BBB St. Louis Warning: Consumers say Hidden Treasures Auction Barn LLC failed to pay after auctions
Better Business Bureau (BBB) St. Louis advises consumers to use caution if doing business with Hidden Treasures Auction Barn LLC, an auctioneer in Willard, Missouri. Consumers reported to BBB that the company failed to pay for auction sales, failed to contact consumers, and provided poor customer service.
Due to recent unanswered complaints, hidden Treasures Auction Barn LLC has an “F” rating, the lowest on BBB’s scale.
“Reports consumers have given us about giving this business their property and not being paid for it is disturbing,” said Pamela Hernandez, regional director for the Springfield BBB. “The business has an obligation to pay the consumers for the items it sold at auction.”
A man who formerly lived in Ash Grove, Missouri, told BBB he hired Hidden Treasures Auction Barn LLC in April 2023 to auction some of his belongings before moving to Rhode Island to attend college. The man said he received a partial payment from the business but was still owed more than $3,500.
The man was told he would receive a check for $3,567 but never received a check from the business. The man said Hidden Treasures Auction Barn LLC won’t return messages he leaves requesting the rest of the payment.
A woman from Spring Hill, Kansas, told BBB she hired Hidden Treasures Auction Barn LLC in May 2023 to remove items from her parents’ home in Monet, Missouri. The business was to give her $3,500 for the items.
The woman said the business took six weeks to remove the items from the property. The woman said the business left many items behind. She said she still has not received her payment from the company.
“They took 50 years of possessions out of that house and didn’t pay us anything,” the woman told BBB.
A Springfield, Missouri, woman told BBB she took several large items to the Hidden Treasures Auction Barn LLC in April 2023. She said she agreed to a 30 percent commission and left an address for a check to be mailed. She said she knew the items had been sold but had not received a check from the business.
“I feel like I’ve been taken advantage of,” the woman told BBB.
Hidden Treasures Auction Barn LLC was registered with the Missouri Secretary of State in September 2020. Kristen Roach and Roger Rice are listed as the business's organizers.
BBB's attempts to reach the business for comment failed and it did not respond to a BBB letter regarding how it plans to address its pattern of customer complaints.
BBB offers these tips on selling unwanted items:
- Research any business and its owners carefully before paying any money. Check the company’s BBB Business Profile at BBB.org or by calling 888-996-3887.
- Choose an appropriate platform. If you choose to use an online forum to sell something, see if there is a specific kind of platform that may be best suited to list the item for sale.
- Understand the fees. Both online sales sites and auctioneers have their own set of fees. Ensure you know how much the seller will keep as a commission for selling the item.
- Know what’s in the contract. Ensure you understand how long the auction house or website has your goods. Understand any cancellation policies if you don’t want to sell the items.
- If you feel like you have been wronged, file complaints with BBB and the state’s attorney general’s office.
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