We certainly do not make 40-50% on every lot and our average price per lot would be far removed from that of some other firms.
It is a legal requirement not to charge for fees for card payments and those auctioneers that have absorbed the fees without adjusting their other charges may already have a much higher commission charge than others.
In our case, buyer’s premium is 17.5% plus VAT, which we believe is fair. To increase it because of the few people who wish to pay by card would be to the detriment of all other buyers and that strikes us as unfair.
I would love to invite both those letter writers to come to see a provincial auction house behind the scenes, and witness the sheer amount of work that goes into it all.
For the most part, dealers and auctioneers work side by side, but to the uninitiated last week’s letters could suggest otherwise, which is unfortunate as we are all working to the same end.
Richard Winterton
Director, Richard Winterton Auctioneers
