What's this?

[Sidewinder]

I cannot shake the feeling that this items auction was a serious disservice to the seller. Far too short a lead time, insufficient photographs, and a feeling that customer service is amiss at this auction house. This was a spectacular cabinet that should have fetched far more than the desultory price it achieved.

[epigramophone]

Sadly this cavalier attitude to customer service is becoming increasingly common in the UK auction trade.
Many of our auctioneers are more preoccupied with carving out television careers for themselves (where they appear as "experts" on shows such as "Bargain Hunt" and it's many imitators) than offering a professional service to their clients.