Bidding online with Dreweatts

Creating an online bidding account:

Before you can start bidding, you must create an online bidding account. For certain auctions, bidders may be asked to provide us with two forms of identification:

1. a passport or photographic driving licence and
2. a utility bill or document showing proof of name and address.

To create an online bidding account, click here.

Registering for an auction:

Once your online bidding account has been set up, log into your account, find the auction you are interested in and click the ‘Register to bid’ button.

When your auction registration has been approved, you can start placing bids.  Please ensure you register at least 24 hours in advance of the auction to ensure you are approved in time.  New registrants should also check the ‘Important information’ link for the relevant auction, for details on cut off times for new registrants.  This is purely to allow enough time to set up and verify your account details.

To create an online account or register for an auction, please click here.

Live Online Wine Auctions

This is an online auction with an auctioneer taking to the rostrum on the day of the auction.  You can bid online, by telephone or leave a commission (absentee) bid, all from the comfort of your own home.  Generally the auction catalogue will be online for 1-2 weeks prior to the day of the auction.
 

Bidding online:

With a live video feed from the auction room, Dreweatts’ own bidding platform allows you to watch, listen and bid from anywhere in the world with no additional online bidding fees. Simply register in advance for the auction and once you are approved, you are ready to bid both prior to the auction and live on the auction day.

Dreweatts Live Online Wine auctions feature ‘pre-auction competitive bidding’, in other words you are able to see the ‘opening bid’ or ‘current bid’ on the item.  We show you this to follow the contemporary online auction style enabling you to maximise your chance of winning.  Enter your bid using our pre-determined bidding increments and when you place your bid, you’ll see on screen immediately if your bid is high enough to make you the ‘leading bid’.  If you are the leading bidder, and someone bids more than you before the live auction starts, you will be sent an ‘outbid alert’ via email, so you can decide whether to bid more.  

But for the best chance of winning at a Live Online auction, please make sure that you log in to bid live when the auction starts.  You’ll be joining the thrill of the event and competing against other bidders in real time. You will be able to see and hear the auction as it progresses and place your bids as the items you want to buy come up.

To create an online account or register for an auction, please click here.

Bidding by telephone:

Dreweatts offers the facility to bid by telephone. You will need to book a telephone line in advance of the auction. A member of Dreweatts staff will then call you when your lot(s) are due to come up for sale and bid on your behalf with the auctioneer.  If we cannot reach you by telephone whilst the auction is happening, to avoid disappointment, we recommend that you consider leaving an ‘emergency absentee bid’ too.

Please note there is a limit to the number of telephone bids that we can execute for any particular lot, therefore telephone bid requests are accepted on a first come first served basis and must be booked in advance of the auction.  Please check the relevant auction for details re cut off times. 

To request a telephone bid, please contact: bid@dreweatts.com | + 44 (0) 1635 553 553

Commission (absentee) bids:

Commission bids may be left via your online bidding account or direct with Dreweatts.  Simply decide your maximum bid for each lot and Dreweatts will bid on your behalf taking into account any other bids and the reserve price.  Please note if two or more people submit commission bids at the same figure the first online bid received will take precedence.

To leave a commission bid via your online bidding account, click here.

To leave a commission bid with Dreweatts, please contact: bid@dreweatts.com | + 44 (0) 1635 553 553

Bidding increments for Dreweatts Live Online Wine Auctions:

The online bidding increments prior to the auction are listed below and are also available within the "Important Information" tab on the auction webpage. Please note during the live auction, the bidding increments shall be at the auctioneer’s sole discretion.

Post-auction:

Once the auction has concluded, you will receive an invoice by email with a link to our online payment page as well as collection and shipping information.  Where auctions finish late in the afternoon or evening, invoices will be sent out the following day.

Timed Online Auctions

Ocassionally wine auctions are run as Timed Online Auctions (not Live Online Auctions).  Click here for A Guide to Timed Online Auctions.

So what do you get access to on dreweatts.com?

There are lots of things you can do and access on dreweatts.com:

• View the online lot listing and additional ‘detail’ images of the individual lots.
• Search for a particular item, region or producer.
• Add desired lots to your ‘watch list’.
• View or request condition reports for any lots.
• View a page turning catalogue.
• Download a pdf of the catalogue.
• Leave a bid in advance of the auction.
• Request a telephone bid on the day of the auction.
• Watch, listen and bid live on the day of the auction.
• Pay online for lots you’ve won. Click here for further details.

To create an online account or register for an auction, please click here.

Top Tips

1. To avoid disappointment, please ensure you register for an auction at least 24 hours in advance. For certain auctions, bidders may be asked to provide us with two forms of identification: a) a passport or photographic driving licence and b) and a utility bill or document showing proof of name and address.
2. Bidding increments: Dreweatts uses pre-determined bidding increments. For further details, please refer to the 'Important Information' link for each sale.
3. Remember that at an auction it is up to you, the bidder, to satisfy yourself about the condition of an item. Ask for a condition report if you need it.
4. Make sure you are aware of any additional charges on top of the hammer price (ie the winning bid amount) such as buyer’s premium and VAT on the buyer’s premium. In some cases there are additional fees such as such as Bond fees (β) or import VAT. Lots with additional fees will be marked accordingly.
5. Always read the auction Terms & Conditions before bidding.