Terms & Conditions
Greenwich Auction Terms & Conditions:
Prior to bidding, please read our terms and conditions detailed below. Greenwich Auction requires each and every bidder, whether bidding in person, on the phone, by absentee bid, or through one of our online bidding venues, i.e. LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, AuctionZip.com or Bid Square, accepts the terms and conditions of the sale.
1. The lots listed in all catalogues will be offered by Antique Treasures LLC dba Greenwich Auction as owner or as agent for consignor(s) subject to the following terms and conditions. By bidding at the auction, whether present in person or by agent, by written bid, telephone, intent or other means, the buyer agrees to be bound by these terms and conditions.
2. All property IS SOLD AS IS, where is and without recourse, and neither the consignor(s) nor Greenwich Auction makes any representation or warranties, express or implied, with respect to size, count, weight, style, authenticity, provenance, period material, manufacturer, artist, origin copyright or reproduction right or any other warranty except as specified below on any lot sold. All measurements and weights are approximate. All glassware is sold as is; we cannot check every piece for chips. Greenwich Auction is not responsible for damage of glass covering paintings, drawings, and other works or frames, regardless of cause. Greenwich Auction will not guarantee the authenticity of any signature unless so stated at the time of auction. We will only guarantee the medium in which the particular work is executed. We are not responsible for typographical errors of descriptions either in the catalog or on the internet.
3. The catalogue listings are meant as a descriptive guide only. Greenwich Auction encourages all potential bidders to preview our items in person, we hold several days of previews before each auction. Further photographs, condition reports and in hand evaluations are available upon request. Preview days are listed on the website www.greenwichauction.net.
4. All sales are final. No returns. No exceptions.
5. Greenwich Auction reserves the right to withdraw, combine, or divide any lot at its sole discretion prior to the commencement of bidding.
6. A Buyer's Premium will be added to the hammer price of each lot sold.
The purchase price payable by the buyer shall be the sum of the final bid plus a buyer?s premium of 23%, discounted to 20% for payments by cash, check, or money order received within 5 days of the given auction.
Live Auctioneers buyer's premium is 25%, discounted to 23% for payment by cash, check, or money order received within 5 days after the given auction.
Invaluable.com (and any of their affiliated web sites) buyers premium is 27%, discounted to 25% for payment by cash, check, or money order received within 5 business days.
7. Payment is due within 5 business days of a given auction.
Acceptable forms of payment include:
Cash, check, money order, wire, PayPal, Visa, MasterCard and Discover subject to a 3% credit card processing fee.
Please contact Greenwich Auction via email at ctac850@gmail.com for wiring instructions. Wire fees are $30.
Credit card payments by phone are accepted at the discretion of Greenwich Auction up to $5,000 only and only on U.S. issued credit cards. All other bidders must use check or money order. We recommend establishing check approval ahead of time for larger purchases, as goods may be held until funds clear.
8. All purchases are subject to 6.35% Connecticut sales tax. Resale tax numbers from all states are accepted, but the resale tax form must be completely filled out and received prior to time of purchase.
9. A small percentage of lots may have a reserve price, which is the confidential minimum price below which such lots will not be sold. No reserve will exceed the low estimate of the lot. Reserves are agreed upon between consignors and Greenwich Auction.
10. All lots are sold to the highest bidder. The auctioneer has the right to not accept any bid! Bidding maybe reopened at the auctioneer's discretion. The auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw any item and to re-offer the item at any other time. The auctioneer may execute bids on behalf of absentee bidders and on behalf of consignors up to a reserve price. In the event of a dispute between bidders, the auctioneer has the final discretion to determine the successful bidder or to re-offer the lot in dispute. If any dispute arises after a sale, the Greenwich Auction sale record shall be conclusive.
11. Employees of Greenwich Auction are not prohibited from bidding. It is possible, that through their employment, they may have access to information not available to the public.
12. No auction lot may be removed during the sale or at any time until the full purchase price has been paid. All lots must be paid and removed within 30 days after the auction at the Purchaser?s expense or they are subject to a storage fee of $10.00 per lot, per day. Greenwich Auction will not be held responsible for loss or damage to items left on premises over 30 business days. Greenwich Auction reserves the right to re-auction, without reserve, items not removed or not paid for within 30 days.
13. Greenwich Auction reserves the right to hold goods until Purchaser?s check clears our bank. Returned checks are subject to a $50.00 service charge.
14. A Finance Fee of 1% per month will be added to unpaid balances beginning 30 days after the auction.
15. International buyers should be aware that certain countries do not allow the importation of items containing materials made from endangered species. This includes, but is not limited to, coral and tortoise shell. It is the buyer's responsibility to check the relevant import and custom regulations prior to bidding.
16. Greenwich Auction is generally not responsible for shipping. All shipping is to be arranged and paid by successful bidders. Greenwich Auction will provide Purchasers with a list of recommended shippers available on www.greenwichauction.net.
If for any cause a purchased lot cannot be delivered in the condition it was in at the time of sale, or should any purchased lot be stolen or lost prior to delivery/pick-up, Greenwich Auction shall not be liable for any amount in excess of that paid by the purchaser. We are not responsible for the acts of omissions of carriers or packers of purchased lots, whether or not recommended by us. Packing and handling of purchased lots by us is at the entire risk of the Purchaser and Greenwich Auction will have no liability for any loss or damage to such items.
17. Auction items are not available for pick up until after the purchaser receives an invoice.
18. All invoices, documents, contracts and conditions are governed by the laws and judicial system of the State of Connecticut.
Shipping Terms
Participation in any of our auctions implies the unconditional acceptance of these Terms & Conditions.
Art. 1 - The sale is executed strictly in cash, Swiss francs and without guarantee. For administrative purposes, each buyer will be asked to give a proof of his/her identity in order to obtain an invoice at the end of the sale. Invoices can be settled at the end of each auction session. Buyers can settle the invoice via wire transfer, major credit/debit cards or cash. Payments in cash for an amount equal to or more than CHF 100'000 will not be accepted. Personal or company cheques are not accepted.
Art. 2 - No more bids will be accpted after the hammer strike, unless otherwise communicated by the auctioneer. In case of a dispute at the time of the hammer strike, the auctioneer may at his discretion cancel and immediately put the lot back up for sale.
Art. 3 - The auctioneer, at his/her sole option, can: refuse any bid, move the bidding backwards or forwards in any way he/she decides; change the order of the lots, withdraw any lots, divide or combine any two or more lots, reopen or continue the bidding even after the hammer strike. The auctioneer may bid on behalf of the seller up to but not including the amount of the reserve either by making consecutive bids or by making bids in response to other bidders. In the event that the reserve price set by the seller is not reached, the auctioneer may deem such lot unsold and move on to the next lot by a single strike of the hammer.
Art. 4 - The successful bidder agrees to pay a buyer's premium at 20% of the hammer price on all lots purchased. VAT at 8% is charged on the buyer's premium, giving a total of 21.6% on the hammer price. Internet buyers incur an additional 3% internet fee on the buyer's premium plus VAT (Total premium for internet buyers 24.8% inc VAT).
Art. 4a - For foreign buyers, the VAT collected may be refunded upon presentation of duly completed Swiss customs papers. To avoid administrative fees, reimbursement of VAT will only be allowed if the amount of the VAT is superior to 50CHF.
Art. 5 - Bidding must be placed by spoken voice or made by a distinctive sign unequivocally demonstrating the willingness to bid. The auctioneer, at his discretion, can refuse bids from unknown bidders. The minimum amount of an increment is 10%. However, the auctioneer may modify this rate by announcement.
Art. 6 - The viewing period allows the buyer to evaluate personally the condition and authenticity of the objects. Any dispute will not be allowed once the bidding is over. The objects are sold as seen at the time of bidding. To the best of our knowledge, all indications provided in the sale catalogue are correct; however the descriptions are only the expression of a professional opinion and do not constitute a guarantee. The catalogue may mention some damage to a lot without necessarily providing an exhaustive list. If the low estimate is CHF 1'000 or less there will be no mention of the object's condition. Condition reports are available upon request. Photographs, dimensions and weight are for indication only.
Art. 6a - Foreign buyers shall always check the relevant customs laws and regulations before bidding on any lot containing wildlife material such as, but not only: ivory, tortoiseshell, crocodile skin, rhinoceros horn, or whalebone. Hôtel des Ventes pays particular attention to complete its due diligence duties to ensure that all the objects presented in the catalogue comply with our laws and regulations of Cultural Property (CPTA). However, we are under no obligation to cancel your purchase and refund the amount paid if your lot cannot be exported, imported or if seized by a government authority.
Art. 7 - Lots must be collected at the expense and sole risk of the buyer. To avoid delivery errors and complications in invoice settlement, no lot can be collected during the sale. Unless previously agreed, collection is not permitted before full payment of the invoice. Objects may be collected by the buyer according to the "Payment and collection of lots" as outlined at the front of the catalogue.
Art. 8 - Every visitor is responsible for any damages he may cause to any given object in the sale; he may be charged with an amount equal to the average of the object's estimate plus buyer's premium and VAT.
Art. 9 - All absentee bids are executed with care, discretion and offered as a service to our clients. Telephone bids are accepted from buyers already known to Hôtel des Ventes and for lots whose low estimate is or exceeds CHF 400. In the case a telephone bidder cannot be reached due to technical error or other unforseen circumstances, Hôtel des Ventes reserves the right to award the lot to the telephone bidder on his behalf at the price equal to 50% of the high estimate, unless the reserve price is higher. In addition, any telephone bids will be considered de facto as a written bid of CHF 400. These bidding services are offered as a courtesy to our clients and Hôtel des Ventes is not responsible for any error (human or otherwise), omission or breakdown in providing these services. Your request for this service must be made no later than 48 hours prior to the auction. Any cancellation of absentee/phone bids must be submitted in writing at least 24h before the start of the auction concerned. To be accepted, the cancellation must be acknowledged by the Hôtel des Ventes bidding office or the Court baliff overseeing the auction.
Art. 10 - Title of goods therefore any risk passes to the buyer the moment the hammer falls on a lot. However, ownership of a lot can only be assumed after full payment of the invoice. In case of non- payment after three days following the end of the sale, the buyer is liable to judicial prosecution. Cancellation of the sale will ensue after a 30 day period of non payment if instructed by the vendor however, all fees and other charges will still be due by the buyer.
We give no guarantees as to the condition of the frames and glass.
Art. 11 - Hôtel des Ventes reserves the right to refuse admission or participation in any auction or to reject any bids. Any persons obstructing or disrupting the auction will be subject to police sanctions.
Art. 12 - Hôtel des Ventes reserves the right to accept or refuse any credit card payment. The following cards are accepted at no extra fee: Maestro, Postcard and EC-Direct. Payment by other major cards (MasterCard, Visa, PrePaid MasterCard, PrePaid Visa, American Express and UnionPay) will be subject to a 2% administrative fee.
Art. 13 - Hôtel des Ventes may publish, for advertising purposes, photographs of objects sold at auction in its own magazines and/or through other media channels.
Art. 14 - Any dispute concerning the sale is subject to Swiss law and is under the jurisdiction of the Canton of Geneva law courts, regardless of the town or country of residence of the involved parties.
Art. 15 - Unless otherwise specified, storage fees at a minimum of CHF 30 per month and per object will be charged for any lot that has not been collected by the buyer within 8 days following the auction. These lots will be sent into storage at the expense and risk of the buyer. The buyer expressly agrees that the unclaimed lot becomes the property of Hôtel des Ventes and authorises the resale as soon as storage costs exceed the price of the low estimate (in the buyer's case) or the reserve price (in the vendor's case).
NB: unless otherwise stated, the dimensions of paintings and furniture are indicated in centimetres and are written in this order: height x width x depth. Unless otherwise stated, books and watches are measured in millimeters. Carpets are "old" if they are more than 30 years old and "antique" if they are more than 80 years old.
