Buying with us

Viewing

Catalogues are available on our website and at thesaleroom.com prior to every auction and many lots have multiple images, however we highly recommend viewing the lots in person if you are able to.

You can view items in person at the Auction Centre before every auction. We are open for viewing the day before Home & Interiors auctions 10am-7pm, and on sale days from 8.45am. We also have extended viewing for our specialist auctions – please see the relevant sale page for full dates and times.

Condition Reports

We can prepare Condition Reports on any lots which you are interested in bidding for. However, please remember that these are opinions only and NOT statements of fact (one person's ‘good’ may be another person's‘ not bad’). Therefore we would highly recommend viewing the lots in person if at all possible.

The absence of a condition report DOES NOT imply that a lot is free from faults, damage or imperfections.

Buyers Premium & Other Fees

Our Buyers Premium is 22.5% plus VAT*.

If you bid live through our website there is no additional charge (unless you have already registered on thesaleroom.com), or you can bid through thesaleroom.com platform but there is an extra 4.95% (plus VAT*) surcharge for this.

Some works of art are subject to droit de suite (Artist Resale Rights) at 4% (inclusive of VAT*) on top of the hammer price and Buyers Premium. This is applicable to paintings or works of art whilst the artist is living and for 70 years after the artists death. This charge is payable on lots with a hammer price in excess of £1000.

* VAT is at the prevailing rate.

How to bid

All of our sales also have live bidding either through our website or via thesaleroom.com platform. By this method you can listen to the auction live and bid with the click of a button. This service is free through our website or 4.95% on thesaleroom.com (plus VAT*) on top of the Buyers Premium. Please note that if you register for our auction on thesaleroom.com first, then you will still be liable for their fee even if you go on to bid live direct with us.

You can leave commission bids with us to bid on your behalf either by email, registering through the website, or telephoning our offices. This does not mean that your bid will be the hammer price – if the bidding stops below your bid, then you will buy the lot for the next suitable increment i.e. if your bid is £50 and bidding in the room stops at £35, then you will get the lot for £40 hammer price plus Buyers Premium.

We can also arrange telephone bidding for higher value lots. A member of staff will call you from the saleroom a few minutes before the lot is announced and will relay your bids to the auctioneer.

However, the best way to bid is by attending the auction – so why not make a day of it?

Lacy Scott & Knight Anti-Money Laundering Policy

Lacy Scott & Knight is committed to counter money laundering activities and terrorist financing activities. In accordance with recent Anti Money Laundering regulations as set out by law in the EU Fifth Money Laundering Directive (5MLD), we will take all reasonable steps to ensure that we comply with correct procedure. We are registered and supervised by HM Revenue & Customs for compliance.

To meet these obligations and before any sale is concluded over €10,000 (approx. £8,000), we are obliged by law to verify the identity of clients buying or selling works of art with us.

Individuals:
We will ask for a copy of a valid photo identity (a passport, driving licence or national ID card) which shows the buyer's full name, date of birth, nationality and permanent residential address.

Companies:
We will require company details including proof of incorporation, directors and the ultimate beneficial owners.

Agents/adviser:
When acting on behalf of a buyer, we will require you to identify the ultimate buyer in addition to yourself.

Payments will need to be received from a bank account held in the same name of the client named on the invoice and match the identity documents given, or by a card registered to the address in the invoice.

Any information you provide us with will be held securely and confidentially.

Attending the auction

All of our auctions are open to the public and we love to have you here!

Our saleroom is in the heart of Bury St Edmunds and we have our own car park for clients. You can register for a ‘paddle number’ at reception, which only takes a few seconds, then wave your paddle number at the auctioneer when you want to bid. You can pay for and collect your lots as soon as you finish bidding – no need to wait for the whole auction to end.

Selling rate

Our auctioneers sell at a rate of approx 100-120 lots per hour. However, this is very approximate and some auctioneers are faster than others – please make sure you allow extra time just in case one of our auctioneers has had a little too much coffee that morning…

Paying

We accept cash (up to £7,500), cheques and all major credit/debit cards (except AMEX and Diners Club).

We bank with Lloyds and our details are; Lacy Scott & Knight LLP ACCOUNT NO: 32257868 SORT CODE: 306422

SWIFT/BIC: LOYDGB21666 IBAN: GB71LOYD 3064 2232 2578 68

If you are present at the auction, you can pay at reception and collect as soon as you have finished bidding.

If you are not present or do not pay on the day of the auction, then we will email your invoice after the sale. You can pay through our website, telephone our offices with your card details (some exclusions apply), or make a bank transfer using the details above.

You can also come to pay and collect from the Auction Centre Monday to Friday 9am – 5.30pm.

If you bid via thesaleroom.com platform, we will automatically debit your registered card a few days after the auction if payment has not already been received.

Postage

Full postage rates can be viewed here.

At YOUR liability, we offer a fully tracked postage & packing service. We use APC Couriers and everything is sent 24 hour tracked and signed for. Our standard mainland UK charge is £20 for up to 3 lots, and £2.00 per lot thereafter, regardless of weight (max.30kg). Some exclusions apply for larger lots such as dinner services, please contact our offices for a quote with regards to larger or bulkier lots and for global shipping costs on postage@lsk.co.uk.

Please note that this service is not insured, therefore if purchasers require further cover, then they must arrange this themselves. For clients who require insurance we can send within Europe by Parcelforce, please contact our offices for a quote on postage@lsk.co.uk. Lacy Scott & Knight accept no liability for items which are damaged or lost during postage, and cannot and will not assist in any claims unless insurance cover has been taken out. Please give clear instructions when settling your account as to your shipping requirements so that we can process full payment and ship within 10 working days.

You can simply add the postage amount to your bank transfer or website payment.

Please note that Lacy Scott & Knight DO NOT accept any liability for loss or damage, however caused. For large, high value parcels (over £2,500) or fragile items we STRONGLY RECOMMEND Mail Boxes Etc, tel. 01245 262 527 (email info@mbechelmsford.uk ); for larger items such as furniture Alban Shipping, tel.01582 493 099 (email info@albanshipping.co.uk). If you instruct an alternative courier to collect, this charges at £8 per parcel packed and NO liability is accepted.