Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/17/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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.

  On 11/10/24 I won a bid on an auction item. Two days later the vender explained that I could not have the item, even though I had already been issued a bill of sale, because the item was part of another auction item. They refunded the bid, but I was without the item that I spent time viewing and bidding on. When I went to the auction location to pick up other items I had won during the auction, I expressed that the auction items should only be up for auction when they are available and taking an auction item from a buyer because they made a mistake by selling it was a poor business practice. In an effort to quash any poor review on the auction site, the seller banned me from any future auction bids using their platform, thus removing the ability to review their conduct. I added reviews to BBB and ****** in response to their decision and based on previous interactions I have had with the seller when picking up auction items. The business owner sent a Cease-and-Desist email threatening legal action if I continue to submit negative reviews of her company and my experiences. Instead of trying to speak with me about a fair way to compensate me for the property I purchased, which they took and sold to another buyer, I was no longer permitted to use their auction platform (which is of no consequence), blocked from attempting to review their business on the Auction website, and threatened with legal action. This seems like very radical behavior from a business owner who should be operating her business in a professional and ethical way. I have participated in auctions for decades and have never seen a seller take back an item that was won and paid in full. In my experience, for an auction company, this is the single worst business practice I have seen to date.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/20/2024

  Thank you for sharing your concerns. We take all customer feedback seriously and strive to operate with professionalism and integrity.
  We would like to clarify the circumstances surrounding this issue. On 11/10/24, you won an item during one of our auctions for $1.00. Unfortunately, it came to our attention shortly afterward that this item was mistakenly listed as part of a separate lot that had already been sold. Upon realizing the error, we promptly issued a full refund of $1.00 and notified you of the mistake before your scheduled pick-up.
  We acknowledge your frustration over this error, and we regret any inconvenience it caused. Mistakes like this are rare but can occur in the auction industry. Our team made every effort to address the situation promptly and ensure clear communication.
  During your subsequent interactions with our staff, your behavior became aggressive. While we understand that emotions can run high in such situations, we remain committed to creating a safe and respectful environment for both our staff and customers. Based on this behavior, we made the decision to restrict your participation in future auctions, which is a step we take sparingly and only when absolutely necessary.
  Its important to note that our decision to issue a cease-and-desist notice was a response to repeated vindictive communications and actions that we felt crossed professional boundaries. As a business, we welcome constructive criticism and customer feedback; however, we must also safeguard against behavior that becomes disruptive or threatening.
  Our team is proud to serve our customers with transparency and the highest level of service. We regret that this experience did not meet your expectations and sincerely wish you the best in your future auction endeavors.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/21/2024

  Complaint: 22568453
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  I was blocked from her auctions only after I expressed my disappointment to one of her employees,before any reviews. I merely and politely asked that he let his boss know that I was disappointed with her actions and felt that it was a poor business practice and they should be more careful in the future, That was it and I spoke with him for less than 15 seconds after thanking him for handing me other items I purchased and thanking him. I never even met the owner - ****** *********.She decided to block my ability to attend future auctions with her business through ************* because she didn't like that I didn't agree with her decision. She knows that once this action is taken, then bidders cannot enter a review through Auction Ninja. She clearly knew she made a mistake that would not look good in a review and took immediate action to hide her transgression.

  
  I do not care to do business with this company, but I do think that her actions to block any review was dishonest, especially if she welcomes any criticism as she has implied in her response to my complaint. Since I could not review her company through Auction Ninja, I instead added some reviews through other review sites. She threatened legal action against me via my personal email if I did not stop sending reviews. She also went to Linked In and stalked my personal information, which is weird, because she had my email and phone number already. This behavior seems a little extreme, creepy, and she must know that Linked In will track anyone that views a business profile. I do not work in the estate clean-up and auction business, so maybe this type of behavior is commonplace. It is not customary practice with other businesses and industries, and if it is not a widespread practice in her industry, then the public should be aware of her questionable business practices. 

  
  I stand by my assessment of this situation and her peculiar responses and, based on these very strange reactions to criticism, would not recommend doing business with her. Her reactions and efforts seem very extreme and if this is her response to a simple transaction mistake that she could have discussed with me and resolved politely, then imagine how she will respond to large business transactions that do not go as desired. The only response to her "mistake" has been aggression and threats. 

  Regards,
  
  ***** ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/18/2023

  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.

  I hired this Estate Company listed to run an auction for me and im missing a bunch of items we sent with them. They also tried not paying us for our items, either paid to themselves or someone else. I released all my items in April to them, its now August and still haven't received all the payments or answers to where the rest of the items are. They broke down all my items and threw them in different peoples auctions to purposely try to steal from me, there's no other explanation to the way they handled my property. I've ran estate sales through companies in Loveland/Ft. Collins in the past before we relocated to AZ, and none of them do business like this, absolutely none of them. Everyone knows what they did is purposely done for them to put my money in their pockets. Then I reach out to them and they say oh all your stuffs been ran, you'll be getting the checks, but all my stuff hasn't been ran because we photographed all our items, then we watched all their auctions since April to make sure all our items were accounted for. Which they definitely weren't, and this company admitted it but haven't corrected the matter. It's a very time consuming matter having to go through photos of my items and matching up items spread out to 6 auctions but I'll give you all the info. It's too much to upload but we can figure some way to get them to you.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/24/2023

  Defense of Estate Inventory Services LLC Against Unfounded Complaint

  
  To Whom It May Concern,

  
  We are writing to provide a comprehensive response to a complaint lodged against Estate Inventory Services LLC by an individual named David Irwin. This complaint appears to be part of a pattern of behavior from Mr. Irwin, who has a documented history of attempting to harm small businesses with negative reviews. We believe it is important to clarify the circumstances and defend our business's integrity.

  
  In response to Mr. Irwin's complaint, we have provided a detailed explanation of the situation. Mr. Irwin's claim of missing items and questionable conduct on our part has been addressed transparently and professionally. We have provided evidence that refutes his allegations and have highlighted his own admission of involvement in the issue he raised.

  
  Moreover, we have emphasized our long-standing commitment to conducting business with the utmost integrity and transparency, backed by over 150 positive reviews on AuctionNinja.com and thousands of satisfied clients. We firmly reject Mr. Irwin's baseless claim that we are involved in fraudulent activities.

  
  In light of these facts, we consider this matter resolved from our end and do not intend to engage in further communication with Mr. Irwin regarding this issue. We believe our response reflects our commitment to honest business practices and our determination to address unfounded complaints.

  
  We kindly request that this information be taken into account when evaluating Mr. Irwin's complaint against Estate Inventory Services LLC. We remain dedicated to maintaining a high standard of professionalism and service.

  
  Sincerely,
  Bonnie Blackburn, Owner,  Estate Inventory Services LLC

  Business Response

  Date: 08/24/2023

  Business
  Most Recent Message
  Date Sent: 8/24/2023 12:33:44 PM
  
  
  
  Defense of Estate Inventory Services LLC Against Unfounded Complaint
  
  To Whom It May Concern,
  
  We are writing to provide a comprehensive response to a complaint lodged against Estate Inventory Services LLC by an individual named David Irwin. This complaint appears to be part of a pattern of behavior from Mr. Irwin, who has a documented history of attempting to harm small businesses with negative reviews. We believe it is important to clarify the circumstances and defend our business's integrity.
  
  In response to Mr. Irwin's complaint, we have provided a detailed explanation of the situation. Mr. Irwin's claim of missing items and questionable conduct on our part has been addressed transparently and professionally. We have provided evidence that refutes his allegations and have highlighted his own admission of involvement in the issue he raised.
  
  Moreover, we have emphasized our long-standing commitment to conducting business with the utmost integrity and transparency, backed by over 150 positive reviews on AuctionNinja.com and thousands of satisfied clients. We firmly reject Mr. Irwin's baseless claim that we are involved in fraudulent activities.
  
  In light of these facts, we consider this matter resolved from our end and do not intend to engage in further communication with Mr. Irwin regarding this issue. We believe our response reflects our commitment to honest business practices and our determination to address unfounded complaints.
  
  We kindly request that this information be taken into account when evaluating Mr. Irwin's complaint against Estate Inventory Services LLC. We remain dedicated to maintaining a high standard of professionalism and service.
  
  Sincerely,
  Bonnie Blackburn, Owner,  Estate Inventory Services LLC