Christies - World Class (Pains in the Ass)

[Snapolit1]

I've bought a decent amount of stuff from them. Now I need to speak with someone to verify my account, because the drivers license scan doesn't match the proof of residency scan. Maybe because I moved in the last few years. Crazy, but it happens. Nuts. No way I'm calling them and dealing with additional documents, etc. Hard pass. There are about 75 auctions in the next 12 months I plan to deal with where I don't need to go through these hoops.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

I just spit my drink all over my screen after reading the title!

[Snapolit1]

I mean I get the whole need verifying ID nonsense and all that if I was representing some guys from the other side of the world who wanted to anonymously buy a $425 million dollar piece of modern art, but I'm not. I'm just trying to buy a few cool baseball pieces for a few thousand dollars. Seemingly very low risk that I am money laundering for Iran or Saudi Arabia.

That in a nutshell is why its so hard to deal with them. They treat every transaction like you are trying to buy the Mona Lisa.

[sb1]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I mean I get the whole need verifying ID nonsense and all that if I was representing some guys from the other side of the world who wanted to anonymously buy a $425 million dollar piece of modern art, but I'm not. I'm just trying to buy a few cool baseball pieces for a few thousand dollars. Seemingly very low risk that I am money laundering for Iran or Saudi Arabia.

That in a nutshell is why its so hard to deal with them. They treat every transaction like you are trying to buy the Mona Lisa.

With a buyers premium and shipping costs to match....

[MVSNYC]

I had to update my account/contact info, so I called them yesterday...They were very nice and helpful, and updated all of my info, and made sure I was registered to bid. If you haven't already, just call their NY office (212-636-2000), was simple and fast.

[glchen]

Originally Posted by sb1

With a buyers premium and shipping costs to match....

In one of their previous auctions, I won an 8x10 photo for $1000. The buyer's premium was 25%, which added $250 to price. Then shipping was an additional $179, so I had to pay $1429 total. Compare this with my recent Heritage Auctions invoice which was ~$36K, which also had a photo roughly the same size (incl holder) and the total shipping, handling, insurance was only $98. Granted, Christies packaged the photo like it was the Mona Lisa, but it was still way overkill.

[BRoberts]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I've bought a decent amount of stuff from them. Now I need to speak with someone to verify my account, because the drivers license scan doesn't match the proof of residency scan. Maybe because I moved in the last few years. Crazy, but it happens. Nuts. No way I'm calling them and dealing with additional documents, etc. Hard pass. There are about 75 auctions in the next 12 months I plan to deal with where I don't need to go through these hoops.

I am sorry you are going through this.

[Exhibitman]

With all that farcical, bogus security to prevent non-existent fraud you'd think you were trying to register to vote.

[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

With all that farcical, bogus security to prevent non-existent fraud you'd think you were trying to register to vote.

Ha!

[MVSNYC]

Well, Steve, you weren't wrong about them...

So, after my earlier praise of their customer service...they really dropped the ball yesterday. I was all set up for them to call me when certain lots came up, so I could bid with them over the phone, during the live auction...well, the phone calls never came. Kind of really unacceptable.

After the auction, I checked my email, and it appears (during the auction, not prior), they were requesting proof of funds/bank statement (which I've never been asked to provide anytime prior, with any auction house). I was never told earlier this week (when I was on the phone with them) that they needed that...Instead they send an email (not a call) during the auction? Anyway, I wasn't able to bid after all.

A fellow board member/friend (a big time collector) ran into a similar situation (maybe he'll post here with his story)...anyway, rather disappointing.

[rman444]

My email conversation with them over the past few days:

Me: I tried having my password sent to me, but I did not receive an email to reset it.

Christie's: I am forwarding this to our online assistance team who can help you reset your password. We will get this sorted out ahead of tomorrow’s sale.

Christie's (at 5:57am yesterday morning): Dear Mr. Wong, I have issued a password reset link to your email address. Please note this link will be valid for one hour. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

Me: You sent a link that expires in 1 hour at 5:57am? Really?

Christie's (at 5:27am this morning - after the auction is over): Dear Mr. Wong, I have just sent along a new link. Please let me know if you should need any further assistance.

Me: Maybe my last email was not clear enough. Sending me a link to reset my password at 5:30am that expires in 1 hour does not help me. I am in California and am asleep during that time. If you want me to bid in your auctions, send me a link that either does not expire, or send it to me during the day when I am awake. Otherwise forget it. It shouldn't be this hard.

[rjackson44]

My mom collects art,and furniture and deals with this auction house ,,till this day i dont understand why . They do ship very securely like you bought a picasso.Oh well.

[hcv123]

I was registered previously (must have been from years ago) - so I had an account. I called and spoke to someone who I emailed my license as instructed and who was forwarding my info to the "online assistance team" to get me authorized to place bids. Well, I was able to log in and watch the live auction, but never authorized to bid!! The auctioneer was a joke - had trouble pronouncing names on many of the items and my guess is wouldn't know the difference between Babe Ruth the baseball player and Baby Ruth the candy bar. I closed the window after about 60 lots.

Hmmmmm I wonder why they aren't so big in Sports auctions!

[MVSNYC]

Originally Posted by rman444

My email conversation with them over the past few days:

Me: I tried having my password sent to me, but I did not receive an email to reset it.

Christie's: I am forwarding this to our online assistance team who can help you reset your password. We will get this sorted out ahead of tomorrow’s sale.

Christie's (at 5:57am yesterday morning): Dear Mr. Wong, I have issued a password reset link to your email address. Please note this link will be valid for one hour. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

Me: You sent a link that expires in 1 hour at 5:57am? Really?

Christie's (at 5:27am this morning - after the auction is over): Dear Mr. Wong, I have just sent along a new link. Please let me know if you should need any further assistance.

Me: Maybe my last email was not clear enough. Sending me a link to reset my password at 5:30am that expires in 1 hour does not help me. I am in California and am asleep during that time. If you want me to bid in your auctions, send me a link that either does not expire, or send it to me during the day when I am awake. Otherwise forget it. It shouldn't be this hard.

Richard, sorry that happened to you (too). I failed to mention, the same thing happened to me, with the password reset link. Ridiculous.

[Rhotchkiss]

Christie’s screwed me bad! I signed up for the sole reason of bidding on, and winning, the W600 Plank. When I signed up a week before the auction, I was told I have a $X credit limit. I really wanted the Plank, but I also liked the W600 Young and W600 Bender, and the three would go for more than $X. So I reached out to Christie’s and asked to get my credit limit raised and I provided bank statements and proof of net worth. The day before the auction I circled back and expressly and specifically asked them to confirm that my limit had been raised, bc if it had not, I would pass on the Young and Bender, which came before Plank. I was expressly told, in an email, that I was good to go.

The auction starts and I win the Young. Then I win the Bender. Then Plank starts, and the bids go up and I am bidding and I go to place another bid and it says I can’t bid bc I hit my credit limit! So I had to sit there and watch two other people duke it out as the plank gets away. Only 2 graded!! And I got screwed bc I was told, after proof of net worth, that my credit limit had been raised l, which clearly it was not, and so I bid on prior lots.

The Consolation is I stole the Young and Bender- I don’t think prices were particularly strong in general- but I did not get a white whale and they cost their consignor at least another 5-6 bids.

You suck Christies.

Ryan Hotchkiss

[sando69]

gentlemen, at least it's comforting to learn that christie's, reputed to be blatant shillers and shysters amongst the fine art elite, is also adept at winning friends & influencing potential bidders!
has there ever been on net54, a more scathing thread about a "real" auction house?
your collective reviews are stunningly dismal.

[Yoda]

Yes, it is a great card of arguably the greatest to play the game, and, yes, the card has been red hot for years now. But $435,000 for a T206 green Cobb PSA8 seems a trifle high, IMO of course. I guess the 'new card market' has mutated into the 'New Card Market'.

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

Christie’s screwed me bad! I signed up for the sole reason of bidding on, and winning, the W600 Plank. When I signed up a week before the auction, I was told I have a $X credit limit. I really wanted the Plank, but I also liked the W600 Young and W600 Bender, and the three would go for more than $X. So I reached out to Christie’s and asked to get my credit limit raised and I provided bank statements and proof of net worth. The day before the auction I circled back and expressly and specifically asked them to confirm that my limit had been raised, bc if it had not, I would pass on the Young and Bender, which came before Plank. I was expressly told, in an email, that I was good to go.

The auction starts and I win the Young. Then I win the Bender. Then Plank starts, and the bids go up and I am bidding and I go to place another bid and it says I can’t bid bc I hit my credit limit! So I had to sit there and watch two other people duke it out as the plank gets away. Only 2 graded!! And I got screwed bc I was told, after proof of net worth, that my credit limit had been raised l, which clearly it was not, and so I bid on prior lots.

The Consolation is I stole the Young and Bender- I don’t think prices were particularly strong in general- but I did not get a white whale and they cost their consignor at least another 5-6 bids.

You suck Christies.

Ryan Hotchkiss

Unbelievable that a business designed to separate people from their money in exchange for items of emotional value can't even get that part right.

As a business owner, if I was made aware of any of these experiences I would march my entire staff into a room and remind them of who pays their salary, and it's not me, it's the customers like the bidders here. I can't stress enough how hard it is to get a person with disposable income to spend it with your enterprise. One thing I used to tell my employees when I was in the nightclub business, the only thing that we can give for free is good service, everything else costs money. FFS, let's get the good service part sorted out.

I'll not be participating in Crazy Uncle Christies poor customer service experiment, I'd rather give my money to Scott, Al, REA, or Heritage.

Phil Lewis

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

The Consolation is I stole the Young and Bender- I don’t think prices were particularly strong in general-

How could they be when nobody on Net54 was approved to bid???!!!

[sb1]

Not sure why the difficulty with others, I was a previously registered bidder/winner and just put in an estimate of what I was going to spend and was good from the start.

Unfortunately due to the lot sequence I got shut out. I was the underbidder on the Wagner, as I too was waiting for the Plank, and did not want to spend money I might need going after the Plank. The Wagner ended up bringing about 10% over it's previous sale price and in hindsight wished I had pushed it a bit further. The Young brought quite a bit less from what it previously sold for and was a good buy. The Bender did not bring much due to condition. I was the underbidder on the Plank as well, at 50k, got outbid to 55k, at which the 5k jumps combined with the 25% bp and other associated costs would have been over $80k with the next bid of $60k so I bowed out. I already had a Plank, so I was seeking an upgrade and didn't "have to have it".

[MVSNYC]

Scott (Hi Scott), great question. Not sure why there was such difficulties with Christie's, but unfortunately there was. I hadn't bid with them in years, and after several calls and emails with them, it wasn't until the auction had started already, that they contacted me (via email) saying they needed to see updated financial info in order to be approved for bidding. The issue/problem wasn't on my end, nor does it sound like it was on Ryan's end...nor Richard...nor Steve.

[Vintage Yankee]

I didn't have the approval issues that others did. I did come away with two small items - one ball and one postcard.

I have decided to venture into the city for the first time in months to pick these up as, based on past experience, $250 shipping seems a tad much for said items.

[sb1]

I had not won anything from them in years, I just hit the "Register" button on the auction and confirmed my data was still the same. They never questioned my $$ amount estimate or anything. Hard to say why others were made to jump thru hoops.

Reminds me of an old story where a new bidder to the hobby won several hundred thousands of dollars from a well known AH and the owner was freaking out, wondering what to do. The VP of the company who was a friend of the new bidder, said "send him an invoice" and the buyer paid promptly. He later bought the company... Most people bidding in these more exclusive auctions are more than prepared to pay for what they might win, why make it so difficult?

[hcv123]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

Christie’s screwed me bad! I signed up for the sole reason of bidding on, and winning, the W600 Plank. When I signed up a week before the auction, I was told I have a $X credit limit. I really wanted the Plank, but I also liked the W600 Young and W600 Bender, and the three would go for more than $X. So I reached out to Christie’s and asked to get my credit limit raised and I provided bank statements and proof of net worth. The day before the auction I circled back and expressly and specifically asked them to confirm that my limit had been raised, bc if it had not, I would pass on the Young and Bender, which came before Plank. I was expressly told, in an email, that I was good to go.

The auction starts and I win the Young. Then I win the Bender. Then Plank starts, and the bids go up and I am bidding and I go to place another bid and it says I can’t bid bc I hit my credit limit! So I had to sit there and watch two other people duke it out as the plank gets away. Only 2 graded!! And I got screwed bc I was told, after proof of net worth, that my credit limit had been raised l, which clearly it was not, and so I bid on prior lots.

The Consolation is I stole the Young and Bender- I don’t think prices were particularly strong in general- but I did not get a white whale and they cost their consignor at least another 5-6 bids.

You suck Christies.

Ryan Hotchkiss

Of all the frustrations shared here - yours sounds like the worst. I can't even imagine the level of frustration that must have sparked! So sorry that happened to you.

[Rhotchkiss]

Originally Posted by sb1

I already had a Plank, so I was seeking an upgrade and didn't "have to have it".

'

Scott, if you ever get that upgrade, I am very motivated to own a W600 Plank....

[prestigecollectibles]

I logged into to the Christie's site about a week before the auction and saw that they had my info from a previous auction. It asked what my estimated spending would be and I put 5K. When the auction started I saw I had a spending limit of $75K.

I contacted them about a few errors they had on their Japanese listings which they did amend. I also asked what the deal with shipping would be, but I never heard back from them.

I don't know how much Hunt was involved other than supplying the lots.