FINE WINES & SPIRITS

GREAT WINES & SPIRITS

Exhibition:

no exhibition, condition postponed on request at nourry@aguttes.com

Specialist :

Pierre-Luc NOURRY - 07 63 44 69 56 - nourry@aguttes.com

Expert : Denis BERNARD

Live : Drouot-Online and Interenchères

Buyers' fees :

24%TTC (excluding live fees)

SAS AGUTTES ("AGUTTES") is an operator of voluntary public auctions, declared to the Voluntary Sales Board and governed by Articles L.321-4 et seq. of the French Commercial Code. In this capacity AGUTTES acts as agent of the seller who contracts with the auction winner.

These General Terms and Conditions of Sale ("GTC") govern the relationship between AGUTTES and bidders for public auctions and negotiated sales organised by AGUTTES.

AGUTTES may modify the GTC in writing or orally prior to the sale of the lot. These modifications will be mentioned in the report of the sale.

I-                    THE PROPERTY OFFERED FOR SALE

Description of lots: The indications given in the catalogue are the responsibility of AGUTTES and its expert, subject to the provisions mentioned below. Only indications in French are binding on AGUTTES to the exclusion of translations, which are free. They may be modified or corrected until the time of the sale in writing or orally. These modifications shall be recorded in the report of the sale, which shall have probative force.

No other guarantee is given by AGUTTES, it being recalled that only the seller shall be bound by the guarantee against hidden defects and the legal guarantee of conformity. A certificate of authenticity of the lot will only be available if mentioned in the description of the lot.

The dimensions, weights and other information of the lots are given as an indication with a reasonable margin of error.

Restorations carried out as a precautionary measure, not altering the age and style characteristics, and not making any change to the specific nature of the lot, will not be mentioned in the description.

The absence of any indication of restoration, accident or incident in the catalogue or reports shall in no way imply that the lot is free from any defect present, past or repaired. Conversely, the mention of any defect does not imply the absence of other defects.

The particular information in the catalogue has the following meanings:

+ Lots forming part of a court-ordered sale following an order of the Court of Justice, fees and expenses: 14.40% incl. tax;

° Lots, in which AGUTTES or one of its partners has financial interests;

* Temporary import lots: subject to a fee of 20% for wine and spirits, jewellery and multiples (or 5.5% for books), to be borne by the buyer in addition to the selling costs and the auction price, unless the buyer is outside the EU;

¤ Goods sold under the general VAT regime (for the total);

~ Lots made from materials from animal species. Import restrictions are to be provided for.

Condition of lots: The lots are sold in the condition in which they are found at the time of sale with their imperfections and defects. Since lots are second-hand goods, no guarantee can be given on the condition thereof. 

References to the condition of a lot in a catalogue or condition report may not be considered as an exhaustive description of the condition of said lot. They may not under any circumstances replace the personal examination of the lot as indicated below. Condition reports will be sent upon request and for information purposes.

The old bottles can naturally be weakened with time and transport. AGUTTES cannot be considered as responsible for the state of the cork.

Lot exposure: Potential bidders are invited to personally examine the lots at a private meeting prior to sale in order to check the condition of the lot. Buyers are advised to be accompanied by an expert in the field concerned by the sale. 

Reproduction of lots: Not all defects and imperfections of the batches are visible on the photographs of the batches reproduced in the catalogues, online or on any communication medium. Photographs may not give a fully faithful image of the actual condition of a lot and may differ from what a direct observer will receive (size, colour, etc.).

Estimates: The estimates are based on the state of technical knowledge on the day of the estimate, the quality of the lot, its origin, condition, and the market price on the day of the estimate. They are provided for information purposes only and cannot be considered as a guarantee that the lot will be sold at the estimated price.

II-                  THE SALE

Registration for sale: Important: the normal and priority method to bid is to be present in the sales room. As a service, other modes are possible that require prior registration:

- By telephone: AGUTTES accepts, free of charge, to receive bids by telephone only for bidders who reported before 6 p.m., on the last business day before the sale. The potential bidder must have received a prior confirmation email from AGUTTES to be called.

- By purchase order: Any person previously registered and wishing to bid will have the option to request the registration of purchase orders from AGUTTES on their behalf. The order must have been communicated in writing before 6 p.m. on the last business day before the sale, and the bidder must have received a confirmation email from AGUTTES to be called. No unlimited order will be accepted. If AGUTTES receives multiple purchase orders for identical auction amounts, the oldest order will be selected.

- Online via Live platforms: The possibility of online auctions is offered on technical platforms allowing remote participation in auctions electronically, upon prior registration. The purchaser via the Live platforms is informed that the fees charged by these platforms will be borne exclusively by it.

Participation in the auction by telephone, internet or order is carried out at the risk and peril of the bidder, AGUTTES cannot be held liable in the event of non‑participation of the auction bidder for any reason whatsoever, particularly in the event of malfunction or failure to perform (no response from the bidder, error, interruption or omission in the reception of bids). In the event of malfunction or interruption of the telephone or live service, the auction may be continued by AGUTTES.

Procedure for identifying bidders: AGUTTES reserves the right to ask any potential bidder to prove its identity and for a legal entity, a Kbis extract less than three months old, it being specified that only the legal representative of the company or any duly authorised person may bid for and its bank details. In the event of non-compliance with the identification procedures, AGUTTES reserves the right to refuse its registration for the auction. All lots sold will be invoiced in the name and address of the registration slip. No subsequent modification may be made. The bidder is deemed to act in its own name and will be solely responsible for the auction brought unless it is informed beforehand of its capacity as agent under the conditions indicated below.

Any false indication shall incur the liability of the auction winner.

Mandate by a third party: The bidder with a mandate must inform AGUTTES during the identification and registration procedure and produce a copy of the mandate and any other documents requested by AGUTTES. In such a case, the bidder and the principal shall be jointly and severally liable. 

Sales management: AGUTTES will manage the sale on a discretionary basis, ensuring the freedom of bidders and equality between all bidders, while respecting the practices established by the profession. The sale will be made upon designation of the lots.

Awarding: The highest and the last bidder will be the auction winner, with all accepted means combined (order, internet, telephone, on-site, etc.). The awarding is evidenced by the pronouncement of the word "Sold", which forms the sale agreement between the seller and the auction winner.

Each lot is identified with a number corresponding to the number assigned to it in the sales catalogue.

It is forbidden for sellers to bid directly on the lots belonging to them.

In the event of a simultaneous "double-auction" recognised by the auctioneer, the lot will be put back for sale, with all bidders present being able to participate in this second auction.

Withdrawal: Each auction and bid is final and is binding on the auction winner, it being recalled that the auction winner may not withdraw either in the room, by telephone, online or on a purchase order.

Transfer of risk and ownership: The transfer of ownership and risks between the seller and the auction winner takes place by the word "sold" by AGUTTES. AGUTTES disclaims all liability for losses and damages that the lots may suffer from the date of the award, with the auction winner having to insure the lots acquired as soon as the award is awarded.

III-                 COMPLETION OF THE SALE

Sale commission: In addition to the auction price, the auction winner shall pay the buyer's fees, per lot, calculated as follows:

- 20% excl. tax + VAT at the rate in force, i.e. 24% including tax

In addition to the auction price and the buyer's fees, the auction winner must pay all taxes and duties including VAT as well as any handling and storage costs.

Payment of the sums due must be made "in cash" by the auction winner as soon as the award is made. Payment is made in euros, excluding any bank fees.

VAT: The VAT rate is 20% (or 5.5% for books). In principle, unmarked lots will be sold under the VAT on gross margin system. The purchase commission and overhead costs will be increased by an amount in lieu of VAT, which will not be separately mentioned in our slips.

By way of exception, and at the request of the seller, the general VAT system may be applied for goods offered for sale by an EU professional at its request. These goods will be marked by the ¤ sign.

Possible VAT refunds:

1- The professional of the European Union, (i) with an intra-Community VAT number and (ii) providing proof of the export of lots from France to another Member State;

2- Non-residents of the European Union on the supply of (i) a customs export document, on which AGUTTES appears as sender (ii) when the export occurs within two months of the auction date or the date of obtaining the export permit.

Payment terms: Legal means of payment accepted by AGUTTES' accounts (payments by credit card or wire transfer being strongly recommended):

- Credit card: bank charges, which usually vary between 1 and 2%, are not borne by the firm;

- American Express card: a commission of 2.95% including tax will be collected for all payments. Remote card payments and split payments in several instalments for the same lot with the same card are not allowed;

- Online payment up to €10,000 to https://www.aguttes.com/paiement/index.jsp ;

- Bank transfer: from the buyer's account and indicating the invoice number:

Banque de Neuflize, 3 Avenue Hoche 75008

Account holder: AGUTTES

Bank code 30788 – Sort code 00900

Account No. 02058690002 – RIB key 23

IBAN FR76 3078 8009 0002 0586 9000 223

BIC NSMBFRPPXXX

- Cash: Articles L.112-6 and D.112-3 of the French Monetary and Financial Code: (i) Up to €1,000 for French tax residents or persons acting for the purposes of a professional activity; (ii) Up to €15,000 for individuals who have their tax domicile abroad (upon presentation of passports and proof of address);

- Cheque (as a last resort): Upon presentation of two identity documents. No time limit for cashing is accepted in the event of payment by cheque. Issuance will only be possible twenty days after payment. Foreign cheques are not accepted.

Defaulting auction winner: In the absence of cash payment by the buyer, the property may be put back for sale upon reiteration of the auctions at the request of the seller in accordance with the procedure of Article L.321‑14 of the French Commercial Code. If the seller does not make this request within three months of the auction, the sale shall be automatically terminated.

In all cases, the defaulting buyer, due to its failure to pay, shall pay to AGUTTES:

- All costs and incidentals incurred by AGUTTES relating to the collection of unpaid invoices (including legal fees);

- Late payment penalties calculated by applying interest rates at the statutory rate plus five points on all sums due;

- Damages to compensate for the loss suffered by AGUTTES (purchase costs, fees and commissions, VAT, storage, etc.).

AGUTTES reserves the right to:

- Communicate the name and contact details of the defaulting buyer to the seller in order to enable the latter to assert its rights.

- Exercise or have exercised all the rights and remedies, in particular the right of retention, over any property of the defaulting buyer, of which AGUTTES has custody;

- Prohibit the defaulting auction winner from bidding in the next sales organised by AGUTTES or from making the possibility of tendering there subject to the payment of a prior provision.   

Lot collection and storage: A lot awarded may only be delivered to the buyer after full payment of the purchase slip, collected in the AGUTTES bank account.

The lots will be delivered to the purchaser in person after presentation of any document proving his identity or to the third party appointed by him and to whom he has entrusted an original power of attorney and a copy of his identity document. The lot is collected at the auction winner's expense and risks only.

Once paid, the lots will be available by appointment from December 20, 2022, in the premises of the company iCave. To do so, please make an appointment by e-mail by joining your paid slip before coming for the withdrawal of the purchases at the following e-mail address: retraits.aguttes@icave.eu.

CAUTION: ICAVE IS CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS FROM 26/12 TO 01/01 INCLUDED

Delivery address of the lots:

iCave des Montquartiers - 5 Chemin des Montquartiers - 92130 ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUX - FRANCE

The storage of lots which are the object of an auction or a private sale and which are not removed by the buyer before November 18, 2022, will be invoiced as follows 1€ per lot and per calendar day, without prejudice to any charges applied by iCave.

Resale of paid and non-collected lots: In the event that lots awarded and paid for during an auction have not been collected by the purchasers for more than one year, AGUTTES reserves the right to sell them. The storage, custody, and all other costs incurred by AGUTTES for the sale shall be deducted from the proceeds of such sale to the benefit of AGUTTES. The balance shall be deposited in a bank account provided for this purpose.

IV-                PRE-EMPTION RIGHT

The French State may exercise a pre-emptive right on any public or private sale of cultural property. The State has a period of 15 days from the public sale to confirm the exercise of its pre-emptive right and subrogate itself to the buyer.

V-                  EXPORT

The formalities of exports (requests for certificate for a cultural good, export license) of the subjected lots are the responsibility of the purchaser and can require a four months delay. AGUTTES is at the disposal of its buyers to guide them in these steps. 

AGUTTES cannot be held responsible for delays. Under no circumstances shall AGUTTES be liable for the refusal or delay of the administrative decision. The refusal to issue a certificate may not under any circumstances justify a failure or delay in payment by the buyer or a cancellation of the sale.

VI-                APPLICABLE LAW AND COMPETENT COURT

Civil liability claims brought in connection with voluntary and judicial actions and sales of furniture at public auction are time-barred after five years from the award or takeover.

French law alone governs the GTC. Any dispute relating to their existence, validity, performance and enforceability against any bidder having the capacity of trader shall be decided by the Commercial Court of Nanterre (France).

In the event that the bidder or buyer is not a trader, this dispute shall be decided by the competent Court pursuant to the legal provisions.

The Government Commissioner to the Council for voluntary sales of furniture by public auction may be mandated in writing in case of any difficulty with a view to reaching an amicable solution, if applicable.

VII-               PERSONAL DATA

The bidders are informed that AGUTTES may collect and process data concerning them in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation no. 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 (GDPR) and the French Data Protection Act no. 78-17 of 6 January 1978 amended by Law No. 2018-493 of 20 June 2018 on the protection of personal data.

The data is collected for the purposes of managing their contractual or pre-contractual relations (registration for sale, invoicing, accounting, payments, communication, etc.). This data consists of information such as: surname, first names, postal address, email address, telephone number, bank details.

Bidders are informed that they have a right of access, rectification, erasure, portability, opposition and limitation with regard to such data with AGUTTES. Requests must be made in writing to: communication@aguttes.com  Any complaint about the applicable data protection legislation may be brought before the CNIL: www.cnil.fr.

VIII-             INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

AGUTTES is the owner of any right of reproduction of its catalogue. Any reproduction of the same is prohibited and constitutes an infringement. The sale of a lot does not in any way imply the assignment of any intellectual property rights applicable (representation and/or reproduction) to the work.

IX-                 SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1-      Mechanical and electrical objects

The mechanical or electrical objects offered for sale by AGUTTES are exclusively offered for decorative purposes. As they represent used property, AGUTTES does not under any circumstances certify their operating condition. We recommend that buyers come to see the lots during their public exposure with an expert in this field, and to have the electrical or mechanical mechanism checked by a professional before any start-up. 

2-      Protected plant and animal species

Objects partially or entirely made up of materials from endangered and/or protected species of flora and fauna are marked by the symbol ~ in the catalogue. The legislator imposes strict rules for the commercial use of these materials, in particular with regard to ivory trade. 

Buyers are informed that the importation of any goods made up of these materials is prohibited by many countries, or require a permit or certificate issued by the competent authorities of the countries of export and import of the goods. The purchasers are fully responsible for the proper compliance with the regulatory and legislative standards applicable to the export or importation of goods composed in part or in full of materials originating from endangered and/or protected species. Under no circumstances shall AGUTTES be liable for the impossibility of exporting or importing such property, and this may not be used to justify a request for cancellation of the sale.