Auction terms
These terms apply to every bid placed on Cycad Central, including 15-minute high-stakes auctions. Placing a bid means you accept them. Last updated 5 September 2026.
Auction rules
Full terms15 minutes, 24 or 48 hours
The seller picks the length. The countdown on each card is the live time remaining.
Bids are binding
A bid is a commitment to buy at that price. It cannot be retracted.
Only the winner pays
Bidding costs nothing and no card is held. At close, the winning bid becomes an order to pay.
Who we are and how to reach us
- Operator
- Cycad Central
- Company registration number
- 2026 / 748563 / 07
- Person responsible
- Pieter Visser
- Telephone / WhatsApp
- +27 76 825 5794
- Also responsible
- Glen van der Merwe
- Telephone / WhatsApp
- +27 78 198 6971
- Governing law
- The laws of South Africa apply to this agreement.
Notices in writing are sent to the email address above and are treated as delivered on the day they are sent. A postal address for formal service is available on request.
1A bid is a binding offer
Every bid is a commitment to buy the plant at that price on the stated terms. Bids cannot be retracted or reduced. If you win, the bid becomes an order.
2Bid steps and maximum bids
Each bid must beat the current bid by at least the minimum step for that price band, or by the seller's larger increment if one is set. You may set a maximum bid instead; the platform then bids for you one step at a time, never above your maximum, and never reveals it to other bidders.
3Auction length, closing and anti-sniping
Sellers choose one of three auction lengths: a 15-minute auction, a 24-hour auction or a 48-hour auction. The length is shown on every auction card and plant page. An auction may also be scheduled to start at a future date and time, and the clock only starts at that moment.
Auctions close on a platform timer, not at the seller's discretion. A bid in the final minutes extends the clock so other bidders can respond, up to the extension limit shown on the auction. Every close is written to the audit log.
4Reserves and visibility
A seller may set a reserve. Reserve amounts are never disclosed to bidders and are never exposed by the app. If bidding ends below the reserve the plant does not sell, and the seller may relist it.
5Payment
Only the winning bidder pays. No card is held and unsuccessful bidders are never charged. Payment is due within the period stated on the order, after which the platform records the sale and releases the seller's details for handover.
6Non-performance
A winner who walks away may have the auction flagged as disputed, any deposit forfeited, a strike recorded against the account and further bidding suspended. A seller who refuses to complete a concluded sale is treated the same way. All such actions are audited.
7Verification and permits
Expert verification is optional and is never a condition of selling. 15-minute high-stakes auctions do not require expert verification. Sellers remain responsible for holding any permits the law requires for the species offered, and wild-collected plants may not be traded.
8Disputes
Raise a dispute through the order on your dashboard or through the contact form. Disputes are handled on the record kept by the platform: bid history, messages, photographs and the audit log.