Bidder Reviews for Clarke Auction Gallery (617)

Very accurate description

I would purchase again from this auction. Items were as described and the customer service was very helpful!

Some detail of condition would be appreciated.

They provided a very good and prompt condition report

If you are interested in auctions You should be using Clarke Auctions

Very Impressive Auction House and Staff

I purchased two chairs from this auction house. One of the chairs had some damage on it that was disclosed in pictures from the auction house. When the chairs arrived, however, I was very surprised to find significant damage that had not been disclosed in pictures or writing by the auction house, and the chairs were completely dismantled-all of the custom/unique legs had been removed in a manner that cannot easily be re-placed. I tried repeatedly to contact the auction house by email and by phone and received no response.

The large painting I won in auction was just a little too big to fit in my Rogue. The staff helped me attached it to the roof of the car and I got it home successfully! (Glad it was a clear day.) Everyone was very friendly & helpful and seemed to enjoy their work.

Clarke has wonderful stuff for every taste.

Great Auction House.,.

On my way to pick up the art I purchased from Clarke, I gave them a call to let them prepare the pieces. I was met with immediate disdain as I followed up asking them if they had anything we could use to protect the $900 art. I have purchased art from 4 other auction houses in the area and all of them were very easily accommodating in wrapping and protecting art. They should be, seeing as they take a huge premium on the sale for doing very little. Not Clarke. They acted as if I asked for their first born son. And to top if off, they told me I should go to their website to read their conditions of sale... after I had already purchased the art and was on my way to pick it up. Makes sense. When I arrived, they were very brusque, exchanged as few words as possible in order to take my credit card, and hadn't even located the art that I called in advance about. As I waited for them to find it, I asked others for any way to protect the art, and they said all I could have was some old used bubble wrap, which wouldn't even cover the art, and was covered in grime that would get on the canvas, and to top it off, they couldn't help me wrap it. I left knowing that I would never buy from them again. I don't know why all these auction houses take such huge fees and premiums but can't be bothered to lift a finger to help as soon as the hammer goes down.

I would definitely recommend. My only complaint is that they did not offer online payment.

I spent a large sum of money on my first auction with them, including $1, 000 on a lamp. The lamp's description read: "Good condition; minor denting on base". I later learned that a) denting is not minor, it's major-b) major scuffing throughout lamp-c) dimmer cap missing, a piece which would need to be special-ordered. The worst news was when I learned that the lamp doesn't turn on. I took it to a specialist, who informed me that a repair would cost $500. So the lamp described by Clarke as "in good condition" except for "minor denting" is actually in poor condition, AND useless for its intended function. I read over the terms and conditions as soon as I realized this; no mention of electronics and testing. My real issue with Clarke is their handling of the issue. I spoke with a nice rep at the gallery, forced to act as a sort of messenger to and from the owner. She unfortunately wasn't given the authority to make decisions, but the owner wouldn't speak to me himself. I was told that * going forward, they will add a disclaimer to electronic lots * (a clear admission that they did not sufficiently protect themselves from liability here, therefore the policy would need an update). However, she said that the owner would not take the item back or refund me. Instead, he graciously offered to auction the item again FOR ME, with "untested" in the description. 2 issues with this: first, it's dishonest, and second, it wouldn't get me the return that I paid. Had I seen "untested" in the description, I would've never paid the amount that I did (and neither would anyone else). I explained these objections, and asked that the owner himself contact me. After refusing their offer to auction the broken lamp and requesting that the owner call me, it's been radio silence. I don't plan to hear from them again. The whole situation has been filled with sketchiness, and I find it distasteful that a business would refuse to rectify a situation fairly just to keep a client's money.

My experience with Clarks was tha they didnt put any effort on getting me any kind of info about an expensive painting I bought. Nothing at all, kept calling them several times-always saying we dont know nothing about the painting. Clarks Auc house is an example how an auction house shouldnt work like.

This was my first auction and they were awesome. Really helped me with getting shipping handled. They actually made sure the shipper packed it correctly. Great communication the entire process. Highly recommend!!

This was my first time to use the auction gallery. There are many rare items. The gallery staff is polite in responding to inquiries. I had a hard time contacting the staff of the courier because of the fact that it was shipped from overseas and there was a language barrier.

Professional, accurate descriptions, easy to pay and arrange shipping with. Would recommend, will bid again!!

The item is very nice. The description accurate and the auction house a pleasure to deal with.

This was my first experience with an auction. Jeannine was the kindest and most informative person! From answering my payment questions to helping me select the best shipper! Just the best experience and now I am HOOKED! My painting is gorgeous on our dining room wall! Thank you Clarke Auction Gallery! You ROCKED it!

The painting I purchased was exactly as advertised, including colors. The items listed in the auctions are of excellent quality and any flaws brought to the attention of the potential buyer accurately in the description. The recommended third party carrier service was easy to work with and the painting was carefully packaged.

Well organized; pleasant, long term staff, always nice stuff