Art Wise

Please never again send me this survey about any auction house. Thank you.

When the item was first delivered, several of the illustrated plates were missing. I contacted the auction house and received an immediate response-the missing pages were promptly located and shipped to me at no extra charge.

The site itself is very good and when contacted are helpful. However it would have been good to have had a breifing upon joining that it is an umbrella for many different houses. Most of the houses are good and helpful though a significant number are unfriendly, just money orientated and not at all helpful if not down right rude. They must realise that there international bidders and winners and they should have the automatic links to packers and shippers. Some houses have done this and are fantastic to work with. Others send rude emails demanding instant payment and removal of the goods which might be large. I set up an account with Fed Ex to try and overcome this problem yet some houses are unwilling to contact them with my account number even when the fed ex office is only a few blocks away. Others have sent me lists of shippers they use only to find that it is often the case that when I contact them they say they cannot pack and ship as the article is too big or they don't do international shipping. This is especially so in Australia and the Chinese owned houses they are the rudest and most brusque of all. It's is the case that often there is a big time difference between me and the auctions so trying to organise in such circumstances is very difficult. It is often the case that it costs more in shipping and packing than some of the bids. Some wins I have had to ask the auction house to dispose of as even though I've paid they've been unwilling to aid with postage etc. I do not think that as an international service many of the auction houses are properly signed up to this fact. Last moan is, some houses offer postage and packing at flat minimum rate of $140 regardless of real cost. I had one picture baldly rolled in a tube which was wet and broken on arrival. The content cost $80 and the postage $30 but I was charged $220. I think this is the beginning of what could be a great service but it's not there yet.