Frequently Asked Questions
Bidding
What is the Auto bid?
The Auto bid button function is there to assist with winning an auction and allows you to bid up to a
predetermined bid price specified at the relevant bid increment. As a buyer you need to tick this box
on the item when placing a bid and the computer will bid on your behalf against opposing bids up to the
total amount specified. AutoBid will never bid more than the maximum amount you have indicated.
For instance: If you are bidding on wine and do not want to pay more than $60, type $60 in the bid box
and tick the auto bid box. Your bid will be placed at the current amount; say $30 with an AutoBid of
$60. You will win at $30 if no one else bids it up and if it has reached any reserves put in place by
the seller. If someone else places a bid at $40, your bid is automatically raised to $50 and you still
have the winning bid because your AutoBid was in place before the competing $40 bid was placed. (The Auto
Bid amount increases in response to competing bids and is determined by our bid increments illustrated in
the help guide). This process will continue until the bid amount reaches your specified maximum of $60.
You will also be notified by email each time you are outbid by other registered users bidders on our site.
What is the Buyers Premium?
The Buyers Premium is a charge of 15% (excl GST) that is applied to the purchase price of every item won at
auction. It is always a percentage of the purchase price. This is applicable in all auction businesses and
is significantly lower than a physical business.
I want to notify a friend of a particular auction. How can I do this?
A link to an item page can be forwarded to a friend automatically through the website page. Use the
“Email a Friend” link accessible from the item listing page.
How much are the bidding increments?
The following increments apply:
| Between $1 - $250 |
$10.00 |
| Between $250 and $500 |
$20.00 |
| Between $500 and $1,000 |
$50.00 |
| Over $1,000 |
$100.00 |
Do you accept any other payments apart from credit cards?
At present we only accept Visa and MasterCard. If you wish to have your account on bank payment terms please
contact our office. We are looking to introduce PayPal in September 2009 which will allow users the option of
choosing a credit card payment, PayPal or BPay.
When will my credit card be charged for auction winnings and shipping?
If you are the winning bidder on a lot or several lots, your credit card will be charged directly after the
auction closes up to $3,000. The charge will reflect the total hammer price of all lots you acquired, plus the
buyer's premium, transport costs & GST. You will receive an invoice with any outstanding amount by email listing
the lots you won within two days of the close of the auction.
How do I know whether I am bidding for 1 bottle or a case?
Wine quantity is clearly described in the title of the lot, from 1 to 12 units. The single bid price is for that
whole lot.
Deliveries
When will my item be delivered?
Delivery times can be anywhere between 2 and 10 working days from payment date, depending on your location. For
example, if you live in a metropolitan area, it is likely you will receive your goods before a customer living
in a rural, regional or interstate location.
We use Australia Post for the majority of our dispatch and Private couriers for Metropolitan Sydney. If you have
not received your goods after 7 business days, please contact our Customer Service team by filling in the contact
us form accessed from the top of the home page or click here. Further information can be obtained by accessing
our Freight and Delivery page on the home page.
Can I pick up my item won?
The majority of our items are sold for delivery by Australia Post and Private Couriers anywhere in Australia. Pick
up is not unfortunately available for these sales. Where pick up is available this will be clearly displayed on
the listed item.
How much does shipping cost?
We use either a postcode calculator or fixed cost method which is clearly illustrated on the right hand side of
each item. With postcode method the cost will vary depending on your location in Australia. Prior to bidding
please put in your post code and this will determine the price charged for freight.
The goods are different than described. What can I do?
If the item you receive is significantly different to the item described on the item page, please register the
issue with our office within 5 days of delivery. Details of our refunds and returns are located on a page accessed
from the top of the home page.
My Account
How do I update my account information?
You need to log into your account and click on ‘My Account’ and then ‘My Profile’ and update details
accordingly. If you have forgotten your password then please click on the forgotten password and type in your
email address. Our computer system will automatically generate a new one for you. If you access an incorrect
password more than three times you will be locked out of your account for security reasons. You will need to
contact our office for assistance.
Technical Problems
I'm not receiving outbid notifications, consignment information, or post auction invoices. What do I do?
Please contact our office and we will investigate this for you and endeavour to correct it within 24 hrs of
notification. Where the matter is IT related which will lodge this with our IT team and keep you notified of
progress in resolution.
Privacy and Security
What is Empire Auctions’ privacy policy?
Please review our Privacy Policy which can be accessed from the home page by clicking
here.
What is Empire Auctions’ policy on unsolicited commercial email (UCE or spam)?
Empire Auctions is an Opt-in website. Please visit Update Registration to view your email preferences options. If
at any point, you decide to opt-out of receiving emails or other correspondence from us, you may either update
your email preferences or contact us to do so. Empire Auctions is committed to the privacy of your email
account. We will not share your email address with any other party, unless legally required by a court order.
Empire Auctions will never intentionally send Unsolicited Commercial Email (UCE) or SPAM. If you suspect a problem
or have any questions about this policy, please contact us.
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