The paper develops a distributed system architecture and proposes an implementation framework for conducting dependable Internet based on-line auctions, meeting the requirements of scalability and service integrity. Current auction services essentially rely on a central auction server. Given the increasing popularity and usage of electronic auctions, such a centralised approach is fundamentally restrictive with respect to scalability. Further, different national markets have different monetary regulations and may employ different procedures for payment settlements. Catering for local market autonomy means that decentralisation is an essential and practical requirement. With these design goals in mind, the paper presents a system architecture and a framework for a fault-tolerant implementation of the architecture.