Ruby Imson
Google
Extremely Disappointed with Sotheby’s Hong Kong Post-Sales Service
As a jeweler and business owner in the Philippines, I have always held Sotheby’s in high regard—an institution known for expertise, prestige, and credibility. Unfortunately, my recent experience with their Hong Kong post-sales service was extremely disappointing and fell far short of what one would expect from such a respected name.
A client of ours received a cultured pearl necklace with a Sotheby’s tag as payment for a debt. Sadly, all original documents and certificates were lost during a flood in Manila. These pearls are exquisite, and while our client initially approached us to have the necklace restranded, we offered instead to help her trace its provenance and find the original maker for proper repair, out of respect for the piece and its sentimental value.
We contacted Sotheby’s via email, sent photos of the necklace and its Sotheby’s auction tag, and received a prompt reply from their bidding department, who referred us to the post-sales service team in Hong Kong. From there, the experience took a negative turn.
Ms. Vian Mak responded to our inquiry, simply stating that it would take time to find records—without asking for any details about the necklace. I let her know I would be in Hong Kong for business and could visit in person to show the necklace.
With no further follow-up, I decided to visit the Sotheby’s Maison in Central HK. At the reception, I was immediately told, “We cannot help you, and we’re very busy today having an event.” It was a dismissive and unwelcoming start. I asked to speak with their in-house jewelry specialist, who came out and listened to my story—but again gave a flat response: “We don’t recognize the tag,” and “We sell hundreds of cultured pearl necklaces; it’s impossible to trace without the buyer’s name.”
I explained the unique situation, yet she remained indifferent. I asked, “Don’t you keep records or photographs of what you sell?” She simply reiterated that it was impossible, until finally she called Ms. Vian Mak.
When Ms. Mak saw the necklace in person, she briefly glanced at it and said the tag looked like it was from Sotheby’s Geneva. Her attitude was similarly dismissive. She repeated that it would be impossible to trace, and even said, “If you’re interested in selling it, the market value for cultured pearls is very low right now.” I immediately clarified that we were not looking to sell—we were trying to help our client recover important information for repair and provenance purposes.
I run jewelry stores myself, and in my business, every piece sold is documented, and my staff are trained to help every client—big or small. This necklace may just be “another strand of cultured pearls” to Sotheby’s, but to our client, it’s a precious heirloom she intends to pass down to her daughters. The lack of empathy and unwillingness to help retrieve even basic records was deeply disappointing.
It’s disheartening to see that while Sotheby’s is incredibly attentive when trying to close a sale, the same care does not extend to post-sale service. One would think that a reputable institution would have the tools and systems to at least attempt to trace their own sold items—but sadly, the effort was minimal at best.
I never thought I’d write a review like this, but I hope this serves as a wake-up call. Prestige means nothing without integrity and client care. Sotheby’s may still be a respected name in auctions, but for us, this experience has tarnished the brand significantly.
