CITY of York Trading Standards urges those keen to pick up a bargain at auctions to take care.

Potential purchasers may not realise that auctioneers, unlike other sellers, can refuse to accept responsibility for the quality of the goods they auction. In most cases a purchase made at auction is an ordinary contract for the sale of goods, to which the provisions of the Sale of Goods Act apply - unless the parties agree otherwise.

Buyers at auction should look out for Sale of Goods Act exclusion clauses which are usually found or referred to in notices and catalogues.

A sale by auction is not a consumer deal for the purposes of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977.

Therefore, clauses exempting the provisions of the Sale of Goods Act which protect consumers from breaches of description, quality and sample, will normally be effective providing they are reasonable.

Remembering the following may be of use to the inexperienced bidder:

- Take a note of any conditions of sale, such as buyer's premium, auctioneers' commission, terms and method of payment, deposits, storage charges and time limits for removal of goods

- Do your homework - if you are familiar with the type of goods you are buying you will more easily be able to spot a bargain

- Decide in advance what you are prepared to pay and don't get carried away

- Some auctioneers call for high opening bids and if you are the first bidder and no-one else joins in you may pay over the odds

- Remember you will have to make an on-the-spot decision and you cannot back out once the hammer has fallen (except in the case of some auctions where, for example, a more expensive car might be sold with a money back warranty which would allow return of a car with a serious defect within two hours of the end of the auction)

- Note that at auction your rights are against the seller, who could prove difficult to trace.

It is an offence to promote or assist in a mock auction - that is where people are invited to buy goods by way of competitive bidding and goods are sold to a bidder for less than the highest bid or part of the price is repaid, or the right to bid is restricted to people who have bought or agreed to buy goods previously, or articles are given away or offered as gifts.

For advice on this or any consumer matters, contact City of York Trading Standards Consumer Advice on 01904 551562 or call at 9 St Leonard's Place. The fax number is 01904 551590 the our e mail address is: trading.standards@york.gov.uk