IAA Europe S.L. continually welcome new buyers to our auctions and hope to make the process, from beginning to end, as straightforward as possible. In order that you may get the most out of the experience, we have prepared below some answers to questions you might have.
How does an auction work?
Before each sale, IAA Europe S.L prepares a comprehensive online catalogue in which each lot is illustrated, fully researched, and described in detail, including an assessment of the condition of the lot. The catalogue is made available online approximately three weeks ahead of each auction, and you can subscribe to receive an email alert when a catalogue goes live.
Each lot is accompanied by a pre-sale estimate. The actual price you pay on the day may vary greatly from this price, sometimes higher, but sometimes lower, depending on how many other buyers are interested in the same lot. The estimate is decided by the auctioneer based on their experience of the market and similar items which have been previously sold.
When the online catalogue is available, you will be able to carefully peruse it and decide which items are of most interest to you. These can be added to your wish list within your personal IAA Europe account and be reviewed ahead of the auction. At this stage you are also able to submit a commission (or absentee) bid through your personal account ahead of the sale.
By far the most popular way to participate in our auctions is to bid live via our website on the day. If you are bidding online with IAA Europe for the first time you will need to create an account, which is a very easy and straightforward process. Once you have an account you will simply be required to register to bid in each sale. On the day you will have access to a live audio and visual stream so that you can follow the excitement of the auction as it happens and submit bids in real time.
IAA Europe’s auctions are also hosted live on six other online bidding platforms comprising Invaluable, The Saleroom, Live Auctioneers, Lottisimo, Drouot Live and Bid Spirit. You will find individual links to each of these platforms on our website, however, please note that you will have to register separately to participate via one of these platforms. Each platform will also implement a surcharge (of up to 5% depending on which one you choose) on the hammer price. Commission bids can also be left on each of the platforms and are also subject to their surcharges. There is no surcharge for online or commission bidding via our own website.
Live online auctions provide a unique retail experience and the thrills (and spills) of buying at an auction must be personally witnessed to be fully appreciated. Many buyers find the online auction atmosphere so thrilling that they come back again and again and become regular clients.
How can I make a bid at the auction if I can’t follow the live sale online?
There are several simple ways that you can bid at our auctions without being online. The most traditional method is to submit a commission (or absentee) bid. This can be done through your personal IAA Europe account, or by contacting us directly via email or telephone to submit the information. Commission bids are executed on your behalf by the auctioneer as cheaply as allowed by such other commission bids or reserves that there may be. There is no additional charge for submitting bids by the above method.
It is also possible to bid ‘live’ on the telephone during our auctions. However, there are a limited number of telephone lines available to us and telephone bids will only be accepted on a first come, first served basis. Clients wishing to bid by telephone will be called by a member of staff, usually around 5-10 lots before bidding starts on your specified lot. The member of staff will then bid on your behalf following your instructions. Unfortunately, we will not be able to accept telephone bids for lots with a minimum estimate of less than 400€. Whilst every effort will be made to accommodate the concession of telephone bidding, please be advised that IAA Europe S.L. are unable to accept any liability, howsoever caused in connection with telephone bidding. Please note that any lots purchased through telephone bidding will be subject to an additional 3% commission charge + VAT at the rate imposed on the hammer price.
What happens when the auction is over?
Once the auction is complete IAA Europe will process the results and, should you have been a successful bidder, an invoice will be emailed to you. Invoices are usually issued within 48 hours of the conclusion of the sale. Accompanying the invoice will be details of all the different accepted payment methods.
If you have an account on our website you will be able to view your invoice by logging into your personal account. From here you can review the invoice and click the payment link to pay directly and securely by debit or credit card through our website.
IAA Europe offer an in-house shipping service, thereby relieving you of the additional time and effort of appointing your own shipping agent. Items will be securely packaged and sent by a courier service with full tracking. There will be a charge for postage and packing relative to the destination, size, and weight of the package. This will be included on your invoice.
Where can I view a catalogue for the auction?
Our fully illustrated catalogues are usually accessible on our website around three weeks prior to the auction. A PDF version of the catalogue will also be available to download and print from our website should you wish.
The catalogues are also available on each of the online internet bidding platforms that host the auctions.
Where does IAA Europe hold their auctions?
Since the Covid pandemic all of our auctions are online events only and there are no facilities available for in-person room bidding.
Are there any costs, other than that of the autograph, when I purchase at IAA Europe?
Yes, all auction houses charge a Buyer’s Premium on the hammer price. In the case of IAA Europe S.L. the Buyer’s Premium is 25% plus VAT The VAT (IVA) rate is currently 21%, and therefore the Buyer’s Premium including tax is 30.25%. VAT is not applicable to bidders from outside the European Union, including those clients residing in the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Are there any costs in addition to the Buyer’s Premium?
There are small charges which are only applicable depending on how you pay for your purchases and how your bids are made (i.e., via an external online bidding platform), the details of which you will find above. If you require the lots to be mailed to you then as well as an additional charge for postage and packing, there is also an insurance charge which is calculated at 1.8% plus VAT of the total invoice. The insurance charge will be automatically included on your invoice.
How can I find out the results of a commission bid I have left?
You will be able to find the results of your commission bids within your personal IAA Europe account following the conclusion of the auction. Results of the auction are also posted on this website as promptly after the auction as possible. In order to confirm that you were the winning bidder we recommend that you email or telephone our offices following an auction.
How can I pay for the lots that I purchase?
Payment can be made in various ways, and it is important that invoices are settled promptly following the auction. The invoice you will receive via email will include all the various methods of payment that we accept. The most straightforward way is to settle your invoice with a debit or credit card (Visa, Mastercard or American Express) using the secure online service on this website. Card payments can also be taken over the telephone. Direct bank transfer payments can also be made, and the details of our account will be included with your invoice. These details can also be located on the Payment & Shipping page of this website. At a client’s request we can also generate an invoice for payment via PayPal.
How can I receive my purchases?
We are more than pleased to send lots that you purchased directly to you following the auction. All autographs are securely packaged and usually dispatched via an international courier tracking service such as Federal Express, DHL, TNT or similar. Whatever the method, the parcel will be sent with a tracking number.
There are many packages to prepare and send following the auction, however, in most cases, we would estimate that you would receive your lots around 4 - 7 working days following the receipt of your full payment. We will email to advise you that your package is on its way and also provide you with the relevant tracking details.
How do I know that the autograph I am buying is genuine?
All of the autographs that pass through our auctions have been carefully authenticated and appraised by our experts. We believe that the catalogue descriptions provided are amongst the most accurate and detailed within the auction world and should give you the ability to make your purchase with confidence. Of course, autographs have been forged and duplicated for centuries although all submitted items are carefully vetted and those that we have a concern over are returned to the owner and do not appear in our auctions.
Do IAA Europe provide a Certificate of Authenticity?
Any purchase made through our auction is accompanied by a detailed receipt which, along with the relevant catalogue entry, serves as a record of where and when you made the purchase. At the request of a client, we will be happy to provide a certificate of authenticity to accompany your purchase.
