New Zealand FAQs

Registering an account with Grays allows you to bid & buy now with Grays.

1) Select 'Join' from the home page and fill in your details for a new account.
2) Don't forget to specify your GrayMail options for Grays
3) Hit the Register Button

Once you have completed the initial registration you will need to supply your address and payment details before you can start purchasing with Grays.

Your registration is both safe and secure, the Privacy and Security of your personal information collected on our website is very important to us. For more information please read our Privacy Statement or contact Customer Service customerservice@grays.co.nz or +64 9 956 1008.

Like a traditional live auction, every auction at GraysWine offers a 'Going, Going, Gone' period. An Auction will not close until all interested parties have stopped bidding for a full ten minutes.

For every bid placed in the last ten minutes of an auction it will be extended for a further ten minutes from the time of that bid.

This will continue until there are no more bids placed.

For example if an auction is scheduled to close at 9:00pm and a bid is placed at 8:51pm it will push the auction into the 'Going, Going, Gone' period.

If no further bids are placed the auction will close at 9:01pm. If another bid is placed at 8:57pm the auction will stay open until 9:07pm, if another bidder places a bid at 9:03pm the auction will stay open until 9:13pm, and so forth until no bids have been placed for a ten minute period.

The Going, Going, Gone period ensures all interested parties have the opportunity to place their final bid. It also gives everyone an equal opportunity to place bids, as many of our customers are located in rural areas and do not have access to high speed internet.
The person(s) with the highest bid at the end of the 'Going, Going, Gone' period is the winner.

Please make sure you are constantly refreshing your screen during the 'Going, Going, Gone' period to ensure all information is up to date.

If you have any questions about Grays please contact Customer Service customerservice@grays.co.nz or +64 9 956 1008.

Auctions can be conducted on a GST 'inclusive' or 'exclusive' basis. Grays provides this information on the lot description page so you aware of this prior to bidding on an item.

Inclusive GST Sales

When an auction is listed as GST 'inclusive', this simply means that the bid price has the GST percentage already included. You do not need to add the additional cost to your invoice. It is important to note that the Buyer's Premium and freight charge if applicable is GST inclusive.
We sell assets on behalf of a Vendor, if the Vendor is registered for GST purposes then we may charge GST on those items.

Exclusive GST Sales

When an auction is GST 'exclusive', you will need to pay GST as well as the bid price. The GST is a percentage of the bid price. You will also need to pay GST on the Buyer's Premium in a GST 'exclusive' sale. Therefore when looking at GST exclusive sales, remember you need to add GST to the bid amount, buyer's premium and freight.

GST Free Sales

Occasionally Grays Online will auctions items that are GST free, the final bid price will not include a GST component. To view if the buyer's premium and freight has a GST component or not, please refer to the lot description for further information.

If you have any questions about Grays please contact Customer Service customerservice@grays.co.nz

Before you can commence bidding you will need to be a fully registered buyer with Grays.

Registering with Grays is both safe and secure.

To register, go to our home page and select "Join" from the top right hand corner of the page.

Once your registration is complete you will be able to bid on the Auctions that interest you.

Search for items of interest by searching the categories listed on the left of the home page or enter a keyword and click search.

It’s important to Review the Sale Overview and the Lot Page to ensure the item is what you are looking for.

Once you have decided you would like to place a bid, select Place Bid.

At the point of "Place Bid" - if you have not signed in, the system will remind you before you can place a bid.

Review the bid you have placed and then select "Confirm Bid"

It is important to note that bid will not be placed unless you have selected Place Bid and again selected Confirm Bid.

If you have any questions about Grays please contact Customer Service customerservice@grays.co.nz

Grays accepts PayPal and all major credit cards - Visa, Mastercard, Diners and American Express for payment of Sale and Buy Now invoices. Grays uses an automated payment system which ensures a secure and fast service for our customers.

Please note:

If you elect to use PayPal as your payment method, please ensure that your PayPal is associated with a credit card. The CVV Number ("Card Verification Value") on your credit/debit card is a three digit number on the reverse VISA®, MasterCard® and Discover® branded credit and debit cards.

Invoices under $10,000

When the invoice is under $10,000, payment is taken from the nominated payment method within 24 hours of the sale closing. This is to ensure goods can be dispatched as quickly as possible or made ready for collection. Please ensure that there are sufficient funds available at the time the sale closes, this is to ensure the process is as smooth as possible.

Invoices over $10,000

Sale: Where the invoice amount is over $10,000 (multiple lots with a single sale will be consolidated under a single invoice) this is to be paid for by direct deposit within two days of the sale closing. If your purchase falls into this category, a member of the Grays team will contact you to arrange for payment.

Buy Now:  When the total cost of your purchase exceeds $10,000 in our Buy Now section, we will only charge 2% of the total to you on checkout. This will secure your purchase quickly and avoids a situation where you may exceed your credit limit. With the balance of your order payable via direct deposit. We will email you an invoice with the balance owing, and details on how to make this payment

Invoice over $250,000

When an invoice is over $250,000, we will only charge customers a maximum of $10,000 as a deposit. The balance of your order is then payable via direct deposit. After checkout, we will email you an invoice with the balance owing, and details on how to make this payment.

What happens if payment is not received?

Our accounts team will contact you via email and request payment be made as soon as possible. If payment is not received, the sale may be cancelled, and you may be charged a cancellation fee representing 20% of the invoice amount being charged.

If the Invoice Amount is more than $10,000, and you don't pay it into a bank account nominated by us, we may charge you, (either for all or part of the Invoice Amount) on account of final payment by you. We may also charge an additional 3% administration fee to your account, calculated on the total of the Invoice Amount.

Use "Watch this" to "mark" item(s) of interest so you can watch the bidding proceedings, before placing a bid.

In the Lot Page of an item of interest, just above the "Description" tab, you can click on "Watch this" beside the Binoculars icon to add this item to your watch list.

By keeping track of the bidding proceedings you can place your bid when you are ready, watching multiple items using this feature. You can bid from the watch list or click on the item and bid from the lot page.

You can "Unwatch" an item at any time.

The Winner's email is the email sent to you from Grays congratulating you on your winning bid. It is sent within minutes of the online sale closing.

This email confirms the Lot Number, Sale Number and winning bid price of the item.

Some of the sales listed by Grays do provide an opportunity for you to inspect the goods first. If an inspection is available (i.e. Vehicles), this will be stated in the relevant Sale Overview. The Overview will also provide the location and dates for inspection purposes.

We strongly encourage you to inspect the goods if the opportunity is offered as no refunds are provided.

Please note that Grays auctions will deliver product(s) from most but not all online auctions. The Sale Overview for each online auction and/or Lot Description will clearly indicate whether we will deliver the product(s) for that auction, or whether the product(s) are for personal collection.

Selecting a Delivery Address

It is very important that you select a delivery address where deliveries can be made during business hours between Monday and Friday.

If you wish to change your delivery address at any time, just go to My Info and click Edit next to Delivery Address Summary. Any changes will apply to all subsequent online auctions that you participate in, but will not apply to any online auctions that have already closed. Therefore if you want to change your delivery address, be sure to do so before the online auction closes.

When will my product be delivered?

The expected date of delivery for each item offered on online auctions at Grays is clearly displayed on the Sale Overview page.

Delivery Options and Costs

NOTE: Delivery fees are quoted on a per item basis. In other words, if you win two items in a Lot, you will be charged twice the delivery fee, unless consolidated freight is specifically offered for that auction. Please refer to each Sale Overview for these details.

All items to be delivered must be delivered to a specified premises and receipt of such items must be acknowledged by signature. You may not make a request directly to the courier company authorising them to deliver to another address, nor can you authorise for the goods to be delivered to your or another address without signature (Left as Instructed). If you contravene this clause you waive your right to personal delivery, and you shall accept all responsibility for any loss or damage caused to the goods and release Grays from any liability for any loss or damage caused.

Delivery (Other)

The delivery charges specified within the site will be charged to the successful bidder. These charges include one delivery attempt by our nominated courier. A re-delivery fee of $15 may be payable by the purchaser if the courier is unable to delivery on the first attempt. The re-delivery fee will be charged to the purchasers specified credit card account by Grays, and you hereby authorise us to charge your credit card.

Unless outlined in the Sale Overview, delivery of bulky goods (eg large TVs, furniture, whitegoods etc) assumes ground floor front door delivery.

Delivery enquires

Please refer to each Sale Overview for delivery details (if applicable). If you have a delivery enquiry and would like to contact our Customer Service team, please email: customerservice@grays.co.nz
Please include your Login, Sale and Lot number of the auction so that we may assist you quickly.

Like all traditional in house auctions Grays charges a Buyer's Premium. This is an administration fee that is applied to the bid price of an item won at auction.
It is always a percentage of the purchase price and may vary, depending on the sale category. It is important to review the lot description for details.

There are also two types of buyer’s premium:

• Standard Buyers Premium, where regardless of the final bid price, the buyer’s premium remains at the set percentage (please refer to lot description).
• Variable Buyer Premium, where the percentage of buyer’s premium will change once a certain bid price threshold is reached. For example, an item may be subject to 20% buyer’s premium when the bidding is less than $1000, moving to 10% buyer’s premium once the bidding reaches $1000 or more.

Grays sells a wide range of products in a variety of Conditions on behalf of our Vendors.
The Condition of each product is stated on its Lot Page and we strongly urge you to familiarise yourself with the Condition prior to bidding.

Please carefully consider the below:
It is important that you read the Lot Description for possible additional information on the Condition of the product including any applicable warranty details. You should take the Condition and the Lot Description into account when you place your bid as we do not offer refunds if you change your mind about your purchase.

Product Conditions

NEW
Products listed as 'New' are unused and still in their original packaging, complete with manuals and accessories, although they may not necessarily be the latest model.

RESEALED
Products listed as 'Resealed' have not been sold to a consumer. Items will generally still have their original packaging but it may have been opened for testing or other purposes. In some instances accessories may vary from the standard (for example, software or manuals may be missing or different).

RETAIL RETURN
Products listed as ‘Retail Return’ have typically been sold to a customer in a retail environment and then returned within a short period due to change of mind and may have had limited use. Please note, that some individual items may show signs consistent with re-packaging (such as marks or scratches) and/or carton damage. In some instances accessories may vary from the standard, for example, sofas may be missing throw cushions or items may not contain instruction manuals. Packaging conditions vary from product to product and some items may not be packaged.

RECONDITIONED / FACTORY REFURBISHED
Products listed as 'Reconditioned' have typically been used by a consumer for a limited period but then have been tested and repaired where necessary (unless otherwise specified) so that they function according to the manufacturer's specifications. Some items may vary from this standard and any variances are specified in the product description. Please note some individual items may show signs of wear, such as scratches and marks common with used items. In some instances accessories may vary from the standard (for example, software or manuals may be missing or different, no original packaging).

PHOTOGRAPHY SAMPLE
Products listed as ‘Photography Sample’ have been received into a Grays warehouse in brand new condition and then unboxed and assembled (where needed) to be used in a photography shoot. Items will be repackaged where possible although in some instances where assembly is required this may not be feasible. Items will still be in excellent condition and include all relevant manuals and accessories.

DEMO
These items may have been used by manufacturers or distributors for display, demonstration or promotional purposes. Please note that some individual items may show signs of wear common with used items. In some instances accessories may vary from the standard (for example, software or manuals may be missing or different, no original packaging).

EX LEASE
Products listed as 'Ex Lease' have been returned to a rental company at the expiry of a corporate usage lease. Please note Ex Lease items may show signs of wear common with used items. In some instances accessories may vary from the standard (for example, software or manuals may be missing or different, no original packaging).

SECONDS
Products listed as 'Seconds' may have been sold to a consumer previously, have experienced some usage, display some minor physical defects/damage or experience functional faults. In some instances accessories may vary from the standard (for example, software or manuals may be missing or different, no original packaging).

USED
Product listed as 'Used' have experienced moderate to heavy usage by consumers and have not been tested to ensure that they function according to the manufacturer's specifications. Some individual items may show signs of wear common with used items and in some instances accessories may vary from the standard (for example, software or manuals may be missing or different, no original packaging).

CELLARED
Private Cellar wine is wine which has been stored for ageing purposes in a private cellar.
Storing the wine and allowing it to age has the potential to improve the quality of the taste. While wine is perishable and capable of deteriorating, storing the wine can alter the aroma, colour, mouth feel and taste of the wine in a way that may be more pleasing to the taster.
The Grays 30 Day Money Back Guarantee does not apply to wines in Private Cellar sales as we are unable to guarantee the contents of the bottles. All wines are bought on an "as is" basis, and no returns or refunds will be accepted on the basis of quality

INSURANCE CLAIM
These products have been subject to an insurance claim and may contain shop soiling, packaging, physical and or other types of damage which may be unknown to us. Please refer to the auction overview or the items description for further information regarding its condition.

OTHER
Products are listed as being in 'Other' Condition when they do not fit in to any of the other Conditions listed above. This can include items such as collectable wines, certain works of art and other memorabilia.

Autobids are a convenient way of continuing to bid on an item while you are away from your computer.

How Autobids work

Select the maximum amount you're willing to pay for each item you are bidding on. Once you have confirmed a bid, you are committed to pay up to the maximum price you have bid for each item if you win.

Grays autobid system compares your bid to other bidders and increases your bid by increments up to your maximum bid amount if necessary to win the auction.

If someone bids higher than your maximum amount, you will receive an email indicating that you have been outbid. You may then decide to increase your maximum amount. This can be done at any time before an auction ends.

How to Place an Autobid?

To place an Autobid, please ensure you are a registered member with Grays and have signed in prior to placing a bid.

1. Select the Autobid function by clicking on the circle next to auto bid

2. Select the maximum bid price you are willing to pay for each item from the drop down menu

3. Click place bid

4. Check the details are correct and confirm bid

IMPORTANT: The bid amount you select for your auto bid is per item, if you are bidding on more than one item please take the total price including freight and buyers premium into consideration before committing to the auction.

If you have any questions about Grays please contact Customer Service customerservice@grays.co.nz

A vendor may set a minimum reserve price on their asset. You will see "Reserve not met" beside the bidding price of the item.

Once bidding meets or exceeds the reserve price the "Reserve not met" label will be removed, and at the end of the auction, the highest bid for each item(s) will win the asset.

If the reserve price has not been met when the auction closes, the vendor will be informed of the highest bid made. If the vendor wishes to proceed, the highest bidder may be contacted regarding a potential purchase of the asset.

Please note: that when you confirm your bid, it is still accepted as a valid bid even when the "Reserve not met" label is shown.

Where applicable, our vendors can select a minimum bid threshold for each bid submitted to our auctions. If a minimum bid threshold is applied to a lot, the bid increments must align to that minimum bid threshold amount.

For example: If the starting bid is $9 but the minimum bid threshold is $20, the next bid must be at least $29. A customer may place a bid higher than the minimum bid threshold. For example, that same $9 starting bid item may have a bid of $40, and each subsequent bid must be at least $20 above the previous bid.

Minimum bid thresholds will not override an Autobid value.

For example: A lot starting bid is $9 and the Minimum Bid Threshold is $9. Buyer 1 submits an Autobid amount of $30 which increases the current winning bid to $18. Buyer 2 places a bid for $27. The final bid placed using Autobid from Buyer 1 can only increase to their maximum submitted Autobid amount of $30 (so Buyer 1’s final bid will be $3, rather than reflecting the Minimum Bid Threshold of $9).

If you have further questions, please contact Customer Service customerservice@grays.co.nz or +64 9-956 1008.

Our bidding system is set up to ensure a non-discriminatory structure is followed by all bidders; bid precedence allows us to follow a set order to determine who has won the item(s) in a sale.

To decide who has won, bid precedence is as follows:

If there is only one quantity, the highest bid price will always win. If there are multiple quantities available and two or more customers bid the same price, the person with the highest quantity will be successful at that price.

For example, there are 3 cases of wine available for sale.

Joe bids on 2 cases at $24 a case.

Mary bids on 3 cases at $24 a case.

Joe was outbid & Mary is the winning bidder because she has the higher quantity even though the bid price is the same.

If you have further questions, please contact Customer Service customerservice@grays.co.nz or +64 9-956 1008.

Should you require your bid to be retracted/withdrawn, please contact Customer Service customerservice@grays.co.nz or +64 9-956 1008.

Shill bidding is the fraudulent activity to bid without the intention to buy; bids are only made on an item(s) to artificially increase its price or desirability.

This can be anyone including family, friends, online connections or employees. If you think Shill Bidding is taking place, please report it to us. Please include in your report the Sale ID & Customer Details from the Bidding History Tab.

We will thoroughly investigate every report. Often what appears to be shill bidding is not a violation.

If you have further questions, please contact Customer Service customerservice@grays.co.nz or +64 9-956 1008.