1. USE OF SITEYou may use the Site only in accordance with and subject to these Terms of Use. Once you complete and submit your registration you have opted-in to receive email communication from us and in order to remain a member of this Site, you must agree to receive email from us.
You must also authorize Clearing House Estate Sales to charge the credit or debit card you have entered on this site for the hammer price of an item which you were the high bidder plus the buyer's premium and all applicable sales tax. Your card will be charged within 24 hours of auction end. Failure to keep valid credit card information on file will result in your use of the site being terminated.
To initiate your ability to bid with Clearing House Estate Sales, an itinital $1.00 pre-authorization transaction will appear on your statement. This pending transaction will not settle and will drop off after 5 -7 business days (American Express & Discover may take longer).
You certify that you are an authorized user of this credit card and that you will not dispute the purchase payments with your credit card company provided the transactions correspond to the terms indicated in this authorization outline.
2. MEMBERSHIP ELIGIBILITYThe Site is available to members who are 18 years and older and who have not been suspended or removed by CHES for any reason. By becoming a member you represent that you are of legal age. As a member, you agree to provide true accurate, current and complete information about yourself as prompted by the Site’s registration forms. In addition, as a member, you agree and acknowledge that you will maintain valid credit card info within your membership profile so long as you maintain an account with CHES.
3. BUYER’S CONTRACTBids placed on the CHES website are a binding contract and you are responsible for paying all amounts due to CHES including sale price, buyer's premium and all applicable taxes. Please do not bid if you are unable to pay and take possession of the items in the specified time periods for each auction, sale or event. Any items won and not paid for within 24 hours of auction close are eligible for sale to underbidder(s). All sales are final. No returns, credits or exchanges.
4. ITEM DESCRIPTIONSAll items are sold as-is, where-is. While CHES will do its best to list any damage, repairs or restorations, the absence of these descriptions or conditions must not be taken to imply that the lot is in perfect condition. Most of the items CHES sells are antique, vintage or used. You should expect signs of wear consistent with age. CHES offers preview inspections for the sole purpose of allowing the opportunity for personal inspection before placing your bids. Condition reports may be available. All sales are final. No returns, credits or exchanges.
5. BUYER’S PREMIUMA buyer’s premium of 18% will be added to the hammer price in all auctions and will be charged along with the hammer prices and applicable sales tax to the credit or debit card you have on file with CHES within 24 hours of the auction end.
6. SALES TAXAll sales are subject to appropriate sales tax laws. Tax exempt buyers must provide the appropriate state sales tax exemption certificate prior to the end of the sale. Upon receipt of such information by CHES, your future purchases will not be taxed. Tax resale forms can be submitted in your membership profile. Your profile name and address must be the same as your resale certificate.
7. RETENTION OF CREDIT CARD INFORMATIONBy providing your credit card information to CHES, you authorize CHES to charge your credit card for the purchase amount of any successful bid plus the buyer's premium and any applicable taxes.
Your card will be charged within 24 hours of auction end. Failure to keep valid credit card information on file will result in your use of the site being terminated.
To initiate your ability to bid with Clearing House Estate Sales, an itinital $1.00 pre-authorization transaction will appear on your statement. This pending transaction will not settle and will drop off after 5 -7 business days.
You certify that you are an authorized user of this credit card and that you will not dispute the purchase payments with your credit card company provided the transactions correspond to the terms indicated in this authorization outline.
CHES does not store your credit card information for security purposes.
8. PICK-UPSuccessful buyers must pick up their items at the designated sale location within the assigned time frame as stated in the sale details page.
If after winning an item you determine you are unable to pick up your items during the scheduled removal times and dates, you must contact CHES within 24 hours prior of the pick-up date and we will determine if alternate arrangements can be made. These arrangements will be at the sole discretion of CHES and will be subject to transport, labor and/or storage fees.
Shipping and Handling Policy
At GoldenTree, we strive to ensure that your items are handled with the utmost care and professionalism. To maintain the quality of our service, we apply handling charges based on the size and nature of the items. Below is a detailed outline of our handling charges, including costs for packaging and shipping through USPS and UPS.
Handling Charges
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Small Items: $5 to $15 per item
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Medium Items: $20 to $30 per item
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Large Items: $35+ per item
Item Categories
To provide clarity, we have categorized some of the items we typically handle:
Small Items:
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Jewelry
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Coins
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Pens
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Small Figurines
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Perfume
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Small Glassware
Medium Items:
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Art Glass
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Pottery
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Medium-sized Figurines
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Small Sculptures
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Medium-sized Glassware
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Sterling Silverware
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Trinkets
Large Items:
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Large Sculptures
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Large Glassware
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Artworks
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Large Pottery
Shipping Methods and Costs
Small Items (USPS Priority Mail)
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USPS Small Flat Rate Box: $10.20
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USPS Medium Flat Rate Box: $17.10
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USPS Large Flat Rate Box: $22.80
Medium to Large Items (UPS)
Comparative Analysis with UPS and FedEx
Understanding the comprehensive costs associated with handling, packaging, and pickup by major carriers like UPS and FedEx can help establish competitive and fair pricing at GoldenTree’s. Below is a comparative analysis including these additional services for small, medium, and large items.
Small Items (Jewelry, Coins, Pens, etc.)
UPS:
FedEx:
USPS Priority Mail: $10.20-$22.80
Medium Items (Art Glass, Pottery, Medium Figurines, etc.)
UPS:
FedEx:
Large Items (Candelabras, Large Sculptures, Artworks, etc.)
UPS:
FedEx:
Conclusion
GoldenTree’s handling charges are significantly lower compared to the comprehensive costs charged by UPS and FedEx, including packaging and pickup services. Our use of USPS Priority Mail for small items offers a cost-effective solution, while UPS handles our medium to large items efficiently.
Maintaining these rates ensures that our clients receive top-notch service and value, positioning GoldenTree as a preferred choice for shipping and handling auction items. Thank you for choosing GoldenTree.
Third-Party Shipping Options
If you prefer to arrange shipping through our local UPS or FedEx partners, please find their contact information below. These third-party shipping services offer convenient and reliable solutions for your auction items.
UPS Store - Buckingham, PA
For shipping quotes and to schedule shipping with UPS, please contact:
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Address: 4950 York Rd., Buckingham, PA 18912
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Email: store3831@upsstore.com
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Instructions: Please email a copy of your ID, winning auction dates, invoice numbers, and lot numbers to receive a shipping quote.
The Parcel Place +
For a variety of shipping options including USPS, FedEx, and UPS, please contact:
Services: The Parcel Place + offers USPS, FedEx, UPS, and other shipping options to accommodate your needs.
9. FORFEITURE OF ITEMSAny items not paid and / or not picked up during the specified pick up time in accordance with the Site’s Terms & Conditions will be forfeited by you. CHES at its sole discretion will reoffer the items or donate them to a charity of CHES’s choosing. CHES reserves the right to report your account to collections for the combined total of the original invoice amount and any moving or disposal charges. Your membership with CHES will be revoked unless past due invoices and any additional charges are paid in full.
10. PROHIBITED USEYou agree not to sell, license, rent, modify, distribute, copy, reproduce, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, publish, adept, edit or create derivative works from content or materials on the SIte. Use of the content and materials for any purpose not expressly permitted in these Terms of Use is prohibited. You may not decompile, reverse engineer, dissassemble, or otherwise reduce the Site to a human-perceivable form, except and only to the extent that such activity is expressly permitted by applicable law, and in that case, only if you notify us in writing in advance . You may not copy, frameset, enclose or otherwise distribute any part of the Site.
A NOTE ABOUT EXTENDED BIDDING ("SOFT CLOSE")CHES online auctions feature extended bidding (a.k.a. "soft close"). Is is the closest way to mimic the actions of an auctioneer (in a live auction) in an online/automated format. During a live auction, the auctioneer gives bidders opportunities to increase their bids before hammering the winning bid (when there is no further interest in the lot). Our online, automated system will automatically extend the closing time of a lot (auction item) whenever a bid is placed within the last five minutes of its scheduled closing to allow other interested bidders an opportunity to increase their bid (if the wish to do so). This may occur multiple times on any given lot depending on bidder interest. Once all interest and bidding in a lot ceases, the clock will run out and the lot will close.
