Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/22/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This is an auction house, I participated in a recent auction 12/15/2022 and bid on several times, I won 7 different items for 7 different prices. I waited until 12/18 to send them an email asking for an update on my invoice and shipping for the items the website showed (and still shows) I won. I was given a response stating the reserve price was not met.
  I looked on the auction details, FAQs, terms and conditions to find no mention of a reserve price, so I sent a query to the auction asking for clarification and an update but was told that the seller can, at any time, impose a reserve price without showing the bidders or telling anyone until after the fact.
  I've been to countless auctions and have seen this company's auctions prior where it states clearly on certain items, "Reserve Not Met". This is stated in advance and/or during the auction, not hidden or sellers remorse. There is a certain gamble when it comes to auctions for both the buyer and the seller but the seller can protect themselves with reserve pricing but that's done upfront, this instance was not. So I sent a final email in reply asking them to do the right thing and process the transaction, they have not done anything or even replied for a resolution. What they've done is wrong and I don't know if it's illegal, false advertising or what but I'm sickened by this sleight and would like help insuring this doesn't happen to anyone again.
  They have not tried to resolve this, the website states or supports nothing they said to me, I still haven't been charged or sent an invoice for the items I show I won and they don't care what they've done is wrong

  Business Response

  Date: 12/27/2022

  Hello,

  
  

  The seller did not meet the reserve of the auction and this is the auction rules nothing new or we can change, we tried to explain that to the seller several times on the auction rules he did not understand, we did reply for his inquiries 2 times explaining the same thing twice.

  
  

  we didn’t do anything wrong or illegal.

  
  

  He is just trying to get very expensive items for fraction of the price complaining about obvious auction rules.

  
  

  This is our emails responding to his inquiries:

  
  

  First reply:“ I apologize for the confusion,  about the auction that just ended Thursday 12/15, unfortunately your bids didn't meet the reserve price that the seller is willing to sell for, if you're still interested, I can tell you their price and if you like it we can go from there.”

  
  

  Second reply:” Hi

  To clear up any confusion I would like to explain to you how the reserve price works, so essentially the reserve price is a setting given by the auction’s website to ensure that the current item will be sold at a minimum price of the seller’s option. All auction websites and auctions provide this option without the need to disclose this to customers. For example if an item is posted and is for sale, the seller can set a reserve price to make sure the item is not sold at low a value of what the item is worth. Such as a Gucci handbag, the seller won’t want it to be sold at low cost and not being sold at its true value or sellers desired value. If the reserve price isn’t met, the bidder won’t be charged by the auction and won’t have to worry about said item.”

  
  

  We believe the seller is confused because the auction we had in November was “no reserve” on all items and he won a bid, that was a one time only auction. This last auction we had in December we put reserves on all items.

  
  

  Thank you for your time.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/27/2022

  Hello,

  
  

  The seller did not meet the reserve of the auction and this is the auction rules nothing new or we can change, we tried to explain that to the seller several times on the auction rules he did not understand, we did reply for his inquiries 2 times explaining the same thing twice.

  
  

  we didn’t do anything wrong or illegal.

  
  

  He is just trying to get very expensive items for fraction of the price complaining about obvious auction rules.

  
  

  This is our emails responding to his inquiries:

  
  

  First reply:“ I apologize for the confusion,  about the auction that just ended Thursday 12/15, unfortunately your bids didn't meet the reserve price that the seller is willing to sell for, if you're still interested, I can tell you their price and if you like it we can go from there.”

  
  

  Second reply:” Hi

  To clear up any confusion I would like to explain to you how the reserve price works, so essentially the reserve price is a setting given by the auction’s website to ensure that the current item will be sold at a minimum price of the seller’s option. All auction websites and auctions provide this option without the need to disclose this to customers. For example if an item is posted and is for sale, the seller can set a reserve price to make sure the item is not sold at low a value of what the item is worth. Such as a Gucci handbag, the seller won’t want it to be sold at low cost and not being sold at its true value or sellers desired value. If the reserve price isn’t met, the bidder won’t be charged by the auction and won’t have to worry about said item.”

  
  

  We believe the seller is confused because the auction we had in November was “no reserve” on all items and he won a bid, that was a one time only auction. This last auction we had in December we put reserves on all items.

  
  

  Thank you for your time.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/27/2022

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  There is nothing on that particular auction details stating anything in regards to reserve price, there was no notification on each of the 7 items I won that a reserve price was not met. This is false advertising and they are trying to get away with this. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/27/2022

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  There is nothing on that particular auction details stating anything in regards to reserve price, there was no notification on each of the 7 items I won that a reserve price was not met. This is false advertising and they are trying to get away with this. 

  Business Response

  Date: 01/03/2023

  In my auction there’s a reserve price for every item/ lot posted for auction. A reserve price is a minimum amount required to be met in order to be sold by any bidder, and if the reserve price is not met but you’re the highest bidder of the other bidders it will say “ MAY have one”, in his case he was the highest bidder but his bids didn’t meet the reserve price, which means on his end it says “ may have won “.

  On my end, I am able to see the reserve price and who the highest bidder is and what is the highest bid. I am also able to see if the bid met the reserve price/minimum price required. I have screenshots to prove that I do see this on my end. As stated earlier if the reserve price was not met but you are the highest bidder, it will say “May have won”, which in his case did and he provided me with a screenshot of the exact matter I am talking about. The pictures provided below are my screenshots in order to show you my end of the spectrum (the first 2 screenshots below). Lot number *** is an example of him bidding, being the highest bidder but not meeting the reserve/required amount for it to be sold. This can be see in the red box below in the screenshot which is the reserve/required minimum price (225 dollars) and the number next to it is his bid (40 dollars) which again does not meet the lot’s reserve price. The second screenshot below the first one is a screenshot of his full name and

  his bid which again is not meeting the reserve/requirement amount. (His bid is only 40 dollars for an item that has a reserve/required minimum of 225 dollars). The final screenshot below (the very last screenshot) is his screenshot of his end of the spectrum stating that he “May have one” which means, as stated earlier, is the highest bidder but did not meet the reserve/required price to purchase the item. The screenshots I provided is one example of the 7 lots he bid on. The case is the same throughout each and every lot he bid on by not meeting the reserve/required price for each lot. In the case a bidder meets the reserve price and is the highest bidder (which he was not) then on his end of spectrum it would say “reserve met” which again it did not come up on his end due to him not meeting the reserve price. 

  Thank you for your time and I hope this issue will be resolved.

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/03/2023

  In my auction there’s a reserve price for every item/ lot posted for auction. A reserve price is a minimum amount required to be met in order to be sold by any bidder, and if the reserve price is not met but you’re the highest bidder of the other bidders it will say “ MAY have one”, in his case he was the highest bidder but his bids didn’t meet the reserve price, which means on his end it says “ may have won “.

  On my end, I am able to see the reserve price and who the highest bidder is and what is the highest bid. I am also able to see if the bid met the reserve price/minimum price required. I have screenshots to prove that I do see this on my end. As stated earlier if the reserve price was not met but you are the highest bidder, it will say “May have won”, which in his case did and he provided me with a screenshot of the exact matter I am talking about. The pictures provided below are my screenshots in order to show you my end of the spectrum (the first 2 screenshots below). Lot number *** is an example of him bidding, being the highest bidder but not meeting the reserve/required amount for it to be sold. This can be see in the red box below in the screenshot which is the reserve/required minimum price (225 dollars) and the number next to it is his bid (40 dollars) which again does not meet the lot’s reserve price. The second screenshot below the first one is a screenshot of his full name and

  his bid which again is not meeting the reserve/requirement amount. (His bid is only 40 dollars for an item that has a reserve/required minimum of 225 dollars). The final screenshot below (the very last screenshot) is his screenshot of his end of the spectrum stating that he “May have one” which means, as stated earlier, is the highest bidder but did not meet the reserve/required price to purchase the item. The screenshots I provided is one example of the 7 lots he bid on. The case is the same throughout each and every lot he bid on by not meeting the reserve/required price for each lot. In the case a bidder meets the reserve price and is the highest bidder (which he was not) then on his end of spectrum it would say “reserve met” which again it did not come up on his end due to him not meeting the reserve price. 

  Thank you for your time and I hope this issue will be resolved.