Part 18 · Dealers, Auctions & Disputes

PWhatsApp Auctions & Exhibition Transactions — Bids in Text, Deleted Messages, Double-Sales & the Fair Stall Contract

WhatsApp group auctions, deleted messages as evidence, exhibition stall contracts, double-sales, and the legal status of text-based bidding.

12 questions in this part

1 Are WhatsApp message bids legally binding? 2 If you win a WhatsApp group auction but the seller gives the item to someone else — is that breach of contract? 3 Can deleted WhatsApp messages from an auction still be used as legal evidence? 4 What happens legally if a WhatsApp group auction ends with no clear winner? 5 Is a 'lot closing' announced in a WhatsApp group a legally enforceable acceptance? 6 Can you be sued for bidding in a WhatsApp auction and then refusing to pay? 7 Does a WhatsApp group have any legal identity of its own? 8 What is the legally safest way to conduct a WhatsApp group numismatic auction? 9 Can a WhatsApp group auction be considered an 'online marketplace' under IT Rules 2021? 10 If the same note is auctioned in multiple WhatsApp groups simultaneously and sold twice — what happens? 11 Is a verbal bid at an exhibition stall legally binding? 12 If you pay a partial deposit at an exhibition and the dealer doesn't deliver — what are your rights?