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Frequently Asked Questions

Can anybody attend a Robson Kay auction?
Yes. Providing viewers purchase a catalogue (normally just £2 admits 2), they can attend on viewing and/or auction day. Those who wish to bid for goods are required to register before they start to bid, which normally requires a £200 fully refundable cash/credit card deposit.

How do I know when your next sale is?
We hold sales on most Tuesdays, typically 2 - 3 times per month. We seldom know more than one month in advance what sales are coming up. Please feel free to register on our mailing list, in order to be notified by e-mail whenever details of a new sale are posted to our site.

Do you offer any form of guarantee with the lots?
No. We act as an Agent, and do not own the goods which we sell. No warranties or guarantees are offered, and it is therefore imperative that buyers examine goods before they bid upon them.

Can I bid for goods without attending the auction?
Yes. *Providing you attend on the viewing day, or early on the morning of sale, you can leave instructions for us on a Commission Bidding Form, accompanied by a deposit, and we will bid on your behalf up to the maximum level which you set for us.

*Please note that we will not accept commission bids unless the buyer has viewed the goods and left a suitable deposit.

Telephone bidding can be arranged on higher value lots, again providing the goods in question have been viewed prior.

Do you deliver?
No. We have details of a variety of carriers on a notice board, however we do not provide any form of delivery service. Goods are bought where they lie and it is up to buyers to provide the necessary labour, lifting tackle, vehicles and any other requirements in order to remove the goods.

Can I sell my goods through Robson Kay?
We do not normally accept goods for sale from private vendors or companies.  We do consider occasional one-off sales as a result of factory closures or similar.

Do all sales take place at your premises?
Whilst the majority of sales do take place at our Auction Rooms in Manchester, we also have occasional sales from the sites of insolvent companies.

Do you take cheques or bank drafts?
No. We take Access, Visa, Switch and Delta (there is no surcharge for credit/debit cards), cash up to £10,000 (Sterling only!) and bank transfers. We do not accept cheques under any circumstances.

We have recently stopped accepting bank drafts, as we have found it is now effectively impossible to obtain co-operation/authorization from the issuing banks to ensure we are not accepting stolen/forged drafts.

Can I change my mind after I have bid?
No. Please do not bid under any circumstances unless you have:

• Registered
• The funds available to pay for the goods within 2 days following the sale
• *No doubt whatsoever in your mind that you are able to collect the goods by the close of business on the second working day following the sale.
  
  *Occasionally sales have a different collection timetable – please read the specific catalogue for the relevant sale to establish the appropriate collection timetable.

Will you load my wagon for me once I have paid for goods?
No. We allow buyers to use our trolleys and pallet trucks, subject to availability, providing buyers sign a waiver form and leave a suitable deposit. Furthermore we will load simple loads with one of our fork-lift trucks subject to a small charge and a waiver form being signed.

How long does a sale last for?
There is no such thing as a typical sale.

How many lots do you sell per hour?
Typically between 100 and 200 lots per hour.

Do you offer follow-on?
Yes. Wherever a description in the catalogue is "ditto" or a "quantity of similar", we give buyers of the first lot the right to buy as many of the consecutive lots at the same price as they want. These items may not be identical, however to avoid confusion, we offer follow-on wherever it says "ditto" or "similar" in the catalogue, and we do not offer follow-on under any other circumstances.

Do you have reserves?
We seldom sell anything with a reserve, which means that most lots are sold to the highest bidder on the day. Very occasionally we have to place a reserve on items - e.g. if a finance company insists upon it.

Are there any further charges on top of the hammer price?
Yes. All lots are subject to Buyer's Premium (normally 15%). Most lots are subject to VAT, which we charge on our vendors' behalf, however children's clothing, cars and certain other items are zero rated. Each catalogue states clearly alongside those items which are not subject to VAT the letters 'NV'. All those lots which do not state 'NV' after their description are subject to VAT. Buyer’s Premium is always subject to VAT.