You ARE required to create a new account to bid on www.waddingtons.ca auctions.
May 10, 2024
IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR OUR INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS REGARDING CITES
Restrictions exist regarding the import and export of species protected under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).
This includes but is not limited to items made of or containing bone (whalebone, etc.), ivory, tortoise shell, seal skin, rhinoceros horn and any other animal part and is strictly controlled or forbidden by most countries. Please review your country’s laws before bidding on pieces made of or containing these restricted items. It is the sole responsibility of the buyer to inquire about and obtain the proper permits for artwork purchased that may contain restricted materials, if such permit can be obtained. Please contact the department for further assistance. For more information please visit www.cites.org
REGISTRATION
How do I register to bid?
You must be registered to bid in all of our auctions. We moved to a new auction platform May 10, 2024 and you will require a new account to bid in our auctions.
Please register here.
Please note that while Waddington’s auctions (excluding Fine Wine & Spirits) can also be found on Invaluable.com, your Invaluable account credentials are different from your account credentials on Waddingtons.ca. You will need to create a separate account to bid directly on our website.
For Waddington’s Fine Wine & Spirits auctions, please register here.
Creating an Account / Do I have to enter my complete information?
Yes. Your account will be identified by your email, and your registration information needs to match your credit card information, so that we can accurately register you to bid in our auctions. Waddington’s does not use paddle numbers or usernames, so we require that you register with your preferred email address.
Your credit card information is only used during registration for identity verification. It will not be used for processing payments. You can determine payment method after each auction, choosing which method you would like to use to pay, choosing from credit card, wire transfer, e-transfer, etc.
How do I become approved to bid?
After creating an account you will receive an email with further information, including any account verification requirements.
I didn’t receive an email after creating an account. What do I do?
First, check your junk mail folder. If you have still not received our email please contact [email protected].
How is my privacy protected?
We take great care to protect the information you provide us. Please read our Privacy Policy.
I am having problems entering a password. Are there restrictions on length of the password or symbols?
- Passwords must be between 10-50 characters long.
- Passwords must be a combination of letters, numbers, and the following special characters: * _ – ! # $ % ^ &.
- If you’re using one of the symbols found over the numbers 1 – 9 on your keyboard, the following symbols won’t be accepted: @ ( ).
- To ensure your password is entered correctly both times, we suggest typing it in a Word document, email, or in your Notes app, and then copy-pasting it into both fields to ensure accuracy.
- Passwords are case-sensitive, so make sure that your caps-lock isn’t on by accident.
BIDDING
Are there any additional fees? Is there a buyer’s premium?
Waddington’s charges a buyer’s premium of 25% on the hammer price up to and including $25,000 CAD. Hammer prices in excess of $25,000 CAD will be charged a buyer’s premium of 22%.
Note: Clients bidding on the Invaluable site will be charged a buyer’s premium of 28% up to and including $25,000 CAD. Hammer prices in excess of $25,000 CAD will be charged 25%. We invite you to bid directly on Waddingtons.ca to pay the lower buyer’s premium.
*Note: Fine Wine & Spirits auctions at Waddington’s charge a buyer’s premium of 20% on the hammer price.
Taxes will be applied on all auction purchases where applicable. For more information, please see our Buyer’s Terms & Conditions.
Shipping, delivery and duties/customs where applicable are the responsibility of the buyer.
How do I place a bid?
To place a bid on an item you must be registered to bid. Register here.
Once you have been approved to bid and have confirmed your account, log in. Once logged in, a bidding interface will be displayed near the lot details.
Click the “Place Bid” button to select the amount you wish to bid. You will be asked to confirm your bid before it is executed.
Our auctions are known as “timed sales,” meaning that you may place an online bid at any time once the auction is posted. This means there can be competitive bidding up until the lots close, and if bids are submitted within the last 5 minutes of the lot’s scheduled end time, an additional 5 minutes will be added to the timer to extend bidding.
What is a max bid?
Not going to be available when an auction is closing? A max bids allow you to be away from your computer or mobile device and still bid on the items you are interested in. Max bids are bids that our system executes on your behalf up to the maximum amount of your choosing. They function similarly to absentee bids in live auctions.
Max bids are automatically executed against competing bidders up to your chosen maximum.
If your max bid is above the lot’s current bid (for example if your max bid is $1,000, but the current bid is $500) the system will bid against other bidders on your behalf up to the maximum bid you have selected.
Using the same example, if you were currently the highest bid with a bid of $550, and there was a competing bid of $600, then the system would automatically bid $650 for you. The system will continue bidding on your behalf until the lot closes or bidding surpasses your maximum bid.
Max bids cannot be raised or lowered. However, max bids can be cancelled, and you may re-submit a max bid with the new amount. Please note that you may do this a maximum of three times per auction, and bids cannot be adjusted within two hours of the auction closing.
How do I know if I am outbid on an item?
You will be notified by email or text if you are outbid. Additionally, the bidding interface on each lot will display that you have been outbid.
I have received a notification that I have been outbid but I am unable to increase my bid.
If you are unable to increase your bid, it’s most likely that the bidding on that lot has already closed. We suggest setting a max bid price to have the system bid on your behalf to ensure that you don’t miss out next time.
How often do lots close?
Our lots close in one minute intervals. As an example: if lot 1 closes at 2:00, lot 2 closes at 2:01, lot 3 closes at 2:02, etc. Please check the individual closing time on each individual lot page.
What are the bid increments?
Bids under $199 ($10 increments)
$200 to $499 ($20 increments)
$500 to $999 ($50 increments)
$1,000 to $1,999 ($100 increments)
$2,000 to $4,999 ($200 increments)
$5,000 to $9,999 ($500 increments)
$10,000 to $19,999 ($1,000 increments)
$20,000 to $49,999 ($2,000 increments)
$50,000 to $99,999 ($5,000 increments)
$100,000 to $299,999 ($10,000 increments)
$300,000 to $999,999 ($25,000 increments)
$1,000,000 to $1,999,999 ($50,000 increments)
$2,000,000 to $2,999,999 ($100,000 increments)
$3,000,000 to $4,999,999 ($200,000 increments)
Over $5,000,000 ($300,000 increments)
I accidentally bid on the wrong item OR I bid the wrong amount. Can I retract my bid?
Bidding on an item indicates your intent to purchase that item and is considered a legally binding contract between yourself and Waddington’s.
Per the Buyer’s Terms and Conditions you are legally obligated to buy an item once declared the winning bidder.
You will be asked to confirm each bid before it is executed.
Who do I contact for condition reports or additional photos?
Each lot has a “Request More Information” button which opens a form you can use to directly contact the specialist. Alternatively, you can contact us at [email protected] or 416-504-9100 or 1-877-504-5700.
Why didn’t I receive an email when I was outbid?
Many bids are placed during the final minutes of an auction. Due to the high volume of bidding some emails may be delayed, or may be blocked by some email providers.
Do I need to refresh the page to follow bidding activity?
The bidding interface (the area where you place your bid) updates automatically, so you do not need to refresh the lot page.
However, we recommend not waiting too late to place a bid. The times displayed may be delayed by a few seconds due to network conditions, so we suggest placing bids early as opposed to waiting until near closing.
Have you changed the timing of when the lots in an auction close?
Yes, we have shortened the intervals between lots closing from five minutes down to one minute based on client preferences.
When does bidding end?
Lots will close consecutively at timed intervals of one minute on the final day of the auction.
Please be sure to confirm the time that the auctions close, as closing times may vary by auction.
Why did the bidding continue after the lot’s closing time? What is overtime?
If a bid is placed within the last five minutes of bidding for a lot, the lot’s closing time will extend for five minutes from the time the bid is placed. This will continue until there is no bidding for five minutes.
I am having difficulties seeing an item’s information such as measurements, condition details, and high-resolution photos. What am I doing wrong?
Make sure that you click on the lot you are interested in from the auction’s main page. Once you click on this thumbnail, it will take you to the specific item’s page, which includes a robust overview of that item. Our specialists list relevant information on this page, which includes details such as size, condition details, whether or not the piece is framed, detailed essays, links to more information, comparable items sold at auction, and high-resolution photos that you can zoom in on. Each lot page also includes the specific closing time for that item, as well as a link to contact a Waddington’s specialist for any further information you may require.
I am experiencing some technical issues with the auction interface and/or website. How can I reboot? How do I clear my history/cache?
- Try a Hard Refresh of Your Browser: A hard refresh can help clear cached data that might be causing the page to load improperly.
- Try Using a Different Browser: While we strive to support the majority of browsers, we recommend using Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari for the best experience.
- Clear Your Browsing History and Cache: Sometimes, accumulated data can interfere with website performance. Clearing your browsing history and cache might resolve the issue.
To hard refresh Safari:
Hold the Control key and press the F5 key
OR
Hold the Control key and click the Refresh button.
To hard refresh Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and related browsers:
Hold down the Control key and click the Reload button.
OR
Hold down Ctrl and press F5.
If you are unsure how to clear your browsing history or cache, please follow these links for instructions:
How to clear browsing history in Safari
How to clear browsing history in Chrome
MY FAVOURITES
How do I use the “Favourites” feature?
When viewing lots click the ‘heart’ button to add the item to your ‘My Favourites.’
Favouriting lots allows you to follow the lots you are interested in, all in one place. To stop favouriting a lot simply click on the heart button again.
MY FOLLOWED KEYWORDS
How do I use the “Followed Keywords” feature?
Followed Keyword alerts will notify you when an item or items matching your settings comes up to auction, making sure you don’t miss out on the works you’re interested in.
Once you have registered, click on the “My Account” option in the header bar. Once you are in your account, the menu bar on the left-hand side has a link to “My Followed Keywords.” Clicking on this link will bring you to a page which allows you to set up saved searches. Simply click “Add New”, enter your preferred keyword or keywords, and click “Save.”
WINNING BIDDERS
I have purchased something in the auction today, will you be emailing me an invoice? And may I pay online?
An email will be sent to you the business day following the auction closing. Payment instructions are provided along with a PDF copy of your invoice. If the day following the auction closing is a holiday you may not receive this email until the following Monday. If you have not received an invoice by the end of next business day please contact us at [email protected].
PAYMENT
Can I pay online?
You may make payments online. Following an auction you will receive an email with a link to our secure online payment portal to complete payment.
Can I pay using a credit card?
Yes, we accept Visa or Mastercard, not exceeding $25,000.
You can also save a credit card in our secure payment portal to make quick and easy payments. Credit cards are tokenised and saved with our payment processor partner, so you can be confident your credit card number is safe and secure.
Please note that we cannot accept credit card information over the telephone.
I don’t want to pay online, how else can I pay?
Payment for purchases can be made in person by Visa, Mastercard and INTERAC direct debit (applicable to Canadian in-person clients only), certified cheque (not applicable to U.S. and international sales), or bank draft. Please note that we cannot accept cash payments for purchases in our wine and spirits auctions.
PICK UP / SHIPPING
Where do I pick up my purchases?
Our offices are located at 100 Broadview Ave, Suite 200, in Toronto and 343 Railway Street, Suite 101, in Vancouver.
What are your hours of operations for pick ups?
Staff are available to facilitate your pick ups from 9 am to 4:30 pm.
Can I pick up my purchases the day the auction closes?
Purchases will be ready for pick up two business days following the close of the auction. For example, purchases can be picked up on Monday beginning at 9 am if the auction closed the previous Thursday.
Can I book an appointment in advance?
Yes, you may email us at [email protected] or call us at 416-504-9100 or 1-877-504-5700 and you will be directed to the appropriate department for assistance.
Are special arrangements required to pick up purchases of wine or spirits?
Yes, we require you to book an appointment. We will provide access to our easy-to-use appointment scheduler upon receiving payment for your wine or spirits purchases.
Appointments must be booked at least 48 hours in advance, which is also applicable for shippers / couriers picking up your purchases.
Additionally, all persons picking up purchases of wine or spirits must be at least 19 years of age, and you may be asked to provide government-issued identification.
Who do you recommend for shipping?
PakShip
Taurus Chan
905.470.6874 (Markham)
416.293.8225 (Scarborough)
905.470.6875
[email protected]
Safer Shipping Inc. (Formerly Envoy)
Attn: Perry Hehn
416 299 3367
[email protected]
We are also pleased to provide recommendations for specialised shipping; please contact the department specialists directly for further information.
Wine & Spirits Pick Up and Shipping
For information regarding pick-up and delivery for our Wine & Spirits customers, please visit:
https://www.waddingtons.ca/buy-sell/how-to-buy-wine-spirits/
MOBILE APP
Do you have a mobile app?
On the go? We invite you to use our mobile app, available for iOS and Android, downloadable on the App Store and Google Play.
Read more about the app here.