Auction delivery charge

StAlly

I just won an auction listed on bidspotter for 120 quid.  In the shipping info it indicated a pallet delivery for 60gbp + VAT depending on area. I have just received a bill for 144 including Vat for the shipping. When queried they said as I'm in Northern Ireland it costs them more given Brexit. There's no indication in the t&cs that a charge of more than double the estimated cost would apply. It costs more than the item. They've refused to cancel the order but am I liable to pay this? Surely they can't just charge an undisclosed amount for delivery and demand you pay it? 

cattie

Well if it said depending on area you should have queried the cost of delivery before bidding. This is what I would have done instead of assuming that it would just cost the £60+vat amount, especially it being a pallet delivery. It isn't an undisclosed amount they're asking for, the actual amount to NI would have been made known if only you'd had asked for a price beforehand.

davidmcn

Bidspotter appears to be a marketplace, so the terms would have been those of the auctioneer in question - who are they?

Were you buying as a consumer?

soolin

StAlly said:

I just won an auction listed on bidspotter for 120 quid.  In the shipping info it indicated a pallet delivery for 60gbp + VAT depending on area. I have just received a bill for 144 including Vat for the shipping. When queried they said as I'm in Northern Ireland it costs them more given Brexit. There's no indication in the t&cs that a charge of more than double the estimated cost would apply. It costs more than the item. They've refused to cancel the order but am I liable to pay this? Surely they can't just charge an undisclosed amount for delivery and demand you pay it? 

It is fairly usual for Northern Ireland to attract an additional charge, the same applies to buyers in the Highlands and on islands. As above really, since you live in an area that usually attracts a supplement it might have been wise to ask before bidding. On bidspotter the ability to send a message about delivery to the auctioneer is there on every single listing.

You might try asking the auctioneer if they will cancel your bid, I don't use bidspotter but I use similar sites and on most of those if a buyer insists on cancelling they are usually charged the difference between their winning bid and the next bid down so that seller is not out of pocket. Be careful to do it quickly though as usually these sites expect you to have a card registered and will charge that if you don't pay up. 

StAlly

Haddon and James were the auctioneers. I completely realise I should have queried in advance and would have expected an additional charge for my area, I just wasn't expecting a double and some charge that's non negotiable. I am a consumer, yes of 4 plastic garden chairs! 

soolin

That's one of the companies that states they are B2B only which might complicate this a bit. (taken from their web page)
https://www.haddonandjames.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/
1.2.1        All sales are made on a ‘wholesale’ basis and are not ‘retail’ sales, meaning all transactions are made strictly as business-to-business sales only;

and from bidspotter
https://www.bidspotter.co.uk/en-gb/auction-catalogues/haddon-and-james/catalogue-id-ibhe13525/terms-and-conditions#important-info

We are not a retail company; therefore all sales sit outside of the standard consumer legislation. 

pinkshoes

StAlly said:

Haddon and James were the auctioneers. I completely realise I should have queried in advance and would have expected an additional charge for my area, I just wasn't expecting a double and some charge that's non negotiable. I am a consumer, yes of 4 plastic garden chairs! 

Could you get a quote for your own courier and offer to get them collected?

(They might not allow this though... but you could use it to show that their postage cost is unreasonable).

davidmcn

Although Norn Iron isn't particularly "international", their clause about international destinations state they'll give a quote in advance (presumably for you to say yay or nay to):

"11.2.1      your Order must be paid for in full before we can provide you with a quotation for delivery"

(though that still suggests you've got to pay for the item and then haggle about who/how it's going to be delivered).

soolin

davidmcn said:

Although Norn Iron isn't particularly "international", their clause about international destinations state they'll give a quote in advance (presumably for you to say yay or nay to):

"11.2.1      your Order must be paid for in full before we can provide you with a quotation for delivery"

(though that still suggests you've got to pay for the item and then haggle about who/how it's going to be delivered).

That is normal with this type of auction, that's why they suggest contacting them before you bid for a more accurate quote for your area. You pay and then pay separately for the courier - and of course they often charge a hefty packing bill as well. 

soolin

pinkshoes said:

StAlly said:

Haddon and James were the auctioneers. I completely realise I should have queried in advance and would have expected an additional charge for my area, I just wasn't expecting a double and some charge that's non negotiable. I am a consumer, yes of 4 plastic garden chairs! 

Could you get a quote for your own courier and offer to get them collected?

(They might not allow this though... but you could use it to show that their postage cost is unreasonable).

Again I don't use this specific auction house but the ones I do use tend to have a hefty packing charge when customer sends their own courier. They also tend to need a guaranteed collection time, which tends to mean that only the more expensive couriers need to be used. 

StAlly

Oh dear, it all sounds a bit hopeless for me. A costly lesson I suppose