Oldlouis Philatelic Auctions Terms of Sale

All bidders (including auction agents) are subject to the following Conditions of Sale.

Bidding and Payment:

1. Buyers commission of 15% will be added to the hammer price of each lot and it is payable by the buyer.

2. All bids are per lot as numbered in the catalog unless otherwise announced by the auctioneer at the time of sale. The right is reserved to group two or more lots; to withdraw any lot or lots from the sale, or to act on behalf of the seller. Oldlouis will bid on behalf of clients, but will not be responsible for any errors in the execution of bidding instructions. The auctioneer shall regulate the bidding and in the event of any dispute, his decision shall be final.

3. Successful bidders are expected to make payment in full before the lots are delivered. Sales tax will be added to purchases where applicable.

4. Payments by cheques/checks/drafts or money orders may be subject to verification and/or clearance. Bidders wanting to pay by credit card may be required, at the auctioneer's discretion, to provide address/bank details etc for verification before the auction lots are sent, and the auctioneer reserves the right to refuse credit card payment and require payment by other methods.

5. If the purchase price has not been paid within the time limit, it may be resold and any loss arising from such sale will be charged to the defaulter. Any account more than thirty days in arrears is subject to a late payment charge of 2% per month so long as the account remains in arrears. If the auctioneer, in his discretion, should institute any action to secure payment of a delinquent account the defaulting purchaser shall pay all expenses incurred by the auctioneer and such charges will be added to the amount owed.

6. Until paid for in full, all lots remain the property of Oldlouis Auctions on behalf of the seller.

7. The purchaser of the lot shall be the highest bidder, as determined by the auctioneer. If identical absentee bids are received, the first bid processed takes precedence, and absentee bids take precedence over identical room bids.

8. All forwarding and handling charges will be added to the purchase price. The mode of shipment shall be at our option unless we are given specific instructions.

9. The auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw or re-offer any lot, group several lots together, refuse any bid or to refuse admission to the viewing area or auction room to any person.

10. New clients must, at auctioneers discretion, provide verifiable references, or enclose a deposit in advance of the sale.

11. Agents are responsible for all purchases made on behalf of their clients unless other arrangements are made prior to the sale.

12. The placing of a bid shall constitute acceptance of the foregoing conditions of sale.

Description:

1. Descriptions in the auction catalog are made with the greatest care, to the best of the auctioneer's ability. However, they are not to be taken as statements of fact. All larger quantities are approximate, while catalog values are taken from the latest editions available to the auctioneer, but are not guaranteed.

2. Single lots are sold as correctly described and genuine*, unless indicated to the contrary. All single lots qualified as "sold as is" in the description are not returnable for any reason. Bidders should be familiar with our list of abbreviations and condition descriptions as they form an integral part of the descriptions.

* Exception: Some of the overprinted stamps of Civil War in Russia period.

3. Single lots that are proven (to the auctioneer's satisfaction) to be not genuine or not as described may be returned within 14 days of receipt, in the same condition as received. If an item has been altered in any way, the buyer has no return rights unless the auctioneer has agreed in writing to such alteration (immersion in water or chemicals, removal of hinges/adhesions, addition or removal of marks of any kind).

4. Lots stated to contain a collection/accumulation/range etc with more than 10 items and/or any undescribed material are sold strictly 'as is' and must be taken with all faults and description errors (if any). Therefore, the buyer of any such lot has no right of rejection or return. Our description of lots is as per our catalog/website, while any owner's descriptions/notations inside an auction lot do not form part of our description. Also, items visible in scans on the website but not mentioned in our descriptions are not guaranteed in any way.

5. Items described as having defects/faults/imperfections/blemishes etc are not returnable on account of these or any other factors relating to their condition.

6. Postally used covers/cards etc can be expected to show some wear from their travels or from opening (ie: filing folds, backflap or edge faults etc). Blocks or sheets of stamps may have some perf separations or marginal faults. Unless severe such will not be mentioned, and are not grounds for return.

7. No lot can be rejected if the buyer, or his agent, had inspected the lot before the auction.

8. Buyers who are late with payment may forfeit any return privileges (even if the lot is not as described), as the vendor may have been already paid.

9. The auctioneer shall not be liable for any default of the purchaser or vendor. Also, the auctioneer shall not be liable for any error in the catalog text or illustrations or on the website. The only remedy possible for such errors in the auction catalog or website is cancellation of the sale of the relevant lots as per condition of sale (22), and refund of purchase price and commission.