Black Rock Galleries — Local services in Greenwich

There’s a reason why this “establishment” has 2.3 stars. Really hope the owners clear house and get a staff who doesn’t drag their business through the mud. Between the LACK of communication over months of trying to get in touch with literally anyone, then have to dispute the charge to then get a call the next day was comical. The table I bid on cannot be confirmed by Timothy Oulton, that this table was made by them, AND the glass that is supposed to sit steady on the wood, rocks back and forth and is basically unusable. After purchasing back in December and not herring back from anyone I put a dispute out on the purchase as the table was not what I believe to have been purchasing and no mention of this unstable condition was mentioned in the original listing. Not even 24 hours later I got a call about it. Not once was my many messages returned or my emails. Since then that they would “look into it” to offer me some of my money back. And you guessed it! I never heard back. So I called. And I called. Got through to some overly anxious receptionist who wouldn’t let me get a single word in, and just put me on hold..weird but not unexpected from this place. Finally after 20mins of holding- yes… 20 minutes lol Lisa got on 10 mins into me holding to say they were “just so busy” don’t care not my problem figure it out, also seriously how busy can it get, let’s be real, you wanted me to hang up the phone. Anyways, after 20 minutes some sad and pathetic excuse for a manger got on the phone trying almost to make me feel bad that I put in the dis out and that they weren’t going to give me any of my money back because I put in the dispute which cost them so much money?? I’m sorry, how about the months I waited to hear back from anyone? And then to blame me for the table, and that I should’ve know from the pictures that it would not be stable?? Is that a joke?? Anyone with eyes would see there’s a clear separation between the two but to say I should’ve assumed it would rock back and forth? So I should assume you’re place sells expensive unusable furniture? If I could add the call to this review I would, I mean it was the most horrifying and disgusting trash I heard spew out of anyone’s mouth. Long story short I hope everyone saves their money and spends it on things that actually work and are what they say they are, or owners...

I contacted this gallery many times over the course of several weeks with general questions about a lot they had at listed auction. I even used multiple different ways to contact them in case for some reason my messages were not delivered. Despite this, I never received a response.

In my many years of collecting and dealing with auction houses big and small both domestically and internationally, this is very uncommon behavior and makes me wonder about the authenticity/legality of the items in question as well as the level of professionalism of the auction house.

To the auction house, in the future please take a moment to send a response to interested bidders as you can soil relations with a solid and reputable client. For those curious, I had asked if they had any additional documentation or provenance information on one of their lots. A very standard question that deserves a response even if the answer is “no.”

This is not an auction house selling bric-a-brac and vintage kitsch. They are selling attributed paintings, ancient artifacts, etc. for thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars; the exact sorts of items which will often garner questions from interested buyers.

As an experienced buyer, I’d say “buyer beware”. There is a reason this auction house chose Auction Ninja as their platform. They charge your card automatically upon winning and if you have any issue whatsoever they certainly won’t respond. Even though they sell items as authentic, they’ll point to the “as-is” clause from the auction.

If you ever find yourself with an issue like this, please know that it is not legal to sell something with an incorrect description or attribution even if it is sold “as-is”. This is why reputable auction houses will say “possibly ancient” or “in the style of…”. If you ever buy an item from this auction house, be sure to do your due diligence prior to purchase but know that if you get bad news after purchase you can file a dispute through your credit card company and at least have somebody on your side with whom the auction house will have no choice but to respond to.

Good luck and...

I had an incredibly disappointing experience with Black Rock Estate Sales. Christy, in particular, was extremely unprofessional and rude throughout the entire process. The company lost several of my valuable items, including a FENDI brooche, a Tiffany bracelet, and a gold pin with diamonds. These items were not even listed properly, and they were held at the property for over six months.

After repeatedly requesting their return, I was told that the items had been given back to me, which is absolutely false. I know for a fact they never were. This kind of dishonesty and negligence is completely unacceptable, and I feel completely taken advantage of.

I would strongly advise avoiding this company at all costs. They are untrustworthy, unprofessional, and irresponsible. Please be careful when dealing with them — I certainly won’t be using their...