Finding out you won

When a lot closes, we tell you where you stand right away — you don't have to guess.

On the lot page

The moment a lot closes, its panel shows a personal result:

• You won this lot — in green, with the winning bid. It reminds you that a buyer's premium and sales tax are added to the hammer price, and links you to your invoices.
• You did not win this lot — if you bid but didn't win. Nothing is owed on it.
• If a lot didn't meet its reserve, it's shown as not sold, and again nothing is owed.

The result comes from our server, not from the countdown hitting zero, so it's the real outcome — a lot that gets extended at the last second is decided correctly.

By email and in your account

You'll also get an email confirming what you won and letting you know your invoice is on the way. And any time you like, you can check:

• Wins in your account — every sale you've won something in, grouped by sale, newest first.
• Invoices in your account — what you owe and how to pay it, once the invoice has been raised.

When the invoice comes

Winning and being invoiced are two steps. Right after a sale closes, your Wins page may show an estimate of what you'll owe — that's a helpful guide, not the final bill. Your real invoice is prepared by the auction house and arrives by email, with a link you can use to pay. The invoice is the figure that counts.

See Your invoice for what's on it, and Ways to pay for how to settle it.