Frequently Asked Questions
1. Will I get a breakdown of the selling prices of each item ?
Yes, we provide you with copies of all sales receipts including a short description and the price paid. We are working on providing a totals summary by category. We price items after doing extensive research of the current market value for Cape Cod, then evaluating the condition of the piece.
2. Why do I need a dumpster? I'm not expecting the house to be left empty, but whatever items that do not sell, I will donate.
You have many options regarding items "not sold" depending on your time frame. A dumpster can be helpful to our crew as we (or you) are cleaning out trash and items that cannot be sold during our setup week, prior to the sale dates. I would remove the dumpster or hide it on the property during the sale days. Depending on what is "not sold", we refer you to professional cleanout companies who will remove items, leave it broom clean, and provide you with a list of places accepting donations or we can walk away if you want to pursue other options. The cleanout is an additional fee.
3. Please confirm that I pay 3.8% of all credit card charges and that I will get a breakdown of these charges.
Yes, this is a standard additional fee. We provide this payment option for your customers. On a standard sale i.e. $6000-8000 in total sales the use of credit cards varies obviously but is usually a very small amount. 3.8% is less than half the fee the vendor charges Yankee.
4. Why do I have to pay a $200 advertising fee? I feel this is your cost of doing business.
Again, this is a standard additional fee in every Yankee contract. We advertise your sale in The Cape Cod Times for three days, on our Facebook account, on our website yankeeestatesales.com, on two national estate sale websites and through a 2400 member email sent out prior to all other advertising. We place signs at the property prior to the sale dates, and at intersections to the address during the sale where allowed by individual towns. All of this is to assist your net results. The $200 fee includes some of the actual fees we incur for posting the sale and the manpower to get it there. At least half of that actual cost is part of our cost of doing business..
5. Are there any other hidden costs ?
We indicate our additional fees on our agreement/contract. If anything changes prior to the signing or prior to the sale dates, we can revisit anything and modify the contract if necessary.
6. Do you post pictures of items on your website ?
Yes, usually the website is updated on Thursday morning for a Saturday and Sunday sale. Pictures of items to be sold are taken once the house is staged. The field manager writes up a description of the items included to accompany the 15-20 pictures. Pictures stay on the website until after the sale when we start advertising the next sale. During our spring/summer season and into the fall, we generally have two sale locations per weekend. We do not take pictures of items not sold after the sale.
7. Please confirm that items will be removed from the house by professional movers.
I don't want anyone to be injured or the house damaged when moving out heavy furniture items.
Items that are sold are removed from the house by our crew. The customer is responsible for moving it off the premises or we can deliver during the week. Yankee has a General Liability policy which covers all crew members. If you have any specific items that you are concerned about how it will be moved out of the house, let's talk about it ahead of time and we can get it transferred to a safer location.
8. Please explain #9 of the contract..
Legalese which limits your right to sue us for not more than the basic sale fee
9. I would like to have the sale on Sat xx & Sun xx. Please confirm this is available.
Once we have done a walk-thru to view your saleable items and estimate the total value (IF everything is sold), we will draw up an agreement/contract between Yankee and the primary contact (owner, personal representative, trustee) which outlines the fees, pre-sale disposal if any, items to be removed or tagged and placed in a safe room in the house as Not For Sale and your cleanout option. We will be able to confirm the available sale date(s) once the contract is signed. A deposit is required in certain situations to hold the date.
10. Why can't I be at the sale? This is my stuff.
We suggest that you not be in attendance during the sale days. We will meet with you and know all of your concerns during the week prior to the sale weekend including any reserves (minimum price points) for any pieces. Every sale has its own situation and degree of emotional attachment and that might get in the way with potential customers. We are professional salespersons and will do our very best job for you to sell as much of your or loved ones belongings. We have a very large following of loyal customers and resellers who know what they are looking for and know the quality of offered items at our Estate Sales.