ComplaintsforFountain City Auction

• Initial Complaint

  06/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a baseball card online from their X-XX-XX auction. On X-XX-XX the amount of $69.83 was charged to my account, this included the cost of the card, an auction fee, and shipping. After a few weeks I had not received the card or any information about shipping so I contacted them again. No information came forward until I told them I was going to contact the web site who handles online auctions, Hi Bid. I then heard from them stating the card had been mailed by putting a stamp on it and placing it in the mail. No tracking information or signature delivery information was used. I asked for a refund but was told since they put it in the mail they were not liable. I tried to explain to them that by business practices they were liable but to no avail. I asked them how they thought it was fair that the buyer should carry the burden of the loss. It is between them and the post office and I was the innocent party in the whole thing. I even provided them information showing they were responsible. It is my opinion that they used sloppy shipping practices by not using tracking or some other means of keeping up with the item. They are very rude and insist they are not responsible. I would like a refund, as I feel it isn't my responsibility until it is delivered.

  Business response

  07/14/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2022/06/27) */ I received an email from the customer regarding a ball card that was bid on and won at auction in March of this year. The card was subsequently stamped and mailed following the customers purchase of said card. The email stated that the customer had not yet received the card they bid on and won at auction. I tried to politely explain to the customer over the phone that we are a FOB Origin (or FOB Shipping Point) seller. This means that the buyer assumes responsibility for the item once the shipper has picked the item up from the seller. The customer became increasingly frustrated over the phone and insisted that our company being FOB Origin was bulls*** and nothing more than an easy copout and excuse to not be held liable for items lost in transit. He then informed me that he was getting off the phone and abruptly hung up. We then continued to correspond via email where he tried to say we were responsible by law where I then provided many laws and examples proving that we are not responsible. The customer then stated that he was going to file a BBB complaint unless a refund was given. To me, this feels like extortion. I have no way of proving that the customer has not received the item. However, I do have paperwork showing that the item was shipped. Again, we are a FOB Origin company regarding shipping. Once the item leaves our premises, we are no longer liable for that item and the customer assumes all responsibility of said item. I tried to be as accommodating as I could in this situation, but I do not believe it is ethical or right to threaten and then file a complaint against someone's business unless you get your way. I explained to the customer our standards and provided documentation proving that we aren't liable for the item. In the customer's written complaint, he states that he doesn't "feel" like he is responsible until it is delivered. I gave him documentation stating that he is and that is when he decided to threaten me with a BBB complaint unless he was given a full refund including the fees associated with buying something at auction.

*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. ↩