Auction Terms & Conditions
By registering and bidding on any item, the bidder/buyer shows acceptance of the following terms and conditions. Do not register or bid unless you agree to all of the terms and conditions:
REGISTRATION: All information provided by bidder/buyer during the registration process must be current, complete, and accurate. Bidders must be 18 years of age or older. Merritt Auction Service, at its sole discretion, may deny registration to any person or entity.
DISCLAIMER: All lots are sold "AS-IS, WHERE-IS", with all faults, imperfections and errors. Merritt Auction Service and the seller(s) do not give or make any type of guarantee or warranty regarding the lots to be sold, implied or otherwise. Merritt Auction Service encourages all bidders to inspect lots in person before bidding. Merritt Auction Service has put forth every effort in preparing the catalog for every auction to provide accurate descriptions of all items; however, it is the bidder's responsibility to determine the condition and suitability of each lot. Due diligence is the responsibility of the bidder/buyer. Printed statements or descriptions by staff are provided in good faith and are matters of opinion. Any bidder's failure to inspect, or to be fully informed on the quality or condition will not constitute grounds for any claim, adjustment, refund, termination of the purchase contract, or refusal to close the sale. If you are unsure about any of the Term and Conditions, pricing, or how to bid; IF YOU ARE IN ANY WAY UNSURE AS TO ANY MATTER HEREIN, Merritt Auction Service, URGES YOU TO NOT BID.
CONDUCT OF THE AUCTION: Conduct of the auction and increments of bidding are at the direction and discretion of Merritt Auction Service. Merritt Auction Service reserves the right to reject any and all bids for any reason and also reserves the right to cancel this auction, or remove any item or lot from this auction prior to the close of bidding. WE ACT ONLY AS AGENTS FOR THE SELLER. Sellers or their agents reserve the right to bid on their behalf to protect their investment(s). All decisions of Merritt Auction Service are final.
MAX BID: When you place your maximum bid, the current bid price doesn't automatically jump to your max bid. Your bid will go to the next highest increment and will increase as other people bid against you. The computer will automatically bid up to your max in the increments specified. By placing any bids you have agreed by legal contract that your bid or max bid is what you are willing to pay for that specific lot(s) and may have to pay full bid or max bid amount of any bids placed. The buyer agrees and is responsible for every bid amount placed. Merritt Auction Service or anybody for that matter DO NOT force you to place any bid, you and you alone are responsible for your actions. Please bid accordingly.
BUYER'S PREMIUM AND SALES TAX: Unless a specific auction states otherwise, a 13% buyer's premium will be charged on all items and lots. Every bidder/buyer pays the same buyer's premium and should bid accordingly. For example, if you bid $100 on an item at the auction you will be charged $113 for the item on your auction invoice. Please take this into consideration when bidding. In addition, there will be a discount of 3% buyer's Premium for Bidders who chose to pay via cash or check. 6% MI Sales Tax applies. (Coins & Currency are Sales Tax Exempt) (Farm Use and Sales Tax Exempt will need to fill out an Exemption Form).
FIREARM PURCHASES: All high bids from individuals (Non FFL Dealers) on firearms will be required to complete a NICS Background Check. There will be a $5.00 processing fee for EACH firearm through Merritt Auction Service to complete final purchase. Please bring either a trigger lock or a gun case for each gun that you purchase. FFL Dealers will need to bring a copy of their FFL license and driver's license upon purchase.
COINS & CURRENCY TERMS & CONDITIONS: Not all of the coins have been certified or graded. In the event they have been graded and certified by any independent grading companies (PCGS, NGC, ANACS, NNC, PCI, DGS, etc.), grading of any coins is subjective and may differ among independent grading services and among numismatists, even though grading has a material effect on the value of the coins, Merritt Auction Service is not responsible for the grades assigned and makes no warranty or representation regarding such grades. Merritt Auction Service encourages all bidders to inspect lots in person before bidding. Due diligence is the responsibility of the bidder/buyer.
AUCTION ENDING: Beginning at the stated closing time, the auction software will conclude bidding for one lot every few seconds in catalog order with the following exception: if a bid is placed in the last two (2) minutes remaining for that auction lot, bidding for that lot will automatically extend the auction for additional two (2) minutes. Some lots may be grouped together so that a bid on one lot will extend the time on all lots in that group. An e-mail of invoice will be sent to the winning bidder/buyer of each auction after auction has completely closed.
PAYMENT: All buyers must pay for their purchases in full within the scheduled removal dates after auction ending. Merritt Auction Service accepts the following forms of payment: Cash, Credit Cards, Cashier's Check, Money Order. Personal or Company Checks must be pre-approved and may be subject to holding of item until check clears. Merchandise becomes the full responsibility of the bidder/buyer at time of payment and the bidder/buyer assumes all risk of loss and damage to property at that time.
REMOVAL: All successful bids must be picked up within scheduled removal dates of that specific auction unless other arrangements have been made. No items can be removed until Merritt Auction Service has received and acknowledged payment in full. Any items not picked up by scheduled removal dates (for that specific auction) will have a $5 per day storage fee. Merritt Auction Service will hold purchases for 5 business days form the day of Auction Closing. Any purchase item not picked up within 5 days of auction are considered abandoned, therefore in any circumstances the Purchaser shall be and shall continue to remain liable for the purchase price of the item as well as all loss, expense, storage fee's or other damage directly or indirectly. After the 5 business days have expired you will forfeit all items of ownership. Merritt Auction Service reserves the right to resell any property not paid for in full by the conclusion of the stated removal period. Buyers are responsible for rigging, loading, and removal of all items purchased without assistance from Merritt Auction Service. Come prepared with your own boxes, wrap and tie downs. Most of our items are located in the lower level of the building and will require you to remove your items up a very wide stairway.
SHIPPING: Merritt Auction Service may offer shipping by pre-approval ONLY. Cost/Handling/Fees for shipping will be discussed prior to bidding by Texting Jamie at 616-631-0027. It is the bidder's responsibility to take shipping and handlings & insurance costs into consideration when bidding on items.
SHIPPING FIREARMS: Firearms shipped are legally required to be shipped to an ATF licensed FFL dealer within your state of residence for transfer and pickup. You will be responsible for all shipping and transfer costs incurred.
SUSPENSION / PERMANENT BAN: A bidder/buyer will be suspended or permanently banned from Merritt Auction Service Online Auctions for providing false or fraudulent information when registering. A bidder/buyer will be permanently banned from Merritt Auction Service Online Auctions for failing to honor the "REMOVAL" terms made under that bidder/buyer registration.
TECHNICAL ISSUES: In the event there are technical difficulties related to the server, software, internet or any other online auction-related technologies, Merritt Auction Service reserve the right to extend bidding, continue the bidding, or close the bidding. Neither the company providing the software, nor Merritt Auction Service shall be held responsible for a missed bid or the failure of the software to function properly for any reason.
BEFORE THE AUCTION: You may attend pre-sale viewing for all of our auctions. Due to COVID-19 issues we ask you to call ahead to make appointment for the preview day, or take a chance on said preview day and wait by following appropriate social distancing. All property to be auctioned is usually on view for several days prior to the sale, again call ahead. You are encouraged to examine lots thoroughly.

Sonia Speakman bids goodbye after decades of estate sales. "Speakman, whose reputation alone has kept her busy over the years and eliminated any need to advertise, attracts the bigger names in the area".Reported by Mlive. Speakman has been handling and selling high end estates for over 35 years in the Grand Rapids area, in those years Sonia has been so successful due to not only her hard work but also due to her exquisite taste, style and eye for amazing items. Along the way she has collected and created a stunning colllection of her own. We are very pleased to announce many of those Items will be appearing in our online auctions. This Auction Features Some items from the Estate of Sonia Speakman, beginning with lot number 6a. There are some nice pieces of furniture and this is a very small part of what is coming from the estate. Keep watching for many more of these amazing and beautiful items to become available. You will not want to miss this Estate. For more information about this great womans journey please visit : https://www.mlive.com/grpress/business/2008/10/sonia_speakman_bids_goodbye_af.html