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?
Some sales charge the card you have on file when the invoice is raised, and those sales say so in their terms before you bid. Otherwise you pay the invoice yourself.
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.