South Coast Auction — Local services in Santa Ana

WARNING!!!! STOP AND READ THIS!!!! VERY FOUL AND IMPROPER LANGUAGE USED!!! VERY PROUD UNSCRUPULOUS DEALERS!!!!

" LAST WEEK I HAD DECIDED TO TRY AND SELL MY HISTORICAL. PUBLISHER'S COLLECTION. TO SOUTH COAST AUCTIONS. ON THEIR WEBSITE THEY STATE THAT THEY WILL SEND A BUYER TO MAKE A OFFER. SO I CALL THEIR BUSINESS NUMBER AND I MAKE CONTACT WITH A LADY NAMED JENNIFER. I EXPLAIN TO JENNIFER A LITTLE ABOUT THE COLLECTION AND ABOUT SOME OF THE MORE HISTORICAL ITEMS LIKE JFK'S LAST SPEECH ON 16 MM FILM THAT WAS APPRAISED AT $50,000! JENNIFER RESPONSE WAS "I WILL CALL LARRY THE BUYER IN YOUR AREA AND HE SHOULD CALL YOU BY TOMORROW". I. THANKED HER AND WAITED FOR HIS CALL. AFTER 3 DAYS OF NO RESPONSE I CALL JENNIFER AND ASK ABOUT LARRY THE BUYER. JENNIFER IMMEDIATELY SAYS "SORRY I GUESS HE GOT TOO BUSY AND FORGOT TO CALL YOU.! I WILL HAVE HIM CALL YOU RIGHT NOW. " I THANK JENNIFER AND 3 SECONDS LATER LARRY CALLS ME. "HI THIS IS LARRY. WHAT ARE YOU SELLING?" I RESPOND IT.S...."A PUBLISHER'S LIFETIME COLLECTION ALONG WITH HIS FATHER'S LIFETIME COLLECTION." IT HAS HUNDREDS OF PHOTOS, NEGATIVES, HISTORICAL LETTERS AND SO MUCH MORE! ! " LARRY RUDELY CUTS ME OFF AND SAYS...."WHAT ABOUT THAT JFK $50,000 FILM? .HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT FOR IT?" I SAID. .." YOU CAN MAKE A OFFER ON THE ENTIRE COLLECTION." LARRY ....NOW FRUSTRATED SAYS...."JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT FOR EVERYTHING !!!" I AM NOW THINKING TO MYSELF AT THIS POINT....WHAT KIND OF BUYER IS THIS....ACCORDING TO THEIR WEBSITE, THE BUYER IS SUPPOSE TO COME AND VIEW THE ITEMS AND MAKE A CASH OFFER. I THINK QUICKLY AND SAY $15-20K FOR EVERYTHING ! LARRY FIRES BACK....WHY SO CHEAP? I RESPOND..."WELL I KNOW YOU NEED TO MAKE MONEY". LARRY STRIKES BACK WITH...".I WOULD NOT GIVE YOU ANYWHERE NEAR $15-20K! I WOULD MAKE YOU A "SHITTY-SHITTY OFFER"!!!! I WOULD NOT EVEN OFFER YOU $5-8 K!!!! IT WOULD BE A REALLY. SHITTY-SHITTY OFFER. I DON.T WANT TO WASTE YOUR TIME OR MINE TO SEE WHAT YOU HAVE!!!! IT WOULD BE A SHITTY-SHITTY OFFER!!! " AT THIS POINT I AM STUNNED AT THIS SUPPOSE PROFESSIONAL BUYERS WORDS! HE THEN PROUDLY TELLS ME THAT HE RECENTLY PURCHASED A SET OF FRENCH PROVINCIAL FURNITURE THAT WAS APPRAISED AT $300K FOR ONLY $5K! THEN HE TELLS ME THAT HE HAS BEEN DOING BUSINESS LIKE THIS FOR 50 YEARS!!! HE THEN TELLS ME THAT THE FURNITURE ONLY SOLD FOR $11K AT AUCTION. MY RESPONSE WAS THAT YOU STOLE IT AND DIDN.T BUY IT!!! LARRY RESPONDS BACK PROUDLY....".THAT'S IS WHAT I DO....GIVE....SHITTY-SHITTY OFFERS AND PAY PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR!!!" NEEDLESS TO SAY I WOULDN.T LET LARRY COME ANYWHERE NEAR THE COLLECTION....AFTERALL HE WAS SUPPOSE TO COME AND VIEW IT FIRST, BUT HE DECIDED TO BE LAZY AND NOT EVEN COME AND VIEW IT!

MY PERSONAL COMMENTARY: I HAVE NEVER CONDUCTED BUSINESS WITH SOUTH COAST AUCTION NOR ANYBODY AFFILIATED WITH SOUTH COAST AUCTION. I HAVE NEVER MET LARRY OR JENNIFER. I HAVE REVIEWED MANY OF THEIR FEEDBACK AND MOSTLY NEGATIVE....UNFORTUNATELY!!!!

WHAT GIVES HIM THE RIGHT TO TALK TO ME LIKE THAT? I DON.T KNOW HIM! AWWH....MAYBE IT'S THE OWNERS WHO HAVE ALLOWED HIM TO BERAT FUTURE CUSTOMERS AND GET THEM TO TAKE PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR!!!!

I WONDER HOW MUCH BUSINESS LARRY HAS ACTUALLY LOST BY BEING LAZY AND NOT RESPONDING PROFESSIONALLY WITH REASONABLE OFFERS?!!!!

HOW LONG WILL SOUTH COAST AUCTION LAST ABUSING CUSTOMERS AND PREYING UPON PEOPLE'S MISFORTUNES?!

YOU LIVE BY THE SWORD AND SHALL DIE BY...

Not even worth half a star as review! My experience was horrible!!! I’ve never seen anything like that, never met horrible staff and nasty people as I did. I can’t believe these people and the way they run their business has not been scrutinized by commercial fraud or legal authorities. They collected my stuff - tons of stuff- 3 full apartments with an inventory that is meaningless and so unprofessional and not even closer to precise!!! I was dictating the guy in charge what to include as he was leaving out lots of stuff. They staked a 6 feet trolley full of very expensive and valuable designer furniture accessories, bedding, electrical appliances and crystals, least of all are 2 brand new Shark vacuum cleaners. When I asked why this whole lot is not added to inventory, the employee said bec. We’ll put them as miscellaneous- we can’t go thru each and every single box!!! We will just count the full bedrooms, tables, chairs and and sofas. I went to check with the owner on that and he spoke to me in an extremely ill-mannered, very hostile and had an intimidating approach that he almost hit me and kept staring at me and getting closer as if he’d grope me. He seemed so unstable and I was extremely terrified. No women go there alone this is my advice. The total they gave me in my check wasn’t even one tenth the value. They charged me for every item they didn’t sell for $30 or more. Tgey charged me a 30 bucks.The breakdown of the amount they paid me grouped every 5-6 items as sold together with a bundled price that is hilarious. They never gave me any explanation on the process or any details, only had to reply to my questions before I left the stuff and after I rcvd their check I was shocked and they were surprised that I didn’t know the process and the fees they had to deduct!! They gave me less than one third the amount they claimed they have collected. they charged me a min. Charge for each item they sold for less than $30, then charged me again for items they claimed they didn’t sell. So unprofessional and so unfair. I wonder if this is legal - what they do to customers and how they store our stuff and log the inventory!!! Not a recommended place at all. It’s more dignifying to trash your stuff in...

We were moving out of our offices and I had sold them 18 mesh offices chairs at a very cheap rate of $10.00 chair just because I just needed them out of the office. Fifteen minutes later my husband's partner came in and was very upset that we sold two of these particular type chairs because they were a gift of special meaning to him. Of course I didn't realize but it didn't matter he was devastated and I felt horrible. I called South Coast Auction immediately and explained the special situation and asking them to return them back to me. I would certainly come and pick them up immediately and double what I sold,them for. The receptionist was very understanding and she would call Ernie, the gentleman who had just picked them up, and explain my situation and call me back.

She called back and told me that Ernie said that if I wanted my chairs back I would have to come to the next auction and bid on them myself.

While I understand this is a business but this all took place in a matter of 20 minutes. Of course I will never use them again and certainly not recommend them to anyone. According to Ernie, they have more furniture than they know what to do with and a simple act of compassion would have mended a broken heart but that is not what this company is about. It is a...