FAQ

· How can I find out about upcoming auction events?
Keep an eye on our home page for upcoming sales.
· How can I access or receive an auction catalogue?
Click the sale banner at the top of the home page, and once the sale is open for receiving bids, you’ll see the thumbnails of all the lots in the sale.For Live sales, there will be a link at the top of the page to download a soft copy of the sale book.You can email our team at info@madison-auction.com to request a copy of the sale list in Excel format, or in the case of Live sales – a sale book in soft- or hard-copy.
· How can I see what is currently for sale?
There will be a horizontal banner at the top of the home page for new sales. Click the sale banner, and once the sale is open for receiving bids, you’ll see the thumbnails of all the lots in the sale.Click on a lot to find out more about it.
· How do I register online for a sale?
Start by registering for our platform by clicking here. We recommend capturing your credit card details at this stage.Once your account has been created, click Auctions and select the sale you would like to register for. Click on “Register to Bid” on the top right.•Complete your information, •Select the credit card you would like to use to register for the sale, •Check the 3 boxes at the bottom of the page•Click ‘Register’
· How can I view or bid in an auction?
To view lots: You can view the lots in any sale by clicking on the horizontal sale banner at the top of this page or click Auctions and select the sale you are interested in. To bid: You’ll need to register for the sale – see How do I register for a sale for more details or contact us at info@madison-auction.com to help you get registered and place bids.To follow the streaming of a live sale: Click on the auction, click the Go to Live Sale Room on the top right of the page. You will need to be logged in and registered for the sale to place bids in the sale. Email us at info@madison-auction.com if you have any questions
· Does it cost anything to register for a sale?
Does it cost anything to register for a sale? Yes. A preauthorization charge at HK $30,000 - HK $50,000 will be held on your credit card as the deposit when you register every new auction (exact amount vary from auction to auction). The charge can be used to offset your bill, or will be released back 7 days after the auction if you fail to win any or prefer another payment method.
· How do I attend a live sale?
Email info@madison-auction.com to request a seat at our upcoming live sale. Our team will follow up for more details to confirm your seat.
· What is your Buyer’s Premium?
22.5% added to the final hammer price.
· What terms and conditions do I agree to by registering for a sale?
By bidding in our auctions, you agreed to be bound by the conditions detailed here .
· I bid the same amount as the winning bid but I didn’t win the lot, why not?
Our system is time-based, so that would usually mean someone else has placed an equal, or higher bid before yours was recorded.
· How do I see my Watched Lots / My Bids?
Log in to your account, click on Favourites to see the lots you are watching.Click on My Bids and select the current sale to see the bids you have placed.
· How do I increase a bid?
Navigate to the lot, click Edit Bid, select and confirm your new bid amount.
· What is a Maximum Bid?
Your maximum bid is the highest amount you would like to bid on a lot. Our bidding platform will automatically place bids by increment on your behalf against any competition up to the maximum bid you have placed. Your bids will be placed automatically, beginning at the lowest increment. If your maximum bid is outbid, you will be alerted via email for a chance to increase your bid. While you can return to the sale and increase your bid, placing a maximum bid early means your bid will take priority against any competing bid received at every increment until your maximum is reached. It also means you don’t have to worry if you aren’t able to come back to the sale before the hammer.Our bidding system is time-based so if two clients enter the same maximum bid, the bid that was entered first will have priority.
· What is the Starting or Opening Bid?
The lowest possible bid you can place on a lot. When we open a sale for bidding, this will equate to the Low Estimate. Once a sale is live, you will see the lowest price you can bid after we’ve taken all Absentee Bids received before the sale into account. You may bid at or above the starting bid (see above for how to place a Maximum Bid).
· What is the current highest bid on a lot?
Once you have logged in and registered for the sale, you can view the current bid amount on any lot. If no bid amount is shown, that indicates no bids have been placed on the lot yet. Current Price will display if a bid has already been placed, and you can bid the next bidding increment by clicking Place Bid. If there is a higher Absentee Bid in our system, you will immediately see ‘Lost’ until that bid has been exhausted. In a live sale, you’ll be able to follow along with the current hammer price.
· What are the bidding increments?
These are the standard steps or changes in amount between each bid.
Up to HK$2,000............................................................................100’s
HK$2,000-HK$3,000....................................................................200’s
HK$3,000-HK$5,000.......................................................200/500/800
HK$5,000-HK$10,000………………………………………………….500’s
HK$10,000-HK$20,000............................................................1,000’s
HK$20,000-HK$30,000............................................................2,000’s
HK$30,000-HK$50,000......................................... 2,000/5,000/8,000
HK$50,000-HK$100,000..........................................................5,000’s
HK$100,000-HK$200,000......................................................10,000’s
HK$200,000-HK$300,000......................................................20,000’s
HK$300,000 - HK$500,000.............................20,000/50,000/80,000
Above HK$500,000.................................................................50,000’s
· How do I know the condition of the bottles I want to buy?
Click on the lot you are interested in and you’ll see detailed condition notes, where applicable, in the lot description.For more information on a lot, please contact our team at info@madison-auction.com
· What do the acronyms in the lot descriptions mean?
These are indications of the packing of the lots. The most common are:Banded OWC – Banded Original Wooden CaseOWC – Original Wooden CaseOC – Original CartonGB – Gift Box
· How can I request photos of bottles?
Email info@madison-auction.com to request more images. Please include any specific information you’re interested in with your request.
· Where are the wines & spirits sourced from?
We have a network of esteemed private collectors and trade professionals from around the world who consign their property to us to sell.
· How do I bid over the telephone at an auction?
Please fill out an Absentee Bid Form which you can request from our team at info@madison-auction.com including the phone number where it is best to reach you, lot numbers you are interested in bidding on and an emergency maximum bid should we be unable to reach you. Please return your form to our team and a dedicated team member will reach out to confirm your form has been received and give an estimated time that they will contact you during the sale when your lots are expected to go under the hammer.
· How do I place Absentee Bids?
You are always welcome to register yourself for sales and place bids yourself on our online platform ahead of the sale going live. If you would like our team to assist with recording bids for you, please email info@madison-auction.com for a sale-specific Absentee Bid Form which is to be returned to us for confirmation at least 24 hours before the sale goes live.
· What is your policy for cancelling bids?
Once bids are placed, they cannot be cancelled. Please contact our team at info@madison-auction.com if you require more information.
· I’ve placed bids in a sale, now what happens?
You’re welcome to follow along with the progress of the sale on our bidding platform.For online sales, all lots will sell at once – usually at 11pm on a Sunday. For live sales, lots are sold one by one and you can watch the live stream of the sale on our platform.If your bid is outbid, you will receive an email notification so that you can increase your bid if you so choose. If you have won your bid, you will receive an invoice via email within 48-hours of the sale.You can check on the status of your bids by selecting the relevant sale under the My Bids tab.
· How do I know if I’ve won my bid?
You can check on the status of your bids by selecting the relevant sale under the My Bids tab or reach out to our team at info@madison-auction.com to confirm. You will also receive an invoice via email within 48-hours of the sale.
· I’ve won bids in a sale, what happens next?
Your invoice will be emailed to the email address registered to your account within 48-hours of the sale, including various options for settling your bill.Once payment has been received, our team will reach out to enquire about the delivery, collection or storage of your purchase.
· How do I get my purchase after the auction?
Once your payment has been received, our team will reach out to confirm if you would like your purchase delivered (we offer complimentary delivery to 1 address in Hong Kong per purchase, delivery service is not available to remote areas and outlying islands), collected from our warehouse or transferred to a storage account with our preferred storage partner, Madison Wine Club.
· Can you store my lots for me?
Madison Auction offers 30-day complimentary storage for Wine, Spirits & Cuban Product. Storage cost will incur on the 31st day of the auction date. Please contact operations@madison-auction.com for quote and arrangement.
· Do you deliver for free?
We offer one free delivery within Hong Kong per purchase, subject to our internal delivery policy and limitations (maximum 15 cases, delivery service is not available to remote areas and outlying islands). Gate -, registration - and staircase fees will be billed separately. For urgent delivery, large or palletized orders and delivery outside of Hong Kong, please contact our Wine Specialist team at info@madison-auction.com for a quotation. Lots not collected/delivered after 30 days are subject to incurring storage fees.
· Will the credit card I register with be charged automatically?
There is a small card verification fee (under HK$10) that will be charged to your card by our third-party payment partner when your register on our platform. For invoices outstanding for more than 7 days (for online auction) or 14 days (for live streaming auction) from the sale, we may charge the registered credit card if no other payment arrangement has been confirmed with our team.If the charge is declined, 1% interest on the invoice total will be added weekly until the invoice has been settled.
· What are my payment options?
Bank Transfer / FPSChequeCredit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, UnionPay)Cash (up to HK$20,000)More detailed instructions are included in your invoice. Please contact our team at info@madison-auction.com with any further queries.
· What if I can’t log in to my account?
Try refreshing your browser.Click Forgot Your Password on the login page and we’ll send you an OTP.If that doesn’t work, please contact a member of our team at info@madison-auction.com for further action.
· I didn’t receive my OTP to register/change my password?
Check your Spam/Junk mailIf it’s not there, please contact a member of our team at info@madison-auction.com for further action.
· How do I update my credit card information?
Your account profile will open when you log in to the platform.Click on Add New Credit Card on the right-hand side and capture your card details. When you register for the next sale, you can select your preferred card from those on file.
· How do I update my address information?
Your account profile will open when you log in to the platform.Click on Edit alongside Shipping Address and update your information.