Fine Art & Porcelain Estate Auction - Couch Family

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Online Personal Property Auction

Please review this document carefully. This document creates certain legally binding contractual obligations.

In order to register and receive access to the interactive online bidding platform, a Bidder must accept and acknowledge these Terms and Conditions:

1. Any bid placed shall constitute a legally binding and enforceable offer to purchase the subject personal property. All bids therefore constitute an irrevocable offer to purchase and shall remain valid and enforceable until the Seller declares the property "Sold" and the auction has concluded.

2. Auctioneer reserves the right to reject any bid placed. Auctioneer agrees to timely advise any bidder of a rejected bid.

3. The Winning Bidder covenants and agrees to purchase the subject personal property at the price of the winning bid plus buyer's premium (and any applicable sales tax), and upon the terms and conditions hereinafter provided.

4. Within a few hours of the close of the auction event, the Winning Bidder for the property shall receive two specific email messages, one from Legacy Auctions & Estate Sales, and one from Shipping Saint. These messages will be sent to the email address you have provided in your registration profile, and the messages will detail a date, a time, and a location for the retrieval of the subject personal property, also subject to further specific arrangements of the parties, including options for delivery, shipping and electronic payments. Be sure to whitelist info@LegacyAuctions.co and Shipping Saint. If you are unable to find these emails in your inbox within a few hours after the auction, please search your spam and other secondary email folders.

5. At said appointed date, time, and location, the Winning Bidder shall pay the full purchase price for the property by means of cash, wire transfer, credit card, Zelle, or other payment method approved by the Auctioneer. Payment terms are at the discretion of the Auctioneer, and payments of over $3,000.00 may be subject to certain requirements such as cash, ACH, wire transfer, or Zelle. All card payments should be made via the card used for bidder registration. Any change in payment method from the Winning Bidder's registered payment method must be communicated to the Auctioneer immediately for approval. Shipments will only be shipped to the address linked to the card used for purchase. The linked address is defined as the primary address on file with the card issuing bank. For those requiring shipments to an alternative address, you must arrange payment via wire transfer or a one-way electronic payment method such as Zelle or cryptocurrency. *VERY IMPORTANT: For consumer protection, when a bank/credit card is used for purchase, the shipper will absolutely not ship to an alternative address. The ONLY acceptable shipping address is the address registered with the card issuer. Buyers who want items shipped to an alternative address must be prepared with an approved alternative payment method and must communicate with the Auctioneer via email immediately after the auction ends. In most cases, a winning lot on HiBid can be identified by the terminology, "You may have won."

6. Failure to appear at the appointed date, time, and location by the Winning Bidder, may be considered an act of default by the Winning Bidder, and the Seller shall be entitled to pursue any and all legal and equitable remedies against the Winning Bidder which are available to the Seller pursuant to the laws of the jurisdiction of the State of Illinois. The appointed pick up date and time for this auction is on January 12, 2026 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. CST. Winning Bidders who want to take advantage of free local pick up shall make an appointment during this time frame. There will also be some allowance for late pick up appointments within 4 days after the auction. Any items not picked up by 5 p.m. CST on January 16, 2026 will become the property of Legacy Auctions & Estate Sales, unless the Buyer is paying for storage or has requested a shipping or delivery option, which would constitute an additional paid service fee. The location for pick up will be provided via email (per #4 above) after the auction. In any event where the Seller and/or Auctioneer must file suit against Winning Bidder for non-payment or any other form of negligence, the Seller and/or Auctioneer shall be entitled to recover all reasonable attorneys' fees, costs, and expenses incurred.

7. By registering and bidding, the Buyer acknowledges that they have submitted themselves to the personal jurisdiction of the State of Illinois. Buyer acknowledges that any and all disputes shall be governed by Illinois Law, conflicts of laws provisions notwithstanding, and that any and all litigation associated with any purchase and sale hereunder shall be filed in the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Champaign County, Urbana, Illinois.

8. Time shall be of the essence as to all of Buyer's obligations.

9. Auctioneer reserves the right to resell any personal property not paid in full by 5 p.m. CST on Wednesday, January 12, 2026. In any scenario where full payment is not made, the winning bidder will not be refunded for any partial payments. Any partial payments that are able to be collected by our payment processor will be considered fees for restocking or finding a backup buyer. Furthermore, the Auctioneer will legally pursue any Buyers with unpaid invoices in civil court, per #7 above.

10. The Seller, Broker, Auctioneer and their representatives, attorneys, agents, and sub-agents, assume no liability for errors or omissions in this or any other property listing or advertising or promotional/publicity statements and material. The Seller, Broker, Auctioneer and their representatives, attorneys, agents and sub-agents, make no guarantee as to the accuracy of the information herein contained or in any other property listing or advertising or promotional/publicity statements and material.

11. The Property is sold in its "AS IS" condition with all faults and limitations and no warranties expressed or implied, and Seller and Auctioneer specifically disclaim any and all implied warranties, including the warranty of fitness for a particular purpose. All Bidders are encouraged to inspect the Property prior to placing any bid and the Winning Bidder, as Buyer, acknowledges that he/she/it has had a reasonable opportunity to inspect and examine the condition of the Property and make inquiries of knowledgeable persons. All information was derived from sources believed to be correct, but is not guaranteed. Bidders shall rely entirely on their own information, judgment, and inspection of the Property and records.

12. By registering and bidding, the Buyer acknowledges they understand, accept and agree to these Terms and Conditions. The Buyer acknowledges that they have had ample opportunity to read the Terms and Conditions of the Auction Sale.

13. Seller and Auctioneer cannot, and will not, be held responsible for any interruption in service, errors, and/or omissions, caused by any means, therefore they cannot guarantee continual, uninterrupted or error free service as the website could be interfered with by means out of their control. Bidder acknowledges that the online auction is conducted electronically and relies on hardware and software that may malfunction without warning. Furthermore, the Auctioneer does not recommend "live bidding" from a mobile device because these types of devices are prone to errors, service interruptions, lagging, and general mis-clicking. Any bids placed on a mobile device are considered to be a legally binding agreement to purchase the property, regardless of whether or not a bidding error has occurred. "Live Bidding" is defined as bidding during the closing period of the auction in the final few minutes before an auction lot is closed. For those wanting to use a mobile device for bidding purposes, the Auctioneer recommends placing bids at least a few hours in advance of the closing period.

14. Shipping/Delivery - Shipping is available on all lots in this auction. The Auctioneer continuously works with all shipping partners to keep shipping costs as low as possible. It is our goal to ensure that all shipments are charged at a fair rate for Winning Bidders. For larger items that cannot be shipped in standard shipping boxes, we also offer freight shipping, also known as delivery service, which is reasonably priced for many locations in the United States, especially addresses east of the Rocky Mountain range. The Auctioneer usually recommends that items such as larger framed artwork and furniture are shipped via freight shipping, which is essentially a ground delivery service. Our primary freight carrier offers direct door-to-door blanket wrap delivery service along our transport route from Chicago, Illinois to Texas, to Florida, and up the East Coast for a reasonable fee. Please feel free to inquire about the service area, as the Auctioneer recommends inquiring about freight rates prior to bidding. Freight shipping cost is usually based on the volume of items purchased and other factors such as the Winning Bidder's location. Please be advised that freight shipping outside of our service route, mainly to the Western United States will be outsourced via a third party UShip.com carrier, and this usually costs at least $250 or more, depending on the volume and weight of the items purchased and the Winning Bidder's location. For example, a large and heavy canvas painting recently cost $395.00 for freight shipping from Urbana, Illinois to Seattle, Washington. Any shipping quotes provided by the Auctioneer are merely an educated guess based on experience. Bidders are responsible for researching more exact shipping rates for the items they are considering, especially in locations that are not serviced by our primary freight carrier. Freight shipping will only be provided in cases where this service is perceived to be less expensive than standard packing and shipping service.

For small and medium sized shipments that can be packed and shipped more easily in standard boxes, the Auctioneer has hired an inexpensive 3rd party professional packing & shipping service (Shipping Department) to facilitate shipments for anyone who submits a request for shipping service to be provided. Shipping is typically offered via USPS or United Parcel Service, and the carrier will be selected based on the least expensive option. The Shipper uses Shipping Saint software to manage their shipping process, and all buyers will be sent an email from Shipping Saint within a few hours after the auction ends. Buyers who require shipping must follow the instructions within the Shipping Saint email to request their purchase to be shipped. Please allow up to 10 days from your invoice payment date to receive your shipping invoice from "Shipping Saint."

Shippers and carriers will ONLY ship or deliver to the "Shipping Address," which is defined as the address linked to the bank/credit card used to register for the auction and pay for the purchase. The Shipper or carrier WILL NOT ship or deliver to any other alternative address (please also see #5 above). The Auctioneer may decline bidding in instances where a registrant's HiBid profile address does not match the address shown as registered with their card issuer.

In order to streamline the shipping service for small purchases, the Shipper has a policy of a minimum $25.00 shipping cost for this auction. This means that shipping will be a minimum of $25.00 charge, regardless of the price, size, or shipping destination of any purchase. Please be advised that every order takes time to pack, label, inventory, and track separately, regardless of the order size. *Shipping will cost more than $25.00 if larger items, multiple items, or more expensive items are purchased, requiring larger packaging, extra handling time, additional shipping insurance, etc... For larger orders, handling fees will be calculated at $10.00 per 15 minutes required to safely pack the order, plus the cost of the shipping label. For example, a large order that takes 45 minutes to pack will be charged approximately $30.00 in handling fees, plus the cost of the shipping label. Loosefill and boxes are fairly inexpensive and may cost up to $15.00 extra for large shipping boxes. Any use of foam board to protect wall art, posters, framed items, or other delicate and/or flat items may incur an additional cost of approximately $2 per square foot of 1/2" foam insulation board. Shipping label cost will be included in the cost of all shipments.

The pricing from our shipping partners is very reasonable in comparison with other auction houses and other 3rd Party shippers. In fact, we have amazing online reviews for this reason. Comparatively, UPS Pack & Ship service is always at least 20%-50% higher cost than what our Shipping Department charges. It is expected that buyers understand the current cost of shipping labels, labor rates, cardboard boxes, and packing materials. While the Shipper will try to keep the cost to a minimum, this is not a free service. In any instance where a buyer is unhappy with the cost of shipping, the Auctioneer will require local pick up by a Buyer's agent who must present us with a Bill of Lading and must also sign release documents.

For those who will hire their own carrier: All items must be picked up by the carrier or agent on or before January 21, 2026, which is 10 days after the auction. Any lots that are not picked up by January 21, 2026 at 5 p.m. CST will be charged at a rate of $10 per day, which must be paid before the Auctioneer will release items. Any items not picked up by January 31, 2026 will be considered abandoned and will become the property of Legacy Auctions & Estate Sales, Inc.

The Auctioneer does not allow buyers to send their own shipping labels. The Auctioneer and 3rd Party Shipper both require that all contents, tracking, and steps to create shipping labels are properly documented via the Shipping Saint software.

***The Auctioneer and 3rd Party Shipper are not responsible for filing or pursuing insurance claims with Fedex, USPS or UPS. In the very rare occurrence of a damaged package, it is the Winning Bidder's responsibility to file and pursue an insurance claim. The Auctioneer will usually assist the Winning Bidder with filing a claim, but this is not guaranteed. Our safe shipment rate is greater than 99%, so a damaged package would be a very unusual occurrence.***
15. The Auctioneer does not accept bids from new HiBid members with less than 60 days of bidding and successful payment history, unless the bidder is considered to be "local." Exemptions to this rule include family and friends of the Consignor(s), those willing to place an electronic deposit via Zelle or Bitcoin, those able to provide identification in person at our office, and those who are acquainted with regular customers or other local auctioneers who can be contacted as references.

16. The Auctioneer does not accept bids from anyone who has had a documented history of unpaid invoices, payment disputes, chargebacks, or unpaid shipping bills with other affiliates or online Auctioneers. The Auctioneer also does not tolerate non-payment or any other forms of these occurrences with Legacy Auctions & Estates, Inc. The Auctioneer will document any such issue on the Bidder's online registration profile. The Auctioneer will also pursue any damages caused by an unpaid invoice or chargeback by filing suit with the Champaign County Court Clerk. A $250 filing fee and a minimum of $1,000.00 estimated cost of legal fees and/or time spent to create and adjudicate the claim will also be added as damages to the complaint.

17. The Auctioneer does not accept bids from anyone who has had a documented history of rudeness, difficulty, or other similar problems with affiliates or other online Auctioneers. The Auctioneer does not tolerate these types of problems and will document any such issues, which may occur in their place of business or via email/telephone, on the bidder's online registration profile. The Auctioneer expects that any disagreements are to be handled in a professional manner.

18. SMS Notifications Consent - By registering for our auction, you consent to receive SMS text messages from Legacy Auctions & Estate Sales, Inc. at the phone number you provide in your registration profile. These messages may include auction alerts, bidding reminders, updates, lot closings, and other relevant information regarding our auctions. 2. Frequency of Messages - Message frequency will vary depending on the auction schedule and your participation activity. You may receive multiple messages leading up to and during an active auction event. 3. Opt-Out Option - You can opt out of receiving text messages at any time by replying STOP to any message you receive. Message and data rates may apply, depending on your mobile carrier plan. 4. Data & Privacy - We will never sell or share your phone number with third parties for marketing purposes. For more details on how we protect your data, please refer to the Privacy Policy at www.LegacyAuctions.co. 5. Consent Not Required for Purchase - Consent to receive text messages is not a condition of purchasing or bidding in our auction events.

19. The Registered Bidder acknowledges receipt and copy of these Terms and Conditions, and having read and understood the provisions set forth therein, accepts same and agrees to be bound thereby.