Auction Rules

The Stamporama auction is not a commercial auction, it is a club auction. It is intended as a place where members can offer their stamps to one another in lieu of trading. As a club auction, we have a few rules that one would not find elsewhere. Please familiarize yourself with these rules. Many of our rules are intended to protect the young and novice collectors from the caveat emptor ["buyer beware"] philosophy found in other on-line auctions.

Who May Participate
1) Anyone may view lots, but only members may post lots or bid.

Limit on Number of Lots Listed
2) Any member may have a maximum of 50 lots active at any one time.

Minimum Bids and Reserves
3) All lots must have a minimum bid. Hidden reserves are not allowed.

Lots Must Be Accurately Described
4) a. All lots should include, at a minimum, descriptions of any defects or other characteristics outside the norm. This includes fakes, forgeries, and counterfeits, as well as reprints, repairs, and damages. Damages that need to be described include thins, creases, pulled perfs, scuffs, tears, stains, etc. Please do not rely on scans to communicate problems; problems must ALSO be described in the lot description. Lots with multiple stamps need not have this detail, unless the high value of the lot is subject to one or more of these problems.

b. Please avoid all comparative and superlative language in your descriptions including "scarce", "rare" or similar wording. Avoid any references to future value.

c. Any references to a "value" of the lot must be supported by quoting the source of that value, e.g. "Scott catalog value", "Michel catalog value", "my own estimated realization". If a catalog is quoted, the catalog year should be given as well; for example "Scott 2002 cat. val. $3.50"

If you are not certain of the application of any of these rules, please ask the auctioneer.

Lots Which Receive a Bid Must Be Sold
5) Any lot which has a bid at the end of an auction MUST be sold to the high bidder at the high bid price shown by the auction system. The high bidder at the end of an auction MUST pay to the seller the high bid amount shown by the system for the lot. Lots may be withdrawn by the seller ONLY prior to the end of an auction and ONLY for extraordinary reasons.

Reasonable Promptness
6) Sellers and buyers must respond to notification of winning bids within 7 days, and make every attempt to complete the transaction to the satisfaction of both parties.

Shipping Terms
7) If no shipping terms are listed in the lot description, the buyer has the right to assume Stamporama Standard Shipping Terms. The seller may indicate his own terms in the lot description which supercede a). He may not supercede b).

Stamporama Standard Shipping Terms currently are:

• a) Buyer will pay actual postage costs. No additional handling or packaging charge is to be assumed unless specifically mentioned in the lot description.

• b) Seller will use reasonable care to properly package goods in such a way as to protect against damage in transit.

These terms may be changed or added to from time to time by the Volunteer Committee, with reasonable notice to the membership.

For more expensive lots, buyers should consider purchasing insurance, and should inquire, in advance, of its availability

Payment Terms
8) Sellers are strongly encouraged to list specific payment options in their lot descriptions. This is especially true of sellers who will accept only cash payments or paypal payments, as this restriction may affect bidders' actions. In the absence of any specific payment details, buyers must not assume that any particular payment method is available. For example, many international sellers can not accept cheques of any kind because of very high banking costs. When in doubt, contact the seller before bidding.

Sellers are free to choose the payment methods they accept and those they don't. Please read the seller's terms carefully. Sellers will also indicate what shipping and handling charges are required. Unless stated, buyers should assume that the fee is the cost of postage; however, sellers may choose other fees. Your bid commits you to the seller's terms UNLESS you and the seller have agreed to something else.

Currency
9) All auction bidding is conducted in United States dollars. Some sellers may accept other currencies in payment at the end of the auction at negotiated exchange rates, but you must check with the seller.

Selling in the Stamporama Auction is Completely Free!
8) There is no fee for listing or selling a lot. Selling is absolutely free!

Stamporama Auctioneer Shall Have Final Authority
9) The designated Stamporama Auctioneer shall be the final arbiter of any dispute. The posting of a lot for sale or the placing of a bid by a member shall indicate acceptance by the member of the Auctioneer's authority to settle any and all disputes with complete discretion. The Auctioneer may, without limitation, attempt to negotiate an alternate settlement different from the terms of the final auction, declare the auction null and void, and may recommend to the Volunteer Committee that any member be banned from future participation in the Stamporama Auction, or that a member be expelled from Stamporama. In the event that the Auctioneer is a party to a dispute, the Chairman of the Volunteer Comittee, or his delegate, shall assume the role of arbitrator.

Stamporama Assumes No Liability
10) Stamporama's role in the Auctions is limited exclusively to providing the venue to facilitate the buying and selling of philatelic material between Members. Neither Stamporama, nor any of the Volunteer Committee assumes any liability, nor warrants any actions or promises of action by either buyers or sellers. By registering to use Stamporama Online Auctions, you agree to hold harmless Stamporama and its Volunteer Committee in any dispute with a buyer or seller.