Auctions;
The
Good, The Bad,
The Really Ugly
Please be
advised that the opinions expressed here are just that, opinions. They are based
on a lifetime of participation in the Firearms Industry as a shooter,
gunsmith, dealer, builder, collector and competitor, these opinions are
meant to be helpful to the prospective buyer, nothing more.
HS
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The internet
has virtually
revolutionized the firearms industry, today anyone that wants a firearm of any
type or size has to look no farther than his computer, there are hundreds of
websites and auctions that deal with every type of firearm, accessory and
service.
Falcon Arms
Company started using the net in 1998, between then and now we have seen a total
transition from the old selling methods like the Gun List and Shotgun News to a
myriad of sales methods like GunsAmerica.com, SoldUSA.com, Gunbroker.com
& AuctionArms.com.
Among these are
the On-Line Auction sights, generally speaking in three formats, the first and
longest running are sites like Gunbroker.com, where individuals and companies
list their products in an auction format, the (House) does not have the product
in hand, they advertise for a fee and sell for a fee the owners product but will
take action against sellers that do not have a return policy and sell sub-par
merchandise, there is no Buyers Premium and the (House) does
not
guarantee the
product, the buyer is taking a small chance on the quality of his purchase, the
seller is rated by buyers in a feedback system, the better the feedback, the
more trustworthy the seller is assumed to be and more buyers will bid on his
products.
These types of
auctions generally run from three days to two weeks with the highest bidder
winning the product at the end of the auction, payment and shipping are near
instant and at the conclusion the bidder leaves his experience with the
seller in the feedback
forum.
The next is the
Timed/Consigned Auction, this is where the (House) actually has the product in
hand on consignment from the owner, the auction format runs from 10 to 60 days
with 24 hour bidding on the product much the same as eBay.com, the highest
bidder wins
the product
when the time runs out but here the difference is that the (House) collects the
payment and ships the merchandise.
One of the
better sights using this format is
soldusa.com, they have a 13% buyers premium
which is a little high but in return you (the Purchaser) have a guaranteed
product, if there is something wrong with it, you send it back for a full refund
less shipping.
There are a
multitude of Timed/Consignment Auctions on the net but few guarantee your satisfaction.
Do yourself a favor, follow these suggestions and save yourself some money and grief.
1. When you are
looking up on line auctions, your first stop should be clicking on the box that says
"INFO".
2. In the
"INFO" box, look up "Buyers Premium", if the rate is over 15%, don't look any
further, go on to the next auction. Send the auction house an email
telling them you will not participate in there auction because
their "Buyers Premium" is too high.
3. In the same box, check for shipping and handling, if the shipping does not say "at cost" and there is a handling charge, go on to the next auction. If you stop and look, then see something you absolutely have to have, your cooked.
4. Most of
these auctions have poor photography and one line descriptions, there is a
reason for that. "AS IS, NO
RETURNS."
5. Look for
good pictures taken from different angles on the product, good lightning, long
through descriptions, if an Auction Company uses great photography and excellent
descriptions, they are not trying to hide anything, they want you to be
comfortable about bidding and winning their auctions and this will be your best
value.
6. The main
thing to is to check the “info”, then check the auction catalog well in advance
(Days), write down the catalog number for the item you are interested in, do
your homework on the Auction House, sometimes a “Bad House” will be reviewed on
the net, Google it and see.
Auction
sites;
Some of these
are legit, have good descriptions but none I have found have a return policy
except timed auctions.
You need to be real careful here, some of these places will pick your pockets with extras and no warrantees at all, it is strictly, "Buyer Beware"
WARNING!!!!!
If you see what is
written below in the "INFO" box, do not even look at
the auction, this
house is authorized to see your pre-bids and then place
bids for their
customers. This is called "Shilling"" and is illegal
unless
the house notifies the
prospective purchaser (you) that they are doing it.
This is a lose-lose
situation for the purchaser because you are bidding against the house, they will
set the final price. The purchaser that loses would be
YOU.
"PLEASE READ: At the
request of the auction company, this auction
permits bids to be
placed by the auctioneer, an employee of the
auctioneer, or the
seller or an agent on the seller's behalf.
While Proxibid's Unified
User Agreement prohibits this behavior, in
accordance with UCC
2-328,this auction is permitted to engage in this
activity by providing
this clear disclosure to you, the bidder.
PLEASE READ: This
auction company has requested and been granted
access to see all bids
placed including any maximum pre-bids. This
auction is permitted to
engage in this activity by providing this clear
disclosure to you, the
bidder."
Send
your comments pro or con to:
Bad
language in unnecessary, keep it
clean.
Auction
sites;
Some of these
are legit, have good descriptions but none I have found have a return policy
except timed auctions.
You need to be real careful here, some of these places will pick your pockets with extras and no warrantees at all, it is strictly,
"Buyer
Beware".
Here is one
that got
me;
Montrose
Auction Inc.
These folks
auctioned a
The rifle arrived, it had holes drilled in the receiver, both front and rear sights had been replaced with aftermarket and the rifle turned out to have been made in 1938, my customer would not take it and I don't blame him, I emailed Montrose about all the problems and they refused to allow me to return the rifle, they did however offer to take it on consignment once again so in effect they want to get paid twice for the same piece, actually 4 times considering the new buyer gets charged too. We have of course been banned from bidding by this House based on the above comments, my comment to them is "if you can not stand the truth, fix the problem."
When bidding on the other of the 200 or so instant auction sites, read the fine print before you bid or you are guaranteed to get stuck where it hurts, pay attention to the "Buyers Premium", "other fees and charges", packing, handling, etc. and make damn sure you can return the product if it is not as described. The long term Gun Auction sites charge 2.3%(+/-) to the buyer, 5-10% is within reason for these "instant auctions", if you see a company that is to high, send them an email and tell them you will not bid because of the high "Buyers Premium". We will begin listing these companies and their rates as well as their plusses and minuses and how we were treated if we did business with them soon, stay tuned.
On many occasions I have received emails from different auction sites as a reminder of an upcoming auction, I go to the site and check out the info and if there is something I do not like in their information, I email them back my opinion.
Some auction sites ignore you, some say they don't much care if you participate or not, but some actually email that they appreciate your input and are going to change something based on that input.
In that vein I have cut and pasted the following;
"----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Fisher CAI, CES"
<amcflorida@gmail.com>
Sent: Tue,
April 10, 2012 16:47
Subject:
RE: News from Fisher's Auction & Appraisal Services
Thank you for bringing this to my
attention.
I found the page to be informative. It has been
our policy for several years to ship “At Cost”. We may not have worded it
that way but it is policy. As a buyer I hate getting ripped on shipping. I
have modified our terms to reflect “At Cost”.
I also took the cash
discount into consideration. I have modified our terms to reflect a 2%
discount for cash. It does seem reasonable. Part of the fee structure
adding up to the 17% is:
a.
Proxibid charges us 5% for everything that sells online. (Not including other
costs). We just had an auction where nothing was sold online, it all went to in
house bidders. Proxibid still charged me $1000.00
b.
99% of the time we are charging credit cards that we do not physically
swipe. The rates are higher than swiped cards. In most cases 2%
higher.
Again I appreciate the fact that you took the time to
explain your views. A lot of the improvements that we have made to our
business over the past 34 years are because of customer comments and friendly
constructive criticism.
Kindest
Regards
Christopher A. Fisher
2009 Florida Champion
Auctioneer
2010 Hall of Fame Inductee
Fisher's Auction & Appraisal
Services
2030 Hibiscus Dr, Edgewater, FL 32141
386-428-4125 Fax
386-423-0760
www.fishers-auction.com
chris@fishers-auction.com
State
Licenses AB211 AU333 AU826
Mr. Fisher, I appreciate your response and I am sure your customers will appreciate the changes that you have made as well, we will be one of them. HS
/////
Reata Pass
Auction Productions Inc.
18% Buyers
Premium (High)
As is, No
Returns
We bought and
paid for (CC) a
I finally got
hold of this company after 3 phone calls and 2 emails, they stated that the
reason the rifle was not sent was that they could not find my FFL, I know they
had one because I purchased a rifle from them during the March 2010 Auction,
item should be on the way
soon.
The rifle arrived in good shape, it was pretty well described, other than the high buyers premium and the lack of communication, not to bad an experience.
Update- We purchased 3 items form this house, they arrived today 04/11/12, items were as advertised, packing was some of the best I have seen, shipping was fast. The only drawback is the "Buyers Premium at 18%.
/////
SoldUSA.com
13% Buyers
(Good) Premium
Shipping @
Cost
No handling or
packaging
fees
No FFL
fees
Allow returns
less shipping costs
This is a Timed
Auction site, generally 30-60-days, pictures are ok, descriptions are
generally excellent. We
purchased a 1911 from them, it arrived with the wrong slide, I emailed them the
problem and they told me to send it back for a full refund which I received the
next day on the credit card. Excellent to deal with.
/////
Batterman's
Auction LLC
15% Buyers
Premium
AS IS-No
Returns
Handling charge of $5.00 per item / $15.00 per box / $25.00 for big box.
Firearm
pictures are poor at best, descriptions little better, we bought a revolver and
a pocket watch here, the revolver was as described, the pocket watch
was not;
"
1903
Last serviced
in 2008, this antique pocket watch is in excellent condition! Another great
piece from the
The crystal was
both broken and cracked, the fob loop was off but in the box, the watch wound in
both setting positions but you could not set the correct time at all. I emailed
the problems and received this reply;
"Mr. Schmidt, We are sorry the watch was not described well enough. Please send it back. We are confused at how the fob was broken when it was sent to you intact. None the less, please send it back and we will refund you.
Batterman's
Kurt Ruger Vogel
Batterman's
Auction |
Super, right? I
sent the watch back and a short time later received a phone call from a lady
that said she was in the accounting department, she wanted to debate the return
of the watch, I informed her about the email from Mr.Vogel and she told me to
send a copy which I did, end result, no further communication, no
refund.........................My CC was issued a credit today after I emailed
Mr. Vogel that it had not been received, Thank you. We will do more business in
the future.
/////
Echoes of
Glory
Classic
Firearms
18.5% Buyers
Premium (Very High)
As is, No
Returns
Packing and
handling fees (not Listed), ASK before bidding.
This house has
very good descriptions and plenty of good to excellent pictures, we wanted to
bid on several items until we saw the Buyers Premium and extra charges (which
could be anything) for packing and handling, these on top of 18.5% fees are
unacceptable.
/////
Taylor and Lee
Auction Service
18% Buyers
Premium
As-Is, No
returns, "Small Handling fee".
Dark sometimes blurry pictures, one line descriptions
/////
Rock Island
Auction Company
19.5% Buyers
Premium, 2.5% reduction for cash
AS IS, No
Returns
"9. GUARANTEE.
All property offered for sale is as is, where is. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. THERE
WILL BE NO REFUNDS AND NO EXCHANGES.
We purchased 2
SAA Colts in July, over $4300.00, the 1st described;
"Colt Single
Action Army Revolver
Estimate: $800 - $1500
Colt Model: Single Action
Made in 1906.
BBL: 5 1/2 inch round
Stock:
Gauge: 45 Colt
Finish: blue
Grips: hard rubber
Serial Number: 2xxxxx
Older
Condition Rating (1930's or older) EXCELLENT- NON-PROFESSIONALLY REFINISHED/COLD
BLUE, ETC.”
This piece came
in with the following problems, would not hold cock, cylinder rod would not come
out, wrong grips, several screws replaced without color, internals filthy, case
color totally gone.
The plus side;
re-finishable, good cylinder lock up, extra heavy hammer spring (looks new),
although the grips were not original they do fit the piece
well.
Second SAA
Description
"Antique Colt
Single Action Army Revolver
Estimate: $2750 - $4250
Colt Model: Single
Action
Made in 1890 with added
ill-fitting steer head relief grips.
BBL: 4 3/4 inch round
Stock:
Gauge: 45
Finish:
blue/casehardened
Grips:
plastic
Serial Number:
1xxxxx
Older Condition
Rating (1930's or older) GOOD-WOOD IS WORSE FOR THE PERCENT FINISH RATING
GIVEN"
This piece came
in with no finish at all, again filthy, lock up was loose with hammer back as
well as at rest.
The
pluses.
Good bore, not
much external damage, restorable.
We were charged about $120.00 for shipping, insurance and "packing materials", from IL. to NY? With the buyers premium over $700.00 in extras. The 2.5% cash discount makes this house a little more bearable but their descriptions are off and they generally only show one picture per firearm. Packaging is excellent, shipping fast.
/////
Sadiron
2011
Simmons & Company
Auctioneers, Inc.
20% Buyers
Premium (Good Grief)
As is, no Returns, Enough Said...............
/////
James Peterson
Company, LLC
Minneapolis
20% Buyers
Premium (Good Grief Again)
Does anyone
really realize what a 20% fee does to your bid price, think about
it.
AS IS- No
Returns
Fair Pictures,
slim descriptions
/////
Amity,
OR
18% Buyers
Premium
AS IS, No
Returns
Fair but dark pictures, very light on descriptions.
/////
20% Buyers
Premium (Good Grief Again), What is wrong with these people, just
greed?
Good pictures,
some good descriptions, some not so good, don't seem to know much about
firearms.
/////
Rocky Mountain
Estate Brokers Inc.
24 Oak Avenue (
Eaton Auction
Center
Eaton, CO 80615
18.5% Buyers
Premium, 3.5% discount for cash, (this is a very good idea).
AS IS, No
returns.
Good pictures, fair descriptions.
/////
18%
Buyers Premium
As Is, No
returns
You will really
want to read "Payment Instructions" carefully and understand it or it could
cost you a pile of cash. Good pictures
and descriptions.
Jack Nitz
& Associates
15 %
Buyers Premium (Med
High)
All sales
final, no returns.
3% CC Fee
$25.00 FFL
Fee
$20.00 Packing
Fee, Longuns
$10.00 Packing
Fee, Handguns
Plus Shipping
Charge,
mostly one line
descriptions, no grading even if you request it, if you add all the extras up
when you buy a $100.00 Rifle and use a credit card to pay for it, the end cost
will be, are you ready????? $164.80 WOW 64.8% in extras and the
consignor pays a percentage as well.
////////
Pete Richardson
Auction Sales
10716 Ocean
Gateway
All property is
sold “AS IS”, and ALL SALES ARE FINAL.
Absolute
minimal descriptions, 1 or 2 not very good pictures taken on someone’s kitchen
table with a blue blanket.
20% Buyers
Premium, (that's for starters) One of the highest on the net.
5% discount
for wire transfers, are you ready.....$15 wire transfer fee, total that and
were not done;
"Shipping
Instructions: Firearms will
be registered with
OK, to be
clear, you purchase a $100.00 rifle, add 20% Buyers Premium, add $30.00
registration fee, add $15.00 transfer fee, add $20.00 packaging fee and then add
the cost of shipping, lets say MD to Texas, $45-$65.00.
SOOOOOO, 100.00
+ $20.00, +$30.00 +15.00, +$20.00, +$55.00 =$240.00
AND, your
taking a chance that you might not like it and cannot send it
back.
I guess when
your all done you may have received a better deal at some retail + outfit, don't
these houses realize that the less the
purchaser is forced to pay in fees and services, the more he has to spend
?????????
Sohn &
Associates LTD.
All sales
final, no returns
15% Buyers Premium (Med
High)
$35.00
Shipping, Longuns
$45.00
Shipping, Handguns
$10.00
Transfer Fee
////////
Hi-$ Auction
All sales
final, no returns
10% Buyers
Premium
$30.00 handling
fee PLUS shipping charges (wow)
Packing charges
extra but prices not listed (call and ask for a quote before you
bid.)
////
Auction
Plus, LLC
15%
Buyers Premium (Med
High)
All sales
final, no returns
One line
descriptions, plenty of not
very good pictures.
WOW!!!
//////
Gunslinger
Auctions
20%
Buyers
Premium
(Tied-The Highest we have seen.)
Sold as is, no
returns.
/////
Slosberg
Auction
Are you ready
for this one,
20% Buyers
Premium (Tied-The Highest we have seen so far.)
$30.00 Transfer
Fee
Packing and
handling charges unspecified on top of shipping charges Fee All sales
final, no returns for any reason. Dark poor
quality photography, one line descriptions and, Hold on Tight 30% Sellers
Fee
Add all that up and they have to be making 80%
/////
Greg Martin
Auctions
17.5 Buyers
Premium (High)
As is, no
warrantees, no returns
Shipping &
handling charges not listed (ask 1st.)
(This one is
pending, we bought some guns and are having some problems, more to
come.)
This turned out
to be a royal clusterflutch, I bid on and won 3 guns, was billed for 2, called
and asked why I was not billed for the third, was told I did not win it even
though the computer said I did, talked to a girl named Tanna, she checked with
Proxibid, they stated I had won all 3, she was very helpful but turned me over
to "The Wicked Witch of the East" who was just that, GEEEEEEEZE!, by the time it
was over, 4 weeks, I was not billed and did not receive a gun I had clearly won,
I was billed for a gun that did not even exist, screamed at by the Customer
Service Witch from Hell, threatened with legal action, and finally received the
2 guns that I had won and was refunded the funds from the gun that did not
exist.
I wrote an
essay on the whole deal and sent it to the CFO of the Company, within 12 hours
he called and apologized profusely, he offered a refund which I already had and
turned out to be very nice, I told him the only thing I really wanted was the
3rd gun that I had won but was told that it had been picked up,
BUMMER!
Tanna ( the
nice one) got fired, The Witch from Hell Stayed, go figure.
As a result of
this posting Greg Martin Auctions has refused to allow us to participate in
any of their auctions, I would suggest that since they cannot stand
the truth they
cannot be trusted at all.
NOTE
We understand
that the ownership of this company has changed and that they have returned to
their original location in San Francisco, CA, hopefully their don't give a damn
attitude toward their customers will change as well, keep you
posted.
///////
Linkous
Auctioneers
200 Country
Club Suite C-1
15%
Buyers Premium (High)
$50.00 shipping
1st gun,
$20.00 each
additional plus insurance, No returns
Terrible
pictures, looks like they were taken on a brown leather couch, one line
descriptions.
Fees are
outrageous.
//////
Lampi
Auctioneers
15% Buyers
Premium
$35.00
Shipping, 3% CC fee
No
Returns
Good pictures,
one line descriptions
////
Kruse Fine
Firearms and Relics, Inc
18% Buyers
Premium (Very High)
Kruse charges a
flat fee for shipping
and handling of
FIREARMS. HANDGUNS are $30 for ONE or combination shipping of $50 for
TWO. After TWO, EACH ADDITIONAL HANDGUN will ship at a cost of $20. LONG
GUNS AND LONG BLADES (over 12 inches hilt to point) are $25 for ONE or
combination shipping of $40 for TWO. After TWO, EACH ADDITIONAL LONG GUN OR
LONG BLADE will ship at a cost of $15.00, You need to figure all this into
your final cost before bidding.
No
Returns
Fair to good
pictures, very good descriptions.
//////
Angel's
30871 Blue Star
Highway
Midway, FL 32343
Buyers Premium
10% (Excellent)
All sales
final, no returns
Fair to good
pictures, excellent descriptions, no other info listed, call and ask before bidding.
/////
Perry Auction
Co.
18% Buyers
Premium (High)
As is No
returns
Packing and
shipping costs are the responsibility of the buyer and may be quoted before shipping.
Fair to good
pictures, One line descriptions.
/////
Auctions
Unlimited
10% Buyers
Premium (Excellent)
As No returns,
Shipping and other costs not listed (ask.)
Plenty of Good
pictures, mostly one line descriptions
/////
22% Buyers
Premium (Highest)
No Shipping
(find your own shipper)
Ouch!
/////
JCPB Estate
Liquidators
18% Buyers
Premium (High)
As is , No
returns, shipping fee not listed (ask.)
Not very good pictures, one line descriptions.
/////
Culpeper
Auction Assoc., Inc.
5% Buyers
Premium (Outstanding)
Shipping Rates
not Listed (Ask)
Mostly one line
descriptions
Not very good
Photography
/////
Johnny's Estate
Auction Service
15% Buyers
Premium, shipping fees not listed (Ask')
Handling fees
up to $10.00 per item.
Firearm
Handling fees $20.00 + $10.00 for the next Firearm
$10.00 Storage
fee if left over 5 days
Poor
Photography, fair to good descriptions.
GOOD
GRIEF!
/////
Fields Auction
Service
17.5% Buyers
Premium (High)
As is No returns
No shipping
fees listed, No handling fees listed but do
exist (ask.)
Fair to good
pictures, mostly on line
descriptions.
/////
Rocky Mountain
Estate Brokers Inc.
24 Oak Avenue
(
Eaton Auction
Center
Eaton, CO 80615
18.5% Buyers
Premium (High) with CC
As is, No
returns, Good pictures, very good descriptions.
/////
12% Buyers
Premium (Good)
As is no
returns
Uses a packing
and shipping company (ask for info)
Fair to good Pictures, one line descriptions.
/////
A1
Auctioneers
5301 E Hwy
67
15%
Buyers
Premium
(Med-High)
As is, no
returns
Fair to good
pictures, mostly one line descriptions.
I would be a
little careful with this one, they have more rules and info that it takes to be
Pope.
/////
Maring Auction
Co. Inc
10% Buyers
Premium (Excellent)
As is, no
returns, Poor pictures, less than one line
descriptions.
Uses a packing
and shipping company (ask.)
Does not seem
to know much about firearms or how to describe them.
/////
Taylor and Lee
Auction Services
113
18% Buyers
Premium (HIGH)
As is, no
returns, fair photography, one line descriptions
Shipping price not listed (call).
//////
Conestoga
Auction Co. Inc.
20%
Buyers Premium (One of the Highest)
$5.00 added to
each package (handling charge.)
No other
charges listed, AS/No Returns
One sided
photography good picture, average descriptions
/////
Burnt Chimney
Auction Gallery
634 Jubal Early
Hwy PO Box 23
15% Buyers
Premium (Medium High)
Items sold "As
is, No Returns"
Fair pictures,
one line descriptions.
I bid and won
an auction (the computer acknowledged the win), LOT#1. for a S&W Model 60,
pinned barrel on the 13th of November, 10 days later I emailed for a tracking
number and received this;
" Dear Sir /
Madam, Lot # 1 was sold to the house, we had a new clerk for Proxibid for the
November Auction, we do apologize for any inconvenience to you, we are
continuing our training with Proxibid." Burnt Chimney
Auction
"Sold to the
house", how does the house bid on its own product, isn't that called "shilling"?
Another way of saying, "screw you, we got another offer for more money after you
won it and we are going to take it."
This is not the
first time, probably won't be the last. This site gets the Big
"BB",
Buyer
Beware!!!
/////
Batterman's
Auction LLC
400 West
Gurley
15% Buyers
Premium (Medium High)
$15.00 Handling
(Fee RIP!)
When you
charge this high a premium fee a handling fee is just another way of reaching
into your pocket.
As Is, No
Returns
Not very good
pictures, fair descriptions,
We purchased an
item here, it was as described with fast shipping.
This is one of
the sites that will not always accept the high bid if it does not reach their
expectations, it will just be marked as "Passed".
/////
Mayo Auction
& Realty
17% Buyers
Premium (High)
AS IS, No
Returns
Packing and
Shipping charges exist but are not listed,
fair pictures,
a little skimpy on descriptions but not bad.
We bought a
handgun from here, it was well described and shipped quickly.
/////
Freije &
Freije Auctioneers
15% Buyers
Premium (Med High)
AS IS, No
Returns
$5.00 Handling
Fee (RIP)
Good pictures,
mostly one line descriptions
We bought a
very expensive scope from here but have not as yet received it. Scope came in,
looks good.
/////
Meares Auction
Group
15% Buyers
Premium
AS IS, No
returns
Shipping costs
only (Love that)
Clear pictures,
good descriptions.
We bought a
handgun from here but have not as yet received it.Purchase
arrived , was as described and shipped promptly.
/////
Jeff
Dobson & Associates
18%
Buyers Premium
AS IS, No
Returns
Fair pictures,
mostly one line descriptions, S&H not listed, usually has large firearms
auctions, we bit on the High Buyers Premium and purchased 2 guns (dumb), CC has
already been charged, now wait and see how it is handled and what the unlisted
extras are.
More to
come.
This was kind
of a plus and
minus deal, the rifle was in good shape, a little dusty with some minor dings in
the wood but I would guess unfired, a good buy even at the high Buyers Premium,
the handgun was just short of junk, no rifling left at all, cracked receiver
with a couple of pieces missing, on the other hand the internals were excellent
and will do very well as replacements for other 100+ year old firearms. Shipping
was fast with no oblivious extras (thank you), items well packed except for
those damn pieces of electrified foam that stick to everything, I however found
a simple cure, spray everything with Windex, no more static
electricity. Not a bad
experience Rates a solid "B".
/////
Allen &
Marshall Auctioneers and Appraisers, LLC
15% Buyers
Premium
AS IT, No
Returns
Good to
excellent pictures, mostly one line descriptions, $10.00 Handling fee, shipping
at cost.
We purchased
two firearms here, both were as described, shipping was fast, packaging was
excellent, would do a little better on descriptions otherwise good company to
deal with.
Follow
up;
One of the
items we purchased was an FN Model 49, described and 7X57 Mauser Caliber when if
fact it was an 8MM, there is a Hell of a difference in value between the
two.
Moral, Stay
away from "AS-IS, No Returns Auctions" and if there is not a really good set of
pictures as well as a fully described firearm, run like Hell. Getting burned by
these instant auctions is really getting old. I emailed them
the problem, no response at all, why should they respond, they have our
money.
/////
Antiques and
Estate Auctioneers/Rush2Arms.com
Mailing address:
44777 St. Rt.
1Suite A1
18% Buyers
Premium (High)
AS, No
Returns
$15.00 Packing
Fee and shipping costs.
Very good
pictures, fair/good descriptions, we purchased a rifle here, arrived promptly,
well packaged, it showed some wear that was not described but not to bad. Need
to lower their Buyers Premium to do more business.
/////
Russ Kiko
Associates Inc.
15% Buyers
Premium
AS IS, No
Returns
Packing and
shipping charges exist but not stated.
We purchased a
High-end Colt Revolver here, over a couple of thousand dollars, it is going to
be interesting to see how it turns out. Colt arrived in good shape, well
described and well packaged, it came with an unexpected set of perfect Ivory
Grips. This company gets an "A" on everything except their Buyers Premium Rate
which at 15% is medium high. Some of these companies are discounting 2.5-3% for
cash or check payment, this is a really good idea.
/////
Shamrock
Auction Service
|
INTERNET
BUYER'S PREMIUM 18% (High) $45.00
Shipping and Handling Fee per gun (WOW!!!) As Is, No
Returns, No Refunds Terrible
pictures taken on a black or dark green background with really poor
lighting, less than one line descriptions, this appears to be another
company that knows very little about firearms and should stick to what
they do know. They had
a couple of guns we would have normally been interested in but we did not
sign up due to conditions listed above. ///// Echoes of
Glory International Military Auction House 18.5%
Buyers Premium (Very High) As Is, No
returns "NO
WARRANTY of quality, condition, merchantability, or fitness for intended
use is given." This
House has very good pictures and descriptions, some of the best we have
seen, they want you to be comfortable bidding so they show you what you
are bidding on and describe it well. We
purchased 2 pistols, they arrived in good time, well packed and the
shipping was reasonably priced. Both were as described, the only drawback to this House is the Buyers Premium which is very high. A+ rating except for that. ///// |
Rivertown
Auction Co
18% Buyers
Premium (High)
All sales
final, As Is, No Returns
Company seems to know little about firearms, examples, BERRETTA,
SAIGER, JC HIGGIN,
ect., less than one line descriptions, poor photography
shipping fees not listed (ask).
/////
W.Yoder
Auctions
N2475 13th
gateway
18% Buyers
Premium (High)
"AS IS, WHERE
IS" without warranty or guarantee of any kind.
Shipping fees
not listed (ask).
Fair pictures,
less than one line descriptions.
/////
Goeman Auction
Service & Real Estate Inc.
Mail:
15 % Buyers
Premium (Med High)
Shipping
charges listed as cost with "Minimal packing fee."
Plenty of fuzzy
pictures (not all) taken on a black background, switched to blue later on
came out a little better, slightly more than one line
descriptions. Little problem
with spelling, Ithica, ect.
/////
Cady Auction
Gallery & Appraisal
Cedar Rapids
16% Buyers
Premium (Med High)
As Is, No
returns,
Shipping fee,
packing fee $7.00, handling fee (not listed),
Better pictures
than most, little more than one line descriptions in all caps (Please don't do
that), it gives the impression that you are screaming at your buyers, very hard
to read.
/////
Two Dogs
Auctions
18 1/2% Buyers
Premium (High)
As Is, No
Returns
I read this 3
times and think I understand it, so I am just going to cut and paste it all,
make up your own mind as to what it means.
" SHIPPING AND
PICKUP: Postage, packing, freight and insurance costs are paid by the purchaser
before shipping the item. Two Dogs Auctions takes no responsibility for lost or
damaged items received through post. Oversized items are the responsibility of
the buyer. All buyers are
strongly encouraged to get quotes from shipping companies and make arrangements
prior to bidding. 30 days
after the auction Two Dogs Auctions will consider the item abandoned and may
take possession of it, we may restock it and charge a 25% fee. All decisions and
any refunds will be at our discretion. The FFL may either be faxed to
214-702-4436 or e-mailed to dan@twodogsauctions.com."
Fair to good pictures, long rambling descriptions more about function than quality.
/////
MATTHEW BULLOCK
AUCTIONEERS
18 % Buyers
Premium -3% for
cash (like
that).
As is,
No Returns
Shipping at
cost plus a handling fee
and a $1.00 per item fee.
This is good, a
total description "Lot #
147
One more, I'm
starting to like this house, "Old Original
Brass Spittoon Redskin Brand Chewing Tobacco Cut Plug With
Indian."
Question, "What
do I do with the Indian."
This was
advertised as a Firearms Auction, I finally found one on the 4th (last page)
#323. The another one, #324, then 9 blank spots, 370 lots, 2 guns, maybe 9 more
to come, maybe not. I still want to know what to do with the Indian.
Ok, one more,
This is a gun description, I swear, I'm not making this up.Cut &
pasted, "Barrel
reads patented sept 14 1856 e remington and sons ilion
Good
description, right, then I looked at the pictures, I hope "overall excellent
condition" means mechanical because except for the brown brass frame the entire
piece was patina or bare.
Anyway,
interesting house, pictures are good to good+, there were not enough firearm
descriptions to grade, I'm going to bid on the LEVER and Spittoon, I really want
to know how they will ship the Indian.
/////
Affiliated
Auctions & Realty
17.5 Buyers
Premium (High)
As Is,
no returns
Shipping fees
and extras not listed
This house has
good descriptions but it is another one that does not know how to take pictures,
pure white background with no frontal lighting produces dark subjects, a real
bummer for someone that wants to see what they are bidding on.
Another bad
feature here and elsewhere is setting the opening bid, auctions for these high
buyers premiums should be "Absolute", no set starting bid, some of these houses
will lower the opening bid if no one bids and then mark the auction "PASSED" if
they do not get the price they want.
/////