NIMAN wrote: » Any tales to tell, good or bad? Was looking at a property recently, and know I would have to register for 4.5k just to place a bid. This is refundable if you don't win, but I did see some mention of a non-refundable €123 fee somewhere in their literature, can't seem to find it now.
wonski wrote: » It's a fee for auction, same like with car auction. Call it an entry fee.
NIMAN wrote: » Just got it clarified by BidX1 themselves. So if they had an average of 10 people bidding on every property they list, they are getting >1k per property in admin fees.
wonski wrote: » Is that fee per property or per auction? Either way they are there to make money, handy little income.
NIMAN wrote: » I found the link. On their website, one of the FAQs has a title, "Is there an admin fee". It readsFor auctions in the Republic of Ireland, there is a non-refundable registration fee of €125 (€103.31 plus VAT) for each auction. This fee is payable during the registration process. Please note that this fee will be processed as a separate transaction to any deposit requirement.
Claw Hammer wrote: » I can't understand how there can be any non-refundable fee. An estate agent is only entitled to charge 1 party in any transaction.
Dav010 wrote: » Is BidX an estate agent? I thought it was just an auction service.
Galwayhurl wrote: » Can you imagine the amount of timewasters they'd have if they didn't charge a registration fee?
Claw Hammer wrote: » So what? The law is the law.
Dav010 wrote: » Maybe CH has a point that the auction house cannot charge both buyer and seller, but I don’t see the issue with charging everyone else who isn’t the successful bidder. Also, the registration fee may be for the use of the bidding platform, that is not to say the registrant is required to bid/buy.
Claw Hammer wrote: » Someone has to be the buyer eventually and therefore the clause is void. If it is void in one case it must be void in all.
Dav010 wrote: » You may be stretching that a bit thin, the buyer may get a refund on registration fee if they argue the toss. Again, the fee is a registration fee to enter the auction, there is no obligation to buy. You could look at your statement above and apply the inverse, there are many registrants whom the auction house are entitled to charge for using the platform as they are neither buyer nor seller.
Claw Hammer wrote: » The only reason they pay is so they can bid on the properties.
Dav010 wrote: » Only one buyer though, or none at all. If the Auctioneer can only accept payment from one party in a sale, I don’t see why they would be prevented from receiving payment from anyone not a party to the contract.
Claw Hammer wrote: » The auctioneer is being paid by the vendor, they have a contract with every bidder and eventually there is a contract between the buyer and seller. The whole point of the legislation is to prevent agents fromk charging both sides. In any event the successful bhidder must have been registered so the clause is void and it must then be a void clause from the start since any bidder or potential bidder is signed up to it, all must have a void clause in the contract with the auctioneer. This is a matter whchi the PSRA should deal with.
Dav010 wrote: » Buying at auction has been around a long time, it would be inconceivable that this would not have been checked if it was illegal. I can’t see what contract exists apart from the one which allows a registrant to bid. The sale agreement exists only with the buyer when the hammer falls on the highest bid, there is no sale contract with any of the under bidders.
Claw Hammer wrote: » Bidding online has not been around for a long time. It is a very recent development. Nobody ever paid a fee to attend a property auction before this. Nothing is being done probably because nobody has complained. There is a contract between the agent and every bodder with the terms and conditions of the auction incorporated in it. It would not be possible to have an auction otherwise.
Claw Hammer wrote: » Nobody ever paid a fee to attend a property auction before this.
Graham wrote: » That's not correct Allsop Space charged a €200 registration fee as far back as 2013 with 850+ bidders registering to participate in an auction at the RDS.
Dav010 wrote: » I don’t want to get bogged down on this, I know that when you sink your teeth into something, you won’t let go, even if you are wrong. The registration fee allows you access to the online auction, there is no obligation to bid. The Act you linked earlier states: PROPERTY SERVICES (REGULATION) ACT 2011 90.— (1) Subject to subsection (2), any provision (whether express or implied) in an AGREEMENT in respect of the sale or letting of land whereby the purchaser or tenant, as the case may be..... I’m struggling to see how this applies to anyone not party to the sale agreement. Can you link to where it applies to underbidders or people who do not bid at all? The contract between the online auctioneer and registrants relates to the online platform, once registered they have access to it, that is not to say they have any contract with the vendor, nor agreement in respect of the sale, so how could that provision of the Act apply to anyone other than the seller and buyer? As I said earlier, you are stretching your interpretation of the Act to include persons other than the seller and buyer, I’m not sure why.