How to buy at Bernardi Auctioneers
BIDDING
There are several ways to bid at Bernardi Auctioneers:
BID LIVE ONLINE OR TIMED ONLINE
Due to the current situation most clients prefer bidding live or at present only on our timed online Auction Platform. It’s easy to register with us on our website and you may follow the auction as it happens, place bids from the comfort of your home or office, via computer or mobile phone.
After being approved you will receive a confirmation email to be able to bid on the auction. Please register at least 24 hours in advance of a sale.
IN THE ROOM (Suspended UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE)
Simply register at our premises, or on auction days at the registration and cash desk. You will need to provide FICA documentation & identification. Once you have registered you will be handed a bidding paddle or number to use in the saleroom. When the bidding begins on your lot raise your paddle/ number to bid. When the bidding ends the auctioneer will declare the purchaser.
BY ABSENTEE/COMMISSION BID (Suspended UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE)
If you are unable to attend the auction, you can instruct us to bid on your behalf. You may leave an absentee bid/s by completing an absentee bid form and either hand it to a member of staff or email to bernardi@iafrica.com. Please note that our bid department may contact you for further details.
Either way, you may possibly end up paying less than your maximum bid placed excluding buyer’s premium and applicable VAT. We will exercise your bid to maximum limit on your behalf as instructed by you, depending on other bidding on the day.
All absentee bids must be received 24 hours in advance of the auction. (Suspended UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE)
BY TELEPHONE (Suspended UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE)
If you would like to bid by telephone, a member of staff will call you from the saleroom on the auction day, prior to your lot(s) coming up, and he/she will then relay to you the events in the room and bid on your behalf live at the auction as and when instructed to do so by you.
If you would like to bid via telephone, please contact us prior to the auction and via email: bernardi@iafrica.com with your details and the lots you are interested in. We require your full name, FICA & identity documents, mailing address, telephone number(s) and email address.
Once we have processed your bid request you will receive an email confirmation.
All telephone bids must be received 24 hours in advance of the auction. (Suspended UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE)
Please note that Bernardi Auctioneers cannot be held responsible for being unable to contact you by telephone. We advise you to remain in an area where mobile communication has good reception.
VIEWING
VIEWING IN PERSON ONLY BY APPOINTMENT AND IN STRICT ACCORDANCE WITH THE COVID-19 HEALTH REGULATIONS. Viewing dates and times will be published on our website
VIEWING ONLINE
Our auctions are available to view online. For condition reports or more info pertaining to the lots
Please contact: bernardi@iafrica.com
ESTIMATES
All lots carry an estimated price range, which indicates our opinion of value. If there is a reserve on the lot then it cannot be sold below that price. Reserves are never higher than the bottom estimate and are a confidential figure agreed to between Bernardi Auctioneers and the seller, below which a lot will not be sold.
CONDITION REPORTS
We recommend that potential bidders satisfy themselves with as much information as possible regarding a lot before placing a bid. Bernardi Auctioneers will provide suitable information regarding the condition and if requested, detailed photographs of each lot online. Should you be unable to view a lot in person you may request a condition report and/or additional images of a lot via email request to: bernardi@iafrica.com timeously and prior to the commencement of the auction.
CATALOGUE ALTERATIONS/UPDATES
Lot descriptions and estimates are prepared in advance of the auction and may be subject to change.
Any alterations will be posted on-line prior to or during the auction.
UNDERSTANDING BUYER’S PREMIUM AND THE FINAL PRICE YOU WILL PAY
All purchases are subject to a buyer’s premium of 11.5% including VAT per lot. When you have successfully bid on any lot, the price you pay will be the hammer price (the value you bid at the auction), plus the buyer’s premium.
The premium is subject to VAT at the standard rate, subject to the exception of lots marked in the catalogue with a hash (#) where VAT applies to both hammer price and buyer’s premium.
REGISTRATION FOR ONLINE AUCTIONS
Should you wish to bid at auction, you will need to register with Bernardi Auctioneers CC.
You may register on our website. If you are approved, you will receive an e-mail or phone call confirming your registration prior to the auction.
Once you have registered and been approved, you will be able to bid on any of our online auctions by logging in with your username and password.
Prior to placing bids please be sure to read our Conditions of Sale and Rules of Auction. By submitting a bid (in any form) you are agreeing to and accepting these Conditions of Sale.
In terms of the FICA act, it is a legal requirement to provide your FICA documents. We kindly ask you to provide the documents when you register to bid on auction. These can be handed to one of our staff at the saleroom or alternatively you may upload or email them to: bernardi@iafrica.com
We may, at our discretion, ask you to provide a bank reference and/or deposit as a condition of allowing you to bid.
PAYMENT
Congratulations on your successful bidding, the next stage is payment.
All lots sold will be invoiced in the name and address registered by the bidder. Successful bidders are requested to make payment for their purchases within 3 working days after the closing date of the sale. Purchases will be released upon proof of payment reflected in our account.
Important Note To all Successful Bidders: Should you not settle your account once you have received notification within a reasonable amount of time from the close of the auction (5 working days) and after repeated EMAIL/ELECTRONIC/TEXT/TELEPHONIC communications addressed to you as per your recorded details, Bernardi Auctioneers reserves the right to cancel and rescind any and all bids by the defaulter and to register such defaulters with the relevant CREDIT BUREAUS, to seek legal recourse and to refuse any DEFAULTERS bids on any future AUCTION, until such time as the DEFAULTER has remedied the situation to the satisfaction of BERNARDI AUCTIONEERS.
PLEASE NOTE: AT PRESENT DIRECT EFT PAYMENTS ARE THE ONLY FORM OF PAYMENT ACCEPTED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE :
PLEASE EFFECT PAYMENT TO:
Bernardi Auctioneers
Bank: Absa
Account No: 000 172 677
Branch Code: 632005
Clearance Code: ABSAZAJJ
PLEASE NOTE: WE DO NOT ACCEPT DINERS CLUB OR AMERICAN EXPRESS CREDIT CARDS.
We are only able to pay out the seller once the buyer has paid in full for the items/goods purchased. All items must be paid in full before collection.
EXPORT OF GOODS
As you may be aware several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, such as rhino horn, ivory, coral and tortoiseshell. If you are interested in bidding on a lot containing these materials and you wish to export, please make sure you are familiar with all relevant customs regulations prior to bidding.
It is the buyer’s sole responsibility to obtain any relevant export or import license.
CONDITIONS OF SALE
For further information on buying at Bernardi Auctioneers please see our Conditions of Sale & Rules of Auction.
Notice to Bidders
COVID-19 LOCKDOWN DELIVERIES
Please note that due to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 National Lockdown, delivery of your purchased lots, including collections from our offices, will only be allowed once the regulations allow.
LOT BIDDING EXTENSIONS
Where there is bidding activity on a particular lot within 5 minutes (300 seconds) prior to the lot’s allocated closing time, there will be a 5 minute (300 seconds) bidding extension on that lot until only one bidder remains. These extensions will continue indefinitely until there is no more bidding activity on the lot for a period of 5 minutes (300 seconds) implying that there is no further interest.
COMMISSION BIDS (Suspended UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE)
Due to the possible huge surge in activity on Bernardi Auctioneers’ platform in the last 60 minutes prior to the auction closing-time, we encourage bidders to leave commission bids on lots in which they are interested to avoid the possibility of being unable to access the site or a particular lot shortly before the sale’s closing-time and risk being outbid and losing the lot.
BIDDING NOTIFICATIONS
Please note that due to the possible high traffic volumes we do not send out notifications in the last 60 minutes of an auction.
Packing for Collection or Courier Pick-up:
Packing can be arranged at a nominal fee. This will be dependent on the volume size and weight.
Please make enquiries to: bernardi@iafrica.com
