Introduction
Bidding online is much the same as bidding for an item in an auction room. But for those of you who have not taken part in an online auction before, this page will explain how the process works. We have broken it down into some bite-size sections for you:
1. Registering
2. Bidding
3. Tracking your bidding history
4. Have I won?
**REMEMBER: YOU CAN SUBMIT VERBAL BIDS AT ANY TIME, before, during or after an auction. Please contact the relevant branch for further information.**
Bidding on our site updates in real-time. This means that you shouldn’t have to reload or refresh the page to find out what the current highest bid is.
Registering
To bid on one of our properties, you must register with us. This means that we know who you are and that you understand and accept our terms and conditions. Once you have submitted your ID and your registration has been accepted, you can begin bidding.
Bidding
Our online auction site works as a forward auction. This means bidding for an item starts with a “starting price” which is determined by the auctioneer; and bids are placed by bidders in increments above the previous bid via a “custom bid” function. At the end of the auction, the highest bid wins if it’s above the reserve price.
Alternatively, in some auctions, you may place an "auto bid" which sets a maximum amount that you wish to bid to. The website will automatically bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid, making sure that you stay ahead of the bidding automatically.
Tracking your own bidding history
If you wish to concentrate on a small number of lots, you can add these to your “watch list”. You can see this by clicking on “My account” once you have registered. The dashboard will update itself as bidding progresses.
Have I won?
We will email you as soon as you have placed a bid to confirm that this has been accepted. This email will also tell you if you’re winning or not. A similar email will be issued when the auction closes or if somebody else bids against you.
This is a new platform: bear with us!
Our online platform was built in 2017/18 so it’s still quite young. If you get duplicate emails or confusing correspondence, we’re sorry … and please let us know. We will also be as flexible as possible with bidding etc. and are happy to submit bids on your behalf if needed – please call 01777 322 777 for more information. Thanks.
