Many problems arise because the public does not generally understand the relationship between the auctioneer and vendor and that between the auctioneer and prospective buyer. Auctioneers' contractual obligations are to their employers, the vendors. While they have a duty of care to prospective buyers, auctioneers are engaged on behalf of the vendor, not the buyer. They have a duty of care to the vendor in the first instance and a legal obligation to maximise the price for him or her.