Bidding Procedures

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Please note that we have mail, phone and fax Auctions from time to time.

During auctions, the Home Page states the closing date and time of the Auction.

If there is no date on the top left corner of the Home page, No auction is going on at that time and inventory items are offered at fixed prices.

Below are some AUCTION BIDDING FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• What do the abbreviations in the item description mean?

ALS: Autograph letter signed. The letter is entirely in the hand of the author and is also signed by him
AQS: Autograph quotation signed. AQMS: Autograph Musical Quotation signed
DS: Document signed.
LS: Letter signed. The letter is not written in the author’ own hand, but it is signed by him personally.
TLS: Typed letter signed.
SP: Signed photograph. ISP: Inscribed signed Photo

Are all items on the site available for sale, if no auction is going on?

If no auction is going on: The items on our site are usually available for sale at the listed price, but items are always subject to prior sale since the site may not have been just updated.

Payment is always expected prior to shipment. Checks take 10 days to clear. Money orders or PayPal Visa or Master Charge Payments can be shipped with no delays. Cost of shipping, insurance and Sales Tax is incurred by the purchaser and will be added to your invoice.

• If you are having a mail, phone and fax auction, How do I place a bid?
Just call us at (818) 784-1776 and place a bid or you can ask for the current bid on any item you want. To put a bid you must then raise the current bid by at least 10%.

Fax us your bids at (818) 784-7733, and we will enter the bids for you.

E-mail us at: max@maxrambod.com (E-mail bids are accepted, but not recommended in the last hours of auctions. This is due to the difficulties inherent in exchanging any kind of time-sensitive information over the Internet). We regret that we cannot accept bids via e-mail after 7 PM on the last day of the auction. But you can Fax or Call anytime up to the closing time.

• When does the auction start?
As soon as you receive your catalog, or you see the site. Our business hours are 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM (PCT), Monday-Friday. We will be answering the phone until 7:30 PM on auction day. After that we go to the 5 minutes rule.

• What are the rules of the auction?
By placing a bid you are accepting the Terms and Conditions of the auction. Please go to Terms and Condition to read the full text of the agreement.

• If I call, will you tell me what the high bid is on any lot?
Yes.

• After I place a bid, can I withdraw my bid?
No bids may be withdrawn at any time.

• What is a maximum bid?
To avoid busy phones lines, you can put maximum bids on any item. Here is an example: an item you want is currently at $200. You tell us, "My maximum bid is $400 for that lot." We will enter your bid at $220 (10% over the last bid of $200) and we will bid for you until the lot reaches your maximum of $400. If the highest bid on the lot reached only $240, you would win the lot for $264 (10% over the highest bid.)

• If another bidder bids above my bid, will you inform me?
The rule is: do not depend on us to tell you if you are outbid. If time permits, we will try to inform you by fax (If we have your fax number). But unfortunately, it would be impossible to contact each bidder that is outbid. And toward the last hours we can not contact you, as the lines are too busy.

• How often should I check on my bids?
That is up to you, many fax or call in bids in the first week of the auction. Most bidders also call during the final 2 days of the auction to have the opportunity to raise a bid on something they want. You can call as may times as you like.

• How do I know the autograph is genuine?
We check the authenticity of every autograph that we offer for sale. This is done by Max Rambod himself, an expert in the field, who has done authentication work for many years. We also provide a guarantee of authenticity on every autograph we sell. We are a member of all respected associations in the autograph field: PADA, UACC, IADA and the Manuscript Society.

• Can I get additional information or description of any lot?
Call us for any additional information on any lot you want. We will be happy to offer any additional information on the lot you are interested in, but please do so before the last few hours of the auction.

• Can I bid less than the minimum bid?
No. This is the least bid amount we can accept on that lot.

• What does the estimate represent?
The estimates for each lot are our opinion of current market value. Estimates should not be relied upon as a representation or prediction of actual selling prices.

• What is the buyer's premium?
A buyer's premium of 15% is added to the Winning Bid of all lots. Winner must also pay shipping charges and applicable Sales Tax. Payment is expected prior to shipment.

Sales Tax: All CA residents are required to add appropriate sales tax.

• How do I know if I won a lot?
We will notify every successful bidder of their winning bids by mail and fax. If you would like to be notified sooner, please let us know your fax number.

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