FAQs

Many of our vendors have similar questions as soon as they have consigned at auction.  Below is a list of questions and answers that are most frequent.

I brought in some lots for a valuation.  What happens next?

You will have been given a receipt when you consigned your items with us. The number in the top right corner is your individual reference number that you can use if you need to contact us about anything. This receipt shows your contact details and lists all the items that are being entered into the sale. If there are any changes to be made, you must contact us as soon as possible. Your receipt also shows the commission rate, the standard being 20% inclusive of VAT, but please remember that there is a minimum commission of £5 plus VAT per lot. Terms and conditions of the sale are listed on the back of your receipt. You can also view them on our website www.adampartridge.co.uk. Carriage charges should also have been discussed with you at this point. If we are collecting lots from your home or another location, an additional fee may apply. If you are unsure of the charge, please contact us and we can check that for you.

Your items will now be moved into our cataloguing area where they are separated into lots. They are then catalogued and photographed by our highly experienced cataloguing team.

I consigned my items a few weeks ago. When will I hear from you?

The auctions run approximately every six weeks, so depending on when your items were consigned, it may be a few weeks until you hear from us.

Each vendor will receive a letter the week before the auction. If you have provided us with an email address, you will receive the letter electronically, otherwise we will post a copy to you. The auction dates are listed on our website and you can also request a paper copy from the office. The pre-sale advice letter will show your contact details, the lots listed in numerical order by lot number, the estimates and the sale dates, along with details of which lot numbers are on which day as our auctions are usually held over two days. If we have agreed reserves with you, they will also be listed.  Please be aware that these are discretionary reserves which allow the auctioneer to use their discretion when selling the lots. If we have agreed a fixed reserve with you, these will be shown on the letter with the word FIXED next to the amount. If there are any lots missing, they are being held back for a target auction where we are advertising for a specific group of buyers with the intention of reaching a better price for our vendors.

Where can I view the catalogue?

Once you have received your pre-sale advice letter, you will also be able to view the lots online. We advertise across a number of websites to reach a worldwide audience allowing us to access buyers that would otherwise not be able to make it to the sale.

www.adampartridge.co.uk   www.the-saleroom.com

Printed catalogues are no longer produced, but we can offer a basic printout if you give us the sections you want. 

I can’t come to the auction. Can I watch it online?

Not everyone is able to make it to the auction room on sale day but you can watch the auction live online on our website www.adampartridge.co.uk or  www.the-saleroom.com  

The auction has finished.  How can I find out the prices of my lots?

Once the auction has finished and if you have provided us with an email address, you will be sent a post-sale advice letter which details the hammer prices that your lots sold for.  If you are unable to provide an email address, you are welcome to call following the sale or you can check the hammer prices on our website. If there are any unsold lots, we can either reoffer the item or you can collect it but we will contact you by telephone the week following the sale to discuss it with you.

When will I be sent the payment?

The statement and bank transfer will be processed from 28 days following the auction, provided we have been paid by the buyer. On the rare occasion that we have not yet received the funds at the point of sending the transfer, please note that your statement will list the unpaid item as being on hold, and a new statement will follow. We will still be chasing the buyer and as soon as the payment has been received, we will then forward you the remaining payment along with a new statement. 

What happens if a buyer doesn’t pay?

In the extremely rare case where we have taken legal action against a buyer and still not received funds, we will enter the lot into another sale at no extra cost unless you instruct us otherwise. The buyer will be banned from bidding at any future sales with us.

If you do have any further questions for us, please do not hesitate to contact us by telephone or email.