If Auctioneer is a crook?

mb58 · Feb 18, 2014

Is there a state or federal agency that will check up on an (equipment) auctioneer to assure that he is on the up-and-up? Some very shady dealings going on in my area.

Whichester1 · Feb 18, 2014

I'd start with my State Rep. He/She can point you in the right direction.

MoMike · Feb 18, 2014

Do what they did in my area. Elect him to Congress

rick deere · Feb 18, 2014

don't think you can fix them.Ive seen things go on that I thought was not right, like ghost bidders.Then they buy it for thereselves to sell elsewere.

farmerwithmutt · Feb 18, 2014

Might try better busness web site

Paul Shuler · Feb 18, 2014

Lol, I know who your talking about Mike

rrlund · Feb 18, 2014

I had some pretty good luck with Better Business Bureau straightening things out for me twice. I wasn't an auctioneer,but an insurance company and a furniture store.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 18, 2014

There once vas an auctioneer that didn't have a very good reputation, buy-bidding,buyers-prenium and the sort.
Sum people that the auctioneer didn't know got together and registered in a fictious name, bank account # phone # and vent to the auction and bid on a lot of things to the tune of several thousands of dollars, and yust before the auction vas over they left, leaving everything they bid on there.
Vhen the auction ended they called the owner and auctioneer and told vhy they did it. The auctioneer didn't like it cause the crowd had left and there vas a lot of unsold machinery.
He didn't get very many auctions after that.
Some times yo got to do as Barney, said, "yo fight fire vith fire"

LAA · Feb 18, 2014

Where at? Rayville? Fort Necessity? Bonita? Lots of auctions this time of year.

Texas! · Feb 18, 2014

Here in Texas auctioneers are licensed by the state and they are required by law to make an announcement before each auction that if a person has a complaint he may contact the state licensing department.

Keith Molden · Feb 18, 2014

In the state of Ohio all Auctioneers are licensed by the department of commerce. A surity bond in the amount of ten thousand dollars is required of all newly licensed auctioneers for a period of 5 years. They will investigate any auctioneer that has a complaint filed on him (or her). Just my thoughts. (been a licensed auctioneer in this state for well over 25 years) Keith

jon f mn · Feb 18, 2014

I had trouble with one in Wisconsin, doesn't appear to be anything you can do to them there.

Ray · Feb 18, 2014

Not much you can do,there about the same as lawyers,they police themselves.

NEIADan · Feb 18, 2014

Sometimes we think the auctioneer is working for us the buyer. He isn't. He is working for the seller. He is hired to get the most money possible out of an item. That is if you want it bid for it. He probably. knows its' real value. What is wrong if he buys the item to resell? If the crowd won't pay up then he is doing what he was hired to do. I don't like ghost bidders but don't know of a law that stops them. As in any profession it is an ethical question. Now if he wasn't paying the seller in the agreed amount of time there is a legitimate complaint. Sometimes we just forget who they are employed by and why they were hired.

Kickinbull · Feb 18, 2014

I wish that were funny.

JWalker · Feb 18, 2014

It all come down to one question? Can you prove your allegation? If so at the next auction call him out on it during the auction. You will get results, but you must be prepared to prove what you accuse!

Anonymous-0 · Feb 18, 2014

theres one of theM Crafty Gents, that I Run into, Every now and then, best Way to screw them is not to bid at all. get on their mailing list, so they have to spend money on postage.

OH Boy · Feb 18, 2014

Ohio raised the bond amount a few years back. Individual auctioneers have to have a $25,000 bond and the auction firm has to have a $50,000 bond.

Pops1532 · Feb 18, 2014

(quoted from post at 16:50:08 02/18/14) Is there a state or federal agency that will check up on an (equipment) auctioneer to assure that he is on the up-and-up? Some very shady dealings going on in my area.

Check with your state's professional regulatory agency. Many states require auctioneers to be licensed. That's often more of a revenue source than regulatory thing though.
Just what is it the auctioneer is doing?

MarkB_MI · Feb 18, 2014

An auctioneer works for the seller. I'm going to make a wild guess and assume an auctioneer did something that you, as a buyer, didn't like. Unless the auctioneer did something that amounts to actual fraud, and you can prove you were harmed in some way, fuggetaboutit.

Bkpigs · Feb 18, 2014

What is this "ghost bidder" thing? Don't you ever think that he may have gotten a bid from a buyer not present? An aquaintance tells him $90 on the oak table. Or he wants the item himself. And he bids accordingly. Or a regular bidder that just acknowledges a bid by a slight nod that you don't see. Now if he tries to back out of the highest bid or cuts the bidding short for this supposed "ghost bidder". Then you might have a complaint. Otherwise it is just another auction and quit getting pi$$y cause you didn't get the deal you hoped for.

cobroller · Feb 18, 2014

So do I.

Pete in MD · Feb 18, 2014

Ya got some Navajo in your family tree?

NEIADan · Feb 18, 2014

Sometimes we think the auctioneer is working for us the buyer. He isn't. He is working for the seller. He is hired to get the most money possible out of an item. That is if you want it bid for it. He probably. knows its' real value. What is wrong if he buys the item to resell? If the crowd won't pay up then he is doing what he was hired to do. I don't like ghost bidders but don't know of a law that stops them. As in any profession it is an ethical question. Now if he wasn't paying the seller in the agreed amount of time there is a legitimate complaint. Sometimes we just forget who they are employed by and why they were hired.

ShadetreeRet · Feb 18, 2014

We had an auctioneer locally some years ago that had a friend that acted as a shill. He would move around to the back of the crowd and yell, "yes!" every so often. I got a little suspicious and moved to the back one day, I watched him for half an hour and never did see any one else bid when he would shout, "yes!". I quit attending his auctions.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 19, 2014

just sendin smoke signals, Pete, you know, to stay in practice!

JEH · Feb 19, 2014

What state are you in? What are the shady things taking place?

Bret4207 · Feb 19, 2014

(quoted from post at 20:53:33 02/18/14) What is this "ghost bidder" thing? Don't you ever think that he may have gotten a bid from a buyer not present? An aquaintance tells him $90 on the oak table. Or he wants the item himself. And he bids accordingly. Or a regular bidder that just acknowledges a bid by a slight nod that you don't see. Now if he tries to back out of the highest bid or cuts the bidding short for this supposed "ghost bidder". Then you might have a complaint. Otherwise it is just another auction and quit getting pi$$y cause you didn't get the deal you hoped for.

That's not a ghost bidder. A ghost bidder is the crooked auctioneer trying to bump the price so he gets more commission. We have a local guy famous for that. He's been caught several times but nothing gets done when complaints are made. He's a crook, his father was a crook, he's in big trouble with the IRS right now and yet he's an elected County Legislator. Oddly, he switched parties last year from R to D. Makes sense. Those are the kind of auctioneers that give the other 90% a bad name. Same guy would add in the sales tax to an item before adding in his commission. I called him on that once and he did it the right way. Yeah, I paid more sales tax, but he lost 7%! Worth it to me.

NNP · Feb 19, 2014

look the item over
decide what you are willing to pay
bid to that amount only
win- take it home
lose- walk away

Whether it is the auctioneer, a friend of his, or a friend of the actual owner of the item, shill bidding is the way it is.
online auctions are the same, even side of the road deals where
the seller will have a friend come and 'look' at the same time you
come to look....common.
Crooked people everywhere, also the way it is.
'Powers that be' won't help you much.
They'll just try to figure on how to get more money from them and you...

W_B · Feb 20, 2014

(quoted from post at 18:07:23 02/18/14) don't think you can fix them.Ive seen things go on that I thought was not right, like ghost bidders.Then they buy it for thereselves to sell elsewere.

Have seen this a lot from the more shady ones in our area. Not sure there is much to do about it and it's hard to prove, especially if they have several "house numbers" they can drop things on. Complain to your state auction regulator, if they get enought complaints they might investigate. And, don't attend their sales.

If Auctioneer is a crook?

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