Hrefn Posted March 9, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted March 9, 2023 I placed two bids on lots in the recent Timeline Auctions sale, via biddr, as prebids. The two lots are listed as “hammered” for less than my prebid in both instances. When no invoice was forthcoming, I emailed the company and received a terse note than I had not won the two lots. Any speculation as to what is going on here? If there was a hidden reserve, I think they should let customers know that was the cause of the failed bid. But my understanding is a hammer price is a sale. As matters stand now, I will never look at another Timeline sale. 2 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaleun96 Posted March 9, 2023 · Member Share Posted March 9, 2023 Maybe follow-up with them and ask not if you won the lots but if they received your bids on the lots? My first guess is that the bids weren't received, for whatever reason, but it's possible they have a secret reserve system that they don't seem to make apparent. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryro Posted March 9, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted March 9, 2023 (edited) They are dopes as well as scammers. They apparently also don't want your $. I have bought from them in the past, but have stopped due to awful service, overcharges that they refused to fix and then finding out the amount of fakes they sell is disturbing. Look them up online and see some of the reviews others have left. They are knowingly selling fake antiques. At least the fake coins they sell they list as fake. Though, I have no illusions that they would have zero problem selling fake coins as well. Count yourself lucky not to win from them...though, I do feel for you as they do sell some amazing early English coinage. bastards. Edited March 9, 2023 by Ryro 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deinomenid Posted March 9, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted March 9, 2023 I'm not adding much to what Ryro says, but I just will not deal with them again. Far too many fakes and pseudo-knowledge spouted. I tried following up one of their expert's claimed academic backgrounds once and it quickly became clear it was - let's say - optimistically described. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Conduitt Posted March 9, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted March 9, 2023 (edited) When did you place your bids? TimeLine have an (annoying) pre-bidding session that closes some time before the auction, so if your bids (marked pre-bid) were after that closed, they might not have registered. Edited March 9, 2023 by John Conduitt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hrefn Posted March 9, 2023 · Supporter Author Share Posted March 9, 2023 The bids were placed days before the auction. It appears I am not the only person having difficulty with Timeline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor Ancient Coin Hunter Posted March 9, 2023 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted March 9, 2023 I've never bought anything from that auction house. Not likely that I will in the future. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numisnewbie Posted March 10, 2023 · Member Share Posted March 10, 2023 Timeline Auctions, as noted, doesn't have the most stellar reputation. They end up with some very high-dollar items to auction, but then it falls off into a lot of questionable stuff (dating, country of origin, etc). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocatarinetabellatchitchix Posted March 10, 2023 · Member Share Posted March 10, 2023 You could also contact biddr (Simon Wieland) and let them know what just happened. Timeline doesn’t deserve to be on this platform with their auctions. 3 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor DonnaML Posted March 10, 2023 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted March 10, 2023 From a post of mine in December, in another thread -- touching, appropriately enough these days, on fake provenances as well as fake artifacts! Posted December 14, 2022 (edited) I know nothing about TimeLine's reputation with respect to ancient coins, but I would be extremely reluctant to purchase anything from them given their very poor reputation with respect to antiquities -- specifically, for being extremely careless (to give them the benefit of the doubt) and consistently selling large numbers of fake or misattributed (and/or unprovenanced) artifacts. If you want details, join https://groups.io/g/AncientArtifacts and do a search for TimeLine. There are 609 results, the substantial majority of them negative. Be sure to watch out for their common "property of a Surrey gentleman" provenances! 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor KenDorney Posted March 12, 2023 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted March 12, 2023 Its possible this is an innocent situation. I had a similar problem with my last auction and Biddr. My auction was hosted at VAuctions, but pre-bids were available through Biddr. On biddr for some reason (an oversight?) one could bid in single dollars. I dont recall the actual bids, so I'll give an example). Two bidders, one at $100 and one at $101. The $100 bid won. The reason? I had bid increments set for $5, so while $101 is technically more than $100 is was not enough to 'win'. They would have had to bid $105 to win, and even then they may not have gotten is as I have no idea what the high bid was. The losing bidder never did quite understand it, but these kind of issues to arise. As for Timeline? No idea. Never bid with them. They are like Heritage, the buyer fees are so absurdly high I simply wont bid. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hrefn Posted March 17, 2023 · Supporter Author Share Posted March 17, 2023 On 3/12/2023 at 11:48 AM, KenDorney said: Its possible this is an innocent situation. I had a similar problem with my last auction and Biddr. My auction was hosted at VAuctions, but pre-bids were available through Biddr. On biddr for some reason (an oversight?) one could bid in single dollars. I dont recall the actual bids, so I'll give an example). Two bidders, one at $100 and one at $101. The $100 bid won. The reason? I had bid increments set for $5, so while $101 is technically more than $100 is was not enough to 'win'. They would have had to bid $105 to win, and even then they may not have gotten is as I have no idea what the high bid was. The losing bidder never did quite understand it, but these kind of issues to arise. As for Timeline? No idea. Never bid with them. They are like Heritage, the buyer fees are so absurdly high I simply wont bid. Perhaps there is an innocent explanation, but my bids were in round numbers, as my screenshot above shows. Biddr states my bids were executed by the auction house, and my high bids were a fair bit above the hammer. I believe Timeline was not happy with the amounts the coins reached. It is difficult to postulate a good reason why a 350 bid would fail to win a coin that “hammered” for 302. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambr0zie Posted March 17, 2023 · Member Share Posted March 17, 2023 (edited) I never heard about this company (not that I want to, judging after the replies) but I had a similar situation years ago with a different house. Result - lost of course. I contacted them. I was told I lost because my bid was smaller than the winner's! I explained again and in the end they apologized and offered me as an apology gesture, wait for it, 2% discount from buyer's fees on their next auction. Not sure if this was trolling, incompetence or dumbness, I decided to forget about that house completely. I think you should do the same. Note - Simon from biddr is a polite and professional person, inform him as well. There could be an incompatibility on Biddr's side or on the house's side, but again, I wouldn't complicate myself after seeing some opinions about this house. Edited March 17, 2023 by ambr0zie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAZ Numismatics Posted March 17, 2023 · Member Share Posted March 17, 2023 Don't spend it all in one place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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