What happens if someone bids in the final seconds?
Bidding · Revised 3 August 2026
A bid placed in the closing minutes extends that lot briefly, and each further bid extends it again, until a period passes with no new bid. This protects both bidders and consignors against last-second sniping, and allows bidding on each lot to reach its natural conclusion.
Share
Related questions
Related guides
4 min read
How to Buy at Auction
A first purchase at auction is less daunting than it appears. This guide sets out the whole sequence in order, from reading a catalogue entry to collecting the property, and explains what is expected of a buyer at each stage.
Read the guide
3 min read
How to Register for an Auction
Registration is the point at which an interested reader becomes an approved bidder. This guide explains the four stages, why each exists, and how long each is likely to take.
Read the guide
3 min read
How Auction Bidding Works
The mechanics of a timed online sale: how increments are set, how a maximum bid is executed on your behalf, what a reserve does, and why the closing time can move.
Read the guide