Terms of Bidding

All property offered and sold through Westport Auction shall be offered and sold on the terms and conditions below. By bidding at the auction, whether present in person or by agent, by written bid, telephone, internet or other means, the buyer agrees to be bound by these terms and conditions.

1. All items are sold as-is. All sales are final. No returns. No refunds. No exceptions.
2. Online bidders on LiveAuctioneers and Invaluable are subject to a 28% buyer's premium with a discount of 3% for cash, good check, or bank wire transfer. A 23% buyer's premium will be added to the hammer price of each lot sold to the floor, phone bidders, and Westport Auction's bidding platform with a discount of 3% for cash, good check, or bank wire transfer.
3. All purchases are subject to a Connecticut State sales tax of 6.35% unless (1) the buyer is an out of state resident and lots are being shipped out of Connecticut or (2) the purchaser has a valid tax resale certificate (an actual resale certificate must be presented and on file with Westport Auction) .
4. Bidder gives Westport Auction permission to charge the credit card supplied at the time of registration, if payment is not made within 10 business days or the auction's specific payment time frame.
5. Payment methods accepted: A. Cash (in house only) B. Credit card payment will be accepted for invoice amounts under $4,999.99. All payments over $4,999.99 MUST be made via other accepted methods. We do not accept international credit card payments. All gold and silver purchases must be paid for via cash or bank wire. We will not accept credit card payments for gold or silver. Credit cards from North America accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa, & Discover. Credit card transactions are subject to a 3 percent convenience fee. C. Bank Wire Transfer (all international payments of any amount and payments for invoices over $4,999.99), Money order, certified check, approved personal or business check with proper identification. We reserve the right to hold item(s) until checks have cleared. International wire transfer invoices are subject to a $50 bank fee.
6. Payment will only be accepted through the methods described above. Any attempts at payment through other methods such as Paypal, Zelle, Xoom, Revolt, Venmo, Wise etc. will be denied and returned to the sender, as we do not have the capability to receive those payments.
7. All items are sold as-is, where-is. We do our best to describe the items; our descriptions are no way to be interpreted as a guarantee of any kind as to authenticity, age, condition and materials. Shipping and insurance are the responsibility of the purchaser. Please contact us for an in-house shipping quote for select smaller items that can be shipped to the Continental USA. PURCHASES ARE NOT CONTINGENT UPON SHIPPING COSTS. You must be aware of the shipping costs before you bid on an item. We provide a list of suggested shippers as a courtesy.
8. All items are sold to the highest bidder by the auctioneer. The auctioneer has the right to not accept any bid. Bidding may be reopened at the discretion of the auctioneer. The auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw any item and to reoffer the item at another time.
9. Please be aware that we run our sale through multiple auction platforms. As is the case with an in-person auction, if multiple bids are placed at the same amount only one can be accepted. This holds true for absentee bids placed ahead of the sale. As a result, the item might sell for your bid price but to a different bidder. We highly encourage bidders to watch the sale live to see whether your bid was accepted and make a higher bid if it is not.
10. Since items are auctioned off on consignment, the starting price is the lowest potential price you can buy an item. In some cases, after auction prices can be provided, but it will always fall between the estimated value of the item, not based off the start price itself. The price will not go down if no one bids on an item and then you contact us after the sale to purchase it. The only way to get the lowest rate for an item is to bid on it live in the sale.
11. USA and international buyers should be aware that certain countries or states do not allow the importation of items containing materials made from endangered species. This includes, but is not limited to ivory, coral, and tortoise shell. It is the buyer's responsibility to check with relevant import and customs regulations prior to bidding.
12. All items purchased from Westport Auction must be paid in full within 10 days after the auction date unless otherwise stated (sooner for most on-site sales) . All bidders will have a dispute placed on their account and will be blocked from bidding with us if payment is not made within the designated payment period. The dispute will be removed only once the payment is received. The credit card supplied at the time of registration may be charged if payment is not made within 10 business days or the auction's specific payment time frame. All items purchased from Westport Auction must be removed within 10 days after the auction date or within the specific time window. Items left after the pickup window will incur a $10/day storage fee per item. After 30 days, items in our possession will be considered abandoned without refund.
13. All items not being picked up at the location in Norwalk, CT can be shipped by us or any company from our suggested list of shippers. Buyers must contact us or the shipping company directly after the auction to arrange shipment and payment for shipping. We require a written emailed release in order to have items ready for pickup. Pickup is by appointment only.
14. Buyers who are picking up in person must bring all necessary packing material and help for larger items. Westport Auction is not responsible for moving or loading items due to insurance liability.
15. Buyers will have 15 days after the auction date to contact Westport Auction if there is a misrepresentation of an item. Westport Auction will not be responsible for any items after 15 days from the auction date.
16. Any damage that occurred during shipping is the responsibility of the shipper. All items must be signed off on by the shipper before leaving our facilities confirming that the condition is as stated in the catalog. If items shipped by Westport Auctions in-house shipping are damaged in transit, we will submit a claim with the shipping company, UPS, FedEx, etc. Any refund, partial or full will not be issued until their investigation has been completed. Reimbursement to the buyer will not be made until Westport Auction receives the funds from the shipping company. Please be aware this process could take 60-90 days.
17. If items are unable to be picked up or shipped within the pick-up window, they will be transported to our Bridgeport Annex at the expense of the buyer and pickups are by limited appointment. All paid items left in our possession for longer than 30 days will be considered abandoned without refund.
18. The auctioneer reserves the right to cancel any transaction at any point.