Buying at Auction

To view a catalogue prior to an auction, click on the Auction Calendar and select the auction you wish to view.

All our catalogues will be available to view on our website and will give you the opportunity to create a watch list, request a condition report and/or place a commission bid.

If you wish to receive information on future auctions, please join our mailing list at the bottom of the website.

Unless there are public health restrictions viewing days are normally the day before the auction from 10am to 4pm. However, if these times are unsuitable, please call us on 0114 279 6959 and will try to accommodate a time to suit you. The viewing times will always be displayed on the Auction information page.

As with all UK auctioneers Ellis, Willis & Beckett charge a commission in addition to the hammer price.

We charge 19.5% (General Auctions) Buyers' Premium plus VAT, and 22.5% (Specialist Auctions) Buyers Premium plus VAT on the hammer price of each lot.

For example:

you bid £100
buyers commission 19.5% + VAT = £23.40
total to pay £123.40

Live online bidding is available for all our auctions via our website or www.easyliveauction.com or www.the-saleroom.com. The charge for using these services are:

EasyLiveAuctions: 3.6% inc. VAT of the hammer price or a flat fee of £3 with no further premium being charged. This will be added to the total invoice. 

The Saleroom: 5.94% inc VAT of the hammer price. This will be added to the total invoice. 

Ellis Willis & Beckett: 3.6% inc VAT 3.6% inc. VAT of the hammer price. This will be added to the total invoice. 

If your bid is successful, you can pay by the following methods

In person – debit card or cash; or
By telephone – debit card; or
By bank transfer

If your unable to attend the viewing day but would like further information or more images, then you can request a free verbal or written condition report and/or further images. This can be done via our website, at www.easyliveauction.com, www.thesaleroom.com or by emailing or telephoning us. 

A condition report is simply our honest opinion of the condition, age and authenticity of an item to help you decide whether or not you wish to proceed with bidding for the lot.  However, some items may have had restoration or damage that is undetected, but which may affect the object’s value. 

All auction lots are “sold as is” and the onus is on the buyer to ascertain condition prior to purchase.  Therefore, where possible, EWS strongly advises that prospective buyers view lots in person as a condition report is not a guarantee of condition, age, value or authenticity.

Similarly, the absence of a condition report in our online catalogue does not mean that the lot is without restoration or damage it just means that a condition report has not been undertaken.

Wine is also “sold as is” and not subject to return.

You can request a written or verbal condition report via the online catalogue, or by contacting us, www.thesaleroom.com or telephone - 0114 279 6959.

You will need to register prior to the auction, regardless of how you wish to bid. In each case you will be required to provide your name, address and telephone number.

You will then be issued a bidding number which will identify you when you bid.

www.easyliveauction.com and www.thesaleroom will also need you to open an account (which is free), provide a payment method and register with the auction house through their website.

You can still bid for lots by leaving an absentee bid, also known as a commission bid, which is your maximum bid excluding the Buyer’s Premium.

You can do this via our online catalogue, if you attend a viewing, you can fill out a Commission Bid form available at our saleroom.

Finally, www.easyliveauction.com give you the option to leave an Autobid which is subject to a surcharge.

Ellis, Willis & Beckett will bid the lowest possible amount on your behalf but, if there are competing bids, will continue to your maximum bid.

You can arrange to bid by telephone by contacting us on 0114 2796959 prior to an auction.

A member of our team will call you 2-3 lots prior to the lot you are interested in bidding on to bid for you, following your instructions.

You can bid online via our website or www.easyliveauction.com and www.thesaleroom.com.  If you already have an account with Easy Live Auction we will link your account and associated data.  If you do not have an account you will need to set one up via www.easyliveauction.com and www.thesaleroom.com and then connect to one of our auctions and register. You do not have to register twice to bid live with us.

After the Auction

You can pay on the day of the auction and collect your lots but we allow up to seven days for payment and collection.

You can pay with cash (up to £5,000), debit cards or direct bank transfer. Are unable to accept personal cheques or credit card payments.

You can collect your purchase on the same day as the auction. We prefer buyers to arrange collection within seven days of the auction, as storage space is very limited at our saleroom, lots not collected and after this will attract a daily storage fee.

Ellis, Willis & Beckett do offer a shipping service for small items. When you receive your invoice, you are able to request a packing and shipping cost. If it’s acceptable the cost will be added to your invoice. Not all items are covered by our shipping service and although we take every care when packing all parcels are sent at the buyer’s risk. 

To see if you are entitled to claim a VAT refund, please check with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Service using the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs