Chiswick Auctions Reviews 66

I like Chiswick Auctions! I have bought and sold items in their auctions and found the staff to be extremely helpful and knowledgeable, which helps you to have a good result, if you're selling or buying.

This was my first time selling at auction. Raphaelle made the whole process so easy for me. I was selling some of my late Mother and Grandmother's jewellery so the process could have been very daunting for me but it wasn't thanks to the kindness and professionalism I received. The jewellery all sold for really good prices and I was delighted.

We had an excellent experience with Chiswick Auctions. The staff involved with our project were knowledgeable, efficient and friendly, and put us at our ease immediately. We could not have asked for a more professional team to assist us with the sale of our valuables.

Valentina from the autograph department is always honest, super efficient and replies back instantly to queries mega promptly unlike many other autograph auction houses.  She is also super organised and takes time to let you know about autographs  she thinks you might like once she gets to know you.  She is an asset to any department, and also easy to get on with. Other autograph auction houses should  sit up and take note

My recent dealings have been with Ms Valentina Borghi
who runs Autographs and Memorabilia Dept of Chiswick Auctions.
I am a collector at large and started my journey of collecting when I was a second year law student at UCL nearly 50 years ago. Over the decades I have dealt
with hundreds of auction houses all over the planet and
have, among other things, specialist collections of art on paper, sports memorabilia and autographs.
Ms Borghi is one the very best I have had the pleasure of dealing with in her specialist fields.
She is not only knowledgeable but also brings to her work for the auction house a rare degree of professionalism. Her promptitude in her replies and the efforts she puts into dealing with my queries never cease to amaze me.
In my considered opinion, she is a credit to Chiswick Auctions and sets a standard for her colleagues to emulate.

I am consistently pleased with my experiences with Chiswick Auctions. I am a US collector and have experienced tremendous service and excellent care taken with the shipments. Isaac and the shipping department doing a fantastic job protecting my purchases from damage during transit. This is a major reason that I continue to do business with Chiswick. Thanks again!

A Disheartening Experience at Chiswick Auctions

Engaging with Chiswick Auctions, one might expect a level of sophistication and professionalism on par with esteemed establishments like Sotheby's. Regrettably, my experience was a stark reminder that appearances can be deceiving, and Chiswick Auctions is far from the standard they claim to uphold.

My interaction began with a straightforward inquiry regarding a jewel's dimensions. This seemingly simple task unraveled into a cascade of incompetence, marked by inaccurate responses and a perplexing lack of basic knowledge about their inventory. Despite these red flags, I continued with the auction and acquired the item.

The post-auction process exposed further inadequacies. Their shipping recommendation was ludicrously expensive, with no justification for the high cost, showcasing a glaring disconnect with reasonable customer service practices. Choosing a more rational option like FedEx only highlighted their recommendation's absurdity.

Upon receipt of the jewel, I discovered it had several undisclosed defects, none of which were evident in the item's description or photographs. My attempts to rectify this issue through detailed communication were met with indifference and denial of responsibility.

The response culminated in a dismissive and rude call, during which it was suggested that I was at fault for not requesting additional information.
This experience has been a disheartening insight into the pretense of professionalism at Chiswick Auctions.

They masquerade as a serious and elite auction house, yet their actions reveal a reality of incompetence, ungratefulness, and a lack of understanding of the essence of selling. Their failure to provide accurate descriptions, reasonable customer service, and basic courtesy starkly contrasts with the integrity and client respect found at more reputable institutions.

My advice is to approach Chiswick Auctions with extreme caution, or better yet, seek out an auction house where sincerity, expertise, and customer satisfaction are not just promised but practiced.

Message me if you want a copy of the tragicomic conversations

Travelled all the way out to the auction rooms to collect an item I’d won at auction and when I got there was told it had gone missing since the sale. I was refunded but have had indifferent service before and since. I certainly think twice about bidding when I see an item on The Saleroom that is being sold through Chiswick Auctions.

It’s such a shame to write this, and I rarely write negative reviews in these kind of platforms.

The service is just poor. Communication lacks, and even when you do get it, there is definitely a sense of lacking in customer care. Rarely does it feel like a solution or resolution is wanted to be provided.

As noted in other reviews, the poor communication is exacerbated by dreadful shipping policies and service. I spent a lot of money in one auction (over £1,000) and wanted assurance on when and how my shipping would arrive, for obvious security reasons. I heard nothing and had to completely adjust my working pattern to accommodate the auction house and stayed in for several days to receive the item.

It’s really sad to say that I won’t shop with them again, and would really recommend approaching with a degree of caution

I asked for a valuation on a Rembrandt etching - took them over two months to reply. Then said I could put it in the January sale and to contact them to show them the item in person which I did. Still haven't heard back. I'm pleased I've read these reviews! But I think all the auction houses are rip offs. Where do I sell this piece then?

Bought some items via saleroom auctions, won the bid for a collection of autographs on the basis that they do “in-house” shipping (which their information still shows”. Only found out after its outsource this to ARTA shipping company . They quoted £150 for shipping . By far the most expensive I’ve paid , however it stated it was a priority service of 3 to 4 days. 7 days after their collection and I still don’t have tracking information .
Warning - be aware their shipping policies have changed and their prices are very steep! Service on delivery is to be desired ! You have been warned ….

Sold 5 lots in their camera sale made over £90 ended up with£4.18 after the offtakes of £15 per lot fee and various admin fees

I am writing to address my recent experience with your Auction House, which unfortunately has left me greatly disappointed. As a seasoned collector of books and antique items since 1999, I have had the privilege of engaging in numerous successful transactions with various auction houses, both domestically and internationally, including esteemed establishments such as Sotheby's and Christie's. However, my encounter with your organization over the past five months has regrettably been far from satisfactory.

My initial contact with your company was prompted by a recommendation from Sotheby's, leading me to reach out to Mr. .... to discuss the items I wished to consign. Despite the logistical challenge of the items being located at a friend's residence due to their illness, Mr. ... graciously arranged for their retrieval, for which I am sincerely grateful. Our correspondence commenced in late December 2023, during which Mr. ....... remained responsive and attentive to my inquiries.

As I was unfamiliar with your auction schedule and the appropriate department for my items, I continued to liaise with Mr. ..... It was conveyed to me that the Indian and Islamic art department would evaluate my items, with further communication to follow regarding their inclusion in an upcoming auction. However, after waiting for over a month without any updates, I proactively reached out to Mrs. ........, the individual responsible for the aforementioned department, to seek clarification. Despite multiple attempts to establish communication via email, my efforts were met with silence. Subsequently, I resorted to contacting Mr. ...... by phone to express my concerns, which prompted a response from Mrs. ......

Over the course of our correspondence, Mrs. ....... and I discussed the auction calendar, item evaluations, and the logistics of their inclusion in the auction. While my preference was for all items to be auctioned together, Mrs. ....... advised against this approach, citing potential saturation of similar items in a single auction. Ultimately, it was agreed that the items would be dispersed across multiple auction dates.

Anticipation built over the five-month period, culminating in the expectation that a selection of my items would feature in the auction scheduled for April 23. However, upon visiting your website, I was dismayed to discover that none of the 42 pieces I Consigned were listed for the upcoming auction. Despite reaching out to Mrs. ....... to rectify the apparent oversight, my attempts to seek clarification were met with silence. When I subsequently addressed the matter via phone, I was informed that my approval for the final auction listing had not been secured, nor had I signed any relevant documentation—a claim which perplexed me, as I had diligently responded to all communications and provided my consent for the items to be auctioned.

In light of these circumstances, I must express my profound disappointment with the unprofessional conduct demonstrated by your Auction House. As someone who prides themselves on maintaining the highest standards of professionalism throughout their career, I find it disheartening to have my trust undermined and my time seemingly squandered. It is my firm belief that this breakdown in communication and execution stems from the absence of face-to-face interaction, which has hindered our ability to establish a mutually beneficial working relationship.

Regrettably, I am obliged to reconsider any future collaborations with your Auction House, as I cannot afford to jeopardize my confidence and endure further inefficiencies.

If there are still people who want to work with this company and put their works up for auction, please reconsider after this message!

Unlike another opinion bellw, I got an effective answer on appropiate time from Chiswick Auctions.

I asked for the condition report that Chiswick Auctions readily offer for an item that I was keen to buy. I was concerned about whether their online photography (which was rather poor) accurately showed any problems.

In the event I had no response from them at all.

If their report had been positive, I would have bid more than I did online. This may have done a disservice to their seller as the bidding may have been higher.

Whenever I've been at their premises I've generally found their staff to be rather snooty and stand-offish. I'm not sure why - they're hardly Christie's.

Not recommended.

Contacted chiswick auctions i have a handwritten diary photoalbum belonging to a Luftwaffe adjutant who was with erwin rommel and albert kesslring and was also present with Herman goring in sicily his diary is incredible emailed them for a certified valuation to ignorant to reply your loss this diary is worth a considerable amount of money on a professional level don't have time for your ignorance plenty of other auctions houes would be very interested in this a big thumbs down. Sent all the photos wrote a complete history Thanks for wasting my time completely useless.

Extremely poor communication and shabby and unprofessional. Didn't even to bother to answer emails....although very politely sent by this writer.
I asked for my original receipt of the items I was selling- ignored my polite emails. Sold 1 piece of the 2 fine art's I had in the Novemever 2022 auction but had the audacity to return my unsold property in an appalling state. I had submitted my works with conservation glass and professionally framed. Instead my unsold property was stuffed into a Ikea type frame with cardboard backing which was stapled! I am shocked at this behaviour of MD the sales rep. I have sent in a complaint but radio silence from.auction house. I am very disappointed and will not use this auction house again.

I was not impressed by the overall service provided by Chiswick auctions in terms of communication and the (what I can only describe as) exorbitant fees charged. To give an example on one of my items which sold with buyers premium for £625.00, i received just £383.00. They - like all auction houses nowadays- have a slew of add ons such as “insurance” and “advertising” on top of the already high sellers percentage fee. I can see how the auction house has such plush offices.
The reason I consigned items to Chiswick is because i am writing an article on the best way to sell antiques and the items i sold were in a specialist sale but the sale itself was quite disappointing with my lots making reserve or below and quite a few items in the sale remained unsold. I realize that an auction is just that.....the items might do well or not, however I was hoping that a specialist sale would maximise my potential. What I did find quite annoying is that having consigned my lots i received an email shortly before the sale to reduce my reserves to such a level that I would have preferred just to keep the items rather than selling...I am not sure whether this was a conscious tactic by them or not
Then after the auction there was no word from them. Weeks passed and i emailed them to no avail. Then I thought i would mention about my article and then finally i received a response .
The whole experience has left me a bit disappointed with Chiswick Auctions. I know that auctions cannot guarantee a good sale but was hoping for at least a first class customer service for the high fees charged,
I am sure many people will have positive experiences with Chiswick but I can only review my personal experience and it was not a particularly good one.

Registered to bid they rang me up and asked for a deposit as it was a high value item I wanted the telephone bid for
In good faith I gave them £1000 they requested
to be told if I didn’t win the lot , k would get my £1000 back straight away
Still waiting
Not impressed
Good lesson learnt they could have made another 35% on top

I think I should call it bad luck, that is what I’ve called the watch I’ve had the misfortune of buying from Chiswick auctions, OK, I didn’t go to view it first because I thought I could trust the valuation,, never mind,, I’ve just paid £156.00 for something that has no value at all, only good for the dustbin,, how can a so called ! Expert ! accept this into any sort of auction??????