Up to 40 Perth antique sellers have been left waiting to be paid after a local auctioneer closed its doors.

Hayes Auctioneers, in Burswood, has been placed in the hands of liquidators.

Several customers who have used the auctioneer to sell items are still waiting for payment, two of them claiming to be owed about $5000 each.

Consumer Protection is carrying out an investigation to determine whether Australian Consumer Law was breached.

Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard urged those who were owed money to register with the liquidator.

Mr Hillyard said the liquidator’s role was to wrap up the business and fairly distribute money that was owed, but paying sellers was not a priority.

“An unsecured creditor’s chances of getting anything back are often slim because they are generally last in line to be paid after employee wages, taxes and secured creditors such as banks,” he said.