AUCTION RULES FOR BIDDERS
US Embassy Freetown November 1, 2022, Auction
Covid Precautions:
- Bidders must comply with COVID mitigation regulations
SITE INFORMATION:
- Auction is sealed bid and will take place from 9:00 until 2:00 PM. The 2:00 PM is the closing hour of the auction and all potential bidders will have to exit the auction location.
- Items are at the S. Embassy Freetown compound.
FEES:
- There is a 30 SLL nonrefundable entrance fee for every person entering the auction area.
- There is a 500 SLL security deposit if you want to bid for a lot. As soon as the bid is submitted, the bidder must exit the compound.
- Once a bidder pays the entrance fee, they can inspect the items and deposit bids. Re-entering without payment of entrance fee is not allowed.
- The full security deposit is refundable if you do not place a winning bid.
- The security deposit will be credited toward your bid if you place a winning bid.
- If you do not win, you can collect your security deposit on Monday, November 7 until Wednesday, November 10, from 9:30 until 1:00 at the U.S. Embassy.
PROCESS:
- The items that will be auctioned in a “as is” basis with no warranties and without refund.
- Any bid that will be below the pre-determined base price on each lot, will be immediately rejected.
- Bids will be counted after the closing of the auction on November 1, and the winners will be informed by a phone call the afternoon of November 2.
- If you place a winning bid, you must pay by noon on Monday, November 7.
- Customs and NRA taxes WILL apply to the auction items based on the assessment of Customs and NRA representatives.
- Taxable items will be released to the buyers ONLY AFTER all the applicable the taxes will have been paid and the appropriate receipt (original copy), will presented to the embassy representative.
- IT equipment and small items will be packed in boxes by lot and moved back to the embassy’s warehouse after the closing of the auction to protect them from the weather.
- For the vehicles, bidders must pay the full amount of their bid by noon on Monday November 7. Then they will be given a Bill of Sale and a Bill of Lading for customs and registration purposes, and they are expected to complete transfer of ownership process by November 18. Only after the completion of the transfer of ownership will the vehicle be released to the buyer.
- In cases where a winning bidder refuses to pay their full bid amount, that bidder will lose their security deposit and the bid will be disqualified. The next highest bidder will then be deemed a winner and informed.
- In cases where the buyer has paid for their lot and has not picked up their items by December 9th, they will forfeit their security deposit and lot payment.
- In order to pay taxes for the taxable items, buyers are obliged to provide their Tax Identification Number to NRA and Customs.
- Some of the lots contain hard to move items (fuel tanks and non movable vehicles). Potential bidders for those items will be escorted on foot to their location at regular times (about 10 minutes walk in dirt terrain). The winners will be responsible for moving those items out of the Embassy locations.
When is the Security Deposit not refundable?
Your Security Deposit will not be refunded in the following cases:
- If you win but do not pay the bid you submitted.
- If you do not pay the full winning bid by noon on November 7.
- If you win multiple lots but refuse to pay for all wins.