Complaint Review: Chad McCarter Auctions

Jukebox Man must have missed something.  I am a customer of Chad McCarter and have seen him several times withhold an item that doesn't work.  It is good business to do so.  He has also re-auctioned items that were purchased but not paid for.   The place is homey and family but very professional and accomodative.  There have been a couple of occassions where an item required repair (fully disclosed) or was missing a key.  Obviously a jukebox cannot be repaired if the key is missing.  You need to find the key or get a locksmith.  All the other remarks by Jukebox Man are gratuitious and mere character assasination without foundation.  I have picked up many bargains at Chad's, which in several cases I sold for twice or three-times as much on eBay.  Other items, I overpaid for.  My own fault.  Furniture is invariably a good bargain at McCarter's.  I have a perfect like new wing chair for $35 that would cost $250 new.  I have a perfect, large $120 microwave oven, like new, for $5.  Lots of art, tools, and housewares.  An auction is an auction.  The prices are set by the bidders alone.  There are no reserves, no shill bidding, no unreasonable delays in waiting for bids, no misrepresentations, and no nonsense. In fact, on a couple of occassions, Chad closed the bidding a little too fast for me and I didn't get my bid in fast enough.  That can't happen if the auctioneer is "milking."  As for Lee, he is a treasure, a widely well-respected, charming, former business executive, a friend to many, and a joy to be with.  $3 for a hamburger and $1 for a can of soda is clearly not overpriced.  At the close of the auction, Chad gives away about five or six silver coins to bidder paddle numbers pulled from a bin.  Jukebox Man has some other personal problem, I expect, that gives him so much energy and this compulsion to make a mountain out of a anthill.

I have attended McCarter auctions several times and have found the employees and staff very courteous and friendly.  It is true, that generally, there are very few deals to be found.  Often times, used items sell for as much as one could purchase new.  Guns and collectibles particularly sell for a premium.  I think this is largely due to the large turnout of bidders and the resulting competition, plus perhaps people just don't do their homework before arriving at the auction.  It is fun to attend and look at the stuff for auction, but I have never been the winning bidder for anything because, with some exceptions, the bid prices are just too high.  East TN is the capital of flea markets and junk shops so it seems odd that bidders are willing to over pay at auctions, but I suppose that is the nature of large auction houses.  steve

We have been going to Chad McCarter auction for a year now and before every auction he reads all the rules and any changes to the sale. Then he has a prayer to start the auction in good spirits. In the rules he states that there is a 13 percent buyers fee if you use a credit card and 10 percent for cash. If you do not like his fees you can leave and not stay at the auction. In previous auctions he has had to change an item that he is selling due to it not working properly. He has stated that he would refuse to sale any item unless he knows it works properly. He likes to stand by his word and not sale things that do not work. He is a good christian man. I was there the day of the sale you are referring to and chad did state before the auction starting that the jukebox was not going to be sold due to it not working properly. Also i don't think I have ever seen Chad get angry. As to the mumbling old man as you say is Chads father who also is an auctioneer and has been for many years. It is a family environment where families can come and bring their children. Not many places allow that. As for the sellers fee if you do not agree with what they charge go some where else. Many people don't have a problem with their fees other wise there would be no auction. These are some of the finest christian people I have ever met, and any one who has a problem with the way they run their auction is just trying to cause problems.

My husband and I have attended the auctions at Chad McCarter's Auction Center since the first auction.  We have found that they are fair, honest, and always willing to make things right if something isn't as it was advertised.  I would rather have known that the jukebox wasn't working before the auction than it to have been auctioned; got it home and it didn't work.  Also, the first poster needs to understand that sometimes, for whatever reason, a consignor may pull an item after the advertising has gone out.  The auction catalog is usually done days in advance and takes a lot of work to put it together and to get it printed so that it will be available the day of the auction.  My husband and I have been going to auctions for 30 years and this is the first auction company that provides a catalog of the items to be auctioned for every auction.  As for the commission that is charged when an item is consigned---the contract states in plain English what the commission will be when the item sells.  If a consignor doesn't like the commission structure, then they are not forced to sign the contract and to have their item auctioned.  Yes, many times items sell for far more than the true market value, but that is due to the bidders rather than the auctioneer.  No one is forcing people to bid---the bidders make the choice whether they are willing to bid or not and how much they are willing to bid.  This is a family friendly auction where all are welcome.  My opinion is this is one of the best auction companies that I have ever been to and I have been to auctions in Alabama, Georgia (I worked for an auction company there), Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.  If the original poster thinks Chad's auction is bad, he should attend one in New England, then they would know what a bad auction is.

I was at the auction on that night.  Chad announced that the jukebox was not going to be offered because it needed to be repaired.  He said it more than once that night.

I go to the auctions almost every week and it is always conducted fairly and ethically.  Chad is always polite and respectful to everyone-women included.

There are kids present, mine included, but they never are out of control.  The auctions run for about 5 hours, can kids be expected to sit motionless for that long???  Of course not, they move around, and so do the adults. 

As for the "older auctioneer" who takes over...that is Lee,  the owner, Chad McCarter's,  father.  Lee is the 2nd generation of this 3 generation auctioneer family.  His style may be different than his son's, but it is certainly professional.

The commission charged is posted in large print in multiple locations, so if you don't want to pay it, don't consign or bid on items.

One of the things I like best about this auction house is that it is family run and has a family atmosphere.  Chad and his wife own the company, his parents work there, her parents work there, their daughters work there.  If I wanted impersonal, I would go somewhere else.  I want family, so I spend my money with the Chad McCarter Auction House.