When is payment due?
Payment is due by the deadline indicated in each auction catalogue. In general, you have 5 days to pick up and pay for your order, starting on Tuesday and ending on Saturday after an auction occurs. Our hours of operation are Tuesday-Saturday 9am-5pm, unless stated otherwise. We are closed Sunday and Monday.
What happens if I miss a payment or pick-up?
There are no exceptions to missing a pick-up and failing to pay for an order. Once the deadline passes, your items become forfeit, you receive a 15% restocking fee of your order total, your account gets automatically suspended, and you receive a strike. Your account gets restored once the 15% restocking fee is paid (you will still not receive your items), but after 3 strikes your account becomes permanently banned. Users caught creating new accounts to bypass the restocking fee will automatically be permanently banned.
Do you offer shipping?
Due to the nature of our business, shipping is not a viable option for us. All of our items are for pick up only, at our facility located in Barrie.
How do I pay?
Payment is done at our warehouse location. We accept cash, debit, credit card* (excluding Amex) or e‑transfer. E‑transfers must be confirmed cleared by management before items can leave our location. Our e‑transfer email is [email protected].
Please contact us via message on our website or by phone to inform us if you need to e-transfer because someone else is picking up your order on your behalf before they show up.
* Any orders paid using a credit card (in full or in part) are subject to an additional 2% surcharge due to high processing fees. Orders paid entirely by other methods will not have this surcharge applied. The credit card surcharge applies to the entire pre-tax order total, including the buyer's premium and handling fee, and is calculated before HST.
New Why We Are Introducing a $1 Handling Fee
At King of the North Auction, we have always worked to keep our fees reasonable and make our auctions accessible to as many customers as possible.
Unlike a traditional retail store, we cannot simply increase the selling price of an item when operating costs rise. Our items are sold through competitive bidding, without reserve pricing protecting a predetermined retail margin. This allows our customers to continue finding exceptional deals, but it also means that the work required to process an item remains the same regardless of whether it sells for $5, $50, or $500.
Every item must be received, sorted, inspected, photographed, listed, organized, stored, located, verified, and released to the winning bidder. As wages, benefits, and other operating costs have increased, we need to recover a small portion of those costs more directly.
Effective August 2, 2026, a $1 handling fee will be applied to each item prepared for pickup from a customer order. The fee is added after the buyer's premium and before HST.
We recognize that no one welcomes a new fee, and this was not a decision we made lightly. Rather than increasing our buyer's premium, we are keeping it at 10%. Many online auction companies charge substantially higher buyer's premiums, separate handling fees, or a combination of both. Industry standards are 12-20%+ buyer's premium, with scaling handling fees $1-5+ per item depending on size.
We believe that a flat $1-per-item fee is a more measured and transparent approach. It keeps the fee directly connected to the number of items being prepared and fulfilled instead of increasing the percentage charged on the value of every winning bid. This change will help us continue to:
- Keep our buyer's premium at 10%.
- Avoid relying on reserve pricing to protect our margins.
- Continue offering prices determined by customer bidding.
- Provide competitive wages and benefits to our employees.
- Maintain the staffing required to process and fulfill tens of thousands of auction items each week.
- Continue investing in an efficient and dependable customer pickup experience.
An item that is refused or restocked before the order is invoiced and finalized for picking will not receive a handling fee. Once an order is invoiced, handling fees are generally non-refundable. If we make a picking error or cannot find an item, the handling fee charged for that item and its applicable HST will be included in the refund. All other approved item refunds include the bid amount, buyer's premium, and HST only.
Handling fee example
A customer won 6 items with bids totalling $40. They refused one $10 item before invoicing and paid the 15% restocking fee for it, so 5 items were prepared for pickup:
$30 + ($10 × 15%) = $31.50 × 1.10 buyer's premium = $34.65 + (5 items × $1 handling fee) = $39.65 × 1.13 HST = $44.80.
Our goal remains unchanged: to provide a wide selection of products, fair and transparent auction terms, and opportunities for our customers to find outstanding value. We appreciate the continued support and understanding of the KOTN community.
What else do I need to know about payment?
Our site is completely free to register and use. For each item won, you pay the bid amount plus the auction standard 10% buyer's premium, the per-item handling fee, and HST. Here's an example of how that all works together for an order invoiced on or after August 2, 2026: You won 3 items that total $50 in bids. $50 × 1.10 buyer's premium = $55 + (3 items × $1 handling fee) = $58 × 1.13 HST = $65.54.
If a credit card is used to pay any portion of an order, the 2% surcharge applies to the entire pre-tax order total after the 10% buyer's premium and handling fee. For example: You won 3 items that total $50 in bids. $50 × 1.10 buyer's premium = $55 + (3 items × $1 handling fee) = $58 × 1.02 credit card surcharge = $59.16 × 1.13 HST = $66.85.
What happens if I refuse an item?
Any items that you won during an auction but no longer want are subject to a 15% restocking fee based on the winning bid. The buyer's premium and HST apply to that restocking fee, but no handling fee is charged when the item is refused before invoicing. For example, if you won an item for $30 but no longer wish to keep it: $30 × 15% restocking fee = $4.50 × 1.10 buyer's premium = $4.95 × 1.13 HST = $5.59.
You may only refuse an item at the time of payment and pickup. Once you leave our facility you can no longer refuse an item.
This restocking fee does not apply for items that fall under our warranty and returns policy.
What should I expect when picking up large fragile items?
When purchasing certain large, expensive and fragile items such as TVs or monitors, we require customers to stick around for an in-person preview where our staff will remove the item from its packaging and set it up so that the customer can inspect and briefly test the item to ensure they are happy with the condition before packing it back up to transport. We have this in place because once these types of items have left our premises, our warranty no longer covers any physical damage or defects caused by mishandling or transport of these items. Customers have a right to refuse this process at the expense of forfeiting any warranty coverage on the item at all. If you happen to be purchasing a large TV, please ensure you bring your own help to load it into your vehicle and transport it carefully. We will not be responsible for any damage or defects caused to these items once they have left the premises.
What happens if I cannot pick up on time?
There are no exceptions for late pick-ups. We are constantly receiving new truckloads of product, so our storage space is extremely valuable. If something happens and you cannot pick up, please find someone to pick up on your behalf. Be advised if anyone picks up on your behalf you must inform our staff ahead of time by sending a message on our website and either e-transfer the amount owed or have them pay on your behalf as well. Any failure to pick up an order by the deadline will result in account suspension as explained above.
Can I schedule a pick-up time?
Unfortunately, due to the overwhelming number of requests, we had to disable our pick-up scheduling feature. We will be strictly running on a first-come first-serve basis.
What do I need to bring with me?
All members are required to bring government issued photo ID when picking up an order. This is done to protect us and our customers by ensuring items are picked up by the rightful winners. If photo ID is not presented at the time of pick-up, you will be unable to claim your items.
Can someone else pick up my order?
Of course! If you would like someone else to pick up your order, please use the messaging system on our website to let us know. You must provide their full name and have them bring their photo ID for confirmation upon arrival. Please note they will also need to pay for your order unless you e-transferred and cleared payment with our staff beforehand.