Fees charged by auctioneers, from buyer’s premium to condition reports, have been a hot topic in the pages of ATG and on social media recently. One reader contacted us regarding the move by a West Midlands auction house to charge winning bidders who have used the phone the same fee as online buyers.
Aston’s Auctioneers in Dudley holds two sales a month, one of which is a regular specialist toys and model railways auction. It charges a buyer’s premium of 24% including VAT to room bidders, with 30% including VAT levied on commission bids, phone bids and internet bids. It accepts phone bids on lots with an estimate of over £500.
Chris Aston.