How to Register for an Auction

Approval to bid is granted sale by sale. That may seem cautious, but it protects everyone: the consignor who is entitled to expect that a successful bid will be honoured, and the buyer who is entitled to expect an orderly, well-documented sale.

There are four stages. Only the first can be completed at any time; the remainder are tied to a particular auction.

Stage one: open an account

An account gives you access to the client portal, where registrations, bids, invoices, documents and correspondence are held together. Opening one takes a few moments and commits you to nothing. You may follow sales, save lots and correspond with a specialist without ever registering to bid.

Stage two: identity verification

Before bidding, we verify identity. This is a legal requirement for auction businesses and a routine part of dealing in property of value; it is not a comment on any individual client. You will be asked for your legal name, date of birth, residential address and a current identity document, and in some cases for evidence of address or of the source of funds.

Verification is handled through a secure process, and documents are retained only as long as our obligations require. If a document is unclear or has expired, we will ask for a replacement rather than decline the registration.

Stage three: register for the sale

Registration is specific to one auction. You will be asked to confirm your details, to state a bidding limit where one applies, and to accept the conditions of sale for that auction. Those conditions are the contract between buyer and auctioneer; where they are revised between sales, acceptance is required again. This is why an approval for one auction does not carry across to the next without a further step.

Stage four: approval

A member of staff reviews each registration. Most are approved without further correspondence. Where more information is required, you will be told precisely what is needed and why. A registration may be approved, held pending information, declined or, in rare circumstances, suspended; in every case the decision and its reason are recorded and visible to you in the portal.

Approval is not automatic and is not instantaneous. Register at least two working days before a sale closes, and earlier for a first registration or for a high-value lot, where additional checks may apply.

Bidding limits and deposits

For lots of substantial value we may set a bidding limit, or ask for a deposit or a bank reference before approval. This is standard practice across the trade. Where a limit applies, it is stated in your registration record, and you may ask for it to be reviewed.

Bidding on behalf of another party

If you intend to bid as agent for a company, trust or institution, tell us at the point of registration. We will need evidence of your authority to bind that party, and the invoice will be issued in the name of the principal. Undisclosed agency causes real difficulty at settlement and is best avoided.

What to do if something goes wrong

If a registration is delayed, held or declined, write to us. Most difficulties are documentary and quickly resolved. Nothing in this process is intended to be adversarial, and a member of staff can explain any decision that affects you.