From Bonhams' AUCTION INFORMATION
Buyers' Obligations
ALL BIDDERS MUST AGREE THAT THEY HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD BONHAMS'
CONDITIONS OF SALE AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THEM, AND AGREE TO PAY THE
BUYER'S PREMIUM AND ANY OTHER CHARGES MENTIONED IN THE
NOTICE TO BIDDERS. THIS AFFECTS THE BIDDERS LEGAL RIGHTS.
If you have any complaints or questions about the
Conditions of Sale, please contact your nearest
client services team.
Buyers' Premium and Charges
For all Sales categories, buyer's premium excluding Cars, Motorbikes, Wine, Whisky and Coin & Medal sales, will be as follows:
Buyer's Premium Rates
28% on the first £40,000 of the hammer price;
27% of the hammer price of amounts in excess of £40,000 up to and including £800,000;
21% of the hammer price of amounts in excess of £800,000 up to and including £4,500,000;
and 14.5% of the hammer price of any amounts in excess of £4,500,000.
A 3rd party bidding platform fee of 4% of the Hammer Price for Buyers using the following bidding platforms will be added to the invoices of successful Buyers for auctions starting on or after 6th July 2024 – Invaluable; Live Auctioneers; The Saleroom; Lot-tissimo.
VAT at the current rate of 20% will be added to the
Buyer's Premium and charges excluding Artists Resale Right.
Does anyone know the
rationale for this
buyer's premium thing ?
Is it only on collectibles and antiques ? I ask as I've never heard of such charges being levied on people buying say land or houses.
When I was in primary school some of the old math questions used to attribute the auctioneer's commission to the buyer. But I recall a teacher saying that this was changed to make the seller pay it as they were the ones benefitting from the auction service.
And then the bar-stars add on VAT as well
although I'm told this won't be applied to non-UK buyers.
I think we might be in the wrong line of work if margins by collectables auction houses are so thick.
Funny none of these recent schoolboy entrepreneurs thought of starting an online auction house with more humanely applied charges
Maybe I should ask BB if this constitutes an entrant for AAM's proposed new business ideas sub-forum . . .