Although I have used Allards Auction online before and should be considered a good customer, apparently if you call them to complain or ask a question about a completed auction item, they refuse to let you bid ever again in one of their auctions.
I bought a huge Kachina (approx. 4' tall) from them and paid enormous shipping fees only to discover several very very long and deep cracks in the piece when I received it. I went back to the photos from the online catalog and found that they had taken very careful photos which kept the cracks hidden. I did see a small crack, the beginning of a huge crack cut off in the photo, in one photo.
I called the shipper first who asked me to closely examine the online photos which was how I realized it wasn't their fault and how I saw the very careful photography which kept the cracks hidden. The shipper said I should call Allards and discuss it with them. She felt sure they would work with me on a solution to the issue (hah!)
I called and the first time spoke to an assistant who said I had to speak to a director or manager. She said she would heve the person call me. Well, that gave them my name so from then on I could not get past the operator or receive answers to my emails. Needless to say, I never received a call back from them.
What made me more angry was when I saw something I really wanted (although I was nervous about ever using them again given my experience) in their online catalog which they still send me monthly, and when I tried to register, was told I wasn't approved - no reason. Now I try to register for every auction just to see if it will happen again. And it does, every time I am rejected. I guess I've been branded a troublemaker because I called to discuss a problem with them.
Allards is the kind of dishonest place where they do something wrong,and you get punished. They do take very misleading photos, do not describe the items honestly but they do not stand behind their products, do not respond to you, and then without talking to you, decide to take you off their approval list for any further auctions but still send you auction reminders.
You might have no problem with your auction piece if you're lucky but keep in mind that if there's a problem, YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN.
Allard Auctions Inc Reviews
Although I have used Allards Auction online before and should be considered a good customer, apparently if you call them to complain or ask a question about a completed auction item, they refuse to let you bid ever again in one of their auctions.
I bought a huge Kachina (approx. 4' tall) from them and paid enormous shipping fees only to discover several very very long and deep cracks in the piece when I received it. I went back to the photos from the online catalog and found that they had taken very careful photos which kept the cracks hidden. I did see a small crack, the beginning of a huge crack cut off in the photo, in one photo.
I called the shipper first who asked me to closely examine the online photos which was how I realized it wasn't their fault and how I saw the very careful photography which kept the cracks hidden. The shipper said I should call Allards and discuss it with them. She felt sure they would work with me on a solution to the issue (hah!)
I called and the first time spoke to an assistant who said I had to speak to a director or manager. She said she would heve the person call me. Well, that gave them my name so from then on I could not get past the operator or receive answers to my emails. Needless to say, I never received a call back from them.
What made me more angry was when I saw something I really wanted (although I was nervous about ever using them again given my experience) in their online catalog which they still send me monthly, and when I tried to register, was told I wasn't approved - no reason. Now I try to register for every auction just to see if it will happen again. And it does, every time I am rejected. I guess I've been branded a troublemaker because I called to discuss a problem with them.
Allards is the kind of dishonest place where they do something wrong,and you get punished. They do take very misleading photos, do not describe the items honestly but they do not stand behind their products, do not respond to you, and then without talking to you, decide to take you off their approval list for any further auctions but still send you auction reminders.
You might have no problem with your auction piece if you're lucky but keep in mind that if there's a problem, YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN.