Selling with Tennants

Whether you are selling a single item, a private collection, or an entire house contents, Tennants aim to make the entire auction process as transparent and straightforward as possible.

From booking an initial valuation to receiving payment for you items, our experienced and knowledgeable team will be on hand to guide you through the process of selling at Tennants and answer any queries you may have.

Valuations

One of our team of knowledgeable specialists will use their expertise to appraise your item and give you a realistic auction estimate for your property. You can request a free valuation on items for sale in one of the following ways:

• Online: Submit images and a description of your items
  
  
• By Email: Submit images and a written description of your items directly to the appropriate specialist by visiting our department or specialist pages. If you are unsure who you need to contact, you can submit your images to enquiry@tennants-ltd.co.uk
  
  
• In Person: Bringing your items to the salerooms or Harrogate Office offers the specialist the opportunity to study your item in detail. Find out about bringing an item to us on our valuation page
  
  
• At an External Valuation Day: Tennants also hold regular free valuation days at selected venues around the North of England. Find out more about our External Valuation Days
  
  
• By Private Appointment: Confidential visits to your home can be arranged throughout the United Kingdom for private collections, whole or partial house contents, and larger items that are difficult to transport. Find out more about confidental visits

For professional written valuations for insurance and probate, please visit our Professional Valuations page.

Consign Your Item

• If you have brought your items for a valuation at the Leyburn Salerooms, Harrogate Office or an External Valuation Day, you are able to leave the items with us there and then. Alternatively, you can arrange to deliver the items to us in Leyburn, or smaller items may be dropped off at our Harrogate Office by prior arrangement. You can also take advantage of our in-house collection service, which covers the UK; charges for this are listed below, or contact us for further details.
  
  
• A receipt will be issued to you for you to sign, which lists our terms and conditions and give us your authority to sell the items listed on your behalf. The receipt will have a unique reference number, which should be quoted in all correspondence.
  
  
• For each sale that you have items entered into, you will receive a pre-sale advice letter ahead of the sale, with full details of your items including lot number, full catalogue description, and estimate and reserve if appropriate.

After The Auction

Sale results are listed on our website approximately one hour after the auction. You will also be sent a statement with your cheque listing full details of the lot, the hammer price and details of the deduction of commission and relevant charges.

• Payment: Payment to vendors is usually made by Bank Transfer so please make sure you provide these details when you consign. Payment is made no later than 28 working days after a sale assuming that we have received full payment from your buyer. We act as agents and cannot be held responsible if your buyer does not pay. We cannot pay you until we have received cleared funds from the buyer.
  
  
• Unsold lots: you may be advised by telephone or email that unsold lots can be re-offered in a future auction at an agreed reduced reserve. If you prefer to collect your unsold items, you will need to contact us to arrange collection at your earliest convenience within seven working days before charges apply. Any lots that failed to attract any bids when offered without reserve cannot be reoffered, and should be collected.

Seller's Commission and Charges Explained

Please ensure you understand all the charges involved in selling at Tennants, and contact us if you need any further information.

VAT at the current rate of 20% will be added to all commissions, premiums and charges. 

Vendor’s Commission

You will pay 15% of the hammer price on each lot that sells, with a minimum charge of £15 per lot on each lot whether it is sold or not.

Loss and Damage Warranty Fee

1.5% of the Hammer Price (minimum fee of £1) will be charged per sold lot, and 1.5% of the reserve per unsold lot.

Please see our Terms and Conditions for full details

Illustration Charges

Illustration charges for printed catalogues will be agreed with you in advance, but there is no charge for online photographs. Typical charges for a printed catalogue illustration range from £30 to £200.

Withdrawn Lots

A withdrawal fee of 20% of the lower estimate or reserve will be charged should you change your mind about selling the items, plus any agreed costs that have been incurred.

Unsold Lots

Unsold lots which you do not wish to re-offer for sale are stored free of charge for seven working days, after which a charge of £5 per item per day is incurred.

In-house Transport

Our in-house transport team charges £60 per hour, including travel time to and from the pick-up address, packing, unpacking, loading and unloading. The minimum charge for this service is £60.

AML Due Diligence

We conduct appropriate due diligence checks to comply with current Anti Money Laundering regulations and reserve the right to withhold lots until such checks have been completed.

Import/CITES Regulations

It is your responsibility to obtain the correct import licences for items which you are selling. Tennants take no responsibility for the import of your goods for sale.

CITES Regulations/Ivory Act 2018

CITES-restricted items and Ivory Exempt items will be accompanied by a current CITES Article 10 licence/Ivory Exemption Declaration where applicable and the licence/exemption declaration number will be displayed within the original catalogue description (required by UK law). Both CITES Article 10 licences and Ivory Exemption Declarations are non-transferable.

CITES regulations are given on www.ukcites.gov.uk or may be obtained from:

The Animal and Plant Health Agency
Centre for International Trade
Horizon House
Deanery Road
Bristol BL1 5AH
wildlife.licensing@apha.gsi.gov.uk
0117 372 3700

Those species that are covered by the US Endangered Species Act (USESA) or The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA): potential US bidders should check with USF&W (US Fish and Wildlife Services) for trade/possession restrictions in the US prior to bidding.

Electrical Testing

All electrical items must receive a Portable Appliance Test (PAT), for which there is a £5 per item. We reserve the right to dispose of unsafe equipment without your prior permission.

Additional Charges

There may be additional charges for advertising, restoration, shipping, packing, storage, custom duties and import tax if appropriate, but these will only be charged if you have agreed to them beforehand.