Sign of the Times London — Local services in London

Embarrassing and appalling - those are the very words used by the owner of Sign of the Times when she finally deigned to acknowledge my 3rd formal complaint which was in fact a letter before court action. I initially contacted Sign of the Times back in January 2023 to obtain some prices for items which, when these were emailed over to me, I found very disappointing and expressed this in an email. Fast forward to this year, I decided to contact them again. I forwarded the email with those prices, and was informed I could get more. I went into the shop on 17th April 2024 to leave my items for appraisal. The shop was cluttered not with stock but by the abundance of people milling around doing absolutely nothing apart from looking in the mirrors. I had to chase up the appraisal which arrived a week later and I was neither happy with the prices nor the commission. I did not get any revised prices so decided that the communication was so slow, the prices seemed to be taken from thin air and I seemed to be dealing with so many different people who kept offering their 'private' email and mobile numbers for me to communicate with them which I found very unprofessional, that I would collect my items as I had no faith in this Company to provide any sort of service outlined on their website which none of them seemed to be familiar with. When I finally got the revised commission I advised I would be arranging to collect my items only to be told that they had already sold my Louis Vuitton wallet at a ridiculous price, no wonder it sold so quickly. I had not given them permission to start marketing my items which was made very clear in the numerous emails I had to send so I had everything documented. When the items were finally returned, they had damaged one of my bags. The Manager, Anku, who was dealing with the matter, arranged a paltry amount of compensation for the wallet and said she would look into the issue of the damaged bag but then promptly went on holiday for a month and did not assign the case to another Manager, instead it went back to the very person who took it upon herself to start the marketing of my items without my permission. I made a formal complaint to this person and asked her to pass it to a Manager or the owner. She did not even bother to acknowledge my email and effectively 'ghosted' me. What appalling behaviour and dreadful customer service. I had to send 2 more (registered) letters to the owner of the business before she finally bothered to respond but failed to address the questions I raised and then rescinded on compensation she referred to in her initial response, as her useless team provided her with yet more untruths or she just could not be bothered to read my correspondence in full. Either way, as a business owner, her responses were delayed and her attitude left a lot to be desired. Whilst I would have pursued this as a matter of principle, I had wasted enough time dealing with issues which should never have occurred and reluctantly agreed to accept compensation at a lower level than I had requested which the owner indicated in her first response she had accepted then, abruptly changed her mind. That just serves to underline how poor the service is from the bottom to the top of this organisation, which is appalling in the extreme. They do not provide any information on their terms and conditions at the first point of contact, their pricing team are completely inept as their prices are way off reality, and overall its a business which needs significant improvement...

Recently, this company hosted a luxury clearance sale that was poorly organised and had bad quality items. I would not be surprised if this lack of care is reflected in their daily operations.

They asked for guests to book their time slots ahead of arrival (10am, 12am, 2pm, 4pm), but on the day these times were obsolete and everyone was forced to wait in the same queue with no communication.

On entering the sales room, we were ushered into a cloak room area by security, and then the staff demanded that coats and bags be relinquished. There was no warning on the event page, email ticket description, or even signage on the day that this was mandatory. Despite this, the cloakroom staff were not helpful, just demanding the items without explanation. I only realised it was their policy when another staff member spoke to her colleague within my earshot - in no instance was this ever communicated directly. Whilst this was happening, the attitude of the staff member talking to me was very condescending; she made no effort to explain the situation, and when I asked for my coat to by hung up she confirmed in a patronising tone, and then proceeded to ignore my request and shoved it alongside my bag. There were plenty of empty hangers visible to me. The lack of care for my personal items as well as poor communication was frustrating and spoke to bad management of the event.

The items for sale were poorly maintained - the clothes were wrinkled, and the bags were bent and worn. The price reduction was not worth the drop of quality. It would have been more worthwhile to visit the sales sections at Selfridges than to attend this event; the prices would have been similar for better quality designer items. You probably would have had even better luck searching in a random TkMaxx than finding good quality items at this event.

The lack of organisation, communication, and dismissive attitude from all of the members, for the sake of a handful of wrinkled and balled up clearance items, felt demeaning and pointless. I am not impressed with this companies business model and have no desire to interact with them...

John Lewis Concession I had the most incredible experience at the John Lewis concession, and I can’t wait to share it! This gem offers an exceptional selection of vintage preloved bags that are both timeless and unique. Each piece feels carefully curated, with a perfect blend of quality, style, and history. I found myself lost in the collection, from classic leather to one-of-a-kind designer pieces—there’s truly something for everyone.

But what made my visit unforgettable was the customer service. The staff was not only knowledgeable but also genuinely passionate about the bags they sell. This particular salesperson, I believe named Norah took the time to help me find the perfect piece, offering thoughtful suggestions based on my preferences. It wasn’t just about making a sale—it was about creating a connection and ensuring I left with something I truly loved but also having the patience to handle my indecisiveness ❤️

I felt like I was in the hands of an expert who understood both the craftsmanship of vintage fashion and the importance of great service. Her honesty and kindness and passion was absolutely incredible and contagious. If you're a lover of bags or just appreciate outstanding customer care, this is the place to visit....