Live Auctions allow collectors, buyers and sellers to connect in real time. To make sure everyone has a safe, fair and enjoyable experience, all participants must follow these Community Guidelines.
These Community Guidelines apply in addition to the Terms of Use, including the Buyer Terms, Live Auction Buyer Terms and Seller Terms.
Your behaviour during live streams
Live auctions include chat, allowing participants to interact during the show. All interaction must remain respectful and relevant to the auction.
Sellers and co-hosts hosting the live stream must also follow the guidelines below to ensure a safe and respectful environment. All participation in Live Auctions must also comply with applicable law and Catawiki’s Terms of Use.
Content and behaviour that are not allowed
Without limitation, the following content and behaviour are prohibited during a live stream:
- Hate speech or discrimination
Content that targets individuals or groups based on identity.
This includes racist, xenophobic, homophobic or transphobic remarks, as well as derogatory comments about religion, nationality, gender or disability.
- Harassment or bullying
Insulting, threatening, or repeatedly targeting other participants.
This includes personal attacks, intimidation, or deliberately provoking others in chat.
- Substance use
Smoking, drinking alcohol, or using drugs during a live stream, as well as participating while intoxicated.
This includes appearing visibly impaired or unable to host or participate responsibly.
- Sexual content
Content that is sexually explicit or suggestive.
This includes nudity, sexual remarks, or displaying sexually explicit material on camera.
- Explicit language
Use of offensive or abusive language.
This includes strong insults, repeated swearing, or language intended to offend or shock others.
- Violence and harmful content
Content that promotes or depicts harm.
This includes threats of violence, encouraging violent behaviour, or content related to self-harm.
- Terrorist or extremist content
Content that promotes, supports, or is associated with extremist organisations or ideologies.
- Political promotion
Using live auctions to promote political campaigns, parties, ideologies, or to engage in political agitation.
This includes encouraging others to support specific political views or turning the stream into a political discussion.
- Misinformation
Sharing false or misleading information.
This includes conspiracy theories, false health claims, or misleading statements presented as facts.
- Fraud or scams
Deceptive or dishonest behaviour.
This includes impersonating others, sharing fraudulent information, or attempting to scam participants.
- Redirecting users off Catawiki
Encouraging users to buy or sell outside Catawiki.
This includes sharing external sales links or asking viewers to complete transactions through other platforms or messaging apps.
- Privacy violations
Sharing, requesting or disclosing another person’s personal data without permission is not allowed.
This includes addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, payment details, social media handles, private account information or any other personal data.
Auction integrity and fair bidding
Live Auctions must remain fair, transparent and focused on bidding through Catawiki’s official bidding system. Participants must not use chat, livestream commentary or any other Live Auction feature to manipulate, distort or interfere with the auction process.
This includes, for example:
- falsely suggesting that bids have been placed, will be placed, or have reached a certain level
- misrepresenting an intention to bid
- presenting opinions as facts
- coordinating bidding behaviour with others
- using chat to signal bidding strategies or influence bidding outside the official bidding interface
- making misleading statements about value, authenticity, condition, provenance or reserve status
- disrupting the livestream or chat in a way that interferes with bidding
- pressuring, intimidating or misleading other participants in relation to bidding or
- repeatedly posting messages intended to create artificial urgency, bidding pressure or a misleading impression of market interest
- encouraging or facilitating transactions outside Catawiki.
Any attempt to circumvent these rules or to use Live Auction features in a misleading, manipulative or unfair manner may also result in enforcement action.
Only bids submitted through Catawiki’s official bidding interface are valid. Statements made in chat or verbally during a livestream do not count as bids and do not determine the outcome of the auction.
Responsibility of live hosts
If you host a live auction, you are responsible for how the stream is run and how objects are presented.
When hosting a live stream, you are responsible for:
- How the live stream is conducted
- What is said on camera
- What is shown on screen
- The behaviour of co-hosts or team members
- Ensuring appropriate chat moderation
- The accuracy of the objects you present
In short, you are accountable for what happens during your live stream.
Objects you offer for sale
All objects offered in Live Auctions must comply with Catawiki’s applicable policies, including its rules on prohibited and restricted items, authenticity, intellectual property and any relevant category-specific requirements.
Enforcement
If these Community Guidelines or the Terms of Use are violated, Catawiki may take appropriate action, including:
- ending a livestream
- removing content or chat messages
- removing users from a livestream
- restricting chat functionality
- suspending or removing access to Live Auctions
- suspending or restricting a Catawiki account
- recovering financial losses where applicable and
- taking any further action available under the Terms of Use, Buyer Terms or Seller Terms.
Reporting concerns
If you believe that content or conduct during a Live Auction violates these Community Guidelines or undermines the fairness or safety of the auction, you may report this to Catawiki through the reporting tools or support channels made available by Catawiki. Catawiki may review relevant information, including chat activity, livestream content and account history, and may take temporary or permanent action where appropriate.