Buying at auction

There are many ways of buying at auction – in fact it has never been easier. 

Viewing Day

Viewing days are held the day prior to the auction, where prospective buyers are welcome to inspect the pieces in person. An online illustrated catalogue is available on the website with full descriptions and guide prices, or via Invaluable.com or www.the-saleroom.com

Registration

Identification Requirements

In order to approve your registration, we are required to verify your identity in line with UK anti-money laundering regulations and industry best practice. This applies to all bidders, regardless of their previous history with us or intended spend.

We kindly ask you to provide:

• A valid photo ID (e.g. passport/driving licence/ID card/government issued bus pass etc), OR 

• Proof of address (e.g. utility bill/bank statement or other official document dated within the last 3 months).

Your information is stored securely in accordance with GDPR and our Privacy Policy.

We understand this is a change for some customers, so we’ve included answers to common questions below:

Frequently Asked Questions

“I’ve bid with you for years / X knows me – why do I still need to provide ID?”

We appreciate your loyalty. As times change, we must maintain the most secure operational standards for all of our customers. This is not a personal challenge to anyone, but a requirement to ensure robust ID verification across the board.

“No other auction house asks for ID.”
That isn’t the case. A number of auction houses already require ID, and more are expected to introduce this as legislation around anti-money laundering continues to tighten.

“But I only want to spend £20 on a lot.”
Regardless of the intended spend, ID is required. We cannot predict how much any item will ultimately sell for, so all bidders are verified to maintain fairness and compliance.

“What if I spend over £6,500 on an item?”
If a purchase exceeds £6,500, we are legally required to hold a copy of your photo ID and proof of address on file, and we may request additional information relating to the transaction in order to complete anti-money laundering checks.

“I don’t have a passport or driving licence.”
No problem — we can also accept other government-issued forms of ID such as bus passes, gun licences, or similar. Alternatively, you may provide proof of address as outlined above.

“Can I send a selfie?”
No — please do not send selfies, holiday pictures, old school photos, or dogs (as much as we love seeing them, they do slow your registration down). We require official documentation only.

“Is my ID kept secure?”
Yes. Your ID is stored on our secure auction platform server and handled strictly in line with GDPR and our Privacy Policy.

“I don’t want to provide ID / proof of address – can I still bid another way?”
No. Whether you bid online (adampartridge.co.uk or via a third-party platform), in person, by telephone, or by commission, ID is required for all bidders.

“But I don’t want to give you my photo ID.”
That’s fine — you may instead provide proof of address (e.g. a recent utility bill or bank statement). Please note that proof of address documents expire after 3 months from their date of issue, and a new bill will be requested if you wish to bid in future auctions. Most customers prefer to provide photo ID, as these documents have a much longer validity period.

⚠️ Important note:
Bidders are under no obligation to provide their ID if they do not wish to do so. However, without valid identification, your bidding registration will be declined for this auction.

We understand your concerns, but please note that providing valid identification is a mandatory requirement of our registration process. Without it, we cannot approve your account to bid. This policy is in place to protect both our sellers and buyers and is non-negotiable.

Should you wish to proceed in future, we will be happy to activate your account once the required documentation is received. For compliance and security reasons, we cannot make exceptions to this rule. Once we receive your ID, we’ll be able to activate your account right away so you can participate in our sales.

Anti-Money Laundering

To comply with government legislation introduced in January 2020, auction houses are legally required to implement Anti-Money Laundering (AML) measures. At Adam Partridge Auctioneers, we carry out thorough Client Due Diligence (CDD) and Know Your Client (KYC) checks on buyers and sellers whose transactions exceed €10,000. Information and documentation may be requested regarding sources of funds and destination of works of art.

For Company Transactions:
We will require documentation verifying the business’s incorporation and details of directors and ultimate beneficial owners.

Data Protection

All personal information provided will be processed and stored in compliance with Data Protection Regulations and our Privacy Policy. Your data will remain confidential, and you can find further details on how we handle your information in our Privacy Notice.

Ways of buying

Attend the Sale:

The traditional way of buying at auction is to attend the sale in person, and by doing so you will be able to enjoy the atmosphere and theatre of the live auction and give yourself the best chance of securing the items you are interested in. 

Leave a Commission/Absentee bid:

If you cannot attend the sale but would like to bid on a single or multiple items, we can bid on your behalf. This is known as a commission bid. You can register on our website and leave commission bids, fill in a commission bid form at the auction room with details of the lot number(s) you would like to bid on and your maximum bid. You can also email this information to us. Please contact the relevant branch to confirm the email address. The auctioneer will bid on your behalf, starting at the bottom end of the estimate until your bid is surpassed or you are successful.

Leave a bid online:

You can leave a bid through the online catalogue available on our website (no additional charges) or on www.the-saleroom.com (additional surcharge of 4.95% plus VAT of the hammer price) or Invaluable.com (additional surcharge of 5% on the hammer price)

We always execute the bids as cheaply as possible, depending on reserves and competitive bids.

Please note: No liability rests with Adam Partridge & Valuers and instructions to buy will not be accepted. 

Live Internet Bidding:

You can bid live from anywhere in the world via www.adampartridge.co.uk which has an additional charge of 2% plus VAT on top of the hammer price.

Register on our website and the live link will become available on the day.

You can also bid live via www.the-saleroom.com which has an additional charge of 4.95% plus VAT on top of the hammer price, or Invaluable.com which has an additional charge of 5% on top of the hammer price with a minimum charge of $10 per transaction. 
 
Simply register on the website and find Adam Partridge Auctioneers & Valuers and follow the necessary instructions. Please note: www.the-saleroom.com charge an additional fee for use of their online bidding platform. They are a third party and any issues regarding live online bidding should be discussed with them directly.

Telephone Bidding:

If you have an interest in an item(s) and are prepared to exceed the higher estimate, you can request to bid by telephone, providing that the lower estimate of the lot is greater than £300. Once you have registered your interest with us and have provided your contact details, a member of staff will call you a few minutes before your lot is offered, and will bid per your instructions, as if you were in the room yourself. It is recommended that you leave an alternative telephone number in case we are unable to get through to your primary number. You may also wish to leave a back-up bid. 

Buyer's Premium

A buyer’s premium of 20% plus VAT (Macclesfield and Liverpool) and 25% plus VAT (London and Devon) is charged on all lots purchased, meaning that the additional percentage will be added to the hammer price. Adam Partridge Auctioneers & Valuers continues to offer one of the lowest commission rates in the country.

Please note: www.the-saleroom.com and invaluable.com charge an additional fee for use of their online bidding platform. It is imperative that prospective buyers are aware of all terms & conditions before bidding.

Adam Partridge Ltd also allows commission and live bidding through the website. There is an additional charge of 2% plus VAT for live bidding and 0% on all commission bids.

After The Sale

Payments

Once the auction has ended, we will email the invoices to all the successful buyers. When you receive the invoice, you can make payment using the payment link provided. Just click on the link, and you will be taken to the relevant payment page, where you can settle the invoice using your card. You can also pay by transfer, using the details shown on the invoice. We have different account details for each branch. As a last resort, you can call the office to make payment over the phone but please be aware that we have a small office, and it may take some time to get through.

We accept the following methods of payment:

• Bank Transfer (all bank charges are to be covered by the buyer)
• Payments via our website
• Debit Cards
• Credit Cards (AMEX not accepted and we can only accept payments on credit cards for payments less than £200)

Under no circumstances will credit be allowed.

All items purchased at auction must be paid for and collected by 5.30pm on the Friday of the week following the auction.

Collections

Once you have paid your invoice, you can book a contactless collection online or contact the branch by phone. All information will be listed in your payment confirmation email.

Items that remain uncollected will be moved to our storage facility and storage charges will be levied at the rate of £5 + VAT per lot per day plus interest of 4% of the hammer price per month backdated to the date of the auction.

Postage

Once you have paid your invoice, you will receive a payment confirmation email that will include a link for requesting a postage quote. Simply fill in the information required and we will get back to you as quickly as we can.  Please bear in mind that the porters will be busy with collections during the first week following the auction so it may be a few days before we can get the quote to you.

For our postage terms and prices, please visit https://www.adampartridge.co.uk/services/postage-shipping/

Please note that postage is not available from our Devon saleroom. 

Please note, owing to increased security measures, we will only dispatch parcels to the registered cardholders address. Any requests for parcels to be sent to an alternative address are at the discretion of Adam Partridge Auctioneers & Valuers.

Items are sent a minimum of a week following the sale and cannot be guaranteed for a specific date.

If we cannot post your lot owing to excessive size or weight, you are welcome to arrange collection by another carrier.