ComplaintsforProxibid, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  01/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Proxibid hosted an online auction I was participating in, I was bidding on over 100 lots I planned to win no matter the cost. As the auction was about to start closing lots at the agreed upon time, they added 24 hours to the auction and claimed technical issues. I let them know they owe me $40,000 in compensation for financial injury through promissory estoppel resulting from their breach of contract, the claim to have acted within the terms and conditions which is laughable at best. They are frauds and they injured me financially and refuse to acknowledge their fraudulent activities

  

  Business response

  01/17/2024

  Dear ****** ********

  We’re sorry to hear about your experience on Proxibid. However, Proxibid does not make the decision to move or alter an event – this is done at the request of an auctioneer. In this case, the auctioneer chose to move the event due to technical issues.

  Please see section 2, paragraph 6 of the Unified User Agreement, to which you agreed upon creating your account:

  “Because the internet occasionally experiences disruptions, Proxibid cannot guarantee the Proxibid Services will be available 100 percent of the time. Although Proxibid strives to provide the most reliable services possible, interruptions and delays in service are unavoidable and Proxibid disclaims any liability for damages resulting from such disruptions. Thus, you use this website at your own risk.”

  In addition, please see section 5.6 of the Unified User Agreement:

  “The Seller may postpone or cancel the event, withdraw any property from the event, or change any terms of the event or conditions of sale prior to the event.”

  It is thus Proxibid’s stance that both Proxibid and the auctioneer acted with good faith – in an effort to provide the best bidding environment possible for the event – and within the terms laid out for both Proxibid and for the event.

  Again we regret that our extensive prior correspondence with you has been unable to satisfy your concern, and for the inconvenience caused by the auctioneer's rescheduling of this event – which was done precisely to ensure a fair bidding experience for all users in our marketplace.

  Sincerely,

  Customer Experience Management Team

  
  

  

  Business response

  01/24/2024

  Your claim has been rejected as there has been no breach of contract either by Proxibid or *** ***** Real Estate Auctioneers as the terms of the auction allowed for the auction period to be extended under section 5.6 or 5.7 of the Proxibid Unified User Agreement.

  Customer response

  01/25/2024

  5.6. The Seller may postpone or cancel the event, withdraw any property from the event, or change any terms of the event or conditions of sale prior to the event.
  5.7. All announcements made on the day of the event supersede all printed material 

  please Define

  ”prior to the event”

  ”announcements”

  thank you 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** *******

• Initial Complaint

  10/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We have been buying equipment and trucks on Proxibid for years, always paying fast and picking up items on time. Proxibid has blocked us from bidding because we have issues with some auctioneers misrepresenting and lying to the buyers. A few months ago, we bought an attenuator truck and decided not to take it because the auctioneer was going to remove the attenuator before we could remove it from the site. Why did the auctioneer advertise and take pictures of an attenuator truck if they were selling a naked chassis? Because Proxibid refused to help and make the auctioneers accountable, we had to hire an attorney to deal with the issue, and because everything was so obvious, our attorney won. After our attorney won, proxibid restricted our account from bidding on any auctions instead of apologizing and paying our legal fees. If Proxibid doesn't do this right, we will sue for damages and discrimination. Proxibid doesn't value and help the buyers even when buyers paid them 3% of the bid amount. Buyers are paying 3% or more of the total we bid on plus the auctioneer's 10-15% or more fees. Buyers should get excellent customer service from Proxibid and the auctioneers; instead, buyers are being mistreated.

  Customer response

  10/09/2023

  I try several times to have proxibid help us but they refuse. My attorney proved them wrong and even after the proves proxibid refused to help.

  

  Business response

  10/16/2023

  Dear *** *******

  We have reviewed your account and the associated non-payment dispute reported by ***** ******* ****** ****

  In light of the information provided to us, we have determined that we are able to remove the restriction placed on your account. You may now login and bid as normal.

  As a technology company and the online platform through which Buyers and Sellers interact, Proxibid may facilitate communication but is not directly involved in any transactions between Buyers and Sellers, including but not limited to the transfer of funds.

  Proxibid does not charge bidders any fees to use its services. Any additional fees are put in place by the auctioneer directly and are usually outlined in the auctioneer’s Terms of Sale. That said, we thank you for providing this feedback to us and will continue to review and refine our services and processes internally.

  If you have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out to our Customer Experience team.

  
  Sincerely,
  Customer Experience Management Team

• Initial Complaint

  07/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I BID IN ******* ******* 6/30/2023 I WON ITEM 3082 AND A FEW MINUTES LATTER THERE SERVERS WENT DOWN AND THEY CLAIM THE AUCTION WASN'T OVER AND ITEM IS STILL UP FOR BID. THIS IS GOING TO REQUIRE ME TO MAKE TWO TO GET I TEMS AND REARRAING DELIVERY AND PICKUP ON OUT OF TOWN ITEMS. I WAS ONLY ONE BIDDING ON ITEM BID IT UP TO RESERVE PURCHASE IT BECAUSE I HAD IT SOLD.

  

  Business response

  07/07/2023

  Dear **** *******,

  We regret to hear that your experience on Proxibid was less than ideal.

  On June 30th, 2023, Proxibid experienced a service outage caused by an issue with a third-party service provider. You can read more about the third-party service provider’s issue here: *********************************************************

  As a result of this issue, Proxibid was unavailable for bidders or auctioneers on June 30th. Bidders were unable to place bids during the outage, and ******* ******** decided to extend their sale to the next Friday, July 7th, in the interest of providing a fair bidding experience for all bidders

  Any decisions made regarding the sale of items in an auction event or the operation of the event itself are made by the auction company directly. Proxibid provides an online platform through which bidders and sellers may interact but is not capable of completing a sale or purchase on behalf of an auctioneer. For any inquiries regarding the purchase of lots in the event, we recommend reaching out to the auction company directly.

  
  Cordially,
  Customer Experience Management Team

  Customer response

  07/09/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 20268286, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *******

• Initial Complaint

  05/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been trying to reach your company since Friday of last week, I sent numerous text messages and emails to Proxibid, and attempt to retract a bid that I placed by mistake. You guys never answer the phone or text messages, therefore the auction happened and I won the item. My username is *********** with Proxibid and the item in question is Lot ***. I purchase a lot of items from you guys, but this lot was an accident, please remove that lot from my invoice. ALL I GET FROM THEM IS TO CONTACT THE SELLER, WHICH I HAVE FOR OVER 2 WEEKS NOW BY EMAIL, TEXT AND CALLING. THEY ARE CONDOING BAD PRACTICES AND CLEAN THEIR HANDS BY SAYING THE JUST PROVIDE A PLATFORM, WELL GUESS WHAT, YOU ARE LIABLE AS WELL SINCE YOU CHARGE THE SELLER A FEE THAT'S RECOVERED BY THE BUYER.

  

  Business response

  06/16/2023

  Dear Yamil ******,

  We’re sorry to hear that you’ve had difficulties with your purchase with Key Date Coins. 

  Proxibid is the platform upon which auction companies host their sales online. Individual auction companies are in control of their own sale. As such, Proxibid is restricted in how it can directly affect a sale, both before and after the sale has ended. Oftentimes, Proxibid cannot retract bids before the sale ends without explicit permission from the auction company, and in all cases, Proxibid cannot remove items from invoices issued by auction companies.

  As such, when a bidder requests to have a bid removed from their invoice, they must speak with the auction company. We have reached out to Key Date Coins to request that they contact you directly to discuss your concerns.
  Thank you for your patience and understanding.

  
  Cordially,
  Customer Experience Management Team
  

  
  

  Customer response

  06/16/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Yamil ******

• Initial Complaint

  03/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  First time using Proxibid last week, and I wish I never had. I placed maximum bids on 8 items in the same auction that is local to me. When I checked the next morning, the two most expensive items had reached my maximum bid, but had not gone over. I thought that was suspicious, but perhaps coincidental, but I still contacted Proxibid to let them know it seemed suspicious. An hour before the auction ended, SEVEN of my eight maximum bids had been met, but not exceeded. I contacted them again, this time via chat to notify them of the potential for fraud via someone inflating the maximum bids. I let them know I'd still buy the items, but that they should investigate fraud. The representative on chat told me that it was not their problem, and that I should contact the seller/auction company. I told her NO, this is FRAUD on YOUR PLATFORM and it is YOUR PROBLEM to resolve. No solution, but as I got eight e-mails telling me I won all eight items, I got an additional e-mail from someone (at Proxibid I assume) named Lacey ******** who said due to unexpected issues with the website the auction would be reset and all bids erased. Okay, great! Now I can bid live and avoid the fraudulent activity! Except they never erased my bids. So I got on chat again and was told that in order to cancel bids, I needed to e-mail them (Lacey's e-mail said nothing of the sort, just that the bids would be deleted). So I e-mailed them and have yet to hear a response, but my bids are all still active on the new auction, and at my maximum bid. Of all the correspondence with Proxibid, Lacey's e-mail (that told me the bids would be erased) was the most coherent thing sent to me. I had to spend a few minutes each time I got an e-mail or chat message to decipher what they are saying -- they leave out words, misspell words, and it is pretty obvious English/language communication is not a priority, nor is suspected fraud against bidders on their platform.

  

  Business response

  03/23/2023

  Dear Nick ******,
  
  We apologize for the negative experience you had on Proxibid and would like to take the time to address some of your concerns below.
  
  We have reviewed the sale in question and found that, due to technical issues, the auctioneer extended the sale. As part of that extension, it appears the auctioneer sent out an email stating that bids would be removed.
  
  As Proxibid does not control the sale directly, we are often unable to remove bids without explicit permission from the auction company. It was due to this that our team needed to reach out to the auction company to confirm that the bids could be removed from their sale, which caused the delay you experienced. However, we show that your bids were successfully removed on March 16th, and you were able to replace any bids as needed. You were not awarded any lots in the sale at its time of closure.
  
  With the above said, we have also taken your concerns regarding potentially fraudulent activity into consideration. As such, we have forwarded the information provided internally and will be investigating the auction company’s bidding activity.
  
  Finally, we have heard your grievances regarding communication with our team and are currently looking into that concern.
  
  Cordially,
  Customer Experience Management Team

• Initial Complaint

  01/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Failure to provide oversight and to intervene in a subsidiaries inability to complete a transaction

  

  Business response

  01/30/2023

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2023/01/09) */ This email is being sent in response to complaint case #**********, which was filed against Proxibid today, January 5th 2023. Based on our findings, it appears that this consumer may have issued this complaint to the incorrect company. Per our internal records, while the consumer does have an account with Proxibid, she has not accessed it since 2011. Additionally, we have communications logged internally, including an inbound call from the consumer, in which she requests assistance in completing a transaction (by adding payment information) on an account that is with a separate company from Proxibid, ****************. While Proxibid and **************** are both companies under the Auction Technology Group (ATG) umbrella, they are separate entities and Proxibid is not equipped to address a consumer's complaint with ****************. I apologize if this is not the correct avenue to address this concern. If that is the case, please redirect me to the correct contact. Kind regards, Tyler ** Customer Resolutions Supervisor

• Initial Complaint

  04/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I used Proxibid to purchase 4 ***** Watches and a ******* bracelet from their seller Maison ******* totaling over $*******. Upon receipt of the merchandise I knew it was not authentic, I contacted an authorized ***** dealer and they confirmed the watches were in fact completely fraudulent. I also discovered after contacting the local sheriff of the town in which the seller listed as their address that their was no such business. I contacted Proxibid via email and by telephone and was told that they would not black mark my account but that Maison ******* generated a lot of business for them. So, in short Proxibid is fully aware that this seller is selling fake goods via their platform and they are completely turning a blind eye to it, which is also evident from reading the reviews here on the BBB site for Proxibid. I will be naming Proxibid in all legal reportings as I move forward with the Attorney Generals office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

  

  Business response

  05/26/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/05/02) */ Dear Bidder, We're sorry to hear about your experience with Maison ******* on Proxibid. As you noted in your original complaint, your account is not restricted and will not be penalized due to your transaction with the auctioneer. In addition, when you previously contacted us, we reached out to the auctioneer on your behalf and were informed that you would be receiving a full refund for the items purchased. As a technology company and the online platform through which Bidders and Sellers interact, Proxibid may facilitate communication but is not directly involved in any transactions between Bidders and Sellers. Listings are created and uploaded to the Proxibid platform by Sellers directly. Proxibid does not interact with any items represented by a Seller's Listings nor is Proxibid privy to any details of Listings beyond those presented by the Seller online. Furthermore, Proxibid is not in control of any part of the transaction, including the transfer of funds, and is not responsible for issues that arise thereof. Any Terms of Sale laid out for a sale are created by the Seller directly. All auctioneers who sell on Proxibid are reviewed and vetted by our team to ensure that they are legitimate business entities. The auctioneer is an active business entity and verifies to the address listed on their account per the ******* Secretary of State website, which can be viewed publicly. Furthermore, we reviewed your communication with our team regarding your transaction. You were directed to submit a complaint to ********************, and later stated that you did so but did not receive a response. We have reviewed our support center but have not received any communication from the email address listed on your Proxibid account. You may file an internal complaint regarding the auctioneer at ********************. These complaints are used for internal purposes only and will contribute to our review of the auctioneer. Please provide any evidence of your claim that you can, such as documentation from a third party stating that the item(s) in question are not authentic. Cordially, Customer Experience Management Team

• Initial Complaint

  03/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have repeatedly asked to be taken off their mailing list, they refuse. Saying I have to resolve some unpaid bill from years ago with one of their clients, who I have heard nothing from about this situation.

  

  Business response

  04/13/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/03/18) */ Dear David ******, We have reviewed your current account status on Proxibid. Per your request, your account has been removed from all Proxibid email lists. Please note that it may take up to two weeks for all email subscriptions to be cancelled. If you no longer wish to receive emails from a specific seller, please contact them directly. Cordially, Customer Experience Management Team

• Initial Complaint

  10/09/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Auction 2021 September Collectors Recall Auction Lot **** Fraud *********************** has provided the worst buying experience I have ever had. The stamps were misrepresented as genuine, though the portrait of the stamps had a tag on the reverse that said copy. Even worse, the supposed "stamps", were cut from a stamp catalog. The fact that there was no option for a refund is terrible. I will not buy from you again as I have lost all trust and would be afraid of receiving a picture instead of the item. How can Proxibid support such dishonesty?

  

  Business response

  11/10/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/10/17) */ Dear William ******, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. Proxibid is an online platform that allows Bidders and Sellers to connect and purchase items ("Listing(s)") via several selling formats including, but not limited to, live and timed auctions ("Event(s)"). When an individual creates a bidder account ("Bidder"), they must acknowledge and agree to the Proxibid Unified User Agreement ("UUA"). Listings on the Proxibid platform are managed by separate business entities ("Seller(s)"). As a technology company and the online platform through which Bidders and Sellers interact, Proxibid may facilitate communication but is not directly involved in any transactions between Bidders and Sellers. Listings are created and uploaded to the Proxibid platform by Sellers directly. Proxibid does not interact with any items represented by a Seller's Listings nor is Proxibid privy to any details of Listings beyond those presented by the Seller online. Furthermore, Proxibid is not in control of any part of the transaction, including the transfer of funds, and is not responsible for issues that arise thereof. Any Terms of Sale laid out for a sale are created by the Seller directly. Upon review of your account, we show that you emailed us on October 9th, 2021. At that time, we opened an internal complaint regarding your experience with the seller. These complaints are used in reviews of the seller's account. However, as Proxibid is simply the online toolset the seller used to engage in this sale, Proxibid is unable to directly affect or modify the outcome of the transaction once it has completed. We recommend that you continue to work with the seller toward a resolution. Cordially, Customer Experience Management Team

• Initial Complaint

  08/23/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Proxibid appears to be facilitating fraud against consumers. On August 3rd I bid in an auction hosted on Proxibid. The auction company ************ never sent my items. I tried to resolve the issue with the auction company only to find out they aren't even a legal business. The address listed on Proxibid's website is a vacant lot. There is no record of ************ with the ********** Department of Revenue. I contacted Proxibid on 08/23/2021 to report the issue and they gave me the phone number of the company. The same phone number I've already called 5 times. They claimed that they vet all companies before allowing them to sell on their platform. Well if they vetted them, they would have an ein or the name of the legal entity, doing business as ************. Either Proxibid negligently, failed to perform due diligence on ************ or they are knowingly allowing ************ to conduct sales on their platform in spite of the fact that they are an un registered entity.

  

  Business response

  09/30/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/09/03) */ Dear James *****, We are writing in response to complaint case #********* filed with the Better Business Bureau regarding your experience with Proxibid. Upon review of your account, we found that you made a purchase with ************ in their August 3rd, 2021 event. Then, on August 23rd, 2021, you contacted us via chat and email to inform us that you had not received part of your purchase and that you were having difficulties contacting the seller. At that time, we reached out to the seller on your behalf, but had to leave a voice message. We have again contacted the seller on your behalf regarding this request. We were informed that the remaining items were already shipped and on their way to you. As a technology company and the online platform through which Buyers and Sellers interact, Proxibid may facilitate communication but is not directly involved in any transactions between Buyers and Sellers. Listings are created and uploaded to the Proxibid platform by Sellers directly. Proxibid does not interact with any items represented by a Seller's Listings nor is Proxibid privy to any details of Listings beyond those presented by the Seller online. Furthermore, Proxibid is not in control of any part of the transaction, including the transfer of funds, and is not responsible for issues that arise thereof. Any Terms of Sale laid out for a sale are created by the Seller directly. ************ is a long-standing seller with Proxibid, amassing a 4.61 star rating out of 5 with over 10,000 reviews. Reviews can only be left by online buyers with verified purchases; as such, the seller has a history of successful sales on Proxibid. We will continue to monitor any communications from ************ and update you should we learn anything new regarding the status of your current transaction with the seller. Cordially, Tyler Customer Resolution Specialist Proxibid, Inc. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2021/09/07) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Proxibid routinely allow buybacks from their sellers, falsely inflating feedback scores. Further Proxibid hides feedback comments, which would alert buyers to serious issues. *** DID NOT SEND the merchandise that was ordered. Proxibid claims to be an unbiased technology company, yet they, in every aspect of their business, facilitate an environment and enable bad faith sellers, to engage in dishonest and fraudulent practices. As part of the seller application businesses are supposed to provide an ein or other document showing they are licensed. Proxibid clearly has no such information for *** as they are not licensed. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2021/09/15) */ Dear James *****, We've received your rebuttal to our response on Better Business Bureau case #*********. Thank you for your response and providing us this chance for further clarification regarding your issue. We regret to hear that you have not yet received your items. We've further reached out to ************ for clarification regarding their shipment to you. They stated that the purchase was sent in two shipments. Per your communication with us on August 23rd, you were aware that two packages had been sent and informed us that you had received one of them. ************ provided us with the USPS tracking numbers for both shipments, as follows: ********************** ********************** Per these tracking numbers, we show both packages were delivered. However, while we show that you signed for the first shipment, arriving on August 16th, we show the second was delivered and, per the USPS website, "is available at a PO Box." This occurred on August 27th. Currently, we recommend reaching out to your local post office to inquire as to the whereabouts of this shipment. Regarding your claims considering ************* legal business entity, the seller is registered under the name "**************************************." Public information on the seller's business entity can be found using their registered state's online portal. Cordially, Tyler Resolution Specialist Proxibid, Inc. Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2021/09/16) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) If you had provided their registered name when I requested it weeks ago, it would have saved me considerable time. The fact stands that they are selling under an unregistered DBA. There was a second shipment but it did not contain my coins. *** is well aware of this fact as I've spoken to Michael and Mary, the two owners and they choose to ignore it. Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2021/09/25) */ Dear James *****, As previously mentioned, Proxibid is a third party that is not directly involved in any transactions between buyers and sellers, including the shipment of items awarded. As such, Proxibid is unable to make inquiries with the postal office nor can Proxibid provide further details on shipments made. We have again spoken with ************ regarding your purchase and the whereabouts of your missing coins. The seller has informed us that the sole contents of their second shipment, as listed in our previous response, were the missing rolls of coins. If these coins were not in that shipment, we recommend inquiring with the postal office. At this time, Proxibid is unable to pursue the matter further as a third party. Cordially, Customer Experience Management Team Consumer Response /* (2000, 15, 2021/09/28) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) I have filed a fraud affidavit with my bank. Michael ***** knows full well what was in the package he sent and it was not the coins I purchased. He lied several times, regarding the second shipment. He can make good, or he can rebut the recordings where he stated the coins in the auction were not as described. That they were "slicks" that he was finding "replacements" that matched the description and pictures he used. He can also try and rebut the fact that he shorted the ******* cents by **% and the fact that almost every coin had issues which were photoshopped out. Long story short, people are going to read this and decide for themselves what part proxibid is playing in their seller's actions.

*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. ↩