In my opinion.... fabulous in every way.
Firstly, I should admit, I have a slight obsession with auctions, and have bought from most of them in the UK either by attending and bidding in person, or through Ibidder. Both take some form of deposit prior to bidding (to stop people bidding and disappearing). With ibidder, the deposit is £50 which I personally do not get returned as I bid far too often.
Ibidder also charge an addition fee on top of the hammer price and buyers premium which is a pain in the bum, but the ease of using ibidder outweigh this.
The positives about bidding with Gilbert Baitsons;-
The sales are wide and varied.
There is always opportunity to view the sale, and if you cannot make the agreed viewing slot, they will let you view in office hours.
They are more open with description of items than most auction houses, showing photos of faults and marking things as AF (faulty). If you cannot view, it is really important to study the photos, or ring and ask for an appraisal - they are always transparent in appraisals.
They rarely have minimum bids that are above their usual £5 starting bid, but sometimes even lower.
Simple way to make payment on line, if you have difficulty ring, Liam will help.
If you haven't picked up within the stated period, you receive a complimentary telephone call from Mark, who is very helpful and will store items until I can collect (he will also arrange postage at additional costs).
Mark also tends to text if I have bought something that is difficult to transport to stop me arriving in the wrong vehicle. This maybe after my son used my account to buy a baby grand piano, then persuaded his father to help him move it in his little van. Mark and Liam helped them to get an appropriate van with enough men to move the piano at a very cheap price.
Collection is easy. The staff are always friendly, and helpful (I end up chatting with Carol and Claire, and all the boys in the main warehouse). They have always helped me to carry items to my car, stack the car/van, or strap to the roof.
If I have ever had a problem with an item, Liam has always offered a full refund.
Problems
I honestly have never had a problem with Gilbert Baitsons, that they have not resolved extremely well.
2 January 2025
Unprompted review