Hotlotz provides a simple, trusted, and exciting way for you to buy items.


Our auctions are free to participate in and open to everyone. You can view items in our Singapore saleroom or in our online catalogues. Our auctions use a best-in-class bidding platform and are straightforward, fair, and transparent.


Our auctions are available for online bidding only. We do not offer live, telephone, absentee or any other form of bidding. You can bid using your computer or mobile device.


All prices are denominated in Singapore Dollars and are GST inclusive.

CREATE YOUR HOTLOTZ ACCOUNT AND REGISTER TO BID

To bid you need to create a Hotlotz account. This only needs to be done once and just takes a minute or two. Simply click ‘sign in’ on the top of the webpage and enter your details.


Please use your full legal name, as it’s written in your passport. We may contact you and ask you to provide additional identity information. This is to comply with Singapore’s AML (anti-money laundering) and KYC (know your client) regulations.


Once you have set up your Hotlotz account you will also need to register for every auction, to accept the terms and conditions for that sale. You don’t have to enter your personal details again, simply click the ‘register to bid’ link in the auction catalogue.

ONLINE CATALOGUE AND PHYSICAL SALEROOM

We pride ourselves on our honest and objective cataloguing. Our lot descriptions contain all the information you need to bid confidently.


We publish auction catalogues online around ten days before an auction’s closing date. We also exhibit the items in our Singapore saleroom for the same period. Please view in person if you can. Appointments are not necessary, and we love visitors. Please do check the auction catalogue for any other information about location and viewing times.


Hotlotz offers all items for sale 'as is', meaning the item is offered for sale with all existing faults and imperfections. We encourage potential buyers to visit the saleroom and inspect each item carefully before bidding or buying. 


If you are busy, or you are not in Singapore, our friendly valuers can answer questions, provide condition reports, and send additional video or photography by email. Please send requests in good time.

OPENING BIDS ARE THE ‘RESERVE’ AMOUNTS

We publish the ‘opening bid’ for each lot in the auction catalogue and bidding starts at that amount. The opening bid amount is also the lot’s ‘reserve’, which is the lowest amount that you can buy the item for.


Once an opening bid has been placed, it will show as the ‘current bid’ amount. 

ESTIMATES

This is our realistic guide of what an item might sell for at auction.


Auction estimates are based on prices achieved at auction, not what the item might fetch in a retail environment (which might be considerably higher). Auctions are highly competitive, and items can always sell for more than the estimate, or less, depending on interest on the day.

BIDDING INCREMENTS

Bids must be placed in the following incremental amounts (which the system will prompt you to do): 


• Between $0 to $400, bids rise in $20 increments 

• Between $400 to $1,000, bids rise in $50 increments 

• Between $1,000 and $2,000, bids rise in $100 increments 

• Between $2,000 and $5,000, bids rise in $200 increments

• Between $5,000 and $10,000, bids rise in $500 increments

• Between $10,000 and $100,000, bids rise in $1,000 increments

• Over $100,000, bids rise in $5,000 increments

PLACING BIDS

Bids can be placed as soon as an auction catalogue is published. All bids are executed immediately against the item’s current bid or the opening bid (reserve). Please bid carefully as bidding is binding and bids cannot be cancelled or removed.


There are two bidding ‘strategies’ to consider:


1 - Real-time bidding


You simply enter the next bid amount which is necessary and click ‘bid’, at any time after the catalogue is published. The individual lot page clearly states the ‘opening bid’ or will direct you to the ‘next minimum bid’ that the system will accept.


You will be notified on the respective lot listing page if you are the highest bidder or if you get outbid. You will also be notified by email.


If you are advised immediately that you have been outbid and asked to place another bid, this is because someone has previously placed a maximum bid above your bid.


2 - Maximum bidding


A maximum bid allows you to participate in the auction even if you cannot place your bids in real-time.


You simply place your maximum bid, entering the highest amount you are willing to pay. Your maximum bid amount cannot be seen by Hotlotz or by other bidders.


Your bids will be automatically placed by the system using our published incremental amounts, bidding only enough to ‘knock out’ any competition. The system will only execute a bid to keep you in the lead. It is therefore entirely possible to win an item at a price below your maximum bid.


You will always receive an email notification if your maximum bid is exceeded. However, auctions are fast paced environments and technological delays may occasionally occur. We always recommend following the auction in real-time at the close, if you want to ensure that you win.

LOT CLOSING TIMES

The auction catalogue includes a date and 'bidding ends from' or 'bidding closes from' time. Bidding for the first lot in the catalogue is scheduled to finish at that time. Bidding for each lot then finishes in lot number order in intervals of one minute apart. 


For example: If the published end or close time of the auction is from 6pm, bidding for Lot 1 is scheduled to finish at 6pm, but bidding for Lot 15 would not be scheduled to finish until 6.14pm, and so on.


When the auction enters its final 24 hours, a countdown timer appears on every lot in the auction catalogue. This clearly shows the available time remaining to place bids for each lot.


Please note that bidding for all of the lots in the auction does not finish at once at the 'bidding ends from' or 'bidding closes from' time. Each lot has a staggered time for its bidding to finish. Our auctions usually take a number of hours for bidding on all the lots to finish and for that period bidding remains open for all lots up until their individual finishing time. 


As well as any bids that may be placed in the days while the auction catalogue is online, a lot of bidding also occurs both on the day of the auction as well as following the 'bidding ends from' or 'bidding closes from' time while bidding for the relevant lot remains open. Please continue to check the auction or your email even after the 'bidding ends from' or 'bidding closes from' time for information about lots you may have bid on, as you may be outbid as a result of ongoing bidding until bidding for the relevant lot actually finishes.  


In addition, if any bid is placed within five minutes of the designated time for bidding to finish on each individual lot, the bidding period for that lot will be extended by a further five minutes. This extension will continue until a full five minutes has elapsed without another bid being placed.


As a result, bidding for lots may end or close well after the original scheduled time or out of the original lot number order in the auction catalogue.

BUYER'S PREMIUM

Hotlotz, like all professional auctioneers, charges a buyer’s premium for items sold at auction. This fee is charged to the buyer to cover the cost of running the auction. The buyer’s premium goes directly to the auctioneer and not to the seller. The buyer’s premium is inclusive of GST.


The buyer’s premium at Hotlotz is 30% and it is added onto the closing bid price to form the total invoice amount that is paid by the buyer. The buyer’s premium is not negotiable.


For example: If you bid $1000 and the item is sold to you (the 'closing bid' price), you will then pay a further 30% on top of this. So, your final invoice amount will be $1000 + $300 = $1,300.

PAYING FOR YOUR ITEMS

Winning bidders are notified by email after the auction ends.

A second email, containing a link to your invoice and instructions on how to pay, is sent within 24 hours of the end of the auction. Payment is due immediately.

Invoices are also filed in your Hotlotz account when they are ready for payment.

ACCEPTED PAYMENT METHODS

We prefer payments to be made by bank transfer or PayNow. These payment methods do not incur any additional fees.


We also accept domestic and international Mastercard, Visa and American Express payment cards, but these incur a payment card service fee of 2.73%.


We operate a cashless business and do not accept any form of currency or bank cheques.


Payments can only be accepted from the individual or organisation that is named as the winning bidder on the invoice. You must ensure that you have recorded your full legal name (exactly as it's written in your passport) in your Hotlotz account. Please update your profile if that’s not the case.


We appreciate larger payments and payments from overseas can be more complicated to transact, so please email finance@hotlotz.com if you need support.

RECEIVING YOUR ITEMS

Items may be collected from our Singapore saleroom the day after the auction ends, provided we have received cleared payment. However, please note we are not open for clients on a Monday.


Our in-house logistics department can organise domestic and international shipping.


Click the links for more information about saleroom opening hours and our collection and shipping options.

UNSOLD ITEMS AND THE MARKETPLACE

Some items that are unsold in auction are given a ‘second chance’ and offered for immediate sale with a fixed price in our online marketplace. These items are generally listed in the marketplace within an hour of a sale closing and may be purchased on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.


No buyer’s premium is charged on items sold in the marketplace.


If an unsold item is not offered for sale in the marketplace, it may still be possible to purchase it and we will assist you if we can. Please send an email to hello@hotlotz.com

GST FOR DOMESTIC AND OVERSEAS BUYERS

For Hotlotz in Singapore, the 'closing bid' price for items sold in auction and the 'buy now' price for items sold in the marketplace is subject to Goods and Services Tax (GST). GST is included in the price payable by the buyer and is remitted by us to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS).


Our buyer’s premium is also subject to, and inclusive of, GST.


For overseas buyers, Hotlotz can zero-rate (remove) GST for items bought in auction, on request, provided certain conditions are met. This represents a saving of the 9% GST on the item and the buyer’s premium.


Overseas buyers must confirm they are not Singapore residents and provide their overseas shipping address. They must also instruct Hotlotz to manage the export process on their behalf, using a reputable logistics company that provides IRAS compliant documentation. The export must take place within 60 days of the auction closing date.


If you think that you meet these conditions, please send an email to finance@hotlotz.com after the auction has closed.

OTHER INFORMATION

You might also find it helpful to read our glossary of auction terms and our FAQs.


Our Terms and Condition also apply.

Marketplace Highlights

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