Registration is per lot, not per site, and it is checked before it is approved. Leave time for it — you cannot bid while a registration is still pending, and approval is not instant.
What registration involves
- Create a bidder account. This is an account with our auction provider, separate from anything else on this site.
- Register for the lot. Each lot is registered for individually.
- Identity and funding checks. Photographic ID, proof of address, and confirmation of how the purchase will be funded.
- Approval. Once approved you can bid on that lot until it closes.
How bidding works
Bid increments. The increment is set by the lot’s current value. You bid at the next increment or above it.
Maximum bids. You can enter the most you are willing to pay and let the system bid on your behalf up to that figure. It bids the minimum needed to stay ahead, not your maximum.
Extensions. A bid in the closing minutes extends the end time. This is deliberate: it stops a lot being won by a bid timed to leave no room for a reply.
The reserve
The reserve is the lowest price the seller will accept. It is confidential and it is not the guide price. A lot that ends below reserve has not sold, though it can often be negotiated shortly afterwards.
A bid is not a gesture
Bids cannot be retracted. On the traditional method a winning bid exchanges contracts immediately; on the modern method it commits you to a non-refundable reservation fee. Do not bid to test the water.