A) Do not mistake auctions for retail sales. The two have very little in common. Auctions are different from retail because auctions are governed by federal laws, state laws, Uniform Commercial Codes and city ordinances. When you bid at an auction you actually enter a legal contract.
A) You must have a bidder's card in order to buy at the auction. To obtain a bidder's card, you must put down a deposit for a bid card. This insures that you will pay for all your purchases that you bid on. Once you pay for your items or decide to leave the auction without purchasing any items, your deposit is immediately returned to you. If you do bid and win, your deposit is applied to the purchases.
A) : Be careful when you bid on lots. Know how much you are bidding and whether you are bidding against your spouse, parent, sibling or friend. Although you can retract a bid while the bidding is open, you cannot retract it once the auctioneer has said "sold". Auctioneers expect you to take full responsibility for your bids.
A) : The moment the auctioneer says "sold", the ownership of the item being auctioned has changed hands. This is the law. If your merchandise is later stolen you will still have to pay for it. It is no different than having your wallet or purse stolen while shopping at a store.
A) Know what you are bidding on by closely inspecting each item before the auction. This is why an auction preview is offered. Use your own evaluation as your bidding guide, not the auctioneer's description or other bidders' comments. You are buying the merchandise "AS IS WHERE IS WITH NO IMPLIED WARRANTY" with no guarantees of any kind from the seller or auctioneer. The risk of the item not being what you wanted should be factored into your bidding amount.
A) A fast-moving auction benefits both buyers and sellers. Auctioneers have the right to reject any bid amount that would slow the bidding. Auctioneers cannot wait for slow bidders, so know in advance what to buy and how much to spend. Your inability to keep up with the bidding pace is not the auctioneers' concern.
A) Don't be shy about bidding loud and large. Raise your bid card in the air if you want an item and keep it up until you are done bidding. Make certain the auctioneer is aware you are bidding because the auctioneer may be taking bids from someone in front as well as online or behind you. Once the auctioneer says "sold," the item is gone even if you are willing to continue bidding. There are no do-overs in the auction business. Spotters or ring men are there to help the auctioneer spot bids and will signal your bid to the auctioneer.
A) During the auction, clerks record the description of your items and your buyer number as well as the amount you paid for the item.
