Terms & Conditions
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. The term "Auctioneer", wherever used in this catalogue, means Walker's Fine Art & Estate Auctioneers Inc.
2. Prospective bidders should inspect the property before bidding to determine its size, condition and whether or not it has been repaired, restored or altered. We strongly recommend that all lots be viewed personally. Imperfections are not necessarily stated in any version of the auction catalogue, however, specific condition reports are provided upon request. (All statements are solely the opinion of the Auctioneer who is neither a professional restorer nor conservator).
3. The Auctioneer has made a reasonable attempt to ensure accuracy in the description of every lot to be sold. However, guarantee is not made as to the correctness of the catalogue entries and no sale shall be set aside on account of any imperfections not noted. Each lot is sold on an "AS IS," "WHERE IS" basis.
4. All bids are per lot as listed in the catalogue. However, the Auctioneer reserves the right to divide or join lots, without prior warning, as they may see fit upon announcement of same.
5. The Auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw or add to the items as listed in prepared catalogues without notice.
6. The Auctioneer has the right to advance the bidding at their absolute discretion. The highest bidder is to be deemed the Buyer. If a dispute arises, the Auctioneer may, at their discretion, resell the lot or announce a decision immediately. The Auctioneer may refuse to accept a bid from any individual or party at their absolute discretion. The Auctioneer has the right to restrict attendance or participation in the auction rooms or during preview or to any party without explanation.
7. Title to the offered lot immediately passes to the highest bidder upon full payment by the Buyer to the Auctioneer, however the Buyer assumes full risk and responsibility from the fall of the auction hammer.
8. All lots are sold by the Auctioneer with all faults and defects, with all errors of description and are to be paid for whether genuine and authentic or not. No compensation shall be paid for same.
9. Notwithstanding the previous conditions of sale, if within (14) fourteen days after the auction the Buyer gives notice in writing to the Auctioneer that the lot sold is a deliberate forgery and within (7) seven days of such notification the Buyer returns the same to the Auctioneer in the same condition as at the time of sale and satisfies the Auctioneer that the claim is justified, pursuant to any special requests the Auctioneer may make, then the sale of the lot will be rescinded and the purchase price, Buyer's premium & sales tax on the purchase price of the same will be refunded. All action and decisions made by the Auctioneer are final and will not be influenced by the opinion of either the seller or Buyer. (All packing, handling, customs fees, taxes, insurance, valuations, opinions, lodging or
travel directly or indirectly related to any returned & refunded lots will be the sole responsibility of the Buyer and no compensation will be paid for same). Any judicial proceedings deemed necessary to resolve a dispute or claim will be settled in the Province of Ontario, jurisdiction of Ottawa.
10. The Auctioneer shall have the right to bid or commission their staff to bid on behalf of any consignor up to the reserve price if applicable, but not above.
11. Each lot is sold subject to a 23% Buyer's premium (20% +3% Artfact premium), payable by all internet Buyers in addition to the purchase price.
12. The Buyer must pay Ontario Harmonized Sales Tax (HST - 13%) on the total purchase price (aggregate of hammer price & Buyer's premium) if the Buyer takes possession of their purchase at the time of the auction or if they are resident in Ontario and have their purchase shipped to a location in Ontario. If the Buyer is from another province in Canada and have their purchase shipped to them by registered carrier, then the appropriate HST/GST applicable to their province will be charged. Buyers not resident in Canada are exempt from paying HST or GST on the purchase price of property IF the lot(s) is shipped by registered carrier directly from the Auctioneer to the Buyer's address outside of Canada.
13. Payment is to be made by pre-approved cheque, Visa, MasterCard, Interac or wire transfer, within 72 hours (3 business days) after the auction ends. Property is released only after funds have cleared our bank. Local purchases must be removed immediately after the sale provided payment has been received by the Auctioneer. Items sold to foreign and non-local Buyers will be transported to our offices where they must be removed within three (3) working days. Buyers not known to the Auctioneer are required to provide financial and banking details at least three (3) days prior to the auction. The Auctioneer will send an invoice by email or fax after the auction but your credit card may be used immediately to settle your purchase account. A maximum of $20,000 per client per auction may be paid using a credit card if presenting the card in person with photo identification; $5,000 is the maximum for fax authorized credit card payment within North America.
14. If the Buyer's account is not settled in full with regard to fore-mentioned conditions, then a finance charge of 5% per month above the Bank of Canada base rate will be applied to the purchase price until settled in addition to a 2% monthly charge for storage and insurance. If in the opinion of the Auctioneer the lot or lots must be resold then any deficiencies or handling charges against same will be charged to the original Buyer.
15. In order to export certain property from Canada, a Cultural Property Export Permit may be required. Various objects and values are affected and it is incumbent on a prospective Buyer to fully understand any restrictions prior to sale. It is the Buyer's responsibility to obtain the required permit(s). No sale shall be rescinded if a Cultural Property Export Permit cannot be obtained.
16. Under the CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) agreement, items offered for sale which contain restricted materials such as ivory, tortoiseshell, whalebone, sealskin, rhinoceros horn or other animal parts. are not allowed by law to leave Canada or to be imported to most countries. It is the Buyer's responsibility to verify whether this restriction applies to their purchases prior to bidding. No sale shall be rescinded if the Buyer is remiss in this regard. You must ensure that you have reviewed your country's laws before you purchase or ship any works made from, or containing parts made from, these restricted materials. It is your responsibility to obtain any necessary permits. We encourage you to visit the CITES website www.cites.org.
17. Pre-sale auction estimates are educated approximations based upon the sale of similar items. These are not necessarily selling prices, as the final bid may be above or below any estimate.
18. Persons attending a preview, the auction or collecting goods, assume all risks of damage of or loss to person and property and specifically release the Auctioneer from liability. Neither the Auctioneer nor his principle shall be liable by reason of any defect in or condition of the premises on which the sale is held.
19. Registration: All bidders are required to provide full name, address, phone number(s) and postal code in addition to government issued photo identification. The registrant is fully and solely responsible for all bids placed using their bidding number. Registered Buyers are not permitted to bid for third parties or to transfer purchased lots from one account to another. The Auctioneer reserves the right to determine credit worthiness prior to registering a Buyer and may require banking or credit information and/or credit card information when doing so.
20. All packing and handling of purchased lots by the Auctioneer or an associated company is undertaken as a service to the Buyer. There will be fees for this service and the Auctioneer or handler will proceed only at the Buyer's risk and expense. Please inquire directly with the Auctioneer for a packing/shipping/insurance quote prior to sale. Customs, Duty and brokerage fees as assessed by Government or third party firms are separate from any shipping quote the Auctioneer or associate may provide and are the sole responsibility of the Buyer. Lots damaged in transit as a
result of Customs or Government inspection or improper repacking are not covered by any insurance offered by the Auctioneer or shipper regardless if insurance has been paid for or not.
21. All bidders and others attending this sale agree that they have read and have full knowledge of these Terms and Conditions of Business and agree to be bound by same.
Payment Information
Payment is to be made by certified cheque, traveler's cheque, Visa, MasterCard, Interac, cash or wire transfer. You must add $50 per wire transfer to cover administrative and bank charges. Credit card payment may not exceed $20,000 or the cardholder's limit, whichever is less. Property is released only after funds have cleared our bank. Local purchases must be removed immediately after the sale. Items sold to foreign and non-local buyers will be transported to our offices where they must be removed within three (3) working days. Buyers not known to the auctioneer are required to provide financial and banking details at least three (3) days prior to the auction.
Shipping Information
All winning bidders are required to arrange for their own shipping. The winning bidder is responsible for ALL packing, shipping, handling and customs fees and all other related fees. The auction house shall have no financial responsibility whatsoever. Having stated this, Walker's does offer an inhouse packing and/or shipping service to our customers. This service is provided separate and independent from the auction sale. To engage this service please call us at 1-866-224-5814 or send an email request to shipping@walkersauctions.com.
For export of certain kinds of property from Canada, a Cultural Property Export Permit may be required from the Moveable Cultural Property Directorate. (Tel: 1-819-997-7982) Permits are issued by Customs Canada offices across the country on behalf of the department. Your purchase will not be set aside or cancelled if an export permit cannot be obtained.<BR>
Condition Information
The Auctioneer strives to ensure accuracy in the description of every lot to be sold, however, prospective bidders should inspect the property before bidding to determine size, condition and whether or not it has been repaired, restored or altered. We strongly recommend that all lots be viewed personally. If you cannot examine the items personally, we encourage you to telephone, e-mail or fax us your request for a condition report prior to the sale. Every effort is made to ensure the correctness of all verbal and catalogue representations BUT no sale shall be set aside on account of any imperfections not noted. Each lot is sold on an "AS IS," "WHERE IS" basis.
