Questions, answered plainly.
What do I actually pay if I win?
Your winning bid, plus one insured shipping charge for the auction: $19 + 2.5% of your winning bids. No buyer's premium. GST included in every figure you see.
How does a maximum (proxy) bid work?
You set a private ceiling and the house bids for you - only ever one step past the current rival, never your whole maximum. Nobody sees your ceiling. You can try it risk-free on the practice sale.
Can I be sniped at the last second?
No. A bid landing inside the final 15 seconds resets the clock to 15 seconds for everyone. The lot ends when the room is genuinely done, not when someone times a click.
Do I have to be there for the live close?
No. Every catalogue opens early - a bid or maximum you leave beforehand competes for you when the lot goes live. Win awake or asleep.
When and how do I pay?
Your invoice arrives by email when the auction ends, covering everything you won in it. Pay by card through our Shopify checkout within 72 hours.
How is my parcel shipped?
Australia-wide, express and insured for its full value, with tracking on My Wins from the moment it's dispatched. Win several lots in one auction and they travel together under the single shipping charge.
What if the stone isn't as described?
Every stone is sold by Teals as principal and guaranteed as described, or your money back. If something is wrong, raise it from My Wins and we make it right - we cover return postage when the fault is ours.
Are the gems natural?
Every lot states its provenance plainly - natural or lab-grown - on the lot page and in the catalogue. A lab-grown stone is never allowed to read as natural.
Who am I bidding against?
Only other buyers. Teals never bids on its own lots and there are no vendor bids - every rise in the price is another collector.
Is there a reserve?
Some lots carry one, and the lot always says so. When a reserve is public we show the figure; when it's met the room says so. No-reserve lots sell to the highest bid, full stop.
Something we haven't covered? Read how buying works end to end, or ask us directly.