Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  08/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 8/22/24 I went online for a sportscard auction, with the company Iowa surplus auctions. I have done numerous online auctions in the past 18 months, with other businesses, using ***** for online software. For this auction I read the bidding notice which lays out the financial obligation(s), which is a 15% premium fee,3% credit card fee and shipping cost. I won 135 lots/cards for an amount of $147. My invoice on 8/23 said I owed $542.56. I sent an email to the business asking about the invoice. I received an email back stating that the company gave me a $3/card discount because of my large winning lots. I called and talked to **** who said that a $5/card fee is standard business and that if I read the bidder registration it clearly shows that. I disagreed that it is specified anything about that and asked about the $75.95 shipping fee, which he said covers his cost. He kept emphasizing about not reading the registration requirements. After spending about 20 minutes, my wife and I found one line in section 10 saying this cost. Also his math doesn't add up $147-cards, $270-handling fee, $75.95 shipping, $22.05 -surcharge and $11.76 tax for my total of $526.76,not the $542.56 the invoice says. I contacted hi-bid (software company that administers auction) . Spoke with ******* who said that there seems to be several inflated costs/charges. My feeling is the cost should be $147 for cards, $26.46 premium, $10-$15 shipping and $10.29 tax for roughly $196.75. You read the bidder agreement and see how hidden /difficult it is to notice this one line about this $5/card fee, which, in my opinion, doesn't need a top-loader that **** said was the reason for the charges.

  Business response

  09/06/2024

  Mr. ***** registered for our auction, he agreed to the terms and conditions of the auction, he choose to bid and win items. All the terms was clearly listed and we have responded to him via email and highlighted all this in auction but he has filed this complaint and we are responding to it. He should have been charged per terms and conditions a handling free of $5 per card for all the cards he bought plus postage + packaging.  So he should have been charged 115 cards @ $5 per card for total of $575.00 handling fees per listed terms but since he bought so many we gave him a discount of $3 per card and charged him $2 per card for total of $270 so he received a discount of $405 this was a huge discount and we gave to him in good faith for buying so many items. When we use 3rd party shipping this money is paid out anyways and not money we make and fees we pay are $2 per card plus $1 top loader fee and a % of sale so we actually lost money on this and the complaint isn't even valid against us its about 3rd party shipping. So We have lost money on this already, that plus shipping but this gets worse Mr. ***** has threatened us to give him a discount or else and a refund but we have already given him a $405 discount, but wait it gets even worse he has filed a fraudulent charge back to get his money back and he had the cards. This is theft and Fraud and we will be pursuing this Matter further and because we have already provided a massive discount he is trying to abuse the system and make complaint's.  He has committed fraud and theft. He has been reported and this matter will be referred for legal action as well as collections for his actions. We are very transparent and all out auction terms are clearly listed, He didn't have to register, he didn't have to bid, HE choose too. This INVAILD and False complaint should be removed. We have well documented I put together a file with one lot showing where everything is but all 115 same place in auction

  Customer response

  09/16/2024

   
  Complaint: 22183904
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The auction details never mentioned this $5.00 per card fee. The whole auction agreement would take ***** minutes to read. There is one line that is buried in the bottom of the agreement and if packaged properly, the cards wouldn't need top loaders. The shipment has been sent twice and sent back twice. First, through **** and the second time *** which was returned on September 6th. Four photos have been provided. Two of them are the unopened/returned items. One picture is from ****** website showing the fractional cost of top loaders. The last picture is from Elite Auction out of ************** and the $13.96 shipping compared to the $75.95 shipping that was charged from Iowa Surplus Auctions. I have spoken to the credit card company and currently they have credited my account. I have spoken with ***** (software company) that manages auctions. Their representative says they do not control what individual auctions charge but they are concerned with the extra/excessive fees. I have done 3-4 auctions with various other auction sites and have never had this fraudulent situation. Even on the final page of the invoice, the amounts charged do not add up.  Iowa Surplus Auctions is running a fraudulent auction(s) to scam customers into paying exorbitant charges. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****

  Business response

  09/26/2024

  We have provide all the detail this was listed clearly in the auction and this matter will end up in litigation if ***** files a fraud credit card charge and will be sent to collections. This was clear posted and clearly listed We responded and he has made baseless claims and we have provided the auction proof. Because this will end in litigation we will not able to respond further.

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