Can I look at it before I bid?
Yes, if the auction location lists the option in the listing. Some sales, depending on location, have an inspection day listed on its auction page. Everything is sold as-is, where-is, so the photos and the description are the whole story. Please ask questions if you are not sure about something and we will do our best to help.
What does "as-is, where-is" actually mean?
It means there is no warranty, no return and no adjustment after the fact. We describe what we see and we photograph the damage rather than hiding it, but we are not the manufacturer and we do not test everything.
How do I pay?
Card, through the invoice link in your email or in your account. [CONFIRM WHETHER CASH OR CHECK ARE ACCEPTED, AND ANY THRESHOLD ABOVE WHICH A WIRE IS REQUIRED.]
Am I charged automatically?
No. Your card is securely stored with PayPal, our payment processor — we never see or hold your card details. Registering a card simply verifies that you're a real person bidding in good faith, which helps protect our community from fraudulent or malicious bidders.
When is payment due?
Shipped items: Payment is due within 5 days of your invoice.
Pickup-only items: Payment is due no later than your scheduled pickup date. You're welcome to pay anytime before then — and if a pickup date falls more than 5 days after the auction closes, the pickup date is your deadline. You're never penalized by the calendar.
Cash discount (pickup-only items): Pay in cash at pickup and your buyer's premium is reduced by 3 percentage points (for example, a 15% premium becomes 12%). Just select the cash option on your invoice and your total updates automatically.
So when would my card be charged? Only as a last resort. If payment isn't received by your deadline and we've been unable to reach you or resolve it together, we reserve the right to charge your registered card for what you owe under our Terms & Conditions. For pickup-only items left uncollected without any communication from us, items may be forfeited per our terms and your card charged accordingly.
Can't make your pickup? Tell us. We're happy to work with buyers who communicate — send someone else with your paid invoice, or reach out and we'll see what's possible. Silence is the only thing we can't work with.
Do I have to pay sales tax?
Yes, unless you are exempt and we have your certificate on file before the invoice is raised. Send it to admin@auctionmule.com and we will attach it to your account. We cannot retroactively remove tax from an invoice that has already been paid.
Why is there a buyer's premium?
It is how the sale gets paid for — the photography, the cataloguing, the staff, the building and the software. It is standard across the industry, it is stated on every auction page, and it is added to your bid rather than hidden inside it.
I won a lot and it is not what the description said.
Tell us before you leave the building. A genuine description error is our problem and we will make it right on the spot. Once a lot has left the site it is very difficult for anybody to establish what happened to it, which is why the rule is what it is.
Can I retract a bid?
No. Assume every bid is final. In a genuine emergency — a fat-fingered extra zero, seconds ago — contact us and we will do what we can, and it will be recorded.
What happens if I do not pay?
The lot is resold, your account is suspended, and any deposit is forfeited. We would much rather have you contact us about a problem than us have to send that email.
Do you buy things outright?
Sometimes. Ask — you never know.