4.1 The preparations for and execution of the auction are determined solely by Winefield’s Auctioneers. This means, among other things, that Winefield’s Auctioneers determines the course of events prior to and during the auction and is authorised, without giving reasons, to admit or refuse to admit persons to the auction, not to auction one or more lots or to alter lots or the composition of lots, not to acknowledge a bid and to declare it invalid, and to suspend, resume or cancel the auction and/or take other measures it deems necessary.
4.2 All persons are obliged to comply with instructions or directions issued by or on behalf of Winefield’s Auctioneers in the context of an auction.
4.3 The Buyer will be given an opportunity to inspect the lots he has purchased prior to their transfer to him. Winefield’s Auctioneers is not liable for inaccurate or incomplete descriptions of a lot.
4.4 The auction will take place in the order stated in the auction catalogue. Winefield’s Auctioneers is entitled to depart from this order.
4.5 Auction sales are made to the highest bidder, unless Winefield’s Auctioneers determines that the auction, or part of it, will take place by Dutch auction. Winefield’s Auctioneers is authorised to change the manner in which the auction is conducted at any point during the auction.
4.6 Winefield’s Auctioneers is authorised to choose not to accept bids, without giving reasons. Bids must be made by means of a bid form completed (in writing or electronically) for this purpose stating in any case the full forename and surname, date of birth, address and place of residence of the Buyer or prospective Buyer, the lot number on which he is bidding and the price (including VAT, exclusive of Buyer’s premium) he is bidding. A Buyer or prospective Buyer is bound by a written or electronic bid, which is deemed to be irrevocable and unconditional. Neither Winefield’s Auctioneers nor its employees are in any way liable for damage caused by or in connection with a bid, unless the damage was caused by intent or gross negligence of Winefield’s Auctioneers or its supervising employees.
4.7 If an auction is held on the instructions of a vendor, this vendor is entitled to take part in the auction, but is not entitled to bid on the lots he has offered for sale by auction.
4.8 Winefield’s Auctioneers is entitled to make bids on behalf of third parties.
4.9 Each bid is deemed to be unconditional and irrevocable. A bidder is deemed to bid on his own behalf and is personally liable for the obligations arising from his bid. This also applies if the bidder declares that he is acting on behalf of a third party.
4.10 If persons bid jointly, or have bid jointly, as a group, they are jointly and severally liable for the obligations arising from their joint bid.
4.11 Winefield’s Auctioneers will determine whether an error was made in making a bid such that the bidder will not be held to his bid. Buyers or prospective Buyers cannot derive any rights from the decision of Winefield’s Auctioneers in this regard.
4.12 The Buyer or prospective Buyer who makes the highest bid will be deemed to be the Buyer after the items have been knocked down to him. In the event of a difference of opinion between Buyers and/or prospective Buyers, Winefield’s Auctioneers will decide in the form of a binding opinion who must be deemed to have made the highest bid, without Buyers or prospective Buyers being able to derive any rights in respect of Winefield’s Auctioneers.
4.13 The second highest bidder is obliged to make his bid unconditional for the event that the highest bid is declared invalid, or is not made unconditional, for example because the highest bidder does not comply with his obligations in full or in part, or because the agreement with the highest bidder is not concluded for some other reason.
4.14 The Buyer or prospective Buyer buys the lot(s) “as is”, in whatever condition it is/they are when the bid is knocked down. Descriptions of the lots and all information provided by or on behalf of Winefield’s Auctioneers is provided to the best of its knowledge, although Winefield’s Auctioneers does not guarantee that it is correct. Buyers and prospective Buyers cannot derive any entitlements or rights in respect of Winefield’s Auctioneers from the descriptions or other information.
4.15 The purchase agreement is concluded and the risk of the purchased items passes to the Buyer or prospective Buyer when the bid is knocked down.