Bang the Gavel Auction Service dba Seized Assets Auctioneers

Review: I am being billed for something that I did not buy or bid on. They claimed that I was the high bidder on a diamond ring. I emailed them that I moly bid on coins, NOT on diamond rings. I had bid on 2 silver eagle coins, which I was high bidder. I did not bid on the ring.Desired Settlement: I want the order removed from my name as I did not order the diamond ring.

Review: ring was described as a brilliant white diamond worth 7-8000. It is way smaller than stated and worth $600 on a good day,Desired Settlement: credit for the misrepresented items purchased

Business

Response:

As Stated by the Business. We spoke with the Customer yesterday. We issued a call tag to return the disputed item for review by an independent appraiser. The item is currently out at appraisal. The Customer is aware of the current status and we will be back in contact with him after the item returns from appraisal. Thank you. .Bang the Gavel Auction

Review: Hello, I recently bid on an won a pair of emerald n diamond earings that were advertised as fine jewelry. They fact is that these are junk earings advertised as fine jewelry and the jewels are cracked and scratched throughout. I tried to work this out with a return and was ignored. These people are selling junk jewelry advertised as fine jewelry and please don't let them rip off any other people!Desired Settlement: They sold junk jewelry advertised as fine jewelry and all I want is to return them for a refund and make sure they don't rip off other people. Pls help!

Business

Response:

Dear Sir or Madam,Please accept this letter in response to the complaint pertaining to the above referenced case Len Parsi1. On November 8, Len Parsi purchased lot # 236 from auction. 2. Len Parsi received the tem via UPS on December 15, 2014. 3. The items that Len Parsi won at the auction included pictures and a detailed description. 4. It’s abundantly clear that Len Parsi knew exactly what he was purchasing and made a conscious decision to purchase the items based on how they were clearly and visually presented.5. It is our contention that the items that Len Parsi received are the exact items that he purchased from the auction.6. SAA Guarantees that items you purchase at our auction will be as described within industry standards to be accurate so far as weights, gold content, clarity, cut and color. 7. The following disclosure is prominently displayed on the auction page that Len Parsi had to click to agree to prior to bidding on any item in the auction..a. All items are sold AS IS, WHERE IS WITH ALL FAULTS. ALL SALES ARE FINAL - NO REFUNDS AND NO EXCHANGES. WE AND THE CONSIGNOR, AS APPLICABLE, DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTIES ARE MADE THAT ANY OF THE MERCHANDISE COMPLIES WITH ANYAPPLICABLE GOVERNMENTAL RULES, REGULATIONS OR ORDINANCES OF ANY KIND OR NATURE WHATSOEVER. All items are available for inquiries prior to bidding. Written and oral descriptions are the opinions of SAA, and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to authenticity, age, condition, materials or any other feature of items beingsold. SAA believes to the best of its knowledge that the information presented in any auction has come from reliable sources. However, such information is presented solely for the convenience of the prospective purchasers. SAA attempts to catalog every lot correctly and will attempt to point out any defects but will not be responsible or liable for the correctness of the catalog or other descriptions of the lot. It is the responsibility of prospective bidders to examine all items in which they have an interest. By placing a bid, in any capacity, you signify that you have examined the items as fully as you desire and have had the opportunity to ask questions and receive answers from SAA that you deem adequate. If you require absolute certainty in all areas of authenticity, and the results of your evaluation leave uncertainty in your mind, do not bid on the lot in question. We are not affiliated with any government entity and not all of the items sold were seized. Items sold by us are sourced from multiple channels and there are no assurances that any of the items being sold have been seized.b. Seized Assets Auctioneers clearly states its return and refund policy on every item it represents and clearly states the following: “IN THE EVENT THAT YOU REQUEST AND ARE GRANTED BY SAA A RETURN, CANCELLATION, OR REFUND, YOU AGREE THAT YOU ARE STILL RESPONSIBLE TO PAY A 15% RESTOCKING FEE BASED ON THE FINAL SALE PRICE (I.E. THE HAMMER PRICE) OF EACH ITEM THAT IS RETURNED PLUS THE ENTIRE BUYER’S PREMIUM FOR EACH ITEM AS WELL AS ALL OF THE SHIPPING/HANDLING CHARGES. THIS MEANS THAT THE RESTOCKING FEE, BUYERS’ PREMIUM AND SHIPPING/HANDLING CHARGES ARE NEVER ELIGIBLE FOR A REFUND OR RETURN.” Please see the attached Seized Assets Payment and Bidder Agreement which is clearly posted on every page.8. If the customer does not agree to the terms and conditions, they cannot participate in the auction.9. Our terms and conditional are also listed on the detailed listing of each and every item.10. Our terms and conditional are also listed at the time of completing the purchase via credit card.11. Len Parsi contacted us in regards to the items received. Stating there are flaws in the emerald. Under further review; these flaws are clearly visible in the pictures which were shown with the item.12. We offered Len Parsi 3 solutions: 1) He can keep the item; 2) Our customer service department offered to send a call tag to pick up the item and give him SAA Credit (store credit) for the hammer price and the buyer’s premium for the item; or 3) He can return the item at his own expense and it will be subject to our return/refund policy as stated in number 7b above. He can ship the item back to Seized Assets Auctioneers[redacted] Road Suite DWestlake Village, CA 91361

Business

Response:

The customer is complaining about cracks in one of the Emeralds, however these are only common “inclusions” and were clearly shown in the pictures at the time of purchase. We do not photoshop any of the gemstones, metals, or items in our pictures because it is important for us to show the exact item the customer will be receiving. As an auction house we understand the importance of giving accurate and detailed information where ever possible and so we would never purposely omit any information in an effort to “trick” or “deceive” the customer. As we are sure the customer knows there are many different levels of color, clarity, size, and cuts in gemstones. If the Emeralds that Mr. Parsi purchased didn’t have the inclusions as shown in the pictures, the same Emerald earrings could sell for 40-50 times the amount that the customer paid for the item. In addition even though our terms and conditions state all items are sold as-is, where is and all sales were final, we always try and do our best to keep the customers happy wherever possible and so we offered the customer the full amount of the purchase as a credit for future use with us, in addition to 2 other options, however the customer was still not satisfied with the solutions offered.

Consumer

Response:

Review: 10465569I am rejecting this response because it's false and misleading.

Review: I purchased a diamond ring from Seized Asset Auctioneers on Proxibid. The ring was advertised with an appraisal from American International Gemologists. The appraisal was grossly mis-stated as confirmed by 2 independent gemologists with accredited credentials from the American Gem Society. Other than the weight the color and clarity could not be confirmed as stated in the appraisal report provided by Seized Asset Auctioneers. I attempted to contact Seized Asset Auctioneers for a resolution but my email was never responded to. Hiding behind your terms is bad business practice. Your reputation is at stake and you should not try to take advantage of consumers with false advertising and suspect appraisals.Desired Settlement: I would like a total refund including including buyer's premium and handling. The invoiced amount was $2039.45. The invoice # is SAAP[redacted]11.

Business

Response:

As Stated by the Business. We are sending out the Customer’s item for a fourth appraisal to validate the item was as represented when she made her winning bid. She was informed of this today buy our customer service department.Bang the Gavel, Inc.

Consumer

Response:

Review: 10706190

I am rejecting this response because: this company continues its deceptive ways. They continue to send it out for appraisals that are not 3rd party non-selling appraisers as per the terms in the agreement. This will be the 4th appraisal. The ring was mis-represented when sold and the company states they guarantee weight, color and clarity. The weight was over represented and does NOT meet the FTC standards. This issue has been going on for over 2 months. The company should honor its guarantee and offer a FULL refund.

Regards,

A[redacted]

Business

Response:

As stated by the Business. We have now received the Customers ring back from a fourth appraiser. This is an appraiser we have never used before, Gemassure Geological Appraisals. All appraisals were paid for by the Seized Assets Auctioneers, the auction house, at no expense to the Customer. All four appraisals have come back consistent within industry standards as to cut, color, clarity, and weight. The Customer purchased an item that was accurately represented as verified by all four appraisals. We have made every attempt, in good faith, to address the Customer‘s concerns. The item purchased was as represented. After speaking with the Customer on 10/14/15, she has stated she does not want the ring. Per our terms and conditions, Seized Assets Auctioneers will be charging the Customer the restocking fee and the buyer’s premium and Seized Assets Auctioneers will refund the remaining balance. Thank You. Seized Assets Auctioneers

Review: Purchased 3 posters from this company earlier this year, love the posters and when I received the invoice it stated I could NOT combine shipping ???? Its 3 posters ?? They charged $22.00 per poster to ship, that's right $22.00 per poster!! Unbelievable and that was on TOP of their auction fees and price. I contacted them immediately after I received the shipment and looked at the bill. Guess what they shipped all 3 posters in the same poster tube for a total of about $13.00 with cost of tube and mailing. They charged me $53.00 to put the posters in a tube that they said we could not combine shipping, there for each poster should have came in a separate tube. That is FRAUD and a definite rip off of a customer. These people are a joke. After I sent them an email twice, they finally called me up and I let them have it and they flat out admitted on the phone they should not have done that and offered a 40.00 credit... I told them get lost and I will never bid on any auction from them again, refund my money as you already admitted it. They then totally ignored me so I protested the charge with my company... It took 2 months because this crappy company would not respond and then in the end I gave up...But after thinking about this RIP OFF company and their tactics I needed to file this report and after this I will also file with the Revdex.com on them also. This is the type of FRAUD that goes on.. Its funny how they say that you cant combine shipping and then your items all arrive in the same box!! FRAUDDesired Settlement: FULL REFUND of ALL ITEMS

Business

Response:

Review: Bang the Gavel Auction...Seized Assets Auctioneers... should not have advertised that this ring was in "Excellent Condition". The pictures presented in the "Bidding process" showed that the ring was not missing any gems/diamonds...therefore this advertising was false and misrepresented as I explained to several of their company personnel and to the owner. If I had known the item was damaged I would not have bid on it. I have had many different types of diamond rings in the past and once a diamond falls out (especially a small chip) in an area on the ring, it will continue to fall out in that same location. This is why I do not want to accept a "repaired" ring as it will continue to have problems in the future.

I fully understand the company policy, but the owner wants you to believe that I knew "exactly" what I was bidding on???? The company knew it was damaged/missing a diamond, and they sent me a prepaid label to ship it back. So when they accepted the ring back that was sent to me in "damaged/NOT EXCELLENT" condition then the company mislead me when they stated on their website/bidding that it was in "EXCELLENT"condition. I have contacted several attorneys and they also have agreed with me that this is misrepresentation of this item.Desired Settlement: Refund of money... $335.00... I would never have bid on an item that was damaged in any way, shape or form. The description from the Merchant said "Item was in Excellent Condition". This is totally false and it was misrepresented at the time of bidding. Merchant offer not acceptable.

Business

Response:

The customer has been issued a full refund on 04/17/2013.

Seized Assets Auctioneers

###-###-####

Review: I purchased several rings from this auction website based on the appraisals that were listed with each item. I did expect a little variance from the stated values of the auction items, however, when I received the items, I took them to several local jewelers here in Florida, and basically laughed at these appraisals. the replacement values listed with these items was not even close to what I was told by the local jewelers. There were also discrepancies with the actual jewelry grading as well. I called Seized Assets and was told that I would have to go out and spend my own money on new appraisals before they would even consider anything. I should not have to go out and spend my own money to get appraisals to disprove the appraisals they include with their items. And below is a copy of the email I received from them basically station they don't stand by any values that their sellers put on the items. As a consumer, I based the purchases on the appraisals at least being close to the values. Please see email below that I recieved:As per our terms and conditions, we cannot and do not have any control as it pertains to the values that the appraisers put into their appraisals and therefore cannot and do not get involved nor guarantee the appraisers opinion of values either up or down. In our terms and conditions that you must agree to prior to being accepted as a bidder, we clearly advise you to do your own research with regards to the values prior to biding. You may rest assured however that you may rely upon the appraisers statements as to the weights, gold content, clarity, cut and color to be accurate within industry standards. I hope that this note clarifies your questions and concerns, Sincerely, Anelle L.Customer Service TeamSeized Assets AuctioneersUS Phone: ###-###-#### Ext 1International Phone: ###-###-#### Ext 1Email: [redacted]@seizedassetsauctioneers.comDesired Settlement: All I want is to be able to send these items back and get a refund.

Business

Response:

As the auction company, we are very interested in seeing

to it that you get what you pay for. We are not jewelers, rather auctioneers,

which is why we send items to outside appraisers. Our job as the auction

company is to maintain an orderly auction for both buyer and sellers. We DO NOT

have any control over the appraiser’s opinions nor the appraisal process, in

order for an appraisal service to qualify to be hired by our company to do

appraisals they must be a non selling, 3rd party, GIA educated

graduate gemologists.

We do guarantee that items you purchase at our auction

will be as described within industry standards to be accurate so far as

weights, gold content, clarity, cut and color.

Our terms

and conditions clearly state if you are not sure on an item, please don’t bid

on it. When M[redacted] won the bid, he

owns the item from our consignor. In an

attempt to satisfy the bidder we did receive the item back from him. We sent the items out to a 2nd

unrelated non selling, 3rd

party, GIA educated graduate gemologists. The second report came back

and is consistent with the first report.

We were in contact with the customer; offered a few options and he chose

the refund. We refunded him as per out

terms and conditions. As the auction

house we receive a buyer’s premium for running the auction. This fee is nonrefundable along with the

shipping and handling. We charged a 15% restocking fee for the consignor. This is also clearly stated in our terms and

conditions.

M[redacted] may

contact the appraisal to proceed with his claims regarding the appraisals.

Sincerely,

Seized

Assets Auctioneers

Consumer

Response:

Review: 10704312

I am rejecting this response because: I did send the items back and they have never contacted me since that time. I have received no phone call or any email from them. I was never given any options. I have never seen the so called 3rd party appraisals.

Regards,

M[redacted]

Business

Response:

We were working with M[redacted] on a resolution and in the

middle of this process and much to our surprise we were notified by American

Express that customer did not want the items anymore. We proceeded with our standard protocol as

outlined in our terms and conditions.

Sincerely,

Seized

Assets Auctioneers

Consumer

Response:

Review: 10704312

I am rejecting this response because: That is 100% false. I had disputed the items with Amex until the situation was resolved. I never authorized Seized Assets to return the items and issue a refund. To this day, they still have not provided me with a copy of the third party appraisals, and will not respond to my email, other than "call me"I have sent numerous emails requesting copies of the new appraisals, and they have not provided them to me. I want to see the supposed new appraisals.

Regards,

M[redacted]

Review: I am a newcomer to the Invaluable Web site, an Internet auction platform which connects bidders with Seized Assets Auctioneers (SAA). I called Invaluable 7/4/14 6:30 a.m., but it was closed. I tried to used the Live bidding site, but was confused and could not figure out how to enter a bid. An absentee bidder is allowed to place a set price, but for the Live bidding, there is no way for anyone to enter the price one wants. On the Invaluable site, I asked for my husband's help. He did not realize that I had already registered. He clicked around the Bid Now area several times without any response, but then suddenly it showed that I won Lot 295, A8236, a ring, at $3,500 which I have no interest in. I called Invaluable ASAP and spoke to Riley who advised me to e-mail and left message with SAA. On 7/7/14 got email from Shay Hass at SAA asking me to pay a (1) 18.5% buyer's premium fee of $647.50 plus a 15% restocking fee of $525.00 for a total of $1,172.50 or (2) pay in full $4,452.95 and take it as a credit for future bidding.Later on 7/4/14 2 p.m., I proceeded to bid on the item I wanted and was shocked. On 7/7/14 I called Invaluable to find out details of the bidding history, Alyssa, gave the following: Starting bid was $2,250, two absentee bids of $2500 (one was mine), next bid $11,000 was erroneously attributed to me, others at $12,000, $13,000, $14,000, $15,000, sold at $16,000. Alyssa said it was sold, but "pass". My actual absentee bidding before the live bid was $1,000. Because of the bad experience with the ring, I was careful to click only once at $2500 during the Live bid. In short, the Invaluable site is inaccurate and has dangerous glitches that attributes very high bids to bidders which they never submitted.On 7/7/14 I told Jaime from SAA about the horrible experience on the 2nd bidding. He located the bidding history and admitted that he was aware that Invaluable has a software glitch. He said that in that case if I had won, they would not have charged me.Desired Settlement: I request that SAA cancel the first auction and remove all charges on my account because the Live bid auction site of Invaluable is confusing and error prone, putting consumers at risk for charges and fees that they are not aware of without protection against computer glitches.

Business

Response:

Review: Seized Assets Auctioneers is attempting to collect from me payment for an erroneous bid placed on 12/09/15 for Lot #137 Rolex Watch total being $5,968.46 through a technical error on their 3rd party website used for Internet bidding during their live auction called Proxibid while I was viewing their website on my Apple Ipad Tablet. I have been in contact with both Proxbid and Seized Assets to communicate I was not live on their auction as my Ipad reflected I was in Watch Only Mode at the time this lot was actively being bid on and somehow my attempt to go back live into their auction triggered a false bid. I did not view this item any time during the pre-auction or live auction period. I do not want this item and have no intention of paying for something that I am being invoiced for based on a technical error (that from I now see online including this website other users have experienced as well from time to time). I also do not plan on paying in full to have that amount to be used as a future credit or a restocking fee. This mistake occurred through no fault of the user and I request that they cancel and zero out the invoice immediately.Desired Settlement: This mistake occurred through no fault of the user and I request that Seized Assets cancel and zero out the invoice immediately with no money due from me.

Business

Response:

Review: Seized Assets Auctioneers (SAA) auctioned online 7/26/2014 lot 113, a "White Gold, Emerald and Diamond Bracelet". The bracelet particulars were detailed along with an estimated value of $12,324. The online catalog pictured the bracelet and the appraisal for $12,324. I bid, won and paid for the bracelet, buyers premium, shipping and handling. Upon receipt of the bracelet I had it examined by [redacted]: Senior Member: American Society of Appraisers, Senior Member: National Association of Jewelry Appraisers, Certified Member: Appraisers Association of America, Graduate Gemologist: Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Fellow: Gemological Association of Great Britain (FGA). His appraised value of the piece was for $2,500. The bracelet is engraved on the clasp with the emerald and diamond carat weights of 4.7 and 1.42. SAA and their appraisal list different carat weights than engraved which possibly signifies the bracelet was never examined at all.SAA claims they are not responsible for the claims of their appraisers, yet after research, I discovered multiple complaints registered against SAA, specifically regarding appraisals grossly inflating the value of their products. SAA has been aware of the false appraisals for some time yet continues to use them to advertise their items.Desired Settlement: I request immediate reimbursement for all expenses incurred which include: Bracelet purchase price- $1,600Buyers Premium- $296 Shipping and Handling Fee- $23.95 Outside Appraisal fee paid to Mr. [redacted]- $100 Return shipping label cost.Request that SAA discontinue false and misleading advertising practices.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

As the auction company, we are very interested in seeing

to it that you get what you pay for. We are not jewelers, rather auctioneers,

which is why we send items to outside appraisers. Our job as the auction

company is to maintain an orderly auction for both buyer and sellers. We DO NOT

have any control over the appraiser’s opinions nor the appraisal process, in

order for an appraisal service to qualify to be hired by our company to do

appraisals they must be a non selling, 3rd party, GIA educated

graduate gemologists.

We do guarantee that items you purchase at our auction

will be as described within industry standards to be accurate so far as

weights, gold content, clarity, cut and color.

As our

standard protocol; we would issue a call tag to have the item picked up. Once we receive the

item back, we will send the item a second (different) appraisal company which

will also be a fully certified,

non-selling G.I.A. Graduate Gemologist. These companies are independent from

us. They do not sell jewelry

so there is no conflict in interest. Their only job is to appraise

jewelry, not sell jewelry. If the second report comes back and is inconsistent

within industry standards of our first appraisal, then the item was not listed

accurately we would give the customer a full refund. If the 2nd report came back and

is consistent with the first report, then the item was listed accurately, we would either

ship the item back to the customer, offer credit towards future auctions with

us, or refund as per our terms and conditions.

[redacted] refuses to send the item back to us.

She wants a full refund prior to sending the item back to us; which we cannot

do nor will any company issue a refund prior to receiving the merchandise back. If Leslie wants to proceed with our return policy,

she may contact our customer service department toll free at ###-###-####.

--Seized Assets Auctioneers

Business

Response:

In addition to our previous response, we do not have any control over the

appraiser’s opinions nor the appraisal process.

Seized Assets Auctioneers sends item out to an independent

third party for Retail Replacement Value Appraisals, which are the most common

type of appraisal. These types of evaluations are written for insurance needs.

This would be the cost to replace the jewelry with an item of equal quality and

kind, considered to be the current market price or the replacement value. This

type of appraisal is done to protect you in the event of damage or loss of a

valuable item. Our appraisals are conducted by independent 3rd Party appraisal

firms that utilizes Certified GIA Gemologist. Appraisals should be used for

verification of gemstone and/or metal weight, size, and grade only, not actual

value.

As per our

terms and conditions, we cannot and do not have any control as it pertains to

the values that the appraisers put into their appraisals and therefore cannot

and do not get involved nor guarantee the appraisers opinion of values either

up or down. This is in our terms and conditions that you must agree to

prior to being accepted as a bidder and at time of payment. We clearly advise you to do your own research

with regards to the values prior to biding. You may rest assured however that

you may rely upon the appraisers statements as to the weights, gold content,

clarity, cut and color to be accurate within industry standards.

Sincerely,

Seized Assets

Auctioneers

Consumer

Response:

Review: 10238778

I am rejecting this response because:

Review: We bought a SILVER 17.12ct Star Ruby and White Sapphire Ring on their auction site going on the attached appraisal they included to find out the ring basically has no value and the center stone is in worse condition than advertised by the auction company and listed ion the appraisal.___________The center stone is a very low quality, I cant think of a single dealer or store I know who would buy it at any price. My best guess as far as what you can get would be the melt value of the gold and maybe a little bit for the small diamonds. Again just my opinion.We are trying to buy exceptional one of a kind piecesRegardRalph Ralph Mueller and Associates[redacted] Rd #910Scottsdale, AZ. 85251PN:###-###-#### FAX:###-###-####Desired Settlement: I am requesting that the company refund me the following amount due to the ring that has no value:$325.00- for the SILVER 17.12ct Star Ruby and White Sapphire Ring $60.13-Buyer's premium$12.95-shipping and handlingtotal: $398.08andI will return the ring and documentation back to the auction company.

Review: I had pre bid on an item on the Seized Assets Auction. All auctions start online at $1. I had bid $100 on a bracelet. I received an email notifying me that I had been outbid. Out of curiosity to see what the winning bid was- or if I could still bid on the item I clicked the link provided in the email. This link led me to what appeared to be an auction of other items in the catalogue, but it was very unclear if that was what I was looking at- as there were no indicators. The bracelet I was looking for was not on the page I was on.I attempted to navigate off the page -and when I did saw my sign in name appear at the top of the screen followed by printed messages that I had just bid $1000 on something. I tried to hit the contact auctioneer button- but that led me nowhere- and somehow found a tech support link and immediately contacted them. I told them in the email that I may have mistakenly bid on an item and to please notify someone that it was an error.The auction was at 7:30/8 am eastern.Tech support emailed me back at 3 pm eastern to state that I must contact the auction house. This is communication came well beyond the close of the auction.I understand that this auction may have been happening at 4 am on the west coast ( offices is in CA), but someone should be available in case of such a thing occurring. I have now communicated via email several times with SAA. I have stated this was a technical error- and by no means did I desire the earring that I allegedly bid on. They are refusing to acknowledge that a technical error occurred- and insist I must either relinquish the auction and pay apx $400 restocking fee, or pay apx $1200, and relinquish the earrings and the $1200 will register as a credit with their company. They have threatened to contact credit agencies- and or bring litigation.I find this to be reasonable if indeed I had bid on the earrings and changed my mind. But I actually did not- and do not want to pay for a technical error. The earrings remain in their possession.Desired Settlement: Cancel the bid. They retain their merchandise. I receive no further contact from the auction house, unless they would like to inquire about the incident to improve their system. I would be glad to help.

Business

Response:

We have attempted to contact M[redacted] with no

success. However, we believe we have

resolved this issue to the customer’s satisfaction.

Sincerely,

Seized

Assets Auctioneers

Consumer

Response:

Review: 10800605

I am rejecting this response because:

Review: I have been bidding on online auctions for several years without any problems. I was recently informed of an upcoming auction that I was interested in and decided to watch while preparing breakfast in the morning. This was around 11:00 that morning. I placed my iPad in a stand and placed it high on a counter in my kitchen while cooking. Occasionally early on in the bid I did place small bids on items I was interested in but did not win. After my items of interest had passed I no longer watched the screen and soon forgot about the auction all together. At no time did I touch or move my iPad during the auction. I soon realized my iPad had turned off after the battery had died. I did receive an email later the next day informing me of my winning bid of $7000 on a Rolex watch. I immediately attempted to contact customer service to inform them of an obvious mistake. Keep in mind the invoice I received was for an auction on 04/04/2015 at 0500 am. I was not even awake at this time! The Emiail I received was to inform me of my two options one of which is to forfeit a restocking fee in the amount of $2345.00 or pay the invoice amount in full and in lieu of receiving the item I will receive a credit. The entire balance being $8353.46. I am beside myself with this issue and am seeking help in this matter as I am being informed I will be sent to collections and my good name blacklisted in the auction world. I have never had one problem in 20 years of auction bidding and I am sure there was some kind of mistake. Any attempt to resolve this in another more manageable way is unfounded. I would never bid on any item such as this and have urged them to look over my bidding history to prove what I normally bid on, bidding habits, items of interest and so on. I would love to have this resolved quickly and amicably on both ends. It wouldn't have even been an issue if the restocking fee was reasonable. Am I to just forfeit $2345.00 for an item I never wanted or bid on?Desired Settlement: I would like them to stop trying to charge me an outrageous amount of money and work with me. as far as I'm concerned I didn't bid on this item and I don't understand why this is my problem. This supposedly took place at a time I was not even awake! This has to be either some sort of scam or a very prominent mistake! I am on their same time zone so I can assure you I was not awake at this time. I am attaching their invoice to show the time indicated.

Review: While browsing and online website an alert came on my screen congratulating me on winning a bid. I did not bid on any products. However a view days later I received an email billing me for $904 or pay $251 restocking fee. When I attempted to call the company there was never an answer. When I emailed I received an immediate response making a request for my number. After a few email exchanges I was giving the same number and a live person finally answered. When I explained that I did not place the bid I was told I was responsible for the bid. I explained I only was attempting to viewed an item on there site from my cell phone but never purchased anything. There theory is the sensitivity of touch screen cell phone might be the of an accidental bid and I am still liable for the cost of the item.Desired Settlement: I want the $904 removed from my name and account as if this bid never occurred and I do not want to be contacted by the company or there collection agency.

Business

Response:

Review: On April 3rd, I came across a website called LiveAuctioneer.com showing a number of live auction online. I was watching two live auctions going on, and I decided to create my user account to participate in an auction. After creating an account, I had troubles logging in. After a few tries, I was finally able to log in. I wanted to register for an auction hosted by Seized Assets Auctioneers, but the browser window was not moving after clicking on the terms and condition screen. I thought the website was still processing, so I switched to another browser window showing a different live auction. I switched back and forth a few times to check if the browser window showing Seized Assets Auctioneers came back yet, but it seemed like the screen was stuck. I clicked a few times and suddenly screen came back showing I had just bid on an item for $1400, and I ended up winning the item. I panicked and tried contacting their customer service, but they weren't available during the weekends. I emailed them and they just kept emailing me invoices. It was an computer error and I had no intention of bidding on that item. It was like the bid just went out automatically without any confirmation needed from the buyer. I can't believe that is not implemented in their bidding system with today's technology. This is just unbelievable.Desired Settlement: I want the invoice and all related charges removed from my account because of this computer error and their poor computer user interface.

Review: I was looking on this company's website, seizedassetsautioneers.com, on July 7, 2014. The company's site has a substantial UI/UX (User Interface/User Experience) formatting issue. The major issue is that there is a terms and conditions window that pops up when you log into the site. You have to click the "Okay" button to accept the terms and conditions, and continue browsing the site. The major problem is that the "Okay" button that pops up on the screen directly overlaps the "Bid" button for the Live auction. So when the terms and conditions window popped up on July 7, 2014, I clicked "Okay" button to accept the terms, and because the "okay" button directly overlaps the "Bid" button, it registered a bid in error on a $5,000 diamond bracelet ($6343.46 after the companies fees). This is an even bigger issue because the site does not even ask you to confirm your bid after the "bid" button has been pressed.I am sure you can see how this is a major problem to consumers when considering this terms windows pops up and puts the okay button directly overlapping the bid button, and then doesn't even require any confirmation whatsoever after the bid button is inadvertently pressed. I have screen shots that show how these buttons overlap causing a very serious UI/UX issue for consumers.So once I realized that the site had registered a bid from me in error, I immediately called the company on July 7 2014 to inform them of the problem with their UI/UX and formatting, and how it caused a bid to be recorded from me in error. I was told by the company that they would not do anything to help me and that they were going to come after me in collections for the $6343.46. This is extremely unacceptable for obvious reasons.Desired Settlement: To remedy this complaint, "Bang the Gavel Auction Service dba Seized Assets Auctioneers" needs to cancel the invoice and all associated charges that came from this formatting error.

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Review: I accidentally bid on an item on Live Auctioneers by Seized Assets Auctions. I was unaware that I had bid until notified I had won a $1500 piece of jewelry, that I had no interest in. I immediately notified Live auctioneers of my error. They responded that I would receive instructions online as to what I should do. I also notified Seized Assets of my error.A day or so later by phone I called Seized Assets about this. I was told that I would have to pay a re-stocking fee of $402.00. After complaining about the size of the fee, I paid it. I was willing to pay a fee of up to $50.00 for my error, but I had agreed to their rules. $402.00 is entirely too much of a re-stocking fee in this situation.Anything you can do to remedy my loss would b appreciated.Desired Settlement: Refund of $350

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Review: I bid on a necklace and won. The item was appraised by American International Gemologists of Woodland Hills for over $15,000. I bid $1100. Total after buyer's fee and shipping was $1322. However, when I took the item to be appraised, the quality was described as low and not fine jewelry. It was described as costume jewelry. It was valued at $150. $150 and $15,000 are quite different values obviously. I asked for a refund and told them that they have misrepresented the item. The company did not offer a refund, but offered to escalate my issue. I would like full amount refunded to my credit card and I will gladly ship the item back. I would like something done to protect consumers from lies and over-inflated values, but at minimum, I would like a full refund. I have placed the charge in dispute with my credit card and would like to resolve this as soon as possible.Desired Settlement: I would like a full refund. I will ship the item back.

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Review: I recently purchased jewellry through Seized Assets Auctioneers (Bang the Gavel Auction)under false advertising of the value of the product. This is an on-line auction company that puts deceptive and fraudulently misleading values on the jewellry they sell. They hire a (so-called) professional GIA certified 3rd party to do their appraisals and claim they only stand behind the verbage on the appraisal and not the estimated retail appraised value. What's deceptive and appauling is the appraisal is TEN'S OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS MORE THAN WHAT THE PIECE IS WORTH (not just thousand's of dollars more for insurance purposes, but TEN'S OF THOUSANDS MORE)! Example: I purchased a Sapphire Diamond Necklace for $5,000 plus a $934 buyers fee. They had this appraised at $38,980! I had a reputable independant appraiser appraise the piece for $4130!Not one piece of jewelry appraised even close to what their appraisals were. If I were to loose this necklace and turn in a claim based on the appraisal they sent with the piece, I'd be committing insurance fraud because the piece isn't worth that even as a replacement cost. this is a scam and the public needs to be aware of this.Desired Settlement: I want them to take back their cheap jewellry and send my money back. I also want them to stop the deceitful appraisals so other buyers like myself will not be sucked into this scam.

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Review: This past December we purchased a pair of earrings from this company online. We live 3000 miles away from this business. We relied on their deciption before making a purchase.Within their product description the item was stated to be valued at approx $1500.We paid over $600 plus fees totaling $764.93The day the earrings were received we knew the value had been inflated.We took them to a local jewlery store to be appraised. They told us the earrings were the worst he had seen and the value was a max $150.00.We called the company and were not able to return the earrings unless we either accepted a credit to make a new purchase (from a company we do not trust) or pay a fee totaling 33% of total purchase price.We also filed a dispute with our credit card company.The fees include restocking, shipping and the company commission fee aka 'gavel' fee.The company wants us to send the earrings to them so they can have them in their possion.They offered to have them appraised by an appraiser of their choice. Should they deem them to be the reduced value we have gotten they will then keep the earrings and charge us the same 33% they first offered for return them.This seems to be the companies M.O.They mislead us about the value and now want us to pay for their false misleading information.We can provide a written appraisal from a third party not doing business with Band The Gavel aka Siezed Assets.Desired Settlement: We want to return the earrings. We are willing to pay the cost of shippingand offer a $100 'restock' fee.We will not pay any commission to this company.We believe this is offer is above and beyond what they are entitled to for false advertising and misleading us however, we want a resolve so we may put this nightmare to bed.

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