Complaint Review: Saco River Auction

      I consigned an art work to be sold in Saco River Auction's August/2017 sale for a commission rate of 15%. According to Liveauctioneers, the work sold for $300, with an onsite bidder bid $200 and TWO different liveauctioneer bidders competed up to $300. So, all total, there were 3 separate buyers willing to pay $200.

    Based on the consignment contract I should have received $255. The check sent 2 months later was for only $148! According to the statement the work sold not for $300 but only $175. When I questioned the difference, SRA claimed the liveauctioneer defaulted and it was sold in a 'later private sale' to some unknown person for less than 3 bidders were willing to pay at the auction. 

    SRA's business model is to lowball selling commissions to out of state consignors they know are unlikely to attend the auction and unable to persue a small claims suit. They then misrepresent the sales prices, so the actual real commission the consignor ends up paying is not the bargain 15% but over 50%. Far more than that charged by legitimate ME auction houses.

     DO NOT CONSIGN TO SACO RIVER AUCTIONS IF YOU ARE TOO FAR AWAY TO SUE THEM IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT. They will rip you off.