1.0 Introduction
When you participate in the auction, you signify your agreement to these terms and conditions of sale. Your agreement will create an agreement between you and Sylvie's. Purchases you make at Sylvie's are irrevocable and legally binding. Please therefore read these conditions carefully.
Terms and conditions may change over time. Sylvie's is free to amend the terms and conditions as soon as it deems necessary. Changes to general terms and conditions will take effect with the next unpublished auction.
Sylvie's prefers to announce substantive changes via a newsletter. Newsletters can be found on this website.
Before every auction you will be asked to sign the terms and conditions valid at that time. It remains your responsibility to carefully examine what you sign.
These terms and conditions of sale contain links to some web pages. These form an integral part of the general terms and conditions of sale. Once these pages are revised, the date of revision of the general terms and conditions of sale also changes.
The date of the most recent amendment to the general terms and conditions of sale is 19 February 2024
1.1 Sylvie’s Wine Auctions
Sylvie's was founded on 24 August 1987 as HIKA. Since 10 January 2022, the official name has been Sylvie's Wine Auctions.
For better readability, we use the term 'Sylvie's' instead of 'Sylvie's Wine Auctions' in these terms and conditions. When the terms 'we', 'our' and 'us' are used, they refer to Sylvie's. In contrast, the terms 'you' and 'your' refer to you as the buyer in these terms of sale. The same terms refer to you in the consignment terms and conditions when you sell wine
1.2 Transparent and personal service
We aim to provide a personal and transparent service. We do this in the following ways:
For all your questions, please contact us by e-mail or phone. We will be happy to help you.
1.3 Multimedia use
Bidding is possible as soon as the catalogue is published.
We auction via several platforms at the same time. You can bid live, in our auction room or over the phone, as well as live online. It is also possible to place a maximum bid. You can do the latter:
Bidders on the app receive an automatic message when they bid against bidders on the app, but no automatic message when they are outbid by bids coming from other platforms (so-called 'Floor Bids'). The path numbers of the 'Floor bidders' and their bids will be visible on the app during the live auction. If there are more bidders with the same highest bid, the auctioneers pronounce it during the live auction. This gives you a chance to raise your bid if you wish.
On the introduction page of the Sylvie's app, you will find the following text:
Wine
Hereby, the term 'wine' is the collective name for all alcoholic beverages traded at the auction.
Sylvie’s
This is the abbreviated name for 'Sylvie’s Wine Auctions', a private company located at Italiëlei 21, 2000, Antwerp.
Bidder
Anyone who registers to participate in the auction and is allowed to indicate to the auctioneer an amount at which they wish to purchase the wine.
Every bidder receives a unique number for placing bids, called a paddle number. The paddle number is connected to the bid platform used. So, in one auction, you can have more than one bid number.
Buyer
The buyer at an auction is the person or organisation that places a winning bid on a ticket during the auction.
Seller
The seller at an auction is the person or organisation who offers his wine during the auction to transfer his ownership to a bidder in return for payment of a pre-arranged minimum return.
In addition to the term “seller”, the term “consignor” or “mandator” is also used in these conditions.
Commissioner
A commissioner is an intermediary who concludes agreements in his own name, but acts on behalf of the consignor and keeps his identity confidential. Unless Sylvie’s itself is the owner of a lot, it acts as a commissioner for the seller and not as the owner of the wine offered or as an intermediary (agent). As a buyer, Sylvie’s enables you to deal with one point of contact and not with all the sellers of the lots you buy.
As a commissioner, Sylvie’s guarantees the timely payment of those who contribute the wine. Payment will be made within 28 days after an auction, unless otherwise agreed. As a result, Sylvie’s requires payment within 7 days of an auction, and Sylvie’s is authorised to take appropriate action in the event of late payment.
Public wine auction
A public wine auction is a marketplace, which is in principle accessible to everyone, where wine is allocated to bidders on the basis of legally established rules for buyers and sellers. A public wine auction always operates from an auction room that is open to bidders, led by an auctioneer and supervised by a bailiff.
Lot
At the auction you can buy wine in lots - this term is also used on the Sylvie’s app. A lot at Sylvie’s is the smallest sales unit at auction and contains 1 to 12 bottles of wine.
Each lot is given a unique number. These lot numbers are listed in the catalogue from low to high. It is in this order that the auctioneer in principle adheres to when auctioning.
We describe lots using a fixed criteria to give you an idea of what you are buying, but no description can ever give a complete picture of reality. You are and remain responsible for examining the wine before placing a bid.
Live auction
A live auction - also called a room auction - is an auction in which participants can bid on lots in a specially designated room. There is an auctioneer on site who calls the lots and the lots can be viewed in their current condition.
Live online auction
An auction in which participants are connected to the auction room in real time via sound and image and can place a bid via a computer, smartphone or tablet. With us you can bid live online using the Sylvie’s app. Registration to use the Sylvie’s app is only possible via a smartphone or tablet, but once registered you can also follow the auction and place live bids from a PC via the following link.
Timed auction
An auction in which participants can place bids via a computer, smartphone or tablet and without the intervention of an auctioneer.
At Sylvie’s you can participate in a timed auction via the Sylvie’s app that turns into a live online auction on the last three auction days.
Currency at Sylvie's auctions
All amounts at the auction are in Euros. All payments must be made in Euros.
Hammer price
The price of a ticket without additional costs. It is the price that the auctioneer calls during the auction.
Additional costs
Additional costs are all amounts payable for the receipt of your lot in addition to the hammer price. When Sylvie's transports your wine, you will find all costs on our invoice except taxes and duties imposed by the government in the destination country.
You will have to do your own research into the expected amount of these charges.
Buyer's commission
The buyer's commission is the payment for our services. It is a percentage surcharge on the hammer price for Sylvie's services. This surcharge amounts to 19% excluding tax (VAT) in 2024.
Lot price
The price of a ticket consists of the hammer price and the buyer's commission.
Invoice value
Your invoice includes the lot price plus costs of transport, transport documentation, insurance, taxes and storage.
Sylvie's uses a simple cost model, based on the principle that we charge you the costs of transport as charged to us by the carriers. Sylvie's offers 6 months of free storage.
Low estimate
The lowest estimated hammer price. You will find this price in the catalogue.
High estimate
The highest estimated hammer price. You will find this price in the catalogue.
Reserve price
That is the price below which the seller does not wish to sell and which is lower or equal to the lowest estimate given in the catalogue. Sylvie's does not disclose the reserve price.
VAT
VAT is an abbreviation for the concept of Value Added Tax. VAT is a tax levied within the territory of the EU. Because of this tax, a percentage of your purchase amount is paid to a government in the EU. The amount of tax depends on the destination country.
eAD
eAD is an abbreviation of the word 'electronisch Accijns Document' meaning 'excise guidance document'. It is a tool for customs to track the wine's journey and monitor the payment of excise duty, or its exemption.
The eAD acts as a kind of visa that allows wine to travel through EU countries as soon as the wine leaves Belgium. Companies in the EU and buyers with a destination outside the EU, may have to deal with it.
Catalogue
An overview of the wines you can buy at auction. The wines are grouped into lots and are listed in numerical order from low to high, usually starting with lot number1. The catalogue appears in digital form by default and can be printed additionally.
Bid
The amount you want to pay for the wine and communicated to the auctioneer.
Maximum bid or absentee bid
It is the maximum amount you are willing to pay for a lot when you cannot place the bid live yourself. The auctioneer will take your maximum bid and act on your behalf during the auction. In principle, you win a lot for the price of the low estimate or with 1 bidding step above the highest bid from others, as long as the hammer price is lower than or equal to the maximum amount you want to pay. This is under the additional condition that you are the first to bid the highest amount.
Auction results
The auction results consist of an overview of hammer prices achieved. Sylvie's publishes this overview no later than the 3rd working day after an auction.
Ownership and disposition
You are the new owner of a lot if you are the first to bid the highest price at the auction. After receiving your payment you will have access to your property.
Bailiff
The bailiff is the independent representative of the Belgian judiciary on the spot. The bailiff monitors the correct conduct of the auction and reports in writing on the allocation of the lots at the auction.
At Sylvie's, the bailiff is Antwerp Legal Officers (AJO).
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