(a) Each lot is put up subject to any reserve price imposed by the vendor.
(b) Subject to sub-clause (a) of this clause, the highest bidder for each lot shall be the purchaser thereof, at the fall of the hammer.
(c) lf any dispute arises as to the highest bidder the auctioneer shall have absolute discretion to determine the dispute and may put up again and re-sell the lot in respect of which the dispute arises.
Clause 2
(a) The bidding and advances shall be regulated by and at the absolute discretion of the auctioneer, and he shall have the right to refuse any bid or bids.
NOTE: Where an agent bids, even on behalf of a disclosed client, the auctioneer nevertheless has the right at his discretion to refuse any such bid.
(b) The purchaser of each lot shall immediately on its sale if required by the auctioneer give to him the name and address of the purchaser and pay to the auctioneer at his discretion the whole or part of the purchase money. If the purchaser of any lot fails to comply with any such requirement the auctioneer may put up again and re-sell the lot; if upon such re-sale a lower price is obtained than was obtained on the first sale the purchaser in default on the first sale shall make good the difference in price and expenses of re-sale which shall become a debt due from him.
(c) Where an agent purchases on behalf of an undisclosed client such agent shall be personally liable for payment of the purchase money to the auctioneer and for safe delivery of the lot to the said client.
Clause 3
(a) The auctioneer reserves the right to bid on behalf of clients and vendors.
(b) The auctioneer reserves the right before or during a sale to group together lots belonging to the same vendor, to split up and to withdraw any lot or lots at the auctioneer’s absolute discretion and without giving any reason in any case (without liability to any potential purchaser).
(c) The auctioneer acts as agent only, and therefore shall not be liable for any default of the purchaser (providing he has not handed over the goods) or vendor.
Clause 4
(a) Each lot shall be at the purchaser’s risk from the fall of the hammer and shall be paid for in full before delivery and taken away at his expense by a purchaser in the United Kingdom within 7 days from the date of sale and by a purchaser overseas within 14 days from the date of sale or such longer time as shall be agreed in writing between the auctioneer and the purchaser.
(b) If any purchaser fails to pay in full for any lot within the time stated in sub-clause (a) of this clause such lot may at any time thereafter at the auctioneer’s discretion be put up for sale by auction again or sold privately; if upon such re-sale a lower price is obtained than was obtained on the first sale the purchaser in default shall make good the difference in price and the expenses of re-sale which shall become a debt due from him.
(c) Interest shall be payable by the purchaser on any overdue account, the rate to be specified by each individual auction.
Clause 5
(a) Each lot is sold as – (i) GENUINE unless otherwise described in the sale catalogue or by the auctioneer, and (ii) correctly described (see also Clause 5f). The date of any certificate forming part of the description of any lot will be included in the description.
(b) A purchaser shall be at liberty to reject any lot if he – (i) gives the auctioneer written notice of intention to question the genuineness or, as the case may be, the accuracy of description of the lot within 7 days or, in the case of an overseas purchaser, to be in the auctioneer’s hands within 21 days from date of sale; AND (ii) proves that the lot is not genuine or was incorrectly described; AND (iii) returns to the auctioneer within 30 days from the date of sale the lot in the same condition as it was at the time of sale; provided that the auctioneer may, at his absolute discretion, on receiving a request in writing from the purchaser, extend for a reasonable period of time for return of the lot to enable it to be submitted to an agreed expert or expert committee.
NOTE: The onus of proving a lot to be not genuine or incorrectly described is on the purchaser. The inability of a recognised expert or an expert committee to express a definite opinion shall serve to discharge the onus on the purchaser and shall be a ground for rejecting the lot concerned.
(c) Where a lot has been submitted to expert opinion, all costs of such an opinion shall be paid by the person who retains the item or items to which that opinion relates.
(d) Where the purchaser of a lot discharges the onus and acts in accordance with sub-clause (b) of this clause, the auctioneer shall rescind the sale and repay to the purchaser the purchase money paid by him in respect of the lot.
(e) No lot shall be rejected if, subsequent to the sale it has been immersed in water, marked by an expert or expert committee, or treated by any other process unless the auctioneer’s permission to subject the lot to such immersion, marking or treatment has first been obtained in writing. (NOTE: Many Continental experts now mark forged stamps; therefore it is essential for permission to be obtained from auctioneers BEFORE submitting to these experts).
(f) Any lot listed under ‘collections and various’ or stated to comprise or contain a collection, issues or stamps which are undescribed shall be put up for sale not subject to rejection and shall be taken by the purchaser with all (if any) faults, lack of genuineness and errors of description and numbers of stamps in the lot, and the purchaser shall have no right to reject the lot; except that, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this sub-clause, where before a sale a person intending to bid at the sale gives notice in writing to, and satisfies the auctioneer that any such lot contains any item or items undescribed in the sale catalogue and that person specifically describes that item or those items in this notice, then that item or those items shall, as between the auctioneer and that person be taken to form part of the description of the lot for the purposes of sub-clauses (a), (b) and (d) of this clause.
(g) No lot illustrated in the catalogue shall be rejected on the ground of cancellation, centring, margins perforating or other characteristic clearly apparent from the illustration.
(h) Lots offered ‘as is’ or ‘offered on their merits’ may contain items that are not genuine and, therefore, may not be returned for any reason. Neither can extensions be granted on them.
Clause 6
The respective rights and obligations of the parties shall be governed and interpreted by English law, and the buyer hereby submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS
- Where two or more lots are described a similar lots, and are identical in content and value, a bid for one lot will be equally valid for any other similar lot unless instructions are given to the contrary.
- While every reasonable care is taken to ensure accuracy, quantities given at the end of descriptions are not to be regarded as part of the description for the purposes of the above conditions.
- Lots purchased on behalf of postal bidders will be forwarded by the most practical method at the risk of the purchaser. Postage, freight, packing and insurance costs or part thereof shall be borne by the purchaser.
- Accounts not cleared during the month in which the sale is held are liable to have interest added at the rate of 3% per month or part thereof.
- BUYERS PREMIUM – see note overleaf.
- EXTENSIONS. Extensions for certificates of authenticity will only be granted for lots comprising a single item or set. Extensions will not be granted for single items contained within a collection. Lots must be paid for in the usual manner, prior to authentication. Requests for extensions must be made when the bid is placed.
- The cost of obtaining a certificate will be the responsibility of the purchaser, whether successful or not.