Frequently Asked Questions

How do I register to bid at Gardner Galleries? Simply click here to begin the registration process, it only takes 2 minutes (you can also click "Login/Register" at the top of this page). Follow the prompts, verify your email address and you will be ready to participate in weekly auctions at Gardner Galleries. If at any point you wish to cancel your account, click on your "Preferences" page when logged in or contact our office.

Do I have to include my credit card information? A Visa or Mastercard is required in the registration section to obtain approval to bid, and you can update your card number at anytime by logging in and selecting "Account" at the top right-hand corner of this webpage. A $1.00 preauthorization charge will be applied at the time of registering to confirm your information, and will be immediately refunded thereafter. This card will be saved to your account and can be used after the auction to pay for your purchases.

I forgot my password, can I still login? There is a "Forgot Password" function you can use to get your password emailed to you. You can find this by clicking "Login/Register" at the top of this page.

Can I change my password? You can change your password at any time by selecting "Account" at the top of this page when logged in, just enter your new password into the password field (click the "Edit" icon) and save. If you wish to change your username as well, please contact our office and we can reset this for you.

Will I receive my own bidder's number? Yes, when you enter in a bid on any current/active auction, our system will automatically assign you with a bidder's number. The first client to bid will receive the first number set for that specific auction, the second client will receive the next number numerically (ie. 20001, 20002, etc.). Resembling a live auction, your bidding number will change every auction but on request, our office can set you up with your own permanent number.

What is the difference between Old Town Hall Auctions and Gardner Galleries? Old Town Hall is a separate auction company based out of Paris, Ontario. Their online auctions are hosted on this website with the same Terms & Conditions and bidding format, but payment and collection of purchases is through their company exclusively. Whenever you see "Old Town Hall Auctions" in the upcoming auctions section, please be aware these items are not located at Gardner Galleries facility in London and contact should be made with Old Town Hall directly.

What security measures does Gardner Galleries use to keep my personal & credit card information safe? This is a secure website with a current SSL Certificate, meaning any information submitted through this website is private. Transaction information made online is stored in a secure and encrypted manner by Stripe.com, one of the world's largest online e-commerce payment providers with industry standard bank-level security. Your credit card information is not visible to Gardner Galleries or any third parties whatsoever.

How do I bid on an Item? Once you have registered for an auction, verified your email and agreed to our Terms and Conditions, you are ready to bid - click on an item you wish to bid on, enter the amount you feel comfortable with and a pop-up screen will appear where you are given a chance to enter the next bid increment or a maximum bid ("Max Bid" description below). You will receive an email confirming your bid along with an icon that you are the highest bidder. When viewing the auction page, items you are currently winning are highlighted in green, whereas items you have been outbid on are in red. If you are outbid by someone else, you can re-enter a higher bid by typing in the amount and clicking the "Enter Your Next Bid" icon.

What is a Max Bid? Placing your maximum bid, referred to when bidding as a Max Bid, is an easy way to control the maximum bid amount you are willing to go without necessarily spending that maximum price, or having to continuously monitor the auction and increase your bid every time you are outbid. Once you have entered your Max Bid, it will automatically increase one bid increment above rival bidders and up to the maximum that you have entered until you have been outbid. If the top bid placed by a rival bidder is still well-below your Max Bid, then your winning bid will be less than your entered maximum amount. As an example, if you place a Max Bid of $100.00, and the nearest competing bid is $55.00 at the time the auction concludes, you will be successful on that lot for $65.00 which is the next bid increment.

This is a very popular tool and sometimes other bidders may have entered their Max Bid on the same item, and sometimes even for the same amount. The bidder who bid first according to our websites clock will be the high bidder even though the bids are identical, and your status on the lot will be communicated by email, whether winning or outbid.

How do I know I have been outbid? You will receive an email notification confirming you have been outbid. A link within the email will allow you to quickly gain access to the item to place a higher bid if desired. You can also view the auction page and see whether you are currently winning or have been outbid, and items will also show this information in your Watch List.

Will other bidders be able to see my information? Not at all, the only information that will be public is your bidder number that is assigned to you for the specific auction you are participating in. An item's bid history is also visible in the lot description, listing the number of bids placed in order by date.

Can I retract my bid? Bids cannot be retracted once placed, as all bids placed through gardnergalleries.com are legally binding once they have been entered and confirmed. If you are the successful bidder, you enter a legal contract with Gardner Galleries to purchase the item and are then the legal owner. Please consider your bids carefully before placing them, and always confirm your bid amount is correct before entering it, as once confirmed it cannot be removed.

What is the Watch List? Your Watch List (located at the top of this page when logged in) displays items you wish to monitor or have bid on. Watching an item helps you keep track of it and ensures you don't miss out on winning the item. To add an item to your Watch List, click the "eyeball" icon located next to the "Bid Now" button.

Any item you bid on is automatically added to your Watch List, which makes it easier to track multiple items in an auction. The number of bidders watching an item is visible for each lot.

What is a Soft Close? Bidding will close at the specified time when the clock counts down on an item, but for example - if a bid is received within the final 2 minutes (120 seconds) prior to closing, the countdown resets to another 2 minutes on that particular lot to allow the competition to continue. The item will close when no bids are received for 2 minutes after the scheduled close.

Once an item is sold, it will be moved from the auction page from "Open" lots to "Closed" lots, making it easier to view items that are still active/open on the screen.

How do I know if I am the winning bidder on an item? An invoice will be emailed to you immediately following the auction with full details of your successful bids. If you go to your Account page and "Invoices", you can view recent purchases which you can also save to your device or print. As well, your bidder number will be shown as the Winning Bidder on the lot once bidding has closed for the entire auction.

How do I pay for & collect my purchases? Once your invoice is received (typically within one hour or less after the auction), Gardner Galleries regular office hours for collection of purchases is Monday to Friday from 8:30am - 4:30pm and Saturday's from 10:00am - noon hour. Free parking and loading is located directly behind our building at 407 Hamilton Road in London. Customers can prepay for items online using their credit card on file, or visit us in person to pay by cash, debit, Visa, Mastercard, certified cheque or bank draft. E-transfer is also accepted by sending to our office email (info@gardnergalleries.com). Staff is always available during business hours to assist with loading heavier purchases such as furniture.

Will Gardner Galleries deliver or ship my items? We have dedicated members on staff who handle shipping after the auction, and will send items across Canada and worldwide. However, most couriers have size and weight limitations, and we strongly advise contacting our office for a complimentary shipping quote prior to bidding. Gardner Galleries also work with several cartage companies and can offer a quote for delivery of larger items in the London area, as well from Windsor to Toronto.

This was a fun experience, but do I have to re-register for every auction? Once you have registered at gardnergalleries.com, your bidding account may be used for any future auction on our website, just remember your login details and you will be ready to bid!