What is Autobid?+
Placing an Autobid is an easy way of continuing to bid if you are too busy or just away from your computer.
How Autobids work
Select the maximum amount you're willing to pay for the item(s) you are bidding on. Once you have confirmed a bid, you are committed to paying up to your maximum bid for each item.
The Grays Autobid system does the work for you by comparing your bid to other bidders and increasing your bid by increments up to your maximum bid amount to win the sale.
If someone bids higher than your maximum amount, you will receive a "You have been outbid" email. You can then decide whether or not to increase your maximum amount. Note: It must be done before the sale ends.
How to Place an Autobid?
To place an Autobid, please ensure you are registered with Grays and have signed in before placing a bid.
1. Select the Autobid function by clicking on the circle next to auto bid
2. Select the maximum bid price you are willing to pay for each item from the drop down menu
3. Click place bid
4. Check the details are correct and confirm bid
If you would like to increase your Autobid or bid quantity:
1. Go to the lot page you are currently winning
2. Select a quantity that is either your current bid quantity or higher; you cannot reduce the quantity you are bidding on until you have been outbid
3. Select an Autobid amount that is higher than your current Autobid
4. Make sure you select 'Autobid' as the bid type every time you update your bid
5. Click on the place bid button (Other bidders cannot view your maximum Autobid price).
IMPORTANT: The bid amount you select for your auto bid is per item, if you are bidding on more than one item, please take the total price including freight and buyers premium into consideration before committing to the sale.
What is 'Going, Going, Gone'?+
Like a traditional sale, every sale at Grays offers a 'Going, Going, Gone' period. To give everyone a chance to bid, a Sale will not close until all interested parties have stopped bidding for a full ten minutes.
For every bid placed in the last ten minutes of a sale, it will be extended by a further ten minutes from the time of that bid. This will continue until there are no more bids placed.
For example, if a sale is scheduled to close at 9:00pm and a bid is placed at 8:51pm it will push the sale into the 'Going, Going, Gone' period. If no further bids are placed, the sale will close at 9:01pm.
If another bid is placed at 8:57pm, the sale will stay open until 9:07pm, if another bidder places a bid at 9:03pm the sale will stay open until 9:13pm, and so on until no one has placed a bid for a full ten minute period.
The Going, Going, Gone period ensures everyone has the chance to place their final bid. It also gives everyone an equal opportunity to place bids, as many of our customers are located in rural areas with a slow internet connection. The person with the highest bid at the end of the 'Going, Going, Gone' period is the winner.
Please make sure you are constantly refreshing your screen during the 'Going, Going, Gone' period to ensure all information is up to date.
What is Buyer's Premium?+
Like all traditional marketplaces Grays charges a Buyer's Premium. This is an administration fee that is applied to the bid price of an item won at sale. It is always a percentage of the purchase price and may vary. It is important to review the lot description for details.
There are also two types of buyer’s premium:
Minimum Bid Thresholds+
Where applicable, our vendors can select a minimum bid threshold for each bid submitted to our auctions. If a minimum bid threshold is applied to a lot, the bid increments must align to that minimum bid threshold amount.
For example: If the starting bid is $9 but the minimum bid threshold is $20, the next bid must be at least $29. A customer may place a bid higher than the minimum bid threshold. For example, that same $9 starting bid item may have a bid of $40, and each subsequent bid must be at least $20 above the previous bid.
Minimum bid thresholds will not override an Autobid value.
For example: A lot starting bid is $9 and the Minimum Bid Threshold is $9. Buyer 1 submits an Autobid amount of $30 which increases the current winning bid to $18. Buyer 2 places a bid for $27. The final bid placed using Autobid from Buyer 1 can only increase to their maximum submitted Autobid amount of $30 (so Buyer 1’s final bid will be $3, rather than reflecting the Minimum Bid Threshold of $9).
If you have further questions about bidding on Grays, please contact our Grays Customer Service advisors via our Customer Service Form
What is Bid Precedence?+
Our bidding system is set up to ensure a non-discriminatory structure is followed by all bidders; bid precedence allows us to follow a set order to determine who has won the item(s) in an sale.
To decide who has won, bid precedence is as follows:
If there is only one quantity, the highest bid price will always win. If there are multiple quantities available and two or more customers bid the same price, the person with the highest quantity will be successful at that price.
For example, there are 3 cases of wine available for sale.
Joe bids on 2 cases at $24 a case.
Mary bids on 3 cases at $24 a case.
Joe was outbid & Mary is the winning bidder because she has the higher quantity even though the bid price is the same.
If you have further questions about bidding on Grays, please contact our Grays Customer Service advisors via our Customer Service Form
What is a reserve price & how does it affect an sale?+
A vendor may set a minimum reserve price on their asset. You will see "Reserve not met" beside the bidding price of the item.
Once bidding meets or exceeds the reserve price the "Reserve not met" label will be removed, and at the end of the sale, the highest bid for each item(s) will win the asset.
If the reserve price has not been met when the sale closes, the vendor will be informed of the highest bid made. If the vendor wishes to proceed, the highest bidder may be contacted regarding a potential purchase of the asset.
Please note: that when you confirm your bid, it is still accepted as a valid bid even when the "Reserve not met" label is shown.
What is Change of Mind Policy?+
When you purchase "Buy it Now" products, you have 30 days from the date your order is received to let us know if you want to return your product. Contact us via Customer Service Form, and we will provide you with all the information you need on how to send the product back to us. After contacting us, you will have 14 days to return the product to us. Please note that where products are being returned due to change of mind, postage will be at your cost.
Selected "Sale Items" offer a change of mind: Wine excluding liquidation, cellared & pallets (30 days) & Grays own brand jewellery (7 days).
For hygiene reasons, we cannot accept the return of:
- Underwear
- Swimwear
- Fragrances, Cosmetics, Skin Care & Hair Care
- Earrings
Please see our Change of Mind Policy for full details
What is product condition?+
The Condition of each product is stated on its Lot Page, and we strongly urge you to familiarise yourself with the Condition before bidding. This is because Grays sells a wide range of products in a variety of Conditions on behalf of our Vendors.
It's important that you read the Lot Description for possible additional information on the Condition of the product including any applicable warranty details. You should take the Condition and the Lot Description into account when you place your bid as we do not offer refunds if you change your mind about your purchase.
Product Conditions:
New - Products listed as 'New' are unused and still in their original packaging, complete with manuals and accessories, although they may not necessarily be the latest model.
Resealed - Products listed as 'Resealed' have not been sold to a consumer. Items will generally still have their original packaging, but it may have been opened for testing or other purposes. In some instances, accessories may vary from the standard (for example, software or manuals may be missing or different).
Retail Return - Products listed as ‘Retail Return’ have typically been sold to a customer in a retail environment and then returned within a short period due to change of mind and may have had limited use. Please note, that some individual items may show signs consistent with re-packaging (such as marks or scratches) and/or carton damage. In some instances accessories may vary from the standard, for example, sofas may be missing throw cushions or items may not contain instruction manuals. Packaging conditions vary from product to product, and some items may not be packaged.
Reconditioned / Factory Refurbished - Products listed as 'Reconditioned' have typically been used by a consumer for a limited period but then have been tested and repaired where necessary (unless otherwise specified) so that they function according to the manufacturer's specifications. Some items may vary from this standard, and any variances are specified in the product description. Please note some individual items may show signs of wear, such as scratches and marks common with used items. In some instances, accessories may vary from the standard (for example, software or manuals may be missing or different, no original packaging).
Photography Sample - Products listed as ‘Photography Sample’ have been received into a Grays warehouse in brand new condition and then unboxed and assembled (where needed) to be used in a photography shoot. Items will be repackaged where possible although in some instances where an assembly is required this may not be feasible. Items will still be in excellent condition and include all relevant manuals and accessories.
Demo - These items may have been used by manufacturers or distributors for display, demonstration or promotional purposes. Please note that some individual items may show signs of wear common with used items. In some instances, accessories may vary from the standard (for example, software or manuals may be missing or different, no original packaging).
Ex Lease - Products listed as 'Ex Lease' have been returned to a rental company at the expiry of a corporate usage lease. Please note Ex Lease items may show signs of wear common with used items. In some instances, accessories may vary from the standard (for example, software or manuals may be missing or different, no original packaging).
Seconds - Products listed as 'Seconds' may have been sold to a consumer previously, have experienced some usage, display some minor physical defects/damage or experience functional faults. In some instances, accessories may vary from the standard (for example, software or manuals may be missing or different, no original packaging).
Used - Product listed as 'Used' have experienced moderate to heavy usage by consumers and have not been tested to ensure that they function according to the manufacturer's specifications. Some individual items may show signs of wear common with used items, and in some instances, accessories may vary from the standard (for example, software or manuals may be missing or different, no original packaging).
Cellared - Private Cellar wine is wine which has been stored for ageing purposes in a private cellar.
Storing the wine and allowing it to age has the potential to improve the quality of the taste. While wine is perishable and capable of deteriorating, storing the wine can alter the aroma, colour, mouth feel and taste of the wine in a way that may be more pleasing to the taster.
The Grays 30 Day Money Back Guarantee does not apply to wines in Private Cellar sales as we are unable to guarantee the contents of the bottles. All wines are bought on an "as is" basis, and no returns or refunds will be accepted on the basis of quality
Insurance Claim - These products have been subject to an insurance claim and may contain shop soiling, packaging, physical and or other types of damage which may be unknown to us. Please refer to the sale overview or the items description for further information regarding its condition.
Other - Products are listed as being in 'Other' Condition when they do not fit into any of the other Conditions listed above. This can include items such as collectable wines, certain works of art and other memorabilia.
How do I cancel my bid?+
Grays is committed to protecting the integrity of the sale process and as such we are unfortunately unable to withdraw a bid once it has been placed.
Please ensure you are totally satisfied with the information that we have provided in the description as well as any applicable shipping fees and premiums that are listed before you place a bid on any product. Our policy is that we do not retract bids if you have changed your mind or have misunderstood what was being offered.
If you have further questions contact us via Customer Service Form
How is shipping calculated?+
The shipping calculator is a tool available on our website to ensure you are able to view all freight charges before bidding on a particular item.
The Shipping Calculator calculates the cost to deliver item(s) to a nominated postcode and it includes handling, packaging and insurance.
Simply click on the Truck symbol and it will automatically calculate freight charges to your registered delivery address. Freight to your postcode will then be broken down into 'shipment rate' and 'per item rate'. Freight is calculated by adding the 'shipment rate' and then the 'item rate'
The shipment rate is the base rate depending on the zone of destination - metro/regional and country
The per the item rate depends on the weight and size of the item
To calculate for 1 item:
- Shipment rate + item rate = total cost
To calculate for multiple units of the same item:
- Shipment rate + (item rate x multiples of the units) = total cost
Please note: Items purchased from different sales are unable to be consolidated. We are unable to consolidate freight on certain items, such as wine, high value jewellery, large palletised items, supermarket lines and certain artworks. Only Buy Now items marked "Buy More & Save" are able to be consolidated.
What does RRP mean?+
The RRP is the Recommended Retail Price. This is the price at which the manufacturer of a product recommends a retailer sell it for.
Usually, if an RRP is included with a sale item, the RRP has been supplied by the vendor of the item, and the vendor deems the RRP to be current at the time the item is placed on the site for sale.
We accept no responsibility for the accuracy or otherwise of any RRP included on any item listed for sale on the Site. We suggest you independently verify the value of the item being sold by researching online.
What is "Watch this" and how does this work?+
Use "Watch this" to "mark" item(s) of interest so you can watch the bidding proceedings, before placing a bid.
In the Lot Page of an item of interest, just above the "Description" tab, you can click on "Watch this" beside the Binoculars icon to add this item to your watch list.
By keeping track of the bidding proceedings you can place your bid when you are ready, watching multiple items using this feature. You can bid from the watch list or click on the item and bid from the lot page.
You can "Unwatch" an item at any time.
What is the "Winner's email" for sales?+
The Winner's email is the email sent to you from Grays congratulating you on your winning bid. It is sent within minutes of the online sale closing.
This email confirms the Lot Number, Sale Number and winning bid price of the item.
Can I inspect items before bidding on them?+
Some of the sales listed by Grays do provide an opportunity for you to inspect the goods first. If an inspection is available (i.e. Vehicles), this will be stated in the relevant Sale Overview. The Overview will also provide the location and dates for inspection purposes.
We strongly encourage you to inspect the goods if the opportunity is offered as no refunds are provided.
What is Shill Bidding?+
Shill bidding is the fraudulent activity to bid without the intention to buy; bids are only made on an item(s) to artificially increase its price or desirability.
This can be anyone including family, friends, online connections or employees. If you think Shill Bidding is taking place, please report it to us. Please include in your report the Sale ID & Customer Details from the Bidding History Tab.
We will thoroughly investigate every report. Often what appears to be shill bidding is not a violation.
Please contact our Grays Customer Service advisors via our Customer Service Form.
What is meant by ullage in wine sales?+
When purchasing older bottles of wine, a certain amount of Ullage will occur.
Ullage is the small pocket of air in the bottle between the top of the wine and the cork. Most wines are bottled for immediate consumption, and the ullage should be small and of no concern. When purchasing older bottles, however, knowing the ullage can be an indicator of the quality of the wine. It is certainly an indicator of price - wines with a lot of ullage will fetch a much lower price than those with wine up to top-shoulder or into the neck of the bottle
While we do all that is possible to indicate accurately the levels of older wines, such levels may change between cataloguing and sales. This may be caused by the ageing of the cork or by a change in the temperature of the storage conditions or the shipment of the wine. There is a risk of cork failure in old wines which must be taken into account by the potential buyer. It is Grays policy to open original cases and to describe the level of wine, label and capsule condition.
Labels may be stained where wines have been stored in damp conditions. It should be noted that such storage conditions are generally beneficial.