When you ask us to execute your bids at public auctions, an agency relationship is
created. We agree to represent you under the following terms, conditions and policies. You
agree to abide by these Terms and Conditions and the Terms of Sale printed in the auction
catalog of the sale, including prompt payment of your auction bill and timely return of
any lots you believe to be other than described.
Bids
Getting your bids to us. To avoid errors and omissions, you should
provide us with your
bids in writing, either by mail, fax or E-mail. You may use our bid forms, the bidsheets
provided by the auction firm or a plain sheet of paper. Please list your bids in lot
number
order.
Bids by Phone. We will accept bids by phone if (1) you are known to us,
(2) you agree to
send written confirmation and (3) you understand any errors or misinterpretation of the
bids
are your responsibility.
Break Tie or Firm? Please tell us if we may "Break Ties" or if
your bids are "Firm". A
Firm bid is a maximum limit, beyond which we will not bid. If you tell us we may Break
Ties, we will increase your bid by one advance, if necessary, when you are tied with the
book or another bidder
Bidding Increments. Your bids should conform to the increments listed in
the auction
catalog. If bids are not in the correct amounts, we will INCREASE your bid to conform.
Auctioneers reserve absolute authority to regulate the bidding and may alter the
increments
during the sale.
Purchase Limits. You may place a total limit on your purchase. Please be
advised it may
be exceeded by the last lot purchased. We will also accept combined bids with a limit
covering some bids while others are not part of the limit.
Viewing
To protect our clients' rights of return, we examine lots on the following basis:
Viewing is not automatic - it must be requested. Requests for viewing should be made as
early as possible, so we can schedule our time for it. Please be specific if you have
concerns about a lot. We rarely have time to contact clients to discuss lots after
viewing. We will confirm the accuracy of the description and follow your instructions.
If you have viewed the lots, please tell us! If you know a lot is incorrectly described
or
misidentified and still want to bid on it, you should let us know. In the absence of other
instructions, we must cancel a bid if the auctioneer changes or corrects a description
during
the sale.
Important Note on Viewing!
Our viewing of lots on your behalf is not a warranty or guarantee by us of the
authenticity or
condition of the lots. We are not an "expertization" service. If you are
concerned about such
matters, you are advised to obtain a formal opinion from a recognized expert committee in
a timely
manner.
Payment
Our fee is payable upon receipt of your purchases from the auction house. Do not pay us
for the
lots. The auction firm will invoice you for the lots.
Items submitted to the Philatelic Foundation (or other authority) for opinions remain open
until such
opinion is rendered, but only if we have been notified at the time of submission. If you
fail to notify
us, no refunds or credits for our fee will be given. Invoices must be paid no later than
30 days after
a sale. A 1.5% penalty will be charged on all unpaid accounts with a minimum charge of
$1.00 per
month. No bids will be accepted from a client whose account is past due.
Confidentiality
Your bids and any related information you provide will be kept in strictest confidence,
and will not
be discussed with anyone, including other clients, other bidders or the auctioneer. Please
do not
ask us about bids we have from others.
As an agent acting on behalf of a revealed principal, Purser Associates, Inc. is required
by law to
provide your name and mailing address to the auction firm prior to the start of the sale,
and is
under no obligation to assume responsibility for your purchases if the auction firm
refuses to accept
your bids.
In the event of arbitration or litigation of any dispute between Purser Associates, Inc.
and any
principal we've represented, we reserve the right to provide any and all information in
our
possession related to our dealings with that principal. This also applies to
investigations conducted
by law enforcement agencies and disciplinary committees of philatelic organizations.
Additional Information
Please get us your bids as far in advance of a sale as possible. If your catalog arrives
late or you
forget about a sale, you may still call us at the sale site and we will try to assist you.
Once a sale
begins, we refuse to take any phone calls.
We try to maintain some semblance of sanity by keeping regular office hours, 9-5 Eastern
time,
Monday-Friday. If we are not here, we have a reliable, voice-actuated answering machine.
It is
very safe to leave your bids on the tape. If you do, please be sure to identify yourself,
tell us which
auction the bids are for and leave a number where we can reach you if we have any
questions.
Your report is usually mailed within 24 hours after the final session of a sale. If you
need results
sooner, let us know when you give us the bids.
Please do not use our 800 number if you are calling for prices or bidding advice. It is
for billing
inquiries and bids only.