i was at a live consignment auction not e-bay and there was a desk that sold for $135 The auctioneer did not say there was a reserve price . After the auctioneer said sold the seller said that he can not sell the desk for that price. Can the buyer force the seller to sell when the seller did not say there was a reserve price ? When does a contract occur at a auction ? When the auctioneer says sold ?
Once the auctioneer says sold, it is sold. The seller can’t change their mind at that point.
Leave it up to the auctioneer to take care of the problem. If the auction house does not make it right with you I wouldn’t be attending anymore auctions at that particular place…it would only indicate more shady dealings.
It also wouldn’t hurt to publicise the fact that the auction house is a bad one.
The same thing happened to me once at Wechsler’s in Washington DC. I was the high bidder but the auctioneer said it would not be sold, without having first said there was any reserve. When I questioned him he was very unfriendly and I just dropped the matter. He just said he could do it and he was doing it.
To me, that is a different matter. As far as I know, it is customary in some cases for the seller and the auctioneer to pre-arrange a secret reserve price. If the item does not get to the reserve, it is withdrawn.
in dave316’s case, the auctioneer indicated that the item was sold to the highest bidder. I would hold the auctioneer’s feet to the fire and have them persuade the seller to give up the item or ban them from ever selling again.
Are auctioneers licensed? Maybe you could write the auctioneers licensing board?