AVOID DEALING WITH STROUD AUCTIONS SELLERS BEWARE My experience of dealing with Stroud Auctions was initially positive, with promised results. However, after the initial meeting, the general positive first impression of Stroud Auctions was totally obliterated by the conduct of staff after the sale was over. I rang with a query regarding how the reserve process worked on bidding as one of my lots was sold for less than the reserve. As a first time auction seller, I only wanted to understand the process. Alex Bowkett, who was my contact at the auction, failed to answer my email query regarding the item and after leaving a message, I received a phone call from one of the rudest individuals I have ever had the misfortune to encounter. Her name was Lyn/Lynda. She was rude and abrupt from the outset, in a manner that was totally unprofessional and unnecessary. She was arrogant, dismissive and absolutely rude beyond belief. This woman told me that she was an owner of the auction house, and spoke over me, failing to listen to what I was asking, and failing to grasp the nature of the enquiry. She just hurled insults and negative unkind words at me. I merely wanted to understand the process of reserves. She spoke over me, shouting and angry, for about five minutes. She then hung up on me, leaving me shaken and aghast that anyone could be so vile to another human being. Worse yet, to think that she is an owner of the company. I understand from checking, that there is indeed a female director of Stroud Auctions, whose name is Lynda Bowkett. Having checked reviews online, on various platforms, I have found numerous negative reviews citing the same disgraceful conduct of this very same woman, Lyn. All I can say is that I will never use the auction house again, and I would urge anyone considering selling items at auction to chose carefully, as there are other professional auctions available, who will treat you in a professional and humane way. The reality is that you don’t have to scratch very far below the surface to realise the true character and nature of this outfit. After a further phone call with the delightful Lyn, she refused to discuss arranging my unsold items in a reasonable way. She was extremely uncooperative and would not arrange the return in a reasonable way. I therefore rang again and spoke to Mark Rozelaar, about the return of my unsold items and I informed him how shocked I was at the behaviour of that woman- that was both bullying and intimidating. Immediately after this phone call I received an email from Mark asking what he needed to do to make things right, expressing concern at how quickly things had got toxic. He offered to waive the commission on the item that they had sold under the reserve price, as a solution to the problem. He asked for a reply by email that day to resolve the issue. I accepted the offer of waiving the fee in the one item, but pointed out that the only real resolution needed to be an apology from that unprofessional individual, Lyn, who had created the situation so unnecessarily. I did not receive any such apology and the promised waiving of the fees, offered by Mark Rozelaar has not been forthcoming. SELLERS BEWARE- AVOID STROUD AUCTIONS AT ALL COSTS.