Auctions
Auctions
What is the Buyer's Premium?
The Buyer’s Premium is a percentage of the final bid price that the buyer pays in addition to the hammer price of an object. The Buyer’s Premium is set at 20%. Before you confirm your bid, there will be a line in bold, showing the total you are bidding inclusive of the Buyers' Premium and any applicable taxes.
For In Bond lots, no VAT will apply to either hammer price or buyer’s premium. For Duty Paid lots, the total selling price will be deemed inclusive of VAT. Please note that the total does not include storage, delivery charges or, for In Bond items, the ultimate paying of Duty and VAT if withdrawn from bond.
How can I register to bid?
You will be unable to participate in the auction unless you create an Auction account; this can be done here . If you already have a Berry Bros. & Rudd account, then you should use the same email as you do when you log into bbr.com. However, you will still need to create a separate auction account.
How do I take delivery of my wines or spirits?
If you are lucky enough to win a bid on a lot, it will pass into your ownership once we have received payment, and be stored, by default, in our state-of-the-art warehouse. You can view the items in our Cellar Manager app or online.
If you would like to withdraw your wines or spirits, standard delivery to a UK residential address is free of charge; view delivery options here . If you are based outside of the UK you can view more about our international delivery options here . For any questions about exporting your items overseas or for a quote, please contact us by choosing “export query” from the drop-down menu here .
What if I want to store my items with you?
Once ownership has been transferred then, by default, it will be stored in our state-of-the-art warehouse. You can view the items in our Cellar Manager app or online in the “My Cellar” area. Please note, if you do decide to store your items with us you will have to pay for our Storage Service. More details on that, including costs, can be found here .
How do I pay for my winning bids?
The simplest and best payment method is by credit or debit card. To do this just select the "Pay now” option against your winning lot and you will go through the steps and your payment will be automatically allocated. Payment must be received and cleared within 5 business days of the invoice date. If you are intending to settle in full using some other source of funds, then it is your responsibility to contact us on info@auctions.bbr.com so we know. You will risk losing your bid if there are not cleared funds on your Berry Bros. & Rudd account within 5 business days.
Alternatively, if you wish to pay by bank transfer, you must quote your auction invoice number as your payment reference (“Auction invoice XXXX”). Without this we cannot allocate your payment. Payment can be made to BB&R Ltd in GBP to Bank Account : 20478490 / Sort Code : 20-65-82 / SWIFT code : BARCGB22 / IBAN GB97BARC20658220478490.
If you are an existing customer with sufficient credit balance on your Berry Bros. & Rudd account, you may choose to use this balance to settle your auction purchase. To do this please email AR@bbr.com with your instruction quoting your account number. Please note we do not accept payment over the phone and gift vouchers cannot be used.
What if the item I win doesn’t taste as expected?
Every wine or spirit in our auctions undergo a thorough inspection by our Authentication & Quality Control team. Judgements on quality are highly subjective and the development of wine over time can be unpredictable, leading to occasional variations between bottles. This means that whilst we can guarantee the authenticity of everything we sell, we cannot guarantee the condition once a bottle is opened.
Everything sold in our auctions is offered caveat emptor, i.e. it is bought 'as seen', and Berry Bros. & Rudd assumes no responsibility. Full details of our Buyers' Terms & Conditions will be available on our auction platform.
When is your next auction?
The best way to track the dates of upcoming auctions is by signing up to our emails here .
If I buy single bottles of wine or spirits that are not in their original packaging, what will they be packaged in?
All our deliveries are packaged securely and with the utmost care to reduce the chance of breakages. Please note, that when we deliver items overseas, we will, by default, remove them from their original packaging to pack them securely. If you would like to discuss this further, contact us using our online form, selecting “export query” from the drop-down menu here .
What if my delivery is damaged in transit?
If your item is damaged during delivery, we will arrange to collect it, please contact us at customerservice@bbr.com . Because of the rare nature of the wines in our auctions, it may not be possible to source a like-for-like replacement. In this instance, we will refund the total bid price (including taxes and Buyer’s Premium).
Can I arrange collection of my wines or spirits?
Yes. As per any item stored in our warehouse, you can arrange to have these delivered to any of our UK shops. Please remember to bring photo identification. If someone is collecting on your behalf, you will need to let customerservice@bbr.com know, and that person will also need to bring their photo identification.
I’m new to bidding online, what should I do?
If you're new to online bidding, we recommend registering for the auction with plenty of time and placing bids early to get familiar with the process. You can either place a low bid to start or a maximum bid if you already know your limit. The time extension feature ensures there’s no strategic advantage to waiting until the last second, as other bidders will have a chance to respond.
How do I know if I’ve been successful with my bid?
You'll receive a notification via email or can check in the "My Bids" section of your profile.
What happens if the bid doesn’t meet the reserve price?
The lot will not be sold unless the bid meets or exceeds the reserve price.
I can’t be online when the auction is due to close, can I still bid?
Yes, you can place a maximum bid any time between the time that the auction opens and the time when each lot closes. Our auction platform will manage this on your behalf, until a time when your maximum bid has been exceeded by another bidder.
What Duty and VAT taxes are due on my winning lots?
All of the items in our auction are stored in our warehouse. Most of them are stored In Bond but some are stored Duty Paid. This will be clearly displayed in the sub-title of each lot.
Any items stored In Bond will need Duty and VAT paying at the prevailing rate , should they be withdrawn to a UK residential address. Any international deliveries will not be subject to UK taxes but may be liable for local taxes. Any Duty Paid items will not have further tax charges due when withdrawn.
In addition, all wines or spirits delivered from your Berry Bros. & Rudd cellar to a UK residential address are not subject to delivery charges.
What notifications will I get once I start bidding?
You will be emailed after the following actions.
- Upon placing a bid
- When you are outbid
- If your bid is below the reserve
- To confirm a successful bid on a lot
You can manage these preferences and your broader marketing preferences in your profile.
How does online bidding work?
As stated on the Berry Bros. & Rudd auction website, each lot has an individual auction closing time. Lots in an auction close 30 seconds apart. Any bid placed within the last 30 seconds of a lot’s closing time will extend the lot’s bidding period by up to two minutes, to allow time for counter bids. These extensions will continue indefinitely until there is no more bidding activity on the lot for two minutes. The extension of one lot’s closing time does not affect other lots’ closing times - therefore, lots may close out of numerical lot order.
A successful bid in any auction will be the first highest bid registered by the system, which equals or exceeds the reserve price at the point of a lot’s auction end time.
What are maximum bids?
You can choose to submit a maximum bid, which is similar to an absentee bid. It is strictly confidential and can only be viewed by you. With a maximum bid, you can place a bid for the highest amount you are willing to bid. The online bidding platform will then bid on your behalf, increasing the bid to your maximum. Your bid will always be at the lowest possible level, considering the reserve price and any other bids placed on the item.
If no other bids are placed on an item, your bid will be no more than the reserve price. If other bids are placed, your bid will only be one increment higher than the highest other bid, up to your maximum. If two or more equal bids are submitted on an item, the first bid submitted will take precedence. You can increase your maximum bid at any time without the risk of bidding against yourself.
What are the bid increments?
If I win a bid, what will happen to the item?
If you are lucky enough to be the winning bidder on a lot, once we have received payment, it will pass into your ownership and be stored, by default, in our state-of-the-art warehouse. You can view the items in our Cellar Manager app or online in Your Cellar. Please note, if you do decide to store your items with us you will have to pay for our Storage Service. You can find costs here .
I've placed a bid, but nothing happened.
Bids should be entered as numeric whole numbers only, without currency symbols or punctuation. For example, a bid of £1000 should be entered as 1000, not “£ 1000” or “1,000” or “1000.00”. If you are still experiencing issues please contact us at customerservice@bbr.com .
Can I view lots in person before the auction?
Lots are available for viewing in person at our Andover warehouse by prior appointment. Prospective Buyers are advised to inspect the property appropriately before the Auction Sale, including the cases, labels, corks and levels. They must satisfy themselves by inspection, either online or in person, as to all considerations pertinent to any decision to place any bid.
Can I cancel my bids?
All bids submitted online are immediately executed. You cannot cancel a bid once it has been submitted.
Can I place bids on behalf of a company?
Yes. However, we expect the “Agent” to disclose to us the identity of the Agent’s Principal. This is covered in our Buyer’s Terms and Conditions under clause 7.2. If you have a query related to this, get in touch here .
I want to sell my wines at your next auction; how can I start this process?
If you are interested in discussing consigning some of your wines or spirits to a future auction, please email auctions@bbr.com with a list of what you are interested in consigning in excel sheet format.