ComplaintsforLiquidity Services Inc

• Initial Complaint

  07/22/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Good Afternoon, I purchased a load of return items from your company on 01/02/2021 at 4:00 PM EST. The auction ID is ********. My name is ****** ******. The freight company I hired is now taking me into a lawsuit due to the fact that your company gave me the wrong shipping information. I am asking that your company pays the bill for this issue as your shipment information was not correct. I have attached the information you gave to me along with the actual measurements VIA ****** *******. The company is asking that we pay $950.13 ASAP or they will continue with the law suite and we will also be liable for interest and court fees. Please review the attached documents! Thank You ****** ******

  Business response

  08/19/2021

  Good morning,

  We've had an opportunity to review the freight charges for the customer's shipment, and agree the pallet sizes were listed improperly at the time of auction which resulted in additional freight charges being incurred.  As a result of our error, we've submitted a request to reimburse the customer the $950.13.  A check will be mailed to the customer's address on file within 7-10 business days.  The customer will then be responsible for paying the freight charges to his shipper for the invoiced amount.  

  We hope this resolve this matter, and appreciate the opportunity to respond.

  Respectfully,

  The Liquidity Services Management Team

  Customer response

  08/20/2021

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ******
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/20/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Home Goods MSRP$2,471 (Auction ID) #******** (Transaction ID) #******* Lot Qty 41 T.W 212.00 Lbs Per Lot Total Paid $462.91 on 6/18/21 @9:35pm Shipped by ************* Delivering Trailer #********** Tracking# ********* They have been Unresponsive since recent Emails to them Providing Proof and Disagreement , I would like a Refund due to the fact of only receiving roughly 19 items.

  Business response

  08/02/2021

  Good morning,

  We have received the complaint filed by the customer, and appreciate the opportunity to respond.  We show the customer filed a dispute for transaction ******* on 6/30/2021, claiming the following "Missing unit in dispute form: 18; I purchased a Pallet that was missing 18 items from the ******************************************* the description!  Below are Pictures of everything I receivedPaid $462.91 on 6/18/21 @9:35 Delievered on 6/28/21."  We requested the customer provide us a copy of the manifest which indicated which items were not received so a partial refund could be issued.  The customer provided 5 photos, one of which was the shipping packing slip, and 4 photos of items received.  We again requested on 7/3/2021 the customer provide us with the manifest highlighting the missing units from this transaction.  In order to determine the partial refund amount due, we need to know which of the items were not received.  A final notice was sent to the customer on 7/8/2021 advising we have received her photos, however  we are unable to tell what the 18 units missing from this auction are. We asked the customer to please respond back with an excel spreadsheet showing the missing units highlighted within 24 hours or the dispute will be denied for insufficient support.  To date, we still have not received the detailed manifest in order to determine which items are missing.  The dispute was denied on 7/12/2021 due to insufficient evidence to support the missing items claim.  

  If the customer would like to be compensated for the missing items, we must receive the manifest which indicates which items are missing.  The manifest can be downloaded from the transaction history inside the buyer's account.  The manifest can be printed and a checkmark or highlight added to the line item to indicate the missing items, then a photo of the manifest should be emailed to [email protected].  The customer may also download the manifest online, and simply highlight within the excel document which items are missing and email it to our disputes group.  Without the manifest outlining which items are missing, the partial refund amount can not be calculated. 

  We will await the manifest from the customer, and will re-review the dispute claim once the necessary information has been received to calculate the partial refund.  Disputes are time sensitive, as the Seller's payment for items sold must be adjusted once a refund is issued, so we ask the customer provide this information within 5 business day from 8/2/2021 in order to receive a partial refund.  Any information received after 8/6/2021 will not be considered and the dispute will remain closed as denied.

  Respectfully,

  The Liquidity Services Management Team

  Customer response

  09/14/2021

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  From: ****** ***** <**************@*****.com>
  Date: Tue, Sep 14, 2021 at 1:14 PM
  Subject:
  To: ***** ****** <*******@mybbb.org>
  
  Hi I wasn't refunded from the business that agreed to give partial refund to me after agreement. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** *****

  Business response

  09/14/2021

  Good afternoon,

  A partial refund has not been promised to the customer, so we are unclear what refund he's referencing.  The customer filed a dispute, which was denied due to insufficient evidence, and our resolution was sent via email which outlined the reasons for the denial.  The customer provided a photo of his shipping label, and 4 photos of items received, but never provided an itemized list of which items were not received.  We provided sufficient time for the customer to provide us with the needed information to determine which items were missing from his shipment so we can work to resolve this with the carrier.  The Seller has since been paid, Sellers are paid once any disputes are resolved.  The customer responded to our denial communication, stating he was not satisfied with the resolution, in which we responded with the following: "Thank you for your response. Your feedback has been noted accordingly. We're sorry that you are not satisfied with the dispute resolution. Our disputes are handled in an individual and unbiased manner based primarily on the support received and the terms of the auction. You provided a manifest but we were unable to tell what units were missing from this order in which we requested support again of the manifest. We waited additional 4 days for a response back in which we did not receive. This is why the claim has been denied. We apologize for being unable to provide you with a dispute resolution to your approval and for any inconvenience."  

  There was never a promise of a refund, nor was the customer's dispute approved since the necessary information was not received by the customer.  The customer's dispute has been resolved as denied, the Seller has been paid,  and we consider this matter closed.  No refund is due to the customer, and no further action is being taken. 

  We refer the customer to our terms and conditions which outlines our disputes process:  https://www.liquidation.com/register/registration/terms  (Appendix B: Listing Contract Policy, Section 9: Inspection and Waiver of Seller’s Limited Warranty of Description)

  "...Buyer must make a claim for any incorrect or inaccurate Listing description of the Assets within three (3) Business Days after delivery of the Assets to Buyer. Thereafter, Buyer waives any right to make a claim against Seller for breach of Seller’s limited warranty of description in a Transaction. Liquidity Services’ customer service department accepts and reviews legitimate claims solely as a service. Where Buyer has a legitimate claim, as determined by Liquidity Services in its sole discretion, refunds or returns of merchandise must be approved by Liquidity Services’ customer service department. All decisions of the customer service department are final. Any attempt to rescind a payment or return Assets prior to an authorization by Liquidity Services will cause a delay of claim resolution and may adversely affect Buyer’s ability to transact additional business on our Site. Unauthorized returns will be refused at delivery."

  Respectfully,

  The Liquidity Services Management Team

• Initial Complaint

  07/01/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Transaction #******* for 13 ******* ** *** was paid off on April 02 , 2021. That had to be used phones set, which turned out as salvage. totally broken phones, and also, this set contained several phones which when turned on started to make sound and show that they were stolen and they are tracking. We filed a case with sheriff office. We filed a dispute with liquidation.com. They decided they will refund us. We returned them except stolen phones transferred to the sheriff. Liquidation decided to make a partial refund. They never sent the letter with the information they need - as customer service said we had to send them a bank account. When we sent it they told they transfer money.but it was a mistake while transferring as bank confirmed. We sent info again and still waiting our money. Liquidation stating they sent money on may 28. Bank confirmed with this mistake they could not send money or have them returned back. They are keeping our money and don't refund. Also blocked account

  Business response

  07/07/2021

  Good Morning,

  In reviewing the customer's complaint,  a dispute was filed by the customer and honored in the customer's favor granting a full refund upon return of all devices purchased.  The customer returned 10 of the 13 devices purchased, and a refunded check was sent to the customer in the amount of $2238.92 on 5/13/2021.  The customer contacted Customer Support advising the refund check was not received, and requested the refund be re-issued via wire transfer.  The refund check was voided, and the wire transfer was issued on 5/28/2021 in the amount of $2,238.92.  The customer was not refunded for the 3 devices not returned.  We advised the customer we could only refund the items returned, and confirmed the Seller only received 10 of 13 items back.   We consider this matter closed as the funds have been received by the customer's bank. 
  

  Respectfully,

  The Liquidity Services Management team

  Customer response

  08/27/2021

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  From: **** <************>
  Date: Fri, Aug 27, 2021 at 3:33 PM
  Subject: FW: You have a new message from the BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania in regards to your complaint #********.
  To: <************************************>
  
  Finally I've got a refund on July 16. I would like you also to restore my account and return me the access to all website services. I never did anything bad or wrong. I want to continue to buy through the website. Thanks
  
  Regards,
  
  *************** *****

  Business response

  09/01/2021

  We have refunded this customer in full for the devices we received back, and the customer has confirmed receipt of the refund.  We consider the matter closed and resolved as it relates to the refund took swift action to refund the customer via wire refund once she made us aware the refund check was not received.  

  As per the request to reactivate the buyer's account, we can not approve this request. The customer has filed a chargeback with her credit card company for transaction ID *******.  Per our Terms and Conditions, which the customer agreed to upon registering on our site, we reserve the right to terminate a user's account if any attempt to rescind a payment or return Assets prior to an authorization by Liquidity Services.   Per our Terms and Conditions, filing a chargeback will affect the buyer's ability to transact additional business on our Site.  

  We refer the customer to our Terms and Conditions Section 9 "Inspection and Waiver of Seller’s Limited Warranty of Description" and Section 3 "Reservation of Rights with Respect to our Services".  (excerpt below for reference)  Our terms and conditions can be found here: here: https://www.liquidation.com/register/registration/terms

  9. Inspection and Waiver of Seller’s Limited Warranty of Description.
  

  General Rule Buyer Should Inspect Prior to Bidding or Making an Offer to Purchase; Bidding or Offering to Purchase Waives Seller’s Limited Warranty of Description as to Such Buyer. If a Buyer bids or offers to purchase Assets without having inspected the Assets, Buyer does so at its own risk. Except as set forth in Exception 1 and Exception 2, below, Buyers are in most instances afforded access to inspect Assets prior to bidding or making an offer to Seller. From its inspection, a Buyer should satisfy itself with the condition, features and functionality of the Assets prior to bidding. Where Assets are made available to a prospective Buyer, Buyer waives Seller’s limited warranty of description at the time of bidding or at the time it offers to purchase the Assets. Sometimes, inspection requires an advance appointment or viewing Assets at specified public viewing times. If a Buyer needs specific advice (e.g., engineering, scientific, risk management, appraisal, valuation, legal), a Buyer should seek this from a third-party professional and not rely on the Listing or Seller. Buyer is solely responsible for selecting the appropriate Assets for Buyers needs. Except as set forth below in Exception 1 and Exception 2, below, all sales are final. This waiver of Seller’s limited warranty of descriptions applies even if Buyer does not avail itself of the opportunity for inspection.
  

  Exception #1 Rule for when Seller Provides No Inspection Until Immediately Prior to Removal. If a Seller only permits inspection immediately prior to or at the time of removal, a Buyer is deemed to irrevocably waive Seller’s limited warranty of description at the time it commences removal of the Assets. No disputes will be processed after commencement of removal of the Assets from the location of the Assets by Buyer or by Buyers third-party agent, shipper or carrier. This exception does not apply if Buyer has been given the opportunity for inspection and did not avail itself of such opportunity.

  Exception

  #2 Rule for Deliveries of Retail Goods Made Free Carrier (FCA) Buyers Location on Liquidation.com or ******************************. In limited circumstances, a Seller using Liquidity Services Liquidation.com or Liquidation.com Direct marketplaces may only permit Buyer to inspect Assets once the Assets are received by Buyer at its designated location. This most frequently occurs with black wrap pallets wherein a retailer creates the pallet and **** of lading and the pallet is sold with no processing by Liquidity Services or, alternatively, with a truckload of Assets that are routed directly from a retailer to a Buyer after the winning bidder is identified. In such circumstances, Buyer must make a claim for any incorrect or inaccurate Listing description of the Assets within three (3) Business Days after delivery of the Assets to Buyer. Thereafter, Buyer waives any right to make a claim against Seller for breach of Seller’s limited warranty of description in a Transaction. Liquidity Services customer service department accepts and reviews legitimate claims solely as a service. Where Buyer has a legitimate claim, as determined by Liquidity Services in its sole discretion, refunds or returns of merchandise must be approved by Liquidity Services' customer service department. All decisions of the customer service department are final. Any attempt to rescind a payment or return Assets prior to an authorization by Liquidity Services will cause a delay of claim resolution and may adversely affect Buyers ability to transact additional business on our Site. Unauthorized returns will be refused at delivery. When a return is authorized, we or the Seller will perform a full inspection of all Assets upon return and units must be the same as when shipped to Buyer (including serial numbers, accessories, etc.) to be eligible for a full refund. Title to Assets remains with Buyer until the returned Assets are delivered to Liquidity Services or the Seller, as the case may be. Buyer agrees that Liquidity Services is not responsible for examining or warranting the description of the Assets in any Listing or any content provided by Seller unless Seller is Liquidity Services and acting in its own capacity as a Seller in preparing the Listing.

  3. Reservation of Rights with Respect to our Services
  We reserve the right to do any of the following up to the time of a Completed Transaction:
  withdraw any Assets offered for sale;
  if Assets have been grouped together for auction as a single Listing, combine (including in bulk), sub-divide, alter or amend any Listing;
  regulate bidding on any auction including, but not limited to, refusing to accept any bid or facilitating automatic bids on behalf of Buyers;
  delay or rescind the sale of any Asset for any reason;
  delay or condition removal from the premises upon which the Assets are located, subject to such conditions as we think are fit to impose if, in the Seller’s opinion or our opinion, removal of any Assets or part thereof will be likely to cause serious damage to the Seller’s or our premises or any other damage that the Buyer is either unable or unwilling to rectify or if any removal is being done without an approved method statement or risk assessment where such a statement or assessment is required; and
  delay or rescind a Transaction if any party should claim possession of or title to all or part of an Asset prior to its removal from the Seller’s or our premises.
  If any of the above occur, our liability is limited to only the return to Buyer of the purchase price and any commissions, premiums or fees paid by Buyer with respect to such Listing.
  We reserve the right to do any of the following at any time:
  accept or reject any Listing, offer to sell or purchase, bid or order;
  limit the bid or order amounts proposed by a Buyer, either alone or in the aggregate;
  refuse to do business with any User, including any existing or former User;
  limit, suspend, restrict or terminate our Services, a Users account, a Users access to our Services and a Users activities using our Services with or without cause or notice to a User;
  limit or cancel quantities purchased (e.g., per person, per business, per household or per order);
  revoke any stated offer to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions, including after a bid or offer to purchase has been submitted and whether or not the bid or offer to purchase has been confirmed or payment has been received;
  modify or discontinue part or all of our Services at any time;
  make any bid or offer to purchase contingent on providing valid credit information, funding earnest money for a bid, or entering into a standalone bid deposit agreement and making a bid deposit; and
  offset any Users funds, including earnest money or bid deposit, to pay any past due balances owed.

  We respectfully decline the customer's request to reactivate the buyer's account, and consider this matter resolved.

  Best Regards,

  The Liquidity Services Management Team

• Initial Complaint

  06/15/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On April 28, 2021 I wired $3,759.55 to liquidation.com to purchase a pallet of 50 used laptops and ****** books. In the ad, the seller stated that all the laptops worked. When I received the order on May 5, 2021 and examined the merchandise, every laptop was missing multiple keys even power buttons. It looked like they had been harvested for parts and then slapped back together for a quick sale. One of the laptops even had rust in all of the ports. The laptops were clearly salvage condition. I contacted the company on May 6, 2021 to file a dispute with a full description of the problem as well as video evidence proving this. I didn't receive an answer until May 19, 2021 stating that my dispute will be honored. I shipped the merchandise back the same day via *** and received notification that it was delivered May 21, 2021. From May 21st until present June 15,2021 I have been calling their customer service and dispute dept and I’m still getting the run around about my refund.

  Business response

  07/07/2021

  Good Morning,

  In reviewing the customer's complaint, we are able to confirm the wire refund was processed in the amount of $3,759.55 on 6/17/21.  The return was received by the Seller, we allowed 2 business days for the Seller to inspect the return, then the refund was processed back via wire transfer after obtaining wire refund instructions from the customer.  

  Respectfully,

  The Liquidity Services Management Team

• Initial Complaint

  06/14/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I bought a sale that listed 2 closet kits, amongst other things but bought solely for the closet kits the shipping company at both ends of the shipment noted damage. In fact nothing resembled closet kits I paid a huge shipping fee over 1200 the total was over 1800 $ the closet kits if thats what they were were broken up and no instructions and totally worthless and unusable and I actually could not recognize if they were actually closet kits. Even though the trucking company provided on the manifest at both ends the damage then I provided pictures they refuse to make this right.

  Business response

  06/23/2021

  Good afternoon,

  We received the complaint filed by the customer and appreciate the opportunity to review this matter.  The customer's dispute was denied due to no supporting evidence received, however we have since received the documents needed from the carrier which notes the damage at shipment, and the refusal to deliver one pallet.  The missing items were likely on the pallet the carrier held back due to damage incurred during shipping.  With this updated documentation proving damage while in shipment and the missing pallet, we've been able to process a full refund back to the customer for total purchase amount.  The customer's original form of payment will be credited back in 3-5 business days from today.  

  We appreciate the customer's patience as we worked through the resolution of his dispute, and apologize he received the auction lot in a damaged condition.  

  Respectfully,

  The Liquidity Services Management Team

• Initial Complaint

  06/13/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  on may 20 i payed liquidation.com $1300 cad for a return pallet skid. on may 25 I went to pick it up.out of 19 items 2 were missing which is fine. 2 were severely damaged sticking out the box and the other 15 items looked okay. all the boxes couldn't fit in my vehicle so the employees let me leave the 2 damaged boxes. when I got home and started to open the boxes everything of value was broken.i didn't even have the courage to open the rest at the time. I checked later on and almost 90% of the stuff was garbage. I had filed a dispute through liquidation and they declined sending bits of a contract saying it is AS-IS. I literally payed to remove there garbage.

  Business response

  06/23/2021

  We've received the complaint filed the customer, and appreciate the opportunity to research this matter and respond. 

  The customer purchased Auction Lot ********  which was listed as "Computers - *******, *****, *******, ****, ** - MSRP $5,007"  This auction lot has a manifest of 19 individual items, which were listed in the condition of "Returns". 

  We define RETURNS on our site as: "Returned merchandise were assets sold to a customer, who then either physically brought the item back to a store or mailed it to a specified location. Reasons for returning a product may not have any correlation to its utility (i.e., size, color, model, etc.), and as a result may be in fine working order. The majority of returns, however, do have some operational and/or cosmetic problems. Depending on a company's return policy, these items may also reflect a measurable amount of use. In addition, since most of these items are sent through a reverse supply chain (e.g. from a customer back to a store or a centralized warehouse), they can show signs of further handling. Timestamped products, such as food, supplements, car seats, and refrigerators, may be expired. Returns may not come in their original packaging and often do not have any of the advertised documentation or additional parts and/or accessories. Accordingly, returns can exhibit a wide range of individual product and package conditions that can differ substantially from the original manufacturing."

  The customer filed a dispute claiming "I picked up a return pallet out of 19 items only 17 items were there. Two boxes were severely damaged while I was onsite. I could clearly see the things inside were damaged and I couldn't fit them in my vehicle.  Anyway the employees were nice enough to let me leave them for somebody else. Everything else seemed okay at the time .when I got home and inspected everything almost everything is damaged . There are only 3 boxes of 200$ printers that look like proper returned untested boxes. I truly believe the seller sold a salvage pallet under returns."

  We received photos from the buyer as evidence of his claim, however the items pictured aligned with RETURNS condition, and his dispute was denied since the auction specifically stated the following terms of sale: 

  -Auctions from ******************** contain ecommerce customer returns that bypassed the refurbishment process based on product value, category, cosmetic condition and/or functionality.

  -The condition of this lot is: Returns.

  -Items are not tested for functionality.

  In providing a secondary review of the customer's dispute, we agree the dispute was resolved according to our terms and conditions, and found the auction was properly listed as "RETURNS" condition based on the photo evidence provided.  We do however feel the customer should be compensated for the items he had left behind, and the items which were missing from his pallet.  We are issuing a 50% refund off the auction price or these missing items and the items left behind.  We've processed this refund back to the customer's original form of payment, and his refund should be received back in 3-5 business days.  

  Respectfully,

  The Liquidity Services Management Team

• Initial Complaint

  06/11/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I bid for phones unlocked and without ****** as mentioned on auction but when I received the order,I was surprised to find all phones locked and with ****** thanks

  Business response

  06/23/2021

  We have received the BBB complaint filed by the customer, and have had an opportunity to review the request.  The customer purchased Auction Lot******** by winning auction bid from Liquidation.com on 12/17/2020.  The auction was listed as " ****** **, ***, Unlocked & Mixed, Est. MSRP $14,700"  The auction details listed the following terms of sale: 
  
  -All phones power on with a functional LCD.
  
  -Units were minimally tested. Required repairs possible. Cracked glass possible.
  
  -Mixed GB of 256gb and others.
  
  -Unlocked, *******, etc.
  -User locks are there.

  These assets were listed in "USED" condition, which is defined as: "Used assets were previously sold, put into use and possess noticeable cosmetic defects and blemishes, including but not limited to dent, scratches and signs of age. Since these assets are usually pulled from a working environment, they rarely come in their original packaging and rarely contain any documentation, additional parts and/or accessories. They are minimally tested to meet the basic requirements of functionality, and therefore may not be in optimal working condition as they may require additional maintenance and repair."  

  The customer filed a dispute on 12/30/2020 claiming the following: "DISPUTE RECEIVED; FUNCTIONALITY; phones has ****** and other with carrier"
  We requested supporting evidence to provide the Seller to confirm the devices were Carrier Locked.  The customer only submitted photos of the listing, and did not provide video or photo evidence of the devices he received.  We educated the customer the auction specifically lists in the Auction Details Section that "User locks are there", but the customer was insistent that he read "unlocked" as meaning no user locks.   We advised the customer the Auction must specifically state "No User Locks" in order to guarantee no user locks will be present on the devices.  We advised the customer he should not not imply what the listing states, and advised the only guarantees related to "unlocked" was the carrier locks which states "Unlocked, *******, etc." and the listing specifically stated User Locks would be present. 

  The buyer's dispute was denied, as we found the Seller properly listed the devices as "User locks are there" and the customer did not provide any evidence to support there were any Carrier Locks present on the devices received.  We informed the customer of our decision not to honor his request for a refund.  The buyer's bidding account has since been deactivated for making verbal threats and for unprofessional language and behavior with our Customer Support team.    

  Our Terms and Conditions require all bidders to acknowledge they have read and understand the condition of the merchandise provided in the Asset Information Section of each listing. In reviewing the customer's BBB Claim, we uphold our original decision to deny his request for a refund.  There has been no evidence provided by the customer to support his claim of Carrier Locks, and the assets were properly listed by the Seller in the Auction Details Section by outlining User Locks would be present on the devices.

  
  Respectfully,
  The Liquidity Services Management Team

  Customer response

  07/02/2021

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ******
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩