Bidding

No, a bid is only accepted once the auctioneer brings down the hammer. At that point a valid contract is entered into. Absentee bids placed are, however, binding.

In accordance with our general terms and conditions, every absentee bid placed is binding. If the item auctioned is knocked down to you, a buyer’s premium and VAT, where appropriate, are chargeable on top of the highest bid (final bid).
All absentee bids are subject to the Procedural regulations for the auction house and the Dorotheum GmbH & Co KG’s Schedule of charges.

Items which are offered for auction at one of the dailyauctions are available to view on our website from up to one week before the auction date. As soon as items are online, you may place your absentee bid. Bids placed in this way will be acted upon in the auction room. Absentee bids and telephone bids for items on sale at dailyauctions may be placed up to three hours before the start of the auction. From this point onwards, links to the bid placement forms are no longer available.

In order to place an absentee bid, select your chosen item from the online catalogue and click on ‘Absentee bid’. You will then see a bid placement form already filled in with details about the item (item number and description, starting price). Please enter the maximum sum you would be prepared to pay for this item into the box marked ‘Top limit’. Please note that in addition to the hammer price, a buyer’s premium and taxes will be chargeable. You will find detailed information about this in the Schedule of charges for the auction house.
Please complete the bid placement form with your personal details (name, address, client number, e-mail address, etc.). If you have already logged onto myDOROTHEUM, your personal details will also already appear on the form. You will find a link on the bid placement form that will allow you to log onto myDOROTHEUM. Registering at no cost with myDOROTHEUM will make it easier for you to place further or future bids.
Please also choose whether you would like us to ship the item and invoice to you or collect them from our offices. Please confirm that you have read and accepted the Dorotheum terms and conditions. When you click the ‘Send’ button, your absentee bid will be sent and recorded in our system.

Absentee bids placed over the internet for items for sale at the dailyauctions may be placed up to three hours before the start of the auction. 

To find out whether you have successfully bid for an item, please contact our Client Services after the auction on +43 1 515 60 200, or by e-mail to kundendienst@dorotheum.at.

Bidding by telephone
It is also possible to bid by telephone for items with a starting price of 300.00 euros or more.
If you would prefer to bid in person by phone during the auction, please click on the button, ‘Telephone bid’.  You should then fill in the bid placement form to which you are taken, as described above. Please also add the telephone number on which you can be reached at the time of the auction. When your item comes up for auction, a member of the Dorotheum staff will call you in order to take your bid over the telephone.

You may place telephone bids via the internet for items coming up for sale at the dailyauctions up to three hours before the start of the auction.

If you are placing an absentee or telephone bid for the first time or from abroad, you will need to print out the completed bid placement form for the absentee/telephone bid (please click, ‘Print’) and return it to us signed with a copy of your official personal identity card by fax to: +43 1 515 60 - 508 or as a scan by e-mail to bids@dorotheum.at.

When you click on ‘Absentee bid’ or ‘Telephone bid’, you will be presented with a bid placement form. In the box, ‘Top limit’, please enter the maximum amount you would be prepared to pay for this item.
Please note that in addition to the hammer price, a buyer’s premium and taxes will be chargeable. You will find detailed information about this in the Schedule of charges for an auction business.

Depending on the progression of the auction, the auctioneer will bid for you up to the maximum you give as your top limit. If other bids exceed your top limit, you will have been outbid.
Bids are placed according to the Dorotheum bid increments.

Bids or absentee bids placed represent net prices. Each bid is subject to the Dorotheum GmbH & Co KG’s Procedural regulations and charges for the auction house. That means, that where an item has been knocked down, the successful bidder must pay, in addition to the final bid, the Dorotheum buyer’s premium and, where applicable, taxes due (you will find information about the applicable rate of tax on the detailed view page for each individual item on the internet).

The "Top limit" is the maximum bid you are prepared to pay for any given item. The auctioneer will bid for you up to this sum. If you are outbid, the auctioneer will bid for you in increments until your top limit has been reached. The auctioneer will place no further bids for you once your top limit for this item has been reached.
Please note that in addition to the hammer price, a buyer’s premium and taxes will be chargeable. You will find detailed information about this in the Schedule of charges for the auction house.

You will only pay your top limit where it is required in order for you to be the highest bidder. 

Example: your top limit is 1,000 euros. Another bidder places a bid for 600 euros. As long as no other bids are placed, the item will be knocked down to you for 650 euros.
Bidding increments

Please note that in addition to the hammer price, a buyer’s premium and taxes will be chargeable. You will find detailed information about this in the Schedule of charges for an auction business.

Registering is not absolutely essential. You can place absentee bids without registering. We would, however, recommend registering with myDOROTHEUM, because not only would the advanced search and notification functions of myDOROTHEUM then be available to you, but your personal client details (name, address, client number, etc.) would be automatically entered into your absentee bid placement forms.

To find out if you have been successful in bidding for an item, please either phone the Dorotheum’s Client Service after the auction on +43 1 515 60 200, or e-mail kundendienst@dorotheum.at.

You will find detailed information about this on our help pages under Payment and Shipping.

You will find detailed information about this on our help pages under Payment and Shipping.