IMPORTANT BIDDING INSTRUCTIONS (off site)

  • LIVE PREVIEW: Tuesday, January 2, 2024, 12pm – 1 pm at 151 Vine Street, Batavia, NY 14020
  • Auction Closes: Wednesday, January 3, 2024 at 6:00 PM (soft close)
  • How To Register And Create Your Hibid.com Bidding Account: Watch this 3 minute video that shows how to create your bidding profile. Click here: https://youtu.be/IUuCzrp8O8M
  • Before You Bid: Pay close attention to the instructions for pick up date, shipping, and location for pick up. These details change from auction to auction and we do not want our customers to have to pay additional fees for failure to follow directions. Due to the cost of running a business, there are fees for late payment, alternate pick up, and handling items for shipping. Make sure your credit/debit information is correct and up to date- it will automatically be charged if you bid successfully.
  • Bidding Process: Bidders can register and bid anytime between the auction start and close dates. At the closing time, items will begin closing out at the rate published (usually between 4 and 6 items per minute.) Any bidding activity in the last minute of a lot will increase the bid time by 2 more minutes. It will not increase the bid time for other lots.
  • To Bid: Click the “Bid” button or the plus sign (+) found next to the item you want to bid on. A screen will pop up that shows the next increment you must bid in order to be entered in the bidding. For items that show “X” and a number, your bid will be multiplied by that number.
  • Max Bid: You can leave a “max bid” on any item, meaning that the computer will bid for you up to the maximum amount you entered. You may win the item for less than your maximum if other bidders stop bidding at an amount less than your maximum. If someone else has left a larger Max Bid, it is possible to be outbid immediately.
  • Refresh Your Screen: Refresh your screens as often as possible to try to eliminate any internet or hardware delays when the auction closes.
  • Fees Added To Your Bid: We add sales tax and buyer’s premium to your bid.
  • Payment: If your bid is successful at the close of the auction, your credit card will automatically be charged. We do not accept payment at the dispersal site. All payments will be charged to the credit/debit card you put on file when you register for this auction. Please make sure that your credit card information is up to date and your account is able to cover your charges. We are unable to take card information over the phone because of the increased risk of fraudulent activity. Any changes to your card information must be made before you register or bid. 
  • How You Will Know If You Won: We will send you an email with your receipt.  Your receipt will be needed at the pick up location for your own reference, to make sure you received all of your lots. If you believe you are a successful bidder and you do not see the email in your inbox, check your spam folder first before calling our office at 585-343-4529.
  • How To Let Us Know Whether You Want Shipping or Pick Up: After the auction closes completely and all receipts have been emailed, we will send you a separate text/email asking you to choose if you want to pick up your lots or have them shipped.  (Only lots with the “Shipping Available” or blue truck icon will be shipped.)  After you choose your option, please follow the instructions for either confirming shipping info or setting up your pick up appointment.
  • When & Where Is Pick Up? By appointment only in the City of Batavia, NY by appointment on: – Friday, January 5th, from 9am – 3pm.  Bidders will be able to see the full address and pick up instructions when they reserve their pick up appointment through Shipping Saint. You must bring loading help for large or heavy items.
  • What If You Cannot Make The Pick Up Date?  Make every effort to pick up on the designated date.  It is fine to send a friend, employee or family member to pick up for you. We must charge a minimum of $40 per per man hour, prorated based on size/volume/time, to deal with items that are not picked up during the scheduled pick up hours. Individuals requiring that their lots be “left out” or moved for early, late, or alternate pickup, will be charged. We do not move items from one auction dispersal location to another auction dispersal location. Fee is charged whether or not you give us notice that you can’t pick up.
  • Who Can Help Load My Purchases? Bring your own loading assistance, packing materials, and tools for removal of items.  A skid loader will be on site for large items that cannot be hand loaded.  The skid loader will be operated by Bontrager staff and is free of charge.  We ask you to be patient in waiting for other customers to be loaded.  
  • Do We Ship?  We do not automatically ship every lot. Each lot has an icon for either “shipping available” or “no shipping available”.  We charge for materials and packaging time, and there is a $40 per man hour charge for transporting your lots from the auction site to the auction house for packaging.  We do not ship to PO Boxes. We are unable to overnight express packages. Unusually fragile items (glass, lamps, etc.) will be taken to UPS for professional packaging at buyer’s expense. Buyer pays shipping, insurance, signature confirmation and handling fee. (Handling fees depend on materials/time required). There is a $50 surcharge for our time after we have packaged items or transported them to a packager and the buyer then decides shipping is too expensive.  Let us know you want your items shipped by clicking the “shipping” button in the text/email you receive after the auction has closed. 
  • Tax Exempt Policy: Make sure your tax exempt information is complete, up to date, and on file with the auction company even if you’ve bid with us before. Forms can be scanned to [email protected], or faxed to 585-343-4530. Do not text or email pictures of forms because they don’t print out clearly. THE NAME AND ADDRESS YOU PROVIDE IN THE TOP SECTION MUST EXACTLY MATCH THE DBA ON FILE WITH THE STATE OR THE TAXATION DEPT. WILL CONSIDER IT AN INVALID FORM. Only tax exempt information submitted BEFORE 5 pm on the night the auction closes will be eligible for reimbursement of sales tax for this auction. There is a $5 processing fee for tax forms submitted after the deadline and a refund is requested. Forms must be signed by the authorized person as well as the actual purchaser who is bidding in the auction. Use the links below for New York State Resale Certificate and Farm Exempt forms (other forms can be found on the NY State Taxation website- www.tax.ny.gov):
    NYS ST-125 Farmer’s and Commercial Horse Boarding Operation: https://www.tax.ny.gov/pdf/current_forms/st/st125.pdf
    NYS ST-120 Resale Certificate: https://www.tax.ny.gov/pdf/current_forms/st/st120_fill_in.pdf
  • Special Emergency Statement: If there is a storm or emergency event that prevents the pick up from taking place, we will contact successful bidders by email- so check your email before calling us. Otherwise, plan on the pick up happening as planned.
  • Think You Won But Didn’t Get An Email? If you win a bid, we will send you an email after the auction with important information including your receipt and pick up appointment info.. Make sure it doesn’t get lost in your Spam or Junk by adding us to your email Contact List.