Terms & Conditions

Payments

We will not accept payments over the phone.

ATTENTION AUCTION BIDDERS

Buyer's premium is 18.5% for online bidding & 13% for on-site bidding, A 3% surcharge will be charged for all invoices paid by credit card.
Effective January 1st, 2021 - We will be accepting E-checks for payment.

ALL INVOICE PAYMENTS ARE TO BE PAID WITHIN 10 DAYS OF THE SALE OR A DISPUTE WILL BE FILED. The dispute can be removed once the payment is made. If the payment is not made, your dispute will stand and you will no longer be able to bid in our auctions and possibly unable to bid across all auction platforms we use. AFTER 30 DAYS OF FAILURE TO PAY, THE ITEMS WILL THEN BE RESOLD.

If you are paying for your items when you pick-up or if you are paying with a check, you must contact the auction gallery either by email at contactus@bullockauctioneers.com or call us at (815)-220-5005.

Buyer's Premium & Other Fees

Buyer's Premium

For on-site bidders in our live gallery auctions, the buyer's premium is 13%.

For our website in addition to the hammer price, the buyer agrees to pay Matthew Bullock Auctioneers a buyer's premium of 18.5%, an additional 3% will be charged for all invoices paid by credit card.

Buyer’s Premium for 3rd party websites will vary from 22% to 27%

Bidders that successfully bid directly with Matthew Bullock Auctioneers, through in-person, absentee, or telephone bids, shall be subject to a 13-18.5% buyer's premium.

Matthew Bullock Auctioneers reserves the right to hold merchandise purchased by personal check until the check has cleared the bank. The purchaser agrees to pay Matthew Bullock Auctioneers a handling charge of $25 for any check dishonored by the Bank.

For our Live Auctions Only: Due to credit card processing charges, in the event a buyer desires to pay by using a credit card, a convenience fee equaling 3 % of the entire amount due shall be added to the buyer's invoice. We encourage you to pay by approved check or cash to avoid the credit card convenience fee. Matthew Bullock Auctioneers will consider payment through PayPal only for domestic orders, owing to the extremely high service charges for international transactions.

Invoicing Process

For all platforms, we use Shipping Saint which will send an email or text asking to verify your billing and shipping information with a link to pay the shipping invoice.

If you bid through Live Auctioneers: You must pay through your invoice.Payments will be processed by Live Auctioneers and a 3% processing fee will be added to your total by Live Auctioneers.

If you bid through ProxiBid: You must make sure the card you have on file is up-to-date and that your bank will allow us to run your card by 9 am the following business day after the auction ends.

If you bid through Invaluable/Auction-Zip: You must pay through the invoice sent via Shipping Saint.

Making Large Payments:

All coin-currency-jewelry invoices over $1000 must be paid by bank wire, cash, or check unless otherwise specified by the auction company
New Bidders with invoices over $2500 must pay via bank wire
Any invoices over $5000 must be paid via bank wire

Non-Payments

Matthew Bullock Auctioneers pays its consignors 4-6 weeks after the day of sale.

If a buyer fails to make payment within 30 days of the day of sale, Matthew Bullock Auctioneers shall be entitled to do any or all of the following:

After 30 Days – File a Civil Complaint against the buyer to recover any balance due plus court fees, interest, storage fees, administrative costs, attorney fees, and any other applicable financial hardship caused to Matthew Bullock Auctioneers, and/or the consignor, or pursue other collection avenues to recover any and all losses.
After 45 Days – Re-offer the items for sale, either publicly or privately, and collect any remaining balance owed after such sale from the original buyer, including, but not limited to:
- total balance remaining
- lost buyer’s premium
- lost consignor’s fee
- court costs
- interest
- storage fees
- attorney fees
- administrative costs including those related to re-selling the item(s)
- and any other related fees.
Reject further bidding or consignments by the buyer at any and all future auctions (Unpaid Item Disputes will be filed for all non-paying ProxiBid, Live Auctioneers, and Invaluable/Auction-Zip bidders)

Shipping & Pick-Ups

Buyer Pays ALL Shipping Costs such as Postage, Materials, Handling, and Insurance.

Most items will be shipped by our in-house shipping team via FedEx, USPS or UPS.

We use Shipping Saint shipping software after your item is paid you will receive another invoice from our shipping department for shipping. This will be under the Shipping Saint company.

If you are out-of-state, we will automatically ship your items out to you unless you tell us otherwise.

Once you make your first payment, our shipping department will gather, package up the item(s), and you will receive a tracking number once your label is printed.

We will ship to the address that is on your invoice. You must make sure your address is correct before beginning to bid. If for some reason you need to change the address on the invoice, you MUST submit a request by email to contactus@bullockauctioneers.com, and it must be approved by Matthew Bullock. We reserve the right to refuse your request and as such your items will be sent to the address on your invoice.

Local buyers may choose to pick up items instead of being shipped. After 10 days we reserve the right to charge a storage fee of $5.00 per lot, per day.

Some of our auctions are located off-site and as such, pick-ups will be held on certain days at the off-site auction location. If an off-site auction occurs and you would like your items shipped to you, you must be willing to pay the transportation lot fee associated with bringing your items back to our gallery for shipping. The Transportation lot fee will be added to your invoice and the cost varies depending on the size per lot.

Pick-up times are Tuesday through Friday 10-5, and Saturday-Sunday by appointment only if necessary.

Storage Fees – Any items left at the gallery for more than 10 days following the sale will incur storage fees at a rate of $5.00 per lot, per day (this rate applies to all items regardless of size or value). Storage fees will begin on the 11th day regardless of payment status. Items remaining at our gallery 30 days after the auction date will be considered abandoned and may be consigned to a future auction without additional notice to the purchaser.

Firearm purchases - $20 in state transfer fee for Illinois Buyers.

No Chargeback Policy

Purchasers agree that disputes of any nature may not be resolved by a credit card chargeback and further agree to refrain from filing any chargeback claim against Matthew Bullock Auctioneers and/or its credit card merchant. By purchasing at Matthew Bullock Auctioneers, the purchaser waives the right to initiate a chargeback and furthermore agrees to pay a minimum of $500 plus administrative fees, costs, attorney fees, and/or any other charges associated with responding to said chargeback due to the administrative burden of responding to said dispute.

Firearms

Purchasers of firearms must strictly comply with all state and federal regulations governing their purchase, registration, and transportation. Firearms requiring registration are designated in our catalog as R (requires registration/FFL) or C&R (Curio & Relic). Bidders of firearms requiring registration (R or C&R) will be required to provide their Federal Firearms License or be a licensed Collector of Curio & Relics. If a purchaser does not possess a federal license, he/she must comply with additional registration as required by their resident state. The purchaser is solely responsible for fees associated with the additional registration requirements charged by Matthew Bullock Auctioneers. If the purchaser is not in possession of a federal license and is not a resident of Illinois, he/she must have arrangements made with a transfer agent in their resident state. If you are restricted from purchasing a firearm, please do not attempt to bid on any firearm.

Conditions of Sale

The lots listed in this catalog (whether printed or posted online) will be offered at a public auction by Matthew Bullock Auctioneers as agents for consignor(s) subject to the following terms and conditions. By bidding at auction, you agree to be bound by these Conditions of Sale.

Prior to the Sale

All items (hereinafter referred to as item(s), lot(s), article(s), antique(s), property, etc.) for sale are sold “AS IS” and Matthew Bullock Auctioneers its agents, employees, and/or consignors do not make any guarantees, warranties, or representations, expressed or implied, with respect to the items or the correctness of the catalog or other description of the authenticity of authorship, physical condition, size, quality, rarity, importance, provenance, exhibitions, literature or historical relevance of the property or otherwise, except where applicable under the Terms of Guarantee (applies ONLY to published catalog auctions, NOT Online Only Auctions). No statement anywhere, whether oral or written, shall be deemed such a guarantee, warranty, or representation.

All prospective bidders should inspect the property they wish to purchase prior to bidding. If a bidder is unable to view an item in person, they are responsible for obtaining a condition report and/or additional photographs prior to bidding to determine an article’s condition, size, and degree of restoration. We endeavor to be fair and forthright with our descriptions and condition reports; however, bidders must acknowledge that antique items often show normal signs of use and wear, which might not be specified in a condition report. If you are a very particular client with expectations of perfection for the items you purchase, it is advisable that you inspect items in person or that you do not submit absentee bids as your definition of condition may be more exacting than an appraiser could have time to verify. The absence of a condition report does not imply that the lot is in good condition.? Matthew Bullock Auctioneers reserves the right to reject any request for a condition report/additional photograph in which, in our opinion, the value of the object is not commensurate with the time necessary to complete the request. Please also note that the warranties given by Matthew Bullock Auctioneers (applies to published/printed catalog auctions only), do not extend to the condition reports. Weights and measurements are approximate.? Matthew Bullock Auctioneers does not guarantee clocks, watches, mechanical banks, scientific instruments, electric lamps, and other mechanical or electric items to be complete or in working condition.? Display materials shown in photographs are not included with the lot unless stated in the description. Box lots (i.e. books) are only guaranteed to have those items listed in the description and no condition reports or additional photographs will be provided.

At the Sale

Registration Before Bidding - A prospective buyer must complete and sign a registration form and provide identification before bidding. We may require bank or other financial references. Matthew Bullock Auctioneers., is under no obligation to approve the registration of any prospective registrant.

Bidding as Principal - When making a bid, a bidder is accepting personal liability to pay the purchase price, including the buyer's premium, all applicable taxes and all other applicable charges, unless it has been explicitly agreed upon in writing with Matthew Bullock Auctioneers before the commencement of the sale that the bidder is acting as agent on behalf of an identified third party acceptable to Matthew Bullock Auctioneers, and that Matthew Bullock Auctioneers will only look to the principal for payment.

Absentee Bids - Matthew Bullock Auctioneers will use reasonable efforts to carry out written bids given to us prior to the sale for the convenience of clients who are not present at the auction in person. Bids must be placed in U.S. dollars. If we receive written bids on a particular lot for identical amounts, and these are the highest bids on the lot at the auction, it will be sold to the person whose written bid was received and accepted first. Execution of written bids is a free service undertaken subject to other commitments at the time of the sale and Matthew Bullock Auctioneers does not not accept liability for failing to execute a written bid or for errors and omissions in connection with such written bid(s).

Telephone Bids - If a prospective buyer makes arrangements with us prior to the commencement of the sale we will use reasonable efforts to contact said prospective buyer to enable them to participate in the bidding by telephone and we do not accept liability for failure to do so or for errors and omissions in connection with telephone bidding. All telephone bids must be at least $250, start at half of the low reserve or 10% above the current online bid.

Online Bids - We will use reasonable efforts to carry out online bids and do not accept liability for equipment failure, inability to access the internet or software malfunctions related to the execution of online bids. To avoid the possibility of any error in entering or acceptance of an online bid, it is recommended that you bid directly with Matthew Bullock Auctioneers either by way of in-person, absentee or telephone bidding.

Reserves – Although, most of the lots (99.5%) in the sale are offered without reserve, some lots in the sale may be subject to a reserve which is the confidential minimum price below which such lot will not be sold. The reserve will not exceed the low estimate of the lot. Reserves are agreed upon with consignors or, in the absence thereof, the absolute discretion of Matthew Bullock Auctioneers The auctioneer may open the bidding on any lot below the reserve by placing a bid on behalf of the seller. The auctioneer may continue to bid on behalf of the seller up to the amount of the reserve, either by placing consecutive bids or by placing bids in response to other bidders. With respect to lots that are offered without reserve, unless there are already competing bids, the auctioneer, at his or her discretion, will generally open the bidding at half of the low estimate for the lot. In the absence of a bid at that level, the auctioneer may proceed backward at his or her discretion until a bid is recognized, and then continue up from that amount.

Auctioneer's Discretion - The auctioneer has the right at his or her absolute and sole discretion to refuse any bid, to advance the bidding in such a manner as he or she may decide, to withdraw any lot, and in the case of error or dispute, and whether during or after the sale, to determine the successful bidder, to continue the bidding, to cancel the sale or to re-offer and resell the item in dispute. If any dispute arises after the sale, our sale record is conclusive.

Successful Bid - The highest bidder acknowledged by the auctioneer will be the purchaser. In the case of a tie bid, the winning bidder will be determined by the auctioneer at his or her sole discretion. In the event of a dispute between bidders, the auctioneer has final discretion to determine the successful bidder or to re-offer the lot in dispute. If any dispute arises after the sale, the Matthew Bullock Auctioneers sale record shall be conclusive. Title passes upon the fall of the auctioneer's hammer to the highest acknowledged bidder subject to the Conditions of Sale set forth herein, and the bidder assumes full risk and responsibility.

Liability

Condition Reports - Matthew Bullock Auctioneers is not responsible for the correctness of any statement of any kind concerning any lot, whether written or oral nor for any other errors or omissions in description or for any faults or defects in any lot. Neither the seller, ourselves, our officers, employees or agents, give any representation, warranty or guarantee or assume any liability of any kind in respect of any lot with regard to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, description, size, quality, completeness, condition, attribution, authenticity, rarity, importance, medium, provenance, prior ownership history, or historical relevance. Except as required by local law any warranty of any kind whatsoever is excluded by this paragraph.

Purchased Lots - If for any reason a purchased lot cannot be delivered in the same condition as at the time of sale, or should any purchased lot be stolen, miss-delivered, or lost prior to delivery, Matthew Bullock Auctioneers shall not be liable for any amount in excess of that paid by the purchaser.

Legal Ramifications - The rights and obligations of the parties with respect to these Conditions of Sale, the conduct of the auction, and any matters connected with any of the foregoing shall be governed and interpreted by the laws of the jurisdiction in Illinois. If any part of these Conditions of Sale is found by any court to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that part shall be discounted, and the rest of the conditions shall continue to be valid to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Discretion - Any and all the conditions may be waived or modified at the sole discretion of Matthew Bullock Auctioneers.