Buyer Terms & Conditions
1. Acceptance of these Terms
These Buyer Terms and Conditions apply to all users who register, bid, or purchase items through Blooms Auction.
By creating an account, placing a bid, or completing a purchase, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms.
No exceptions to these Terms apply unless expressly confirmed in writing by a Director of Blooms Auction.
2. Role of Blooms Auction
All items listed on Blooms Auction are sold on behalf of third-party sellers. Blooms Auction acts solely as an agent and is not the seller of any item.
Unless expressly stated otherwise on the listing, sellers are private individuals. Where an item is sold on behalf of a business, this will be clearly stated in the item description.
Title to the item passes directly from the seller to the buyer upon completion of the sale and receipt of payment, subject to these Terms.
3. Buyer Eligibility and Account Classification
When creating an account, you must declare whether you are acting as a private individual or as a business buyer. This declaration forms part of your agreement with Blooms Auction and cannot be changed at a later date.
If you wish to participate in both capacities, you must create separate accounts.
Blooms Auction reserves the right to reclassify an account where behaviour, purchasing activity, or other evidence contradicts the declaration made at registration.
4. Identity Verification and Anti-Money Laundering
Blooms Auction may require buyers to verify their identity using our chosen identity verification partner. Identity verification may be required for higher-value purchases, frequent buyers, or where required by our payment processors, banking partners, insurers, or applicable anti-money laundering regulations.
Where identity verification is required, purchased items will be held and will not be released or dispatched until verification has been successfully completed.
Failure or refusal to complete required identity verification may result in cancellation of the sale and suspension or termination of your account.
5. Buyer’s Premium
A buyer’s premium is payable on all successful purchases. The buyer’s premium is set by Blooms Auction, typically at 20 – 25 percent of the hammer price, and is clearly displayed before bidding and at the point of purchase.
The buyer’s premium is non-negotiable and payable in addition to the hammer price.
6. Payment Terms
Upon completion of an auction, Blooms Auction will attempt to take payment automatically using the debit or credit card registered to the buyer’s account.
Payment by card through Blooms Auction’s online payment system is the only guaranteed and universally accepted method of payment.
Full payment is due within 24 hours of the auction ending.
Blooms Auction may, at its sole discretion, agree to accept payment by cheque for purchases exceeding £2,500. Any such acceptance:
- Must be agreed in writing by Blooms Auction before payment is made
- Is subject to sufficient time being available to receive and clear the cheque
- May depend on any agreed payment timelines with the seller
- Will not result in dispatch of the item until funds have fully cleared
Blooms Auction does not accept cash, bank transfers, traveller’s cheques, cryptocurrency, or any other form of payment under any circumstances. This restriction applies without exception and is necessary for fraud prevention, anti-money laundering compliance, and payment security purposes.
If payment is not successfully taken within the required timeframe, Blooms Auction may cancel the sale without limitation or right of appeal. In such cases, Blooms Auction reserves the right to suspend or permanently ban the buyer from future bidding and to charge a fee equivalent to the applicable buyer’s premium.
7. Binding Nature of Bids
All bids placed on Blooms Auction are legally binding.
Bids may not be withdrawn once placed.
Repeated incremental bidding for the purpose of testing reserve levels or influencing auction pricing is not permitted.
Blooms Auction reserves the right to suspend or permanently restrict accounts engaging in bidding behaviour which undermines the integrity of the auction process.
Failure to honour a winning bid may result in cancellation of the sale, account suspension, recovery of applicable fees, and reporting to relevant third-party bidding databases where appropriate.
8. Holding of Funds as Stakeholder
Blooms Auction routinely holds buyer funds as stakeholder for a period following completion of the sale.
Funds are not released to the seller until:
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The item has been dispatched by Blooms Auction
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Any required identity verification has been completed
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The buyer’s authenticity dispute period has expired without issue
Seller payment typically occurs 10 to 14 days after the auction ends.
9. Dispatch, Postage, Packaging & Shipping Arrangements
All items are held by Blooms Auction prior to auction and are dispatched by Blooms Auction, not by the seller.
Items are typically dispatched within 1 – 5 working days of the auction ending, subject to payment and any required identity verification.
Delivery is deemed complete when the item is confirmed as delivered by the courier to the buyer’s nominated address.
Postage, packaging, and insurance charges are not included in the hammer price or the buyer’s premium unless expressly stated on the item listing.
Blooms Auction uses a range of reputable couriers depending on the nature of the item, its final value, destination, and any insurance requirements. As the final value of an item is not known until the auction concludes, postage and packaging charges cannot usually be confirmed in advance of bidding.
Shipping charges will be calculated after the auction has ended and will reflect prevailing market rates for appropriate delivery.
Where international shipping is required, Blooms Auction will provide a shipping quotation as soon as reasonably practicable after the auction closes. Dispatch will not occur until shipping costs have been accepted and paid.
Buyers who have specific preferences regarding shipping method, declared value, or courier must raise these in writing before placing a bid. Blooms Auction cannot guarantee that all preferences can be accommodated.
Collection in person from Blooms Auction premises is available by prior arrangement and is subject to the terms set out in Clause 9.
Collection by a buyer’s own courier may be permitted where agreed in writing prior to bidding. Where a buyer arranges their own courier:
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Risk passes to the buyer upon collection from Blooms Auction premises
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Blooms Auction accepts no responsibility for loss, delay, or damage in transit
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Any enhanced authenticity guarantee will be treated as equivalent to in-person collection unless otherwise agreed
10. Collection in Person
Blooms Auction may allow buyers to collect items in person from Blooms Auction premises. Collection directly from sellers is not permitted.
Where an item is collected in person, the buyer will be given the opportunity to inspect the item at the point of collection. The buyer must either:
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Accept the item and confirm acceptance of its condition and authenticity, or
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Reject the item and return it immediately at the point of collection
Once an item has been accepted and released to the buyer at collection, Blooms Auction’s enhanced authenticity guarantee does not apply.
11. Authenticity Guarantee
Blooms Auction guarantees the authenticity of all items sold through the platform, subject to the conditions set out in these Terms.
For items delivered by courier, buyers may dispute authenticity by notifying Blooms Auction immediately and in all cases within 7 calendar days of confirmed receipt of the item.
For items collected in person, any authenticity or condition concerns must be raised at the point of collection. Once an item has been accepted and released to the buyer at collection, Blooms Auction’s enhanced authenticity guarantee does not apply.
All authenticity determinations are made by Blooms Auction’s experts and, where appropriate, independent third parties.
If an item is confirmed not to be genuine within the applicable authenticity dispute period, Blooms Auction will refund the buyer the full amount paid for the item, including the buyer’s premium. Blooms Auction will pursue the seller separately, including through legal proceedings if necessary.
The refund described above is the buyer’s sole and exclusive remedy under Blooms Auction’s authenticity guarantee. No further compensation is payable under any circumstances, and Blooms Auction’s total liability in connection with authenticity is strictly limited to the total amount paid by the buyer for the item.
12. Expiry of Enhanced Authenticity Guarantee
Blooms Auction’s enhanced authenticity guarantee expires:
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7 calendar days after confirmed delivery for shipped items, or
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Immediately upon acceptance for items collected in person
After expiry of the enhanced authenticity guarantee, Blooms Auction has no further obligation in respect of authenticity beyond any statutory rights that may apply.
13. Marketing Communications
By creating an account or making a purchase through Blooms Auction, you acknowledge that Blooms Auction may send you marketing communications relating to future auctions, similar items, platform updates, and related services.
You may unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time by:
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Clicking the unsubscribe link included in any marketing email, or
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Emailing info@bloomsauction.com requesting removal from marketing communications
Unsubscribing from marketing communications will not affect transactional or service-related communications relating to your account, active bids, purchases, or contractual matters.
Blooms Auction will process opt-out requests promptly and in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.
14. Consumer Rights
Where applicable, buyers purchasing as consumers retain their statutory consumer rights.
Standard ‘cooling-off’ rights under distance selling regulations do not apply to auction purchases. Protections relating to misdescription and authenticity remain unaffected within the applicable dispute periods.
15. Public Statements and Reputational Harm
During the course of any authenticity investigation, buyers must not make public statements or allegations relating to the authenticity of an item other than to Blooms Auction, relevant authorities, or professional advisers.
Unproven public allegations may cause reputational harm to Blooms Auction, sellers, and associated parties.
Nothing in these Terms limits Blooms Auction’s rights to pursue remedies available under applicable law in respect of false or misleading public statements which cause demonstrable loss.
16. Suspension and Termination
Blooms Auction reserves the right to suspend, restrict, or permanently block any user account at any time and at its sole discretion, with or without notice.
17. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Buyer Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction.