Tennants Anmeldelser 

After a visit valuation kept waiting. looked at by 2 people that didn't really know what they were looking at. We are experienced dealers and worked as porter in the past in auction rooms. I my knowledge is good. Golden seller on eBay in the past. I know my markings and if I don't I have the books and research heavily. When I mentioned the goddens book the young valuer cringed and and answered as a generic response. Not even looked at the items with a lute eye glass. I think this auction house selects who it wishes to deal with. Will not be coming back.

The cod and chips should be listed as batter and chips. 90 % batter 10% fish. Very poor value.

Me and my husband paid £20 taxi to a Tennants valuation day at Leighton Hall Carnforth... they couldn't value or give us any information on our violin.. the gentleman took pictures and said he'd be in touch ... a week later no response so we phoned them .. the lady said she'd phone us back waited another week and nothing... phoned again put through to the violin specialist who couldn't help from the pictures he'd been given ... waste of £20 in hard times very disappointing 😞

As a regular auction buyer I would recommend that you avoid Tennants, apart from their top end buying fees, and a fee of £11.70 just to be able to bid on line, they are also very keen on making additional profits out of postage, they charged me £50 !!! inc vat. to post a quantity of fountain pens weighing under 2 kilos without all of their unnecessary packaging, and larger than necessary box!!

These guys do not care. Utter garbage customer service . Set up 3 times a house visit for auction valuation. Sent them a tonne of pictures. 2 nd time we agreed in time and date. The guy phoned me saying they forgot about appointment an hour before he was supposed to come. 3rd time 20 minutes before his arrival called me with a cockerel and bull story he cannot make it. Emailed back to them about a week or two later. No response whatsoever. Avoid! Just wasted my time with these schmucks.

I have both bought and sold at auctions for many years.
Tennants is by far the worst
auction I have ever been involved with.
First of all, I had an appointment to have some lots sssessed and valued, but had to wait over an hour.
Following the assessment which did go well, I was happy with the estimates given to me and to proceed with consigning the goods to auction.
On the auction day itself I watched online.
My lots were over in seconds and realised next to nothing, in fact I am 100% sure tjey would have made more at a Scout Hall jumble sale.

I am so disappointed and will never go again.
If you decide to go, make sure you put a reserve on everything.

sent online pics etc for an online estimate no answers or nothing ,wow how it has gone down , can not recommend at all

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..

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?

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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