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‘Misleading sales tactics’ from Missouri auction, BBB says

The Better Business Bureau is urging businesses to be cautious when consigning items to Midwest Public Auction, an auction house in Poplar Bluff, in southeast Missouri, according to a news release.

Several customers told the BBB that Midwest Auction representatives used misleading sales tactics to obtain business. In some cases, the customers say, they lost tens of thousands of dollars when their consigned items sold for prices that were much lower than promised.

“It darn near ran me out of business, and they didn’t care,” said a businessman from Webster City, Iowa, who reported that he lost more than $12,000 in a Midwest Auction deal that went sour.

The company appears to have ties to Leon McGregor, a Tennessee man under indictment in Georgia on theft and racketeering charges in connection with other auction businesses. Midwest Auction’s original website, www.midwestpublicauction.com, lists McGregor as the site’s registrant and as its administrative contact. The firm’s current site is www.invoiceprotectionplan.com.

When Midwest Auction registered with the Missouri secretary of state in February 2011, its sole owner was listed as Donnie M. Smotherman of Goodlettsville, Tenn., but its address was 1550 Cravens Road in Poplar Bluff.

Complaints against the auction house have come from nine states. All allege that the company reneged on oral guarantees to obtain prices at or near retail prices for sellers’ motorcycles, travel trailers, snowmobiles or other items. Several customers said Midwest Auction used high-pressure sales tactics to get them to consign items.

Michelle Corey, BBB president and CEO, said the allegations indicate a troubling pattern of behavior. “What Midwest Public Auction is promising in its pitches, and what it’s actually delivering, may be two very different things,” she said.

Smotherman told the BBB that the complainants represent a small percentage of the company’s customers. Most customers are satisfied with Midwest Auction’s work, he said.

Smotherman said all the consumers who have complained have agreed to so-called “absolute” auctions, where the items are sold to the highest bidders, regardless of the price. Smotherman said that is clearly stated in the contract.

“Nowhere do we guarantee you a certain amount,” he said. “These guys are upset; they are bitter. They say we are promising them the moon, when the contract they sign says different.” He said it makes no sense for a seller to sign a contract “that is totally different from what he is being told. We go by the letter of the law on our contracts, every one of them.”

Smotherman said he is unsure why McGregor shows up on the former website domain registration for his company. “I didn’t know it was registered to him, unless he had the domain name and I used it.

“He has no connection with the company at all,” Smotherman said. “But what if he did? I don’t see where the BBB would even care about that.”

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McGregor was among four people indicted by a Glynn County, Ga., grand jury in September 2011 for two counts of theft and three counts of violating the state’s RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act. The charges are related to auction sales of boats, boat motors, recreational vehicles and other motor vehicles. McGregor has pleaded not guilty.

The BBB in Murfreesboro, Tenn., shows McGregor as the former general manager of the now-defunct Elite Auction Sales Inc., of Murfreesboro.  That firm, which was adjudged bankrupt in October 2009, had an “F” grade with the BBB, the lowest grade possible.

A businessman from Elizabethtown, Ky., said that he consigned 28 motorcycles to Midwest Auction last summer. A representative with the auction house assured him that he would get at or near the retail price for the cycles, he said. But they ultimately sold for significantly less than retail prices. He said he lost more than $100,000 in the auction and nearly lost his business.

The businessman said that shortly before consigning the cycles, he told the company’s salesman: “If this goes south, I’ll lose my house, my business, everything I have.”  He said the salesman told him: “Don’t worry. You’ll laugh all the way to the bank.”

A businessman from Knoxville, Tenn., said a man from Midwest Auction who initially said he represented a bank contacted him last year about selling several motorcycles. The businessman said the man told him that he had ready buyers for the cycles. “You can get your asking price or more,” he said the man told him. The sale generated $7,900, more than $12,000 less than what had been promised. “It was a heck of a hit,” the businessman said. “It was bad. My wife wouldn’t talk to me for a couple of weeks.”

A businessman from Arthur, Ill., who consigned five lawnmowers to the company, said auction representatives pressured him for business for more than a year.  He said he was convinced, in part, by a so-called inventory protection plan that he believed would guarantee him a price close to his asking price.

“They said I couldn’t lose,” he said.  He said he was told repeatedly that the company receives retail prices for its items.

“We don’t sell to dealers,” he said he was told. He said he ultimately received about $7,000 for items he bought for $11,200.

Other complainants include a man from Milo, Maine, who said auction company workers told him that his six snowmobiles should bring $49,000 or more at auction (he ultimately got $25,000 for them). A customer from Elkins, W.Va., said the company “touted an invoice protection plan that would guarantee we could not lose money.” That customer said the actual sales total was $25,000 less than he had agreed.

The company’s website says, “dealers and wholesalers don’t come to us to buy products because we get top dollar amount for your products.”

In all cases, Midwest Auction said the customers received no written guarantees of minimum bids. The company said customers signed contracts agreeing to accept the highest bids.

The BBB offers the following advice to persons considering consigning items to auction companies:

Get a written contract, and read and understand all contract terms before signing.

Do not rely on promises or guarantees that are not in writing.

If you are uncomfortable about accepting the lowest bid for your items, make sure a reserve price (the lowest price you are willing to accept) is written into the contract.

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2 Comments

  1. Is extreme live auctions a scam or a rip off ???Although some dealers claim they have lost money at a live auction events these allegations are NEVER backed up with coinciding documentation or court actions???As a prospective consumer one should find that disturbing. IF they were so mistreated would they not be able to show supportive documents ?Furthermore forums such as this is are impartial and will allow ANY comments reguardless if it is a compeditor, disgruntled employee ,or posts that state untrue statements vs the truth.
    This particular auction is currently under attack by both a major compeditor and from what is suppose to be a trusted public service .The 1st efforts of the reputation assasination came from the local st loius BBB masking behind their fair business and ethics jargin.When the real story alert is this company had a B plus RATING until turning down the local chapters attempt to solicite their BBB badge .It was at that time the BBB made a solid effort to defame the auction organization on a very public level .Our records indicate that the company was originally in good standing and under 100% complete compliance and in most cases was no longer even required to respond to any complaints from the St louis office .(documentation and emails will back this up)After repeated attempts to comply with (play ball)the local chapter the auction hired outside sources to do some investigating of their own THIS IS THE 20/20 COVER STORY THAT SHOWS THE BBBs relationship with extreme live auctions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Yo8kfV9kONw THE REAL STORY ALERT
    As this investigation unfolds more important facts surrounding the slanted stories told online are developing major concerns to the readers.Like why Dealer News has been reporting all of the opinions of organizations such as the BBB and attacking public auction services while at the same time helping carry out the agenda of one of it s very own ADVERTISING contributors .As the reader enjoys these half told stories and misleading conclusions that are being drawn the reader also can enjoy some excellent advertising on not one but several places largely plastered on the Dealer News web page .Should the possability not be taken into consideration that this large wholesale powersport auction that is a paying contributor to Dealer News is not a direct beneficiary of the public assasination of character of the smaller compeditor auction????

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