Experience With Spink Auctions

I am writing to ask about people's experience with Spink auctions. I recently bid on some lots and 2 of my bids won. I paid them quickly, and since then there has been silence. I wrote their support email address asking them if they had mailed out the lots and were going to send a tracking number. I also wrote to the person who sent me the invoice asking me to pay.

Is this typical behavior for this auction house? I paid about 2 weeks ago (overpaid actually they had an error and double charged me for postage). They have not refunded me the extra money I paid, nor said anything about sending out the lots I have won. I would be fine if they just said, we are working on it we will send things out soon, but not hearing anything at all is concerning, and I'm starting to wonder if I should open up a dispute with my bank.

I stopped dealing with Spink for exactly the reasons you outline. They are known for horrible customer service and shipping. Besides which I won a lot that was not even the correct stamp. I guess Spink has never heard of watermarks. They suck. It took me a month to get them to ship my lots and that after I contacted the CEO of Spink three times. Did I mention how badly they suck. Especially the NY office which is horrible.

Thanks Rogdcam I will consider this a lesson learned, and probably follow in your footsteps. I am dealing with the NY office.

Best of luck JD. If it is any consolation they treat all of their customers this way so you are not alone. You will eventually receive your lots.

I had to go back to look and found that Spink sold me a Scott US 460 for $1000 plus that was actually a 478. It took six weeks to arrive after I paid the invoice. That was in 2019.

If you are a first time buyer and you paid by check, they are probably clearing the check. Two weeks is not a very long time (though I agree most stamp auction houses move faster).

If you want perspective on auction houses, trying dealing with an art auction house. 4-6 weeks is not uncommon if the house offers in house shipping. Most of them don't, which means you actually have to make your own arrangements to have lots picked up and shipped to you.

I won a couple of framed Victorian prints from an auction in Stamford in Lincolnshire. When they invoiced me, I asked them to add the postage. No postage. Rather than pay a packing company, I thought I'd take the train up to Stamford, which is an attractive, Georgian town.

After lunch and a stroll around and lunch, I set off for the auctioneer, sited on an industrial estate on the edge of the town. Got there, by now in driving rain. The prints were produced. Oops, I hadn't looked closely at the size, which was extra large. The auctioneer tried all the local taxi companies to find me a ride back to the station. None available, so I decided to walk, my prints in a giant laundry bag. Probably the longest half-hour of my life. Reached the station with every muscle aching, drenched in sweat.

Made it back to King's Cross, having negotiated the change at Peterborough. Staggered into a black cab, and paid the best part of £50 to get home to Wandsworth.

There are various morals here.

The problem is they have part-time staff in NY and did before the pandemic and they do not answer the mail. There is no communication. Instead of one of the oldest and largest auction houses in the World they act like they are Joe from Butte selling stuff on the side on Craig's List. I paid within an hour of receiving my invoice with a CC and it made not an iota of difference.

oh, I agree that communication is of the utmost importance.

To provide counterpoint, Siegel just concluded several days of auctions about an hour ago. My invoice is already waiting for me, and if past is prologue, the material will be on my desk by the middle of next week. Siegel is definitely at the top of the service list, though Rumsey is good too and Harmer is getting there.

A 2020 thread from this forum on the same topic:

https://goscf.com/t/74413