Internet auction experience,NOT Good

I feel your pain . Several times I have brought really hard to find parts, that I have been searching for years to find, on internet auctions . One was a 1910 Breeze Carburetor , one was a Chex Oil gauge and another was a Dual Temp/Fuel gauge . They all arrived but the postage time was an anxious time and I can imagine how I would have felt if they hadn't showed. Distance makes sorting things out much more difficult as well All you can do is say merde !
 
I know most of the local auctioneers, when the post an up coming sale usually at the bottom of the page it reads something line...."announcements day of the sale take precedence over anything else posted" which in their words doesnt hold them accountable for anything misadvertised or lets them change anything in favor to them or the estate or sellers.

If the ad doesnt say anywere the term NO RESERVE then expect reserves

Its just part of the game
 
34pickup said:
I went to one tool auction where there were several tubs of misc tools. I was waiting for one of them to come up to bid that had stuff in it I wanted. Well, the auctioneer auctioned the first tub for x amount of dollars and low and behold he asked the winner how many tubs he wanted for that price and he took all of them.
Is that the normal way these work?
Thats the last time I went to an auction by that company.
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Yes. Nothing unusual about it. It is done for wheels, engines, similiar shop items, etc.
 
I was at the Hartung auction a number of years ago and was bidding on a number of great lots full of NOS parts. Some lots had a number of different items years and some I needed for a build. I was there all three days and funny how the lots items, parts would disappear and appear in "said " lots. I witnessed a few guys moving parts about and thought that was "****" . I was missing a few items out of one or two lots but got to inspect them before taking them .
I have to give credit to the auctioneers and company that took on such a large collection of parts and sorting them out in like lots.
It always good to have some eyes and hands at the auction if you can...
 
Are you still looking for an oil-chex ???? Some on does reproduce them but I am not sure who. Looking for a person that knows. I will post an oil-chex question
 
This auction subject just came up over coffee the other day up at the shop a group of us hang out in.

Anymore, and people are getting so stinking crooked, there are a lot of BS things going on at sales. People are moving items, hiding good items under a stack of junk, stealing items that you have bought and set to the side while your back is turned busy bidding on other stuff and meanwhile some jerk is stealing what you just bought....... It is bad.

Other things you see. I was at a sale a couple years ago that had tons of Model A Ford parts and half a dozen Model A's, none really show cars but they ran and they were decent. The owner was in a nursing home and everything had to go. There was a bare block, no visible cracks, looked great. I had my hand in the air to bid on it when it came up, I was standing by the ring man in plain site, beside the block, directly in front of the pickup truck camper thing the auctioneer was in. The auctioneers yells out "$1 do I hear $1.... blackada blackada blackada SOLD for $1. Tim takes it." Obviously 'Tim' was either getting stuff for the auctioneer or 'Tim' was his buddy. I said quite loudly 'HEY HOW ABOUT ME HOW ABOUT MY BID?' Auctioneer ignored me and went on. A NOS McCord Radiator for a '28-'29 Model A still in the box was up soon after that. Same BS. 'Tim' got that for $5. Another guy next to me was overlooked on his hand waving in the air, he was PO'ed big time. They didn't 'see' me either I guess because as that guy and I were griping the auctioneer said calmly 'Boys, if you want to bid, get your hands in the air so we can see you.' He would open and close the bidding all in one breath and declare 'sold' in under 5 seconds, did that on several more very good items that day. 'Tim' made out like a Bandit. he and the auctioneer were both 'bandits'.

Sometimes the auctioneers are as crooked as the thieves in the crowd.
 
I spent the day watching that auction live and I actually won several lots also. Towards the end of the day, perhaps I should have refreshed my computer, but after it said I was the winner of the auction it said my bid was rejected. I immediately called but the office was closed, so the next day when I called again they told me it was sold to an on site bidder. I also thought the buyer premium was too high at 18%, plus paying shipping. I don't think I'll be buying with them anymore either.
 
why I dont ever buy at auctions.................for all of the above reasons.

too many pirates!
 
Years ago I bought a car at the big Jan. auction in Arizona , went to look at a specific car . I did an inspection of the car at it looked absolutely stunning of course could not drive it because of all the people and crowds under the tent . Long story short I bid high and often and won the bid had the car shipped to my home and drove it around the block , squeak , squeak put it on my lift , entire car had been sand blasted without disassembly , all of the ball joints and bearings covered in sand and ruined then I looked at the transmission tunnel , car was supposed to be a factory 4 speed the opening was cut with a cold chisel sold the car for a $12000 loss !
 
IndianapolisRacer said:
Years ago I bought a car at the big Jan. auction in Arizona , went to look at a specific car . I did an inspection of the car at it looked absolutely stunning of course could not drive it because of all the people and crowds under the tent . Long story short I bid high and often and won the bid had the car shipped to my home and drove it around the block , squeak , squeak put it on my lift , entire car had been sand blasted without disassembly , all of the ball joints and bearings covered in sand and ruined then I looked at the transmission tunnel , car was supposed to be a factory 4 speed the opening was cut with a cold chisel sold the car for a $12000 loss !
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You should have caught that without driving it. How did you not even peak underneath?
 
!959 Chevrolets sit very low and the underside that was visible was spotless and you could not see the area above the transmission at all . Car was presented as a factory fuel injected , 4 speed car one of 14 built , black with red interior . Lesson learned !
 
A buddy that goes to the 'big Arizona' auction in January (name of auction omitted you know who I mean) has told me that they do not allow a close up inspection of the cars, you can't even open the hood let alone crawl under neath it. You CAN stand outside the rope and look at the car from a distance.

SO, I can fully understand how IndianapolisRacer got 'took'.

THAT car was misrepresented big time, one of 14,,, yeah right. Hope you got a lawyer involved. Or maybe the sales are As is/Where is that is usually the auction companies 'out' to protect themselves.

No way I would even think about buying a car if the auction ring Nazis chase you off w/o letting you inspect it. That makes me think that a number of bidders aren't really car people anyway they don't know what they are doing, if they are OK with that.
 
skidmarks said:
. I know 2 guys that go through every estate auction moving stuff around and hidding stuff under general junk to get better deals. But even the auctioneers tell bidders if you see something you want by itself to pull it out of a larger lot and they will sell it by itself.

Atleast you got a refund
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having attended some of the same auctions.. with some of the same people.. I am fairly certain we know who to watch..

I've won some things with grafe.. and honestly some of the items were not what I thought they were.. (per the description online) but I bid carefully to protect myself..


in the o.p.'s case.. I think the auction co did what they should have done.. refunded you..

I assume you were able to keep what you recieved? so overall they lost money on the sale.. and while you didn't get what you wanted, you got something for nothing..

is the situation unfortunate??

Yes.

but in the end..managing a auction ... either online or in person, and then managing the pickup of items after the sale..... is a logistical nightmare..

easier to say what and how it should be done. than to do it..
 
The big Auction in January is a Joke.
You can,t start the car,drive it or lift it up in the air and inspect it.
I,ve worked on a car purchased there and what a turd it was.
It took a new frame,1/4s,floor pan and front fenders to fix it.
The only people benefiting from that Auction is the Auction company
 
sawzall said:
having attended some of the same auctions.. with some of the same people.. I am fairly certain we know who to watch..

I've won some things with grafe.. and honestly some of the items were not what I thought they were.. (per the description online) but I bid carefully to protect myself..


in the o.p.'s case.. I think the auction co did what they should have done.. refunded you..

I assume you were able to keep what you recieved? so overall they lost money on the sale.. and while you didn't get what you wanted, you got something for nothing..

is the situation unfortunate??

Yes.

but in the end..managing a auction ... either online or in person, and then managing the pickup of items after the sale..... is a logistical nightmare..

easier to say what and how it should be done. than to do it..
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I didn't want the other gauges .I wanted the 2 that were removed.That is why I bid.They need to get their act together.If they cannot do it right they should not be in the business.
 
I totally agree with you , there are people who are experts at putting cars together just to make a quick $ and the same people bring cars every year that look absolutely fabulous when they roll up on the stage and because of all the restrictions it is not possible to properly inspect the vehicle . I like watching auctions but after my $12000 haircut I won't buy there !
 
Makes me wonder if the inspection restriction is done to get people to get caught up in the bidding, and buy a vehicle they would never have bought if they had had the chance to go over it beforehand.

I'd never buy from these guys either especially after all of the stories I have heard about what goes on.
 
Jeff your a very nice guy and my loud mouth and size would have got me in a bundle of trouble . I have been at a auction like that and that's just so wrong !! that sucks and sorry that happened ....




Jeff/Illinois said:
This auction subject just came up over coffee the other day up at the shop a group of us hang out in.

Anymore, and people are getting so stinking crooked, there are a lot of BS things going on at sales. People are moving items, hiding good items under a stack of junk, stealing items that you have bought and set to the side while your back is turned busy bidding on other stuff and meanwhile some jerk is stealing what you just bought....... It is bad.

Other things you see. I was at a sale a couple years ago that had tons of Model A Ford parts and half a dozen Model A's, none really show cars but they ran and they were decent. The owner was in a nursing home and everything had to go. There was a bare block, no visible cracks, looked great. I had my hand in the air to bid on it when it came up, I was standing by the ring man in plain site, beside the block, directly in front of the pickup truck camper thing the auctioneer was in. The auctioneers yells out "$1 do I hear $1.... blackada blackada blackada SOLD for $1. Tim takes it." Obviously 'Tim' was either getting stuff for the auctioneer or 'Tim' was his buddy. I said quite loudly 'HEY HOW ABOUT ME HOW ABOUT MY BID?' Auctioneer ignored me and went on. A NOS McCord Radiator for a '28-'29 Model A still in the box was up soon after that. Same BS. 'Tim' got that for $5. Another guy next to me was overlooked on his hand waving in the air, he was PO'ed big time. They didn't 'see' me either I guess because as that guy and I were griping the auctioneer said calmly 'Boys, if you want to bid, get your hands in the air so we can see you.' He would open and close the bidding all in one breath and declare 'sold' in under 5 seconds, did that on several more very good items that day. 'Tim' made out like a Bandit. he and the auctioneer were both 'bandits'.

Sometimes the auctioneers are as crooked as the thieves in the crowd.
Click to expand...
 
1952henry said:
Yes. Nothing unusual about it. It is done for wheels, engines, similiar shop items, etc.
Click to expand...

A good auctioneer will announce before that item is sold, if there are several like items, winner takes their choice of items times (blank) however many items there are. Then they will ask 'Do you want them all?' or 'What ones do you want?" then they re-bid after the selection is made. Then there is no question.
 
vulture said:
Jeff your a very nice guy and my loud mouth and size would have got me in a bundle of trouble . I have been at a auction like that and that's just so wrong !! that sucks and sorry that happened ....
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As I was walking some stuff I was able to buy over to the car, another couple of guys I didn't know were walking away complaining pretty loudly about what was being done they were PO'ed too. Same had happened to them. One of them was trying to buy the '31 Roadster and he got 'left out' of the bidding. They pointed to him early on at the opening bid then didn't seem to 'notice' him anymore after that even though he was yelling and waving his hand. Car went on the cheap to somebody else over the "phone" as I recall. And that Model A didn't bid long, it was over in about 40 seconds the others were longer times on the bids they even took a short pause and came back and auctioned them off like when they sell farm land and houses. But not the Roadster.
 
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