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:11/15/2023

  Type:Product 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 won an item from ******************* with the auction house being @ Auction/**********************. The item is a signed *********************** framed photo. Upon winning, I noticed that the same portrait was listed and sold over a dozen times in the previous months, and another was listed shortly after I won. I then noticed that they all had the same exact certification number. After doing some research, it's clear that the authenticator was approving fake autographs. I had a specialist look at the photos and they deemed that the autograph was likely not authentic. I asked for a refund from the auction house and he gave me this elaborate story about why his authenticator is better than everyone else. At the end of the call, he agreed to a refund, but never cancelled the order. I've called and talked to him several times and he's agreed to refund, but never cancels the order. LiveAuctioneers won't cancel the order even after I've given them proof that this item is not likely authentic. They even went radio silent for 4 days until I kept calling into other lines for support.Stay clear of LiveAuctioneeds and ********************** because they have a history of selling counterfeit goods. If you've had dealings with them and received counterfeit goods, report them to the government - **************************************

  Business Response

  Date: 11/17/2023

  Hi *********,

  I'm sorry to hear that you had authenticity concerns over an item you won in an auction on our platform and that the lot has not yet been removed from your account.  I see that my colleague on the Bidder Support team has already informed the auction house of this.  She will monitor this complaint and follow up with the auction house if necessary.  We will keep you posted on this cancelation.

  If you would like to be updated or have questions, please email my colleague and she'd be happy to assist.

  Regards,

  LiveAuctioneers

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/08/2023

  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 purchased a pinball from an auction house on this site, icon fine arts, which had nothing in the description about being broken. After the purchase was made, I asked the condition of the item which the auction house then disclosed it was broken and would not put a ball into play. There was no option given at that time to back out of the sale due to the item being broken. Once the item was received, and it was realized the machine would not play at all due to the issue we then contacted the auction house to remedy and ask if they would help pay for repairs. They then accepted to pay for any repairs needed to fix the problem and make the machine in working condition. After the repairs were made a bill was sent to the auction house in which they became extremely combative and refused to pay anything claiming now the issue happened during shipping, with no evidence and as if they forgot they admitted the problem existed before. This was left in a review on live auctioneers website to inform other possible customers to beware of any kind of description and investigate more than assuming they were telling all of the facts. The seller then contacted me to tell me he was taking the review down because the item was sold as is so therefore my negative review was false. How is this company allowing the sellers to take down any negative review of them for possible new customers, they are misleading anyone on their site to not allowing them to see any negative feedback that *** have occurred with their sellers.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/14/2023

  Hi ******,

  I'm sorry to hear about your poor experience with this sale and that the review you posted was removed from the auction house's page.  I looked into this case, and I see that my colleague in the Bidder Support team has replied to you with a request for written correspondence regarding this complaint. This is so the appropriate team can investigate your claim and determine if your review was removed unjustly.  Can you please look for that email and respond to my colleague?

  Regards,

  LiveAuctioneers

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/15/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   I have looked back at the correspondence and they said the review met the criteria to be removed. How can the criteria of removing a review being that it's negative, and that's it. I gave an accurate description of my experience with an auction house and left a star rating that was my opinion accurate as well. How is it then the auctions house ability to say that I didn't have a negative experience with them and justify taking down my review to not allow other customers see that negative experiences have happened. Nothing about my review was false or fabricated. There is no reason it should have been taken down or altered. The fact this happened so quickly to me is evident it's not the only time it has happened with this auction house or others. If they are allowed to remove bad posts whenever they happen no matter the circumstance that is not giving accurate views for your customers and representation of the business operations of the auction house themselves. You are facilitating and enabling bad actors abusing your customers. 

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/08/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

  Our issue has never been resolved and they continue to remove our review of this auction house based upon nothing except it's a negative review. This should not be allowed and the case should definitely not be closed based upon they have not resolved anything. The auction house that is they are representing is now threatening us, this company should not be allowed to do business.

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/21/2024

  Hi ******,

  We're sorry to hear that you have not had a good experience with a sale on our platform and that your review has been taken down.  All review removal requests are assessed carefully to see if the review qualifies for removal.  Below is the response from the auction house regarding why they did not accept to reimburse you for the repairs.

  "The item was sold AS-IS. The item had no bad undisclosed. parts. It had two loose connections at the circuit boards when it arrived.. I spoke with the shipping company that he hired and they indicated that the machine was packed in blankets, not crated and shipped 3k miles. ***** connections can happen under these circumstances. If there was and undisclosed bad part I offered to help repair it. I did not agree to repair loose wires. Please know that the shipping company tested it before taking it.,and it turned on which it would not have with loose wires."

  If you still want to contest this decision, please reach out to my colleague handling your complaint.

  Regards,

  LiveAuctioneers

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/08/2023

  Type:Product 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 purchased and paid for a tie (147$) for a won auction hosted by **************************. Since the auction I have tried calling, texting and going to this business to get this item I paid for and they have been 100% unreachable. I submitted a complaint to live auctioneers and they simply emailed them (I was CC'd) a couple times. The company never responded and remains unresponsive to date (over 30 days). According to the news the owner of this auction house has been involved in a lot of legal issues (DUI's, etc.) and maybe this is a factor, however the company I paid was "live auctioneers", not "**************************". This means this company owes me my money back. The email response after a week of emailing them was "now might be a good time to reach out to the bank". This is unacceptable as the money was issued to Live auctioneers. I want my money back, this company's response to this matter has been unacceptable.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/14/2023

  Hi ********,

  As a technology provider, LiveAuctioneers helps facilitate the auction, but post sale issues like your complaint are handled by the auction house.  At the moment, we are held by our policy to not refund sales without the consent of the auction house. We also want to be clear that the funds are with the auction house and not held by LiveAuctioneers.

  We're sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.  We will continue to reach out to the auction house, but we advise you to contact your credit card company to explore the options available to you.  We will let you know as soon as we receive any updates regarding your case.  In the meantime, the auction house will remain closed, which means they will not be able to list on our platform until they have responded and addressed your complaint.

  Regards,

  LiveAuctioneers

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/15/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

   

   Live Auctioneers,

  As the company that was paid, I am holding you responsible for the failure to provide goods/services. You are at fault for the lack of process that allows predatory companies the ability to receive financial gain. An appropriate settlement time should have been implemented, instead of appeasing your sellers, offering protection to buyers. You were contacted and a response was made 2 weeks after this auction and this response is simply unacceptable. The bank has been contacted but this issue is not resolved. 

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/28/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  I was not helped in any way by Live Auctioneers in this matter. The email chain you are referring to did little to help the situation and served as a way to pass time until I would eventually go away.

  The response you just posted, dated 19 December was completely false as you can look at the auction history on the website and note the same auction house (**************************) held an auction on 17 December, literally 2 days prior to your response, further showing how out of touch this response was.

  This auction house was never restricted and now a single thing that resembles a measure of customer service was ever attempted on their part. The lack of ownership of this company is astounding and the fact you are passing off customer issues like this hoping we just go away is unethical business practice. 

  The only way I think this is resolved is by BBB punishing a poorly run company that has no problem taking advantage of its users. 

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/18/2024

  Hi ********,

  I'm sorry to hear that you are unhappy with the level of service we've provided.  As a technology provider, LiveAuctioneers cannot process refunds as our policy states we are merely a 3rd party website that connects buyers and sellers online. We act as mediator to make sure bidders and auction houses communicate with one another when an issue arises from a sale.  I checked our communications with you and saw that we have been reaching out to the auction house but did not get a response. We closed their account until they responded to us about your complaint.  When they did get back to us, you had already filed a chargeback and your payment was returned to you.

  If you have questions about the sale, please reply in the email thread for your case.  My colleague handling the case would be the best person to respond to any questions.

  Regards,

  LiveAuctioneers

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/08/2023

  Type:Order 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 paid for a watch [Rolex ] that was won on there site They accepted payment ******** dollars but I never received my watch There position is they forwarded money to vendor and accept no responsibility

  Business Response

  Date: 11/14/2023

  Hi *****,

  We're sorry to hear that you have not gotten the Rolex that you had won.  I see that my colleague on the Bidder Support team has replied to your email to let you know that we are reaching out to the auction house to get an update on your watch.  However, as the auction house has been unresponsive, my colleague has encouraged you to "contact the payment provider that you used for this invoice to explore any other options available to you."

  In the meantime, we have closed the auction house's account which means they are unable to list on our platform until your complaint is addressed. "While we have taken these actions as a courtesy on your behalf, please note that we are not an arbiter of any disputes and we are, unfortunately, unable to guarantee any outcome."  This is why we encourage you to contact your payment provider to discuss your options.  If you have any questions, please reply to the email thread with my colleague or send another email to *******************************.

  Regards,

  LiveAuctioneers

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/22/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  There has been no resolution. 

  The company was more than willing to accept payment but is accepting no responsibility of me receiving mercandice

  They may feel that they are just the middle man but they accepted payment . They are first in line for receiving and accepting  payment . 

  Live Auctioneers accepted and received there portion of payment 

  ***** ********

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ********
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/21/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********* and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   When you say Payment Provider I provided the payment to "Live Auctioneers  "then Live Auctioneers provided funds to Antique Jewelry House 

  It is Live Auctioneers web site - logos and all the management of the transaction The oversight and Managment that was provided failed 

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ********
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/31/2024

  Hi,

  We've asked you to contact your payment provider because we are held by our policy to not refund sales without the consent of the Auction House.  Payment provider means the credit card company you used to pay the invoice.  They would have given you the options available for you to get a refund.

  Regards,

  LiveAuctioneers

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/25/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  A fraud was committed using the LiveAuctioneers website. I am not saying that LiveAuctioneers were involved in the fraud but they allowed fraudsters to use their site.I bid on two lots in ***************************** Art ******* on 9th September 2023 and won them using the Live Auctioneers platform.I then received an email from Live Auctioneers with an invoice from the fraudulent auction house.On the 10th September I paid the invoice of $3,727.50 to ***************************** bank account.***************************** then confirmed by email that they had received the funds. The items were never shipped to me, I kept contacting them but eventually the email address was shut down. Live Auctioneers did not do due diligence in checking the credentials of this company. I found out that ***************************** Art never existed. The address is false, no company of that name exists at this address. No company is registered with this name in ******.I bid through LiveAuctioneers believing that they would check out the companies that they are dealing with. It was LiveAuctioneers that sent out the invoice not ******************************I would have done more checks at the time if the invoice had not come through LiveAuctioneers.LiveAuctioneers can not take no responsibilities for checking out auction houses trying to use their site.I bid in good faith through LiveAuctioneers.I tried to get compensation from Live Auctioneers but they never replied to my emails. It seems incredible that Live Auctioneers take no responsibilities for auctions that they front on their website. On their website they have a Fraud Protection Program" and `a Dedicated Anti-fraud Team". Also their website on the front page it states SHOP WITH CONFIDENCE Since ****, LiveAuctioneers has made exceptional items available for safe purchase in secure online auctions.I would never have paid the invoice if it had not come from LiveAuctioneers.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/06/2023

  Hi ******,

  We have processes in place to vet auction houses before they list on our platform and we act quickly when we become aware of red flags.  We reached out to all bidders concerned as soon as we confirmed questionable practices by the seller.  We're sorry to hear that ***************************** has not returned the payment you wired to their account, nor have they shipped out the 2 lots you won in their auction. We have been trying to get a hold of the auction house and will continue to reach out.

  Regards,

  LiveAuctioneers

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/29/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  Dear *****************************,
   
  Re Complaint ID #********
   
  The reply from LiveAuctioneers does not address the issue.
  The auction took place on the 9th September.
  I had placed two advanced bids prior to the 9th with LiveAuctioneers.
  On the 10th of September LiveAuctioneers sent me the invoice to pay ***************************** the auction house.
  I paid the invoice 10th September.
  I received an email from LiveAuctioneers on 12th September alerting me that some bidders were having difficulty contacting ***************************** and asking me to hold off payment until they had a chance to look into it.  Also if I had been able to contact ******** and if so had I paid the invoice.
  I replied to this email on 12th September letting them know that I had paid the invoice.
  On 13th LiveAuctioneers emailed thanking me for letting them know and since I paid the auction house directly, once payment is received they will update the invoice to paid.
  I emailed back on the 13th and asked if LiveAuctioneers had any concerns over the validity of the auction house.
  They replied the same day and said - Thank you for your message. We understand your concerns about the auction house. We are currently reviewing the sale due to some reports of their lack of communications. Good to know that they have been responsive to you.
  I then paid for the shipping of the items.
   
  As you can see from this timeline LiveAuctioneers only alerted me that something might be wrong with the auction after they had sent me the invoice and I had paid it. When I asked a direct question if they had any concerns over the validity of the auction house they  just replied that they were reviewing the sale due to reports of their lack of communications, but were happy to know that I had a response from the auction house. They did not send out a clear and definite warning to stop transactions with the auction house.
   
  I made my advance bid with LiveAuctioneers. I received the invoice from LiveAuctioneers with instructions to pay *****************************. They only raised an issue over lack of communication with the auction house. They belatedly warned me not to make payments until the matter had been looked into. 
  The timeline is the important thing here. My advance bids, the auction, the invoice from LiveAuctioneers, my payment, their warning , my question over the validity of the auction house, their non committal answer.
   
  In their reply to BBB they finish by saying they have been trying to get hold of the auction house and will continue to do so.
  This is nonsense. The auction house does not exist. Their email address has been shut down. Their French phone number has been shut down. No business called ***************************** has ever existed at the address in ********. 
  LiveAuctioneers should never have put the auction on their website. It validated a scam, they also aided the scam by sending out invoices. They now do not wish to take any responsibility for their action. Although I have emailed them several times complaining of their actions they have never replied to me that is why I reached out to BBB.
   
  I think it is ridiculous that LiveAuctioneers will not compensate me for my loss.
   
  Best regards
   
  ******
   
    *********************** *********************************** ************ ******** ***** **** *************** *******************      

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/05/2023

  Hi ******,

  I looked into your case regarding the canceled sale, and I see that our Bidder Support team has emailed you today.  Thank you for your prompt reply to my colleague.  It looks like they are still trying to find a way to get a hold of the auction house and also looking into other options. We appreciate your patience and apologies again for the inconvenience this sale has caused you.  Please keep an eye out for another email update from us soon.

  Regards,

  LiveAuctioneers

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/22/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/24/2023

  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 won a piece of Art (***************************************) at auction on 9th Sep 2023 for $1527 via LiveAuctioneers.com but it has not been delivered. There is a dispute between the online auction platform (LiveAuctioneers) and the Auction House (***************************** auctions).I had paid the invoice promptly and was confirmed by auction house 12th Sep 2023. I have chased both the auction house and LiveAuctionneers but they are blaming eachother.The auction house has taken down their webpage, their phone number doesnt work and emails bounce.Live Auctioneers claim to be a safe place for transactions. And show logos for ********* Chicago Tribune. But clearly this is a scam.Their phone numbers always go to voicemail, their rmail responses take days to respond and they only say thry are trying their best and it is not their responsibility. I refute this claim as they claim to be safe, and they vet the auction houses.I am very very frustrated and this is highly stressful as it is alot of money.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/03/2023

  Hi ****,

  We apologize for any inconvenience and frustration this sale may have caused.  We have told ***************************** that since payment was made directly to them, that it's their responsibility to ship the lots out.  However, based on the email they sent you, they said "for those who could not recover their payment, please contact LiveAuctioneers directly. No lots will be sent."  The payment was made directly to the auction house so they should have returned the payment if no lots will be shipped.  We will continue to try to get a hold of the auction house to remind them of their obligation and we will be sure to let you know when we have an update for you.

  Regards,

  LiveAuctioneers

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/08/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  LiveAuctioneer produced the invoice and instructions for payment. I trusted LiveAuctioneer to have vetted the auction house and they advertise that SHOP WITH CONFIDENCE. Since ****, LiveAuctioneers has made exceptional items available for safe purchase in secure online auctions. They proudly display the BBB affiliation.

  If the Auction house was unsafe and untrustworthy then this falls on LiveAuctioneer.  As far as I can see they have made little attempts to actually track down the Auction house.  As a consumer it should not be on me to check that LiveAuctioneer is trustworthy. I am sure others will have lost money using LiveAuctioneer for this specific auction.

  My expectation for this to be resolved is that LiveAuctioneer should refund me thr full amount and recover the moneys from the auction house directly. 

  Sincerely,
  
  *****************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/13/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  we are still in discussion on reimbursement payment. I am keeping this case open until payment made

   

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/15/2023

  Hi ****,

  Thank you for continuing to communicate with our Bidder Support team. We understand while you want to keep this open. Likewise, we will not **** the complaint we logged against the auction house resolved until you have confirmed receipt of the reimbursement.  Looking forward to your confirmation.

  Regards,

  LiveAuctioneers

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/17/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  The business website states that they will assist with disputes with Auction Houses using the Live Auction Platform. I have a dispute with an auction house and have open two claim tickets with Live Auctions. :Live Auction has not responded and has not honored the level of support their website claims. As a result I have had to work directly with the merchant who refuses to take the item back into their inventory. I strongly believed the auction house engaged in fraud and artificially raised the price of the item during the bidding process. I followed the instructions on the Live Auction website to dispute the item I won. I am accusing Live Auctions of false advertising and false level of support based on the information on their website, and their lack of response in this manner. Live Auctions does not provide a phone number to customer to contact them. You can only reach them via email. I am now trying to recover $1018.88 Live Auction house authorized to be charged to my credit card. For your reference, your case number is ******* for the last case number assigned to me via Live Auction on 10/16/2023

  Business Response

  Date: 10/30/2023

  Hi ****,

  We're sorry to hear about your poor experience getting a timely response from LiveAuctioneers.  We will definitely look into why it took so long to respond to your email.  With regard to assisting in post sale issues, I'd like to point out that LiveAuctioneers is merely a 3rd party website that connects buyers and sellers online. Our role in this matter is solely as a mediator to make certain both parties remain in contact while assistance is being requested.  I see that my colleague on the Bidder Support team informed you that he will be reaching out to the auction house regarding the cancelation of the sale.  He'll get back to you with the auction house's response.

  While we cannot cancel sales or process refunds without the auction house's consent, what we can do is look into your claim that there was shill bidding involved.  Unfair bidding practices is definitely something we do not allow on our platform.  We will give you our response after our review.  Please continue to communicate with my colleague handling this case.

  Regards,

  LiveAuctioneers

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/07/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  My complaint has not be resolved as I have not received any follow up correspondence from the business.

   

  1. The business has not explained why it took more than 10 days to respond to my dispute issue with one of their vendors using their platform. Live Auctions website has a publish response time is 48 hours or less. Live auctions has not followed up with me or sent me any updates. I do not know what the status of my complaint is with that business.
  2. The business did not address my dispute directly.  Instead I received a canned response re-directing me to the third party vendor I have a dispute with. 
  3. Live Auctions provides and owns the platform bidders use to purchase auction items.  Live Auctions state they will assist with disputes and issues. They have done nothing other than re-direct me to another party,

  I spoken with the third party and the attachments I provided details the interaction I had with them.  I am looking for LiveAuctions to assist me with this dispute per their website.  I have gotten my credit card company involved  and I looking to find a solution that works for all parties.  Live Auctions and the vendor World of Antiques are not responsive.

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/14/2023

  Hi *****

  I looked into your case, and I see that my colleague in the Bidder Support team has given you an update on your complaint.  The auction house said that the lot is already in transit to you but if the package is returned, they will give you a refund. Please look for the email we sent you regarding this and let us know if you have any questions.

  Regards,

  LiveAuctioneers

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/12/2023

  Type:Product 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 bid on and won an item with LiveAuctioneers. I asked if I could retract my bid and was told that I could not. ******* (the company selling the item) said that LiveAuctioneers would refund the purchase price of $811.36 if I would pay an additional $137.50 to their auction house (*******) which was paid to them on July 25 (see that email request below). It has been almost 3 months and I cannot get Live Auctioneers to refund me or respond to me. They sent a letter to my credit card company saying that I owed them the money so my credit card dispute was resolved in the favor of LiveAuctioneers.I never received the item on which I bid or a refund. This seems to be bordering on Fraud.On Jul 24, 2023, at 5:45 PM, ******* Support <*******************> wrote:***** ******** ******* **** * ******* ** *** ****** *** **** *** *** **** ** *********** *** ****** *** ******* ******* ** *** ****** **** ***** ****** **** *** ** ********* *** **** ******* ** ***** **** *** * ******** ******* *** ****** *** *** ******* ******* ****** ******* *** **** *** *** **** ******** **** ****** **** **** ******* *** **** *************** ** **** ** *** ***** **** ** ******* **** **** ****** *** ** **** **** ** ** ****** ********** ** *** ******** *** ***** ** * ****** ****** *** ********* ******* ******* **** *** *** **** *********** ******************************** ******* **************** ********************

  Business Response

  Date: 10/16/2023

  Dear *****,

  I apologize for the length of time it has taken to resolve your issue, however we have no control of timeframe on chargebacks. Upon checking your case, I noticed that someone in Payment has already been able to resolve your case:

  "Hello *****,
  Apologies again for the long wait. When a chargeback is sent to pre-arbitration, we are not able to do anything until a decision has been issued.
  I am happy to advise that a refund has been initiated today for $811.36. This should reflect on your account in 5-10days.
  Please let me know if you have other questions."

  Should you need further assistance, please don't hesitate to email us at *******************************. 

  Regards,

  LiveAuctioneers Bidder Support Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/24/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  While the business claims that they have provided a refund, they have not.  This is the second time that LiveAuctioneers has told me they have sent a refund to my Citi credit card but no credit has been received.  I would like to see their proof of the refund.  Given this has been going on for four months, I consider this fraudulent behavior.

   

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/07/2023

  Hi *****,

  I'm sorry to hear that you have not seen the refund that was processed on October 12th.  My colleague at the Bidder Support team sent you the refund receipt today, as proof of the refund, showing it was sent to your Mastercard account. You can use this as reference to help your bank locate the funds.  If you have questions, it would be best to reply to the email my colleague sent you.

  Regards,

  LiveAuctioneers

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/28/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  Transaction Date: July 9th, 2023 Amount of Money: $423.06 LiveAuctioneers facilitates the sale. Just like **** they allow sellers to establish an auction and bidders to bid to win items. On July 9th, I won items on an auction from auction house ICZ Auctions for four items. After a week I messaged ICZ on LiveAuctioneers inquiring to the shipment of my order. With no response I email LiveAuctioneers. Go through weeks of excuses and emails between LiveAuctioneers and ICZ. LiveAuctioneers flat out said there is nothing they will do directly. They sent emails but would not action a refund. It got to the point where I had to file a case with my credit card company. At the time of this complaint I still do not have the shipment nor a refund. Also at the time of this complaint I have stopped receiving ANY response from LiveAuctioneers. And I've now stopped getting any excuses from ICZ.Invoice# *******

  Business Response

  Date: 10/03/2023

  Hi ******,

  We're sorry to have disappointed you with the level of service we've shown.  I reviewed your complaint and saw that my colleague at the Bidder Support team explained that LiveAuctioneers is merely a 3rd party website that connects buyers and sellers online.  Our role in this matter is solely as a mediator and so we cannot process refunds without the auction house's consent.

  On August 18th, the payment for the lot was already returned to you when you filed a chargeback for the transaction.  On August 21, we sent you an email confirming the chargeback and encouraging you to contact your bank for updates.  After the chargeback you initiated on the 18th, I saw that you had continued to reach out asking for a shipping update on your lots.  While a dispute is open, the auction house will not ship anything out because the payment was already taken back by your bank.  I see that maybe this was not made clear by our team, and we apologize for any confusion.  Please contact your credit card company for any updates on the sale or questions on the chargeback process.

  Regards,

  LiveAuctioneers

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/12/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  I reject the statements provided by LiveAuctioneers as they are presenting in a way that it is known information. The main reason I wish to put forth this complaint is in the hope of making buyers aware of the lack of support and abilities of LiveAuctioneers. The website presents itself in a way that says they are safe and secure and offer award winning customer support. These are false. 

  My main objective is for LiveAuctioneers to make it plain and aware that there is no safeguard to the buyer. To find out after there is a problem is a problem in itself. When I read through the published FAQ and information they present themselves as being able to help with transactions. However, their system is only drafted so if a buyer doesn't pay then the auctioneer can file a dispute against them, puts a derogatory **** against them as a bidder, etc. However, if a seller does not ship the item there is no such recourse to them. All that happens is a message is sent from LiveAuctioneers to the auction house. 

  So after weeks of dealing with the lies and excuses of the auction house, no customer support from ******************, and literally getting ignored. I was forced to get my credit card company involved.

  LiveAuctioneers posts that they have an 'A' rating from the BBB. That they have been shown on all these different outlets as such a reputable company. And boasts of their customer service. 

  In my particular situation I disagree with this. I do not believe the website makes it clear that they do not offer any support in a problem between the bidder and auction house. They do not make it clear that they are 'merely a conduit'. They present themselves as a safe and managed environment. They facilitate the sales and offer the platform for it. So either they need to have the ability to mediate on the behalf of their customers or they should have it plain and clear that they cannot facilitate support if it is required for a sale. 

  As LiveAuctioneers stated, they did not present this information adequately in their support. As I have attested, they literally stopped communicating with me until I issued public complaints. I do not believe they should be allowed to present themselves as they do. 

  Frankly at the minimum I believe an auction house should be penalized for not sending items and more or less attempting theft. Because if I didn't get my credit card company involved I would have received zero action or support for this transaction. LiveAuctioneers will likely make mention that they did respond to my emails initially. That they reached out multiple times to the auction house. I'm not saying these actions did not occur. I'm saying that there is no actions against the auction house that did not ship the items as they said they would and there is no dispute option for the buyer. This tells me that as long as LiveAuctioneers gets there money they don't care what happens after the sale. 

  So feel free to close this. I just wanted to reiterate these points. Wanted to respond that sure, defend yourself that you are just a mediator. I just wish you wouldn't present yourself as a customer service driven auction website when ultimately will ignore a customer in distress.  

  Sincerely,
  
  *************************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/01/2023

  Hi ******,

  Thank you for sharing your experience with this sale.  We're sorry we were not able to help you sooner and that you've had to file a chargeback with your credit card company.  We will keep your complaint against the auction house on file indefinitely to reference internally for when we review the auction house's account.  We'll also take your experience as feedback to help improve our platform and customer experience.

  Regards,

  ******************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/01/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  When you purchase a item in an auction and pay for it they do not provide any shipping information although the auctions policy states that they can provide a list of shippers but I cannot and have not received any list after repeated attempts to obtain one. The auction house is *****.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/05/2023

  Hi ******,

  I'm sorry to hear about your problems getting the list of recommended shippers from *******************.  I looked into your complaint, and I saw that the auction house has replied to the message you sent them through our platform.  They replied to your email on August 31 by providing the list of their preferred shippers. I also asked my colleague in the Bidder Support team to email you the list in case you don't have access to the message from the auction house. If you have questions, please reply to the email from my colleague.

  Regards,

  LiveAuctioneers