Terms and Conditions

The purpose of BLA Auctions

The primary aims of BLA Auctions are for:

• Providing the facility for Members to get together to exchange information and to socialise.
• Breeders/hobbyists to move-on any excess stock that they have bred.
• Hobbyists & conservationists to obtain breeding stock not usually available from their LFS.
• Hobbyists to move on livestock they no longer wish to keep.
• Raise funds that enable the BLA to directly support the conservation of Livebearer fish
• As a not-for-profit organisation to obtain funding to cover day-to-day running costs

Guidelines, Terms and Conditions

Welfare of Livestock
The welfare of all livestock offered for sale is of paramount importance. This includes fish, shrimps and snails.  Please ensure that all livestock are healthy prior to sale and correctly bagged as per the following guidelines.

Livestock not accepted at our events

• Fish with inbred deformities, such as “Balloon” types or those with exceptionally “long fins”.
  These and other similar debilitating deformities are detrimental to the health of the fish.
• Livestock that have been injected with dyes.
• Genetically modified livestock such as “Glo Fish”.
• Any fish deemed inappropriate for sale at a BLA event:
  for example ‘tank-busting’ species, and aggressive hybrid fish (such as Flower horn cichlids).

Commercial Livestock Sales
Commercial fish will not be allowed at a BLA event.
The BLA deem that the definition of ‘commercial sales’ in this instance: –

• Livestock that has been bought directly from a commercial source for resale at the auction.
• Livestock that is being kept by the Seller with sole intention of being sold or resold.

Communication with the BLA
To ensure that there is no missed information, any and all communication with regards to the event must be carried out by email using the appropriate email address.
No other form of communication will be accepted.

Cash only Payments
Please note all BLA events are cash only, there are currently no facilities to take cashless payments. Cheques will only be accepted by prior arrangement.
Due to the influx of counterfeit currency, £50.00 notes will not be accepted at any BLA event.

Booking Forms

Improtant Information
All livestock that is to be sold at the event, regardless of whether it is to be entered into the auction or Sales Table must be pre-booked using the appropriate Booking Form

To obtain a Booking Form, the Seller must apply for a Seller’s identification letter informing the Events Manager how they want to sell their livestock at the event.
Options are Auction only, Sales Table only, or both.

The Seller’s identification letter is for individual use only and cannot be shared with another Seller.

Seller’s Identification Letter (formerly – Auction Letter)
The Seller will request a Seller’s Identification Letter from the Event Manager using the email address provided. Following the request for a letter, the Seller will receive confirmation of their letter with the appropriate Booking Form, and the event’s T&Cs attached. For further guidance, please contact the Event Manager.

The Booking Forms are provided in an Excel format for the Seller to fill in with the relevant Livestock information, including catch location (if known) and any other pertinent information.
NOTE: we suggest that a friend or relative is contacted by those unable to complete the form – to ask if this task can be done by them?
If the Seller is unable to download the Booking Form or does not have access to Excel (or a compatible package), the information must be sent via email in a layout where the information can be easily copied and transferred to the auction spreadsheet.

The accurately completed Booking Form must be submitted to the Event Manager no later than 12:00 noon on the day prior to the auction, this is to provide the Event Manager with enough time to prepare the auction spreadsheets ready for the event.

Please Note: –

• Photographs of the Seller’s Booking Form will not be accepted.
• Booking Forms will NOT be accepted on the day of the auction.
  (Unless agreed with Auction Manager)
• Booking Forms not submitted by the specified deadline will be subject to an increased commission rate – See commission below.

Booking Form – Auction only
The Seller is only allowed to enter fish into the auction, with a maximum of 50 lots.

Please note: –

The BLA hold auctions with the aim of promoting the maintenance and conservation of Livebearing Fish. Non-livebearer species are welcome within the auction. The Seller is allowed to enter no more than 20% of their lots, or 5 entries (whichever is the greater) as non-livebearing fish (unless agreed with the Event Manager before the Seller submits their Booking Form).

The BLA actively promote the breeding of all fish within our hobby. As such we RECOMMEND that lots consist of a minimum of two viable pairs, 6 juveniles* or 10 fry*. This we believe will encourage and help new breeders to form colonies of these fish and ensure the long-term survival of these species within the UK.

Booking Form – Sales Table only
The Seller will be allowed to enter a maximum of 25 items of livestock including Shrimp, Snails and fish (all acceptable species of fish allowed including Non-Livebearers). All livestock items MUST be booked in.

Note: Non livestock Sales Table entries can be entered separately on the day, Sales Table below for more instructions.

Booking Form – Joint Auction and Sales Table
Where the Seller wishes to enter livestock as Auction Lots and Sales Table items, they will be allowed against their auction letter 50 auctions lots as described above and 25 sale table items as described above. Seller’s Auction Lots will be numbered from 1 – 50 and the Sales Tables items will be numbered from 51 – 75 (regardless of how many auction-lots have been entered). This is to enable collation of livestock sales from the Auction and Sales Table.

Sales Table
Any Livestock entered as Sales Table items must also be correctly labelled and match the Booking Form. Any unsold Sales Table items when the auction begins can be auctioned at various intervals during the auction itself (if the Seller wishes).

Non-livestock items must also be booked before being offered for sale on the Sales Table. These can be pre-booked or they can be booked in on the day (Booking Forms will be available for you to fill in for you complete at the Sales Table). All Sales Table items must be labelled with the price you wish to receive.
The Sales Table will deal with any remuneration for non-livestock items.

Electrical Equipment on the Sales Table

Spares or repairs
This applies to electrical or mechanical equipment for sale that cannot be guaranteed as being in a fully working condition.

Guaranteed in Working Order, Name & Telephone Number Supplied
This applies to electrical or mechanical equipment the Seller has checked, tested and confirmed as being in fully working condition, the equipment will also have a label with the seller’s name and phone number. If for any reason the equipment doesn’t work when tested at home, the buyer must contact the seller directly.
Please note: Any recourse MUST be made DIRECTLY WITH THE SELLER, NOT the BLA.

The Day of the Event

Sales Table Sellers
The Sales Table Seller should be at the event by no later than 1 hour after the doors open to confirm their pre-booked items, and to provide sufficient time for their items to sell before the auction.

Auction Sellers
The BLA requires Auctions to start on time to avoid delays at the end of the day.
The Seller must have their Auction Lots confirmed with the Auction Team a minimum of one hour before the start of the auction. This is to allow sufficient time for any update and printing of the of the Seller’s auction spreadsheet without delaying the start of the auction.
Booking Forms not submitted by the specified deadline will be subject to an increased commission rate

The Seller is WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE for ensuring the auction list confirmed on the day and the labelling on the Auction Lots match exactly.

Commission rates
The standard commission rate of 15% is charged at the event. This is ONLY available to those whose Booking Forms and confirmation of their Auction Lots have been completed by the specified time.
A rate of 20% commission will be charged for late entries.

Auction

Advertising
To promote interest in the Auction, posts are made on social media highlighting the fish expected at the auction. The Seller should provide an early list of the fish species they are intending to bring to the auction. The sooner this list is submitted the higher the interest will be in the auction.

Viewing Racks
The BLA currently use a Viewing Rack in line with the previous FBAS recommendations of livestock welfare good practice.
The Sellers’ will leave their polystyrene box(es) containing their Auction Lots with the Auction Team. When ready, the Auction Team will populate the Viewing Rack with lots randomly selected from all Sellers’ poly-boxes.
The Auction Team will carry out necessary checks on the lots during this process. These will include fish health, bag condition and suitability, and accuracy of the labelling.
Note: if any lot fails the inspection process, the lot will be returned to the Seller for remedial action or will be withdrawn from the auction. Should it be deemed necessary by the Auction Team, they may inspect a Seller’s entire lots prior to the auction starting.

Nobody other than the Auction Team will be allowed around the Viewing Racks at this time.

Viewing the Auction Lots and auctioning the lots
The Auctioneer will inform the Buyers when, and how long they have, to view the racking. The Buyers may then approach the viewing area.
When it is time to start the auction the Auctioneer will then announce that the auction will begin in 5 minutes and all Buyers must then return to their seats.
Please Note: Buyers are not allowed in the area of the Viewing Racks outside of the allotted viewing time.

The Auctioneer will offer the lots from the racking randomly. One of the Auction Team will take the Auction Lot to the winning bidder and collect payment. This process will continue until the Viewing Rack is empty. The Auction Team will repopulate the racking. During this interval any livestock Sales Table items that are required to be auctioned can be offered to the Buyers.
When the Auction Team are ready the Auctioneer will again call the Buyers to the viewing area to repeat the cycle as previously described. This process will continue until all the Auction Lots have been offered for sale.

Any unsold lots will be placed in a designated poly-box for the Seller to collect or they can be offered for re-sale at the end of the auction.

Auction Bidding
Unless a reserve price is stipulated, the Auctioneer will start the bidding at a value deemed as appropriate for that particular lot, usually £5.00. In the situation where a lot does not sell at the reserve value when offered for auction, the Seller will be asked to either revise the reserve price or withdraw the lot.
The bidding will increase in increments of £1.00 (unless the Auctioneer decides a higher increment is more appropriate) until a winning bid is reached.

Seller’s Guidelines

Keeping Livestock within the bag
The recommended maximum period that livestock is to be kept within a bag is 48 hours. The Seller must ensure that the bag and the conditions for the livestock are optimal for this period.

It is the Seller’s responsibility to ensure that all livestock is healthy when bagged, the optimum conditions are provided, and the correct type/size of bag is used. Please adopt the following guidelines when preparing fish for TRANSPORT:

1. Starve livestock for a period of 24 hours before being introduced to the bag. This is to help reduce the chances of self-contamination of the water by the livestock.
2. When possible, it is recommended to prepare and use fresh AGED water when bagging livestock. This is to provide optimal water quality, and reduce the possibility of contamination that may exist within the aquarium water.
   Water conditioners such as Ammo lock or Stress coat should be added to the water. This will help reduce the risk from toxins in the water produced by the fish and reduce stress for the livestock. Please adhere to manufacturers’ recommendations.
3. There should be sufficient water within the bag to easily maintain the livestock comfortably for a period of forty-eight hours.
4. When the bag is “tied-off,” a ratio of one third water and two thirds air is recommended. This is to provide sufficient gas exchange within the bag.
5. Bags with a rounded seal at the bottom are recommended to help prevent livestock being trapped in corners.
   If straight sealed bags are used, it is recommended that adhesive tape is used to round the corners off. With some species such as Corydoras, please use two bags with the 2nd outer bag inverted so the neck goes into the outer bag first. This helps by “rounding off” the corners and reinforces the first bag.
6. Where necessary, a pair of fish should be individually bagged with the bags joined together securely enough that they cannot be accidentally separated. This will eliminate damage/fatalities caused by the fish themselves. It also means that the auction will progress smoothly if the Auction Team are not searching for stray bags!
7. Large groups of smaller fish/livestock should be in bags large enough to maintain them comfortably or split into smaller groups.
8. Bags with fish where contamination has become obvious will be requested by the Auctioneer to be rebagged by the Seller. Please bring some spare water in case this is required. Deflated bags will be returned to the Seller to rectify the situation.

Lots not deemed fit for the auction will be returned to the Seller and the lot withdrawn. This will include bags with dead livestock.

The Committee’s ruling will be final on all decisions.

Labelling & Sales Table/Auction Lot Numbers
It is the Sellers’ responsibility to label their bags correctly and that information matches exactly what is written on the Booking Form.
All bags must be marked with the allotted Seller’s Identification Letter and the Number of that particular Lot.
For example, if the allotted auction letter is A, the first bag will be marked as A1, subsequent bags will be labelled A2, A3…… and so forth.
Correct labelling of the species, and location/collection data are extremely important. Please include the common and/or scientific name of the fish. Include any relevant information such as Catch Location, Date Collected, Collector. Mark as Aquarium Strain if no data is available.  Also, the number of fish (or description) within the lot – i.e. pair, trio, 2 pairs, 10 fry etc. Lastly put a reserve price IF REQUIRED.

Correct labelling of the species, and location/collection data are extremely important. Please include the common and/or scientific name of the fish. Include any relevant information such as Catch Location, Date Collected, Collector. Mark as Aquarium Strain if no data is available.  Also, the number of fish (or description) within the lot – i.e. pair, trio, 2 pairs, 10 fry etc. Lastly put a reserve price IF REQUIRED.

Any existing relevant information should be included ON BOTH the Booking Form and the bag labelling.

Boxing Livestock ready for transport
It is recommended that a suitable polystyrene box with a properly fitting lid is used. This will help maintain water temperature whilst keeping the livestock in the dark (minimising any stress).
Use a heat pack, or additional containers of warm water, if cooler weather and/or the livestock are to be kept within the poly-box overnight. This helps maintain the water temperature for your fish within a suitable range and avoid any risk to your livestock’s health caused by low or fluctuating temperatures. Any livestock deemed to be in water that is too cold will be returned to the Seller and withdrawn from the auction.
Take care to pack each polystyrene box/suitable thermally insulated container in an orderly and secure manner. Bags rolling around during transport will cause unnecessary stress and fatalities.
Take care that each polystyrene box/suitable thermally insulated container is securely placed within the vehicle when travelling, some care at this stage will prevent any boxes and bags being dislodged during transport.

Buyers auction guidelines

Suitable polystyrene box or thermal container
No potential Buyer will be sold livestock unless they have a polystyrene box/suitable thermally insulated container to place the fish into whilst the auction is in progress.  Wherever possible the Auction Team will endeavour to have excess polystyrene boxes for sale before or at the start of the auction.

Bidding Cards
Bidding must be done using a BLA numbered Bidding Card. All bidders must register on arrival using legible CAPITAL letters for name, and include email address. You will receive a Bidding Card prior to the start of the auction. Non-Members can purchase a Bidding Card which will include Day Membership. Each card is for the use of that bidder only. It is not permitted to use another Member’s Bidding Card.
Bidding Cards must be returned before the bidder leaves the auction.
NOTE: missing Bidding Cards are an ongoing problem.

Boxing your fish ready for transport
Take care to pack each polystyrene box/suitable thermally insulated container in an orderly and secure manner, bags rolling around during transport will cause unnecessary stress and fatalities.
Take care that each polystyrene box/suitable thermally insulated container is securely placed within the vehicle when travelling, some care at this stage will prevent any boxes and bags being dislodged during transport.

Complaints about the lots
The Auction Team will try to ensure all lots are accurate to their description and in good condition. If the Buyer has a complaint or query about a lot, the complaint must be registered with a Committee Member immediately.
Once a lot has left the auction room, it is unlikely any problems can be rectified.

Agreement

Agreement to these guidelines, and terms & conditions, is accepted by entering Lots into the Auction or registering to bid.

*Glossary of Terms

• Livestock – Fish, shrimp and snails.
• Pair – one male and one female fish.
• Breeding Pair – A pair that has successfully produced fry.
• Trio – One male and two female fish.
• Reverse trio – Two male and one female fish.
• Breeding group – A bag containing an unspecified number of fish of mixed ages and sex.
• Juveniles – Juveniles should be roughly 1/3 adult size for that species and are usually unsexed.
• Fry – young fish (minimum 2 weeks old) smaller than Juveniles, unsexed.
• Auction Team
• Runner