Casco Bay Auctions - Freeport, Maine

Harold W.

CASCO Bay auctions have always accommodated me in every way possible. HAROLD

Mario P.

After my first time auction buy with Casco I can highly recommend them. From start to end a pleasure with a very thorough house. FAST shipment. A+ all the way.

Alex R.

BEWARE! My negative review pertains only to the way Chapel Street Auctions -- a subsidiary of Casco Bay -- handled the problem it created with shipping my picture frames, but the way they handled their mistake should make one wonder how they view customer service more generally.

I bought several inexpensive framed artworks in a Chapel Street auction, which the auction house agreed to ship, removing the glass but retaining the frames at my request. Instead, Chapel Street discarded both the glass AND all of the frames. When I contacted Chapel Street, I was told that the frames were discarded because of a “misunderstanding”. I asked how I would be compensated, but Chapel Street ignored this question. Only when I involved the Maine Attorney General’s Office did Chapel Street finally respond, offering merely to refund the shipping cost I had paid as a “gesture of goodwill.” To add insult to injury, the auction house cited to me a portion of its terms and conditions that say that it is not responsible for “damage” to frames. Chapel Street believes that a contract provision absolving it of responsibility for damage to frames gives it carte blanche to do anything it wants with customers’ frames – destroy them, discard them, whatever – with impunity. Anyone offering this argument in litigation would of course be laughed out of the courtroom, but this is actually what Chapel Street believes (I have it in writing!).

I accepted their lowball offer, because I had no wish to profit from the problem nor to negotiate with the business any more than necessary. So, artwork purchasers: caveat emptor!

Reply to Casco Bay's December 2024 response:

First, the frames were by no means "cheap." Second, I never, as Casco now falsely claims, expected full compensation for the replacement cost of the frames. It was only when the AG's office required me to indicate the replacement cost -- I filed a complaint with the AG only because the auction house refused to communicate with me -- that that subject of replacement cost came up. Casco Bay seeks to portray themselves as having tried to deal reasonably with a greedy opportunist. That obviously is not what happened.

Stephen R.

Immediate response to my shipping question and poster was sent out promptly.

Shan K.

My last purchase from Casco Bay Auctions was quite satisfactory compared to the other Auction houses that I have used. To me, one of most trusted auction houses. Also my complaint, which is about to cause me to stop using auctions, is the very high cost of receiving the merchandise through all the shippers, especially in New England areas. Casco Bay Auctions does their own shipping which I found very reasonable. A small auction house but with excellent customer service, honest and trustful!

与我使用过的其他拍卖行相比，我上一次从Casco Bay Auctions购买的物品相当令人满意。对我来说，这是最值得信赖的拍卖行之一。另外，通过the third shipper 接收商品的成本非常高，特别是在新英格兰地区，多次导致我停止使用拍卖。Casco Bay Auctions自己发货，而且价格非常很合理。 所拍卖的中国古董质量相当高，我感觉你可以放心购买。虽然这是一家小型拍卖行，但拥有卓越的客户服务，诚实可靠！

Scott F.

I would highly recommend Casco Bay Auctions. The items we have bought there have been better than expected. The inhouse shipping has been perfect and very quick. We are waiting on the third-party shipper for a table we just bought. Casco recommended a highly rated shipper and I have total confidence in who they recommended. I wish we lived closer to be able to attend Casco Bay and pick up there but with great well packed shipping it like waiting on Santa and Christmas.

Julian C.

Auction house was communicative, shipping was easy to arrange and reasonable.

Kishmein T.

This was my first and hopefully not my last experience with Casco Bay Auctions. What delightful people with whom to do business. Items were shipped expeditiously and at a very fair price. I deal with many auction houses that offer old toy trains and toys, and I am a person who expects excellent service for the hefty premiums charged for bidding. Casco deserves every cent. A strong, without any qualifications, 5 star rating.