Tennants Reviews 18

I have been selling furniture and other items through this auction house for years but through those years they have damaged my items blaming couriers, lost an item but eventually found it... i bought Georgian Knife Boxes which were delivered to me in the post damaged!! and the cardboard box had no dents on its surfaces! so clearly caused by themselves. Since then they have been very rude to me so i will no longer be selling or buying from this unprofessional auction house..

Date of experience: March 31, 2025

Spoke over the phone to a lovely lady. I've read all the reviews which frankly seem honest but are dreadful. On the basis of the way the public feels about this business I won't be using this auction house. How can you and feel comfortable?

Date of experience: December 13, 2024

Over the years I've purchased multiple items from various auctions. The majority operate in a professional manner. Others do not.
Below are the recent communications of a company that for reasons best known to themselves prefer the latter, which is why I '''ALWAYS''' check out any company I intend to do business with on TRUSTPILOT. You should too!

Dear Tennants.

I am extremely confused regarding a condition statement described by yourselves regarding the following lot:
AUCTION DATE: 11TH JANUARY 2025
LOT 2207 AN 18CT GOLD EMERALD AND DIAMOND NOVELTY BROOCH, BY GARRAD & CO

DESCRIPTION: 'The brooch is in good condition, however one whisker is bent'.

The photograph attached to this lot clearly shows major damage to the whiskers. The spherical nose is absent and a deep gouge is visible.
Is this the correct photograph and if so, do you stand by your 'in good condition' appraisal?
Regards,
James

Good afternoon
Thank you for your email.
Yes, I do stand by the initial condition report of being in good condition, with one whisker is bent, I have also added that there are slight blemishes commensurate with age and use. This example has a diamond for the nose which is mentioned in the description, I do not think the spherical nose would be on top of this.
Kind regards
Jessica Fall

Hello Jessica Fall.
The messy 'gouge' totally consuming the area surrounding the after market diamond addition is anything but a 'slight blemish commensurate with age & use'. In light of your response it is my opinion that your description is deliberately misleading and your sarcastic mockery stating the obvious regarding the gold spherical nose not being placed atop the diamond was not lost.
Tennants claims in its own testimonial that, 'Tennants has the knowledge and experience clients can trust' & 'Tennants is one of the UK's most respected auctioneers'. Yet you are willing to proceed with the sale of this lot knowing its description has been deceptively crafted to yield maximum profit.
Tennants degree of truthfulness more resembles that of a dodgy secondhand car dealer than of a 'prestigious & well respected auction house'.
That will be an expensive repair for some poor inexperienced retail bidder.
Utterly shameful.

Response not anticipated.

Regards,
James.

Date of experience: January 06, 2025

Very disappointed as a vendor ,similiar experience outline awaiting a full response and believe it is important that there is transparency So will happy post my review after 30.01.2025

Date of experience: December 24, 2024

Left a bid ....pending ...called on the day....pending ....could not bid ......so negative for this auction house .
I want to edit my above comment .
I actually left my bid two days before the sale .

Date of experience: November 22, 2024

Appalling service -would not trust or use. Left item in February for a June sale. I called 2 weeks after the sale as I had not heard anything.
I was asked what I had left for sale , only to be told, oh that sounds like the stuff in boxes on my office floor!
In my opinion they are only interested in selling items and dealing with people who have pots of money.

Date of experience: June 04, 2024

Very expensive postage that was significantly more than what they actually paid to post item to me.
I've used numerous auction houses and never been charged so much and have had significantly more valuable items posted to me.
I won't use Tennants again.

Date of experience: February 20, 2024

RIDICULOUS FEES ON THE TOP OF HAMMER PRICE! THEY CHARGE YOU 20£ FOR DELIVERY EVEN IF YOU BUY ONE COIN, AND ITS SAYING ON THE BOX THEY PAID 7£ FOR POSTAGE!!!! OVERALL AVOID, CHEAPER TO BUY ONLINE OR PRIVATE

Date of experience: February 22, 2024

Estimates for three items after photos/ descriptions sent by e mail - all estimated over 100 each in reply.
Subsequently delivered and advised 2 of items not worth 50 and rejected for sale.
Never warned of this reappraisal rejection possibility at any point and could have saved my self a long wasted drive. Please warn prospective customers of this possibly happening and save customers irritation.

Date of experience: January 11, 2024

As someone who has been bidding at auctions for over 30 years, you occasionally have to call out an auction house for their rather underhand behaviour and particularly their excessive fees.

Firstly, the staff at Tennants are very polite and helpful, it's only later when you get your invoice and all the ‘extras’ are added, do you feel like they had their hand in your pocket while they were talking to you.

Tennants run on-line auctions, however, just for the pleasure of bidding on their auction, on their own web site, they charge you an additional £7.54 fee.

Again, this is a charge for bidding on their own web site and auction, even the top London Auction Houses don't have the front to do this.

Then, after adding their rather excessive premium to your bid, again higher than the London Auction Houses, they sting you £20 for postage for a small item, and when it arrives it has a £6.35 cost label on it !

Not a good experience and I certainly won't ever be returning to Tennants again after this.

Date of experience: December 01, 2023

I have no complaints about tenants as an auctioneer, but I do rather feel the premium plus VAT now makes an extra 30% on top of a hammer price. It's now becoming cheaper to buy things off of Ebay or brand new than it is to go to an auction house The hammer fees are just ridiculous. In the end, they're working for the seller, not the buyer.

Date of experience: November 29, 2023

Auction was marked as 9:30 AM GMT - however they started at their local time at 9:30 - which corresponds to 8:30 AM GMT - and by the time I viewed the auction, 200 items were already gone, a record speed as auctions are usually leisurely

Seems sketchy

Date of experience: September 16, 2023

EXCELLENT SERVICE FROM START TO FINISH, FREINDLY AND KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF A CREDIT TO TENNANTS. BID WITH CONFIDENCE! AS I WILL BE BIDDING HERE AGAIN. THANK YOU TO ALL.

Date of experience: August 18, 2023

They hang on to your payment from a sale for as long as possible meaning you wait for six weeks.

Date of experience: March 18, 2023

I had an unfortunate experienc bidding at Tennants. I put in a bid of £150 and I was immediately taken to the reserve of £500 which I paid under duress. Two people witnessed this event. The bidding platform used was Bidpath, who I wrote to and from whom I failed to receive a reply

Date of experience: August 16, 2022

I am an antique collector/dealer of over 2 decades standing and think it is important to provide an accurate account of my first experience in dealing with Tennant's Auction House.

I first approached Tennants on the 3rd September 2021 with the intention of consigning some pictures for their up coming sale, agreeing over the phone with the picture specialist to send images of some of the paintings & prints.
In particular images of a pair of late 19th-early 20th century oil paintings (a pair) by Jamieson were sent by email, after about a week we spoke over the phone in which the specialist said 'yes....you should do quite well with these....' he went onto state '...with an estimate somewhere in the range of £400-£600 or £300-£500...'.

I explained I was based in the Midlands was looking to establish a relationship with Tennant's, had a large collection of items to offer, but needed to see how these items fared first, and travelling to Leyburn would be a long journey (~175 miles each way),
We booked a meeting and I met the specialist at Tennants Leyburn on the 29th Sept 2021.
A total of 7 picture lots were listed and the Jamieson Oils were allocated for the Country House (Quality sale). The other pictures were to be researched for which the picture specialist had started to complete updating via an email exchange with myself.
We also agreed a 12% sale commission fee (clearly written on the Receipt also outlining the CH (country house sale for the Janieson Pair).

On the 15th october 2021,found out when attempting to speak with the specialist that he had left within 2 weeks of our meeting, and the head of pictures had decided not to enter the Jamieson Pair in the Country House Sale but only in a lower/general sale....

During my conversation over the phone with the head of pictures, she had decided to group together pictures that had been listed separately -this may have benefited Tennants but certainly not myself.

The sale came and afterwards I found that (unsurprisingly) the Jamieson Oils had been listed for £300-500 but had not sold -I personally think (so did the picture specialist) they would have had a much greater chance of success and warranted entry in the CH sale as I and the specialist had originally agreed.
A pair of fine early 19th century watercolour battle Seacape's I also offered sold for the bottom end estimate -I made a big loss on these, and virtually everything elese offered made a loss.

I requested that the £15 lotting fee be waved on the unsold lots which Tennants kindly agreed to, but then found out when I collected the unsold pictures and asked to see the detailed financial statement for my a/c that they had actually charged me with the £15 lotting fee for each unsold lot and had not applied the correct 12% rate we agreed This was CLEARLY written on my copy Receipt Chit sheet and carried on ALL Receipt copies including that for accounts.

Whilst I was collecting my items, the young chap who handed me my unsold items and whom I identified the accounting errors on my statement made some lame excuse as to their being a muddle up with this due to the previous specialist leaving -this was never the case as it was Clearly stated in LARGE '12% all in' on All the Receipt Chits, and the refund to the lotting fees for unsold items (after the sale) was never made because the pictures dept never communicated this to accounts.
(I had in the end approx £70 refunded to my a/c, but was made to feel it was an intrusion for asking to see my Financial statement)

I also handed over 2 vases...
The young lady I also met with on my first visit in 'Interiors' and who accepted 2 vases was fond of mentioning during our meeting '....we're (Tennants) doing very well, we made a profit of about £23 million last year and have about 2 sales a week...' -This is great for tennants, it seems all about 'Churn' but if it is at the expense of clients and only benefits Tennants then their is no point in dealing with them. By conveniently not applying the correct rates and charges this leaves clients with a 'bad feeling' that remains.

She also didn't seem to have time to stop and speak, with me.....half speaking to me & walking away to meet with the next client waiting..,

I would advise Everyone (esp sellers) To ASK for Their Statements That Show ALL Charges & CHECK THEIR FINANCIAL STATEMENT (not the standard sales invoice they give you).

Date of experience: January 06, 2022

Set in an idyllic yorkshire setting -- lovely venue -- always been pleased with the purchases and on the few visits they have been very friendly and helpful --

Date of experience: October 09, 2020

Do not trust this company, they have sold me fake paintings on two occasions. Buyer beware!

Date of experience: July 15, 2020