Buyer's Terms and Conditions

1.1 Piano Auctions Limited who act only as auctioneers and agents is called 'the Company' .

1.2 The representative of the Company conducting the auction is called 'the auctioneer' .

2.1 The auctioneer shall be solely responsible for the regulation and control of the bidding and in particular has absolute discretion to divide any lot, to combine any two or more lots, to withdraw any lots from sale, to refuse bids or cancel the sale without giving any reason or previous notice. The auctioneers may bid on behalf of the vendor for all lots subject to reserve; otherwise the vendor may bid personally. All formal or informal information concerning any lot is subject to modification by announcement from the rostrum by the auctioneer prior to any bid being accepted for the lot.

2.2 The highest bidder for a lot shall be the buyer. All lots are offered for sale without reserve unless instructions to the contrary are received by the auctioneers from the vendor prior to the commencement of the sale. The reserve shall be the minimum hammer price at which the lot may be sold.

2.3 While the Company will strive to ensure the accuracy of the description of any lot in a catalogue or of the written or oral opinion in a condition report the company does not accept responsibility or imply any warranty for the authenticity, attribution, genuineness, origin, authorship, date, age, period, condition or quality of any lot.

3.1 All bidders who are each deemed to act as principal acknowledge that before bidding they have satisfied themselves about the physical state and condition of the lot and in particular whether the lot is damaged or has been repaired or restored and that they are conversant with the buyers terms and conditions of sale.

3.2 The lot is at the sole risk of the buyer from the fall of the hammer but the legal title will not pass to the buyer until the lot has been paid for in full by cash or direct debit card or credit card, cheque or cleared funds. Thereafter, the lot may be collected and removed at the buyer's risk and expense.

3.3 The buyer shall pay to the Company the hammer price of the lot plus a premium of 17.5% of the hammer price plus VAT on the premium and the hammer price if applicable.

3.4 The buyer shall pay by cash or by cheque in favour of the Company drawn on the buyer's account at a UK clearing bank or by building society or by direct debit card or by Mastercard or Visa credit card (plus a surcharge of 3% plus VAT) or by American Express credit card (plus a surcharge of 5% plus VAT) or by the direct transfer of cleared funds to the Company's bank account, the buyer to bear the cost of transfer. Cheques drawn by third parties, whether or not in favour of the Company, cannot be accepted.

4.1 If the buyer fails to pay in full for the lot by the close of the next business day after the sale the Company, in its absolute discretion, shall be entitled to

(i) charge interest on the total amount due to the company from the date of the sale until the total amount is paid at the rate of ten percentage points above the Royal Bank of Scotland plc base rate in force during that period.

(ii) re-offer the lot, without notice to the buyer and to recover from the buyer any shortfall in the previous hammer price together with interest, charges and expenses

(iii) exercise a lien over the lot and any other goods, then or later in the custody of the Company, until the lot has been paid for in full by the buyer

(iv) recover from the buyer relevant transport costs and a warehouse charge of £2 per lot per day plus VAT.

4.2 Lots not collected by the buyer or not paid for in full shall continue to be at the risk of the buyer and the Company will not be responsible if they are lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed.

4.3 The buyer acknowledges the Company's absolute right to use as it sees fit, any photographs and illustrations of lots consigned to the Company.

5.1 If within three months after the sale the buyer of any lot serves formal notice alleging that the lot is a deliberate forgery and returns the lot to the Company in the same condition at the time of the sale and produces evidence acceptable to the Company that the lot is a deliberate forgery then the sale of the lot will be rescinded. The Company will reimburse the buyer for the amount paid for the lot within seven days of the vendor refunding to the Company the net proceeds of the sale.

5.2 Any dispute between vendor and buyer relating to goods consigned to the Company for sale, including rescission, which cannot be settled by agreement shall be settled by an arbitrator appointed by the President of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The vendor and buyer shall be bound by the decision of the arbitrator including the incidence of costs.

5.3 Every person on premises used by the Company for the conduct of its business shall be deemed to be there at their own risk and shall have no claim against the Company in respect of accident, injury, damage or loss however caused.

5.4 All sales conducted by the Company are subject to English law and any litigation will be subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

Vendor's Terms and Conditions

1.1 Piano Auctions Limited who act only as auctioneers and agents is called ‘the Company’

1.2 The representative of the Company conducting the auction is called ‘the auctioneer’.

2.1 The auctioneers shall be solely responsible for the regulation and control of the bidding and in particular has absolute discretion to divide any lot, to combine any two or more lots, to withdraw any lots from sale, to refuse bids or cancel the sale without giving any reason or previous notice. The auctioneer may bid on behalf of the vendor for all lots subject to reserve; otherwise the vendor may bid personally. All formal or informal information concerning any lots is subject to modification by announcement from the rostrum by the auctioneer prior to any bid being accepted for the lot.

2.2 The highest bidder for a lot shall be the buyer. All lots are offered for sale without reserve unless instructions to the contrary are received by the auctioneer from the vendor prior to the commencement of the sale. The reserve shall be the minimum hammer price at which the lot may be sold except that a lot may be sold, during or after the sale, below the reserve price provided the vendor receives a sum equal to the net proceeds of a supposed sale of the lot at the reserve price.

2.3 While the Company will strive to ensure the accuracy of the description of any lot in a catalogue or of the written or oral opinion in a condition report the Company does not accept responsibility or imply any warranty for the authenticity, attribution, genuineness, origin, authorship, date, age, period, condition or quality of any lot.

2.4 The copyright of the text, photographs and illustrations contained in catalogues and other publicity material shall vest in the Company. Where the vendor provides the text, photographs and illustrations for publication the vendor warrants that use is authorised by the copyright owner and indemnifies the Company against claims and costs arising from wrongful use.

3.1 All goods held in the Company’s custody will be insured against risk of fire, burglary, water damage and accidental damage except for damage to glass or for damage caused by woodworm or changes in atmospheric conditions. For this facility the Company shall charge the vendor 1.5% plus VAT of the hammer price of a lot or the value a lot might have achieved as assessed by the auctioneer. The value of the goods concerned shall be the net proceeds of the sale or the assessed value net of charges.

3.2 Withdrawn and unsold lots will be insured for up to 7 days after formal notification by the Company to the vendor that the lots are available for removal from the Company’s custody. Thereafter, the vendor is responsible for insurance and the Company reserves the right without reference to the vendor to sell such lots to defray all costs.

3.3 The Company in its sole discretion may charge the vendor £2 plus VAT per lot per day, plus any related transport costs, for goods held in custody until they are sold or removed by the vendor.

3.4 The vendor authorises the Company to transfer any or all of the goods listed herein to another auction house or sale venue in the UK or elsewhere for sale or exhibition and the vendor undertakes to pay the attendant costs.

4.1 The vendor acknowledges that the Company’s charges (for commission and insurance calculated as a percentage of the hammer price) plus VAT as set out herein shall be deducted by the Company from the hammer price of a lot before accounting to the vendor for the net proceeds of sale. The vendor acknowledges that the charge for a lot withdrawn from the sale is 15% of the reserve plus VAT or of the estimated auction value assessed by the auctioneer.

4.2 The buyer shall pay to the Company a premium of 17.5% of the hammer price plus VAT and the vendor acknowledges the Company’s right to retain this premium.

4.3 The Company shall account to the vendor for the net proceeds of sale by means of a crossed account payee cheque drawn in favour of the vendor. Payment will be made about 21 days after the sale provided settlement has been received in full from the buyer. The vendor authorises the Company at the cost of the vendor to take whatever reasonable action it deems necessary to obtain settlement from the buyer or to cancel the sale and refund any monies paid on account to the buyer. The Company disclaims responsibility for default by either the vendor or buyer because it acts as auctioneer only and does not account to the vendor before payment is received from the buyer.

5.1 If within three months after the sale the buyer of any lots serves formal notice alleging that the lot is a deliberate forgery and returns the lot to the Company in the same condition at the time of sale and produces evidence acceptable to the Company that the lot is a deliberate forgery then the sale of the lot will be rescinded. The Company will reimburse the buyer for the amount paid for the the lot within seven days of the vendor refunding to the Company the net proceeds of the sale.

5.2 Any dispute between vendor and buyer relating to goods consigned to the Company for sale, including rescission, which cannot be settled by agreement shall be settled by an arbitrator appointed by the President of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The vendor and buyer shall be bound by the decision of the arbitrator including the incidence of costs.

5.3 The vendor indemnifies the Company, the auctioneer, its employees and agents against claims arising from the sale and storage of the vendor’s goods to include claims in respect of any of the vendor’s warranties herein. The Company shall hold these indemnities for the benefit and on trust for its employees and agents.

5.4 Every person on premises used by the Company for the conduct of its business shall be deemed to be there at their own risk and shall have no claim against the Company in respect of accident or loss however caused.

5.5 All sales conducted by the Company are subject to English law and litigation will be subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.