Canceling Auction Bids

I am trying to cancel a bid I placed with a stamp auction firm thru SAN's the auction is 3 weeks away . Send a email to cancel my bid and a week later no respond . I will try to email them again the same request to cancel my bid next week .

It is interesting that there is no set up to change {to reduce a bid} a bid with the auction houses .Surely you can raise it but I see nothing to lower or cancel it . I guess a certified letter is going to be going out if there is no respond after the next email , saying ---"Hey clown , please cancel my bid and confirm it is done ". There plenty of time to get it done in 3 weeks. Anybody ever have this problem ?

Many auction houses have the policy that bids are binding.

Have you tried to contact the auction house directly and looked up what their terms of service are?

I would probably not send your comment as posted here as you might find yourself banned from SAN, the auction house, or both.

Just my 2 cents

I call them when I need something, but I've never tried to cancel a bid.

and remember "you catch more flies with honey....

Opinion.
I would counsel your use of "Hey Clown"
Anger solves nothing.

SAN Terms of use
(and good luck) Your first email should be evidence enough, but try ringing.

Bids are binding during the auction and maybe 24 hours before hand but 3 weeks can't be enforcable ,to adjust their records .......It will be interesting because this can't be the first time this happen. It looks like all the auction firms are silent on canceling bids .

Rod as stated --A email was send , no reply ....wait a week and will send another ,if that gets no respond ,then will step it up and mail a registered letter .

I'm not a lawyer, but as I remember my business law classes, under the UCC (valid in all states except Louisiana) an auction consists of an offer, i.e. bid which can always be withdrawn until accepted by the seller, i.e. when the hammer falls. I have, rarely, cancelled a bid, but it was done without any problem. The auction house may set a different policy, but they can't undo the law.

I would agree to the above.

I do find emailing, oft comes with lack of urgency, unless money is sought.
I recently had my first Traffic Infringement in perhaps 15 years,
I emailed my vehicle insurer the details, should it alter any future claim / cover cost.
It's been a week, and nothing..........

As a third party, SAN basically has no choice but to adopt a "binding bid" policy. Otherwise, you'd have the Wild Wild West on SAN with all sorts of manipulations, test bids, etc. I understand Floor's desire to do things in writing and agree with the approach, however a friendly, well-planned phone call can work wonders in this situation. Once the discussion is concluded, a follow-up email or letter summarizing what was agreed to would be a good idea.

I am not experienced with SAN,
Would the bidder be beholden to SAN rules, or the auction house to which the bid was placed, please?

So one form doesn't reply and you condemn all of them?

EYEONWALL---Condemn all of them ??? I have open accounts at 5 major firms and none of them detail canceling bids . I am trying to find out what is standard in the industry ,where do you find the condemning ,I have bid on over 500 lots in 40 years and won a few hundred why would I condemn anybody when I can walk into the big auctions firms and walk out with lots and tell them I will mail you a check later, I like them and they like me where do you find the condemning ,I do expect good service and we all expect a high standard of service .

How are auction houses going to function properly with bidders changing their minds and cancelling bids later? If they apply one standard to a bidder, that same standard has to be applied to all. Of course it doesn't stop the auction house from being nice to allow bid cancellations.

There should be no problem in cancelling an auction bid. Bidding 3 weeks in advance, if no bid book/record is made yet, nobody there may have been able to even check any bids made so early.

But where/how was it made and where/how was it cancelled? How do they know it was you cancelling? Why not make a phone call?

I would expect each Auction firm to have their own Terms and Conditions which should be read and understood by customers before they place any bids. If the auction houses do not have their T&C's posted, shame on them (and they would not have a legal leg to stand on). If bidders do not bother to read the T&Cs, shame on them.
Don

You should email the person running SAN since you bid through them in addition to emailing the auction house.