Cottage Antiques and Crafts LLC — Local services in South Whitehall Township

I went to this store for the first time a few weeks ago and at first I really liked it...until I had two experiences that left a very bitter taste in my mouth and as I result I will not return.

At the beginning of November I noticed a beautiful ceramic Christmas tree that was part of the store's silent auction which I decided I was going to bid on. I waited until the last week of bidding to place my bid to avoid driving up the price. I called one day at 9:45am to place a bid. The phone was answered by a woman who said "Good Morning, Cottage Crafters." I proceeded to state my name and the purpose of my phone call; however, before I could complete my sentence, I was rudely interrupted and asked to call back after 10am because they weren't open yet. If you weren't open yet, why would you answer the phone? I was so taken aback, I simply hung up the phone.

At the end of that week, I went to the store on Saturday and it was the day that the bidding was going to be closing. When I walked into the store, I asked an employee if the bidding had closed yet; the young lady told me that some areas were starting to close but that there were a few open yet. Fearing that I might have missed my opportunity, I quickly walked back to locate the tree. When I finally located it, it was among other items that were part of the auction. I could see that other areas had been taped off and assumed that those areas were closed for bidding already. However, the area where the tree was had no tape and no other signage indicating that the bidding had closed on that area. I wrote my bid on the paper walked around the store with my friend and then headed back to the tree. When we got back, there was yellow tape around the area that the tree was located. I asked a employee nearby if that meant the bidding had closed and she said 'yes'. I looked at the paper on the tree and saw that my bid was the last and was excited because I had won.

When I returned the following week to pick up my item, the girl behind the counter said that there was a note that her manager wanted to call me. She phone the manager and put me on the phone with him. He proceeded to ask me questions about what the area looked like when I placed my bid, who was around when I placed my bid and when I placed my bid. After several of his questions, I began to wonder if I had done something wrong. According to the manager, Guy, there was an older couple who felt that they had won the tree because there's was the last bid and the manager also told me that when he had counted down on the closing of that area, he knew for a fact that the couple was standing there when the bidding closed. I told him when I walked up to bid on the item, there was nothing indicating the bidding had ended. He simply said that maybe they need to change when they put the tape up, but that the older couple were the last ones to bid and they had won.

So, not only did I not win, but the manager never called me until I showed up at the store (1 week after the auction closed) and he also insinuated that I must have done my bidding in a shady fashion because my bid showed up after this couple's bid and since he was there and saw this couple then obviously I MUST be wrong.

The staff at this store were rude, inconsiderate and did not do a very good job of communicating with me about the issue with the auction in advance. After these two experiences, the latter being the most disappointing, I will not be returning to this store and if I could, I would return the items that I've already bought there. Don't waste your time in this place unless you like being treated as an inconvenience...

My husband and I always enjoyed going into this place to shop around. Not anymore. My husband's mother just passed away and we had to clean out her room at legends where she was living. I spoke to George from Cottage crafters, had too call him twice before he came to look at her items. We had two dressers in excellent condition and 2 lamps in excellent condition, a old chest full of over 100 records. 100s of cds and a large case, about 50 DVDs in a shelf, over 50 old salt and pepper shakers, a sofa in excellent condition and a chair, old jewelry in a jewelry box and some other odd old items. Right away he lowballed us $50.00 for everything!! But didn't seem interested in anything when he got there, giving excuses that with covid and you need the right people to buy the right things, which is understandable. But $50.00!!!! We know he was taking advantage of us because we needed her things out the room by Sunday, we were mentally exhausted and grieving her loss. He showed no compassion, no consideration for what we were going through. Because we needed to get this done, we finally agreed at $75.00 which he wasn't eager to give, again giving excuses We are no fools, we know and seen the prices of items in their store. He told us he would call us on Saturday at 10 am. In the meantime l spoke to my friend who works at a flea store in wind gap and gave me the number of this Uncle Chuck's furniture store . I called him , he was kind and showed compassion for what we were going through and offered us more money and told us he would take everything! Within hours he came, and took everything!! He was quick and within a hour he was done! He paid twice the amount George offered us and came from Wind Gap. George never called us Saturday at 10 like he said he would, strung us along, very rude! Never again will we shop at Cottage crafters. No compassion or consideration for anyone ...

BEWARE! If you pay with a credit card and they make a mistake on their end and forget to charge you for something they WILL go back without your knowledge and run your card numbers again. My husband and I stopped in for a stroll through a few weeks back and found a few nice things, purchased them and brought them home. Fast forward a week or more and I check my bank account online and see a new charge from here on there..... That was a head scratcher since I haven't been back since I went in with the hubby. I asked hubby if he stopped by since I knew he was interested in checking out the bid boards... He said no. Had to call the bank who told me to check with them first to see if they did run my card numbers. Imagine my surprise when the woman who answered said oh yeah we forgot to charge you for something so we charged your card again without your consent. I was livid... No business is allowed to charge your credit card without your consent. Once the transaction was complete and we left the store the transaction was over...that is the end... Period! They took it upon themselves to charge my card whatever amount they decided for whatever they decided was missed. Shady business practice... Keep checking your bank account even weeks later if you shop here with a...