rose14
04-18-2010, 11:10 AM
I want to let everyone know about a current situation I have ongoing with Troy Kinunen and MEARS Auctions.
Approximately 10 weeks ago I called Troy and spoke with him about a game used item I have and the possibility that it actually could be a historically significant item. When I first mentioned it to Troy he stated that it could possibly be an item valued in the six figure range. He requested that I send it in which I was going to do anyway. He also mentioned in the initial conversation that he would love to auction the item if I decided to sell it. He told me that he would only charge me the regular $450 fee if I would consign them the item. I sent the item to MEARS where it was researched and came back as authentic and although no difinitive confirmation could be made that it was the item used in this historic event, it was agreed upon by Troy and Dave Grob that it was very likely the item that was used in the event.
Now before sending the item back to me it was agreed upon that MEARS would auction the item. I told Troy that I wanted a reserve and he told me that for the April auction they were going to run things completely different than past auctions. I was told that the April auction would be heavily promoted and advertised through both local and national print, radio and internet media. He stated that MEARS Auctions was moving away from starting items at the reserve prices because they weren't getting the needed action when such a high opening bid is used. I told him that I was still uncomfortable about not using a reserve and he assured me that it wouldn't be a problem because he had some big spenders already interested in the item and that I would be happy with everything. The only reason I consigned to MEARS was the promises that Troy made with the way the item and this auction would be marketed and that I would be happy with the realized price. I told Troy that I was still uncomfortable with no reserve and that I at least wanted a minimum bid of $5,000. He told me that it wouldn't be a problem.
A couple of days later I get the item delivered to me because the shipping department at MEARS was not aware that I was consigning the item. Troy tells me to overnight it back to him and that he would reimburse me for the $45 charges because he need the item back quickly so he could begin marketing it. I sent the item back to MEARS along with some other information that I had gathered to further detail the item. This was approximately six weeks before the start of the auction.
Now fast forward about a month. I had seen no marketing done what so ever, the MEARS Auction website had sit dormant still showing the previous auction except for a small advertisement for the Wagner bat that is currently being auctioned. I then called and emailed Troy and and made my displeasure known and wanted an explanation as to why no marketing had been done since the auction was just two weeks away from beginning. I told him that every auction I know heavily promotes their auctions weeks and months prior to the start. His response was that he doesn't like to market until right before the beginning of the auction because the item and auction may get lost with all the other auctions taking place. I told him that I disagreed and that it's simple Marketing 101 and that the more exposure an item gets the more excitement and fanfair the auction receives.
I made a couple of more inquiries and on April 8th I told Troy over the phone that I wasn't happy with how my item and this auction was being marketed and was concerned and wanted a reserve used on my item. Troy told me that he didn’t want to use a reserve because no other item in the auction would be using a reserve and he just didn’t want my item to have one. Note: this was being told to me right after Dave Grob had just listed a new article on their website explaining how MEARS would handle auction items with reserves. He also told me that he was bringing Reggie Jackson in to promote the auction and that he would take some pictures with the item and that he also had several local executive from Miller Brewing coming to the live grand opening ceremonies. I told him that I could’t give a crap if Reggie Jackson was taking a picture with my item and that his picture with it wouldn’t help with the bidding on it. I told him I wanted the auction promoted so their would be plenty of exposure to my item. He told me that he would send out a mass email the next day to his bidders to promote my item and the auction. That day came and nothing was sent out. I called Troy on Monday, April 12th and told him that I wasn’t happy with the whole situation since he had misrepresented everything that would be done to market my item in the auction. I told him that I have everything to lose on this and that he has nothing invested since no marketing had been done. He responded that he had spent $2500 to build a custom display case to showcase the jersey in which would be offered to the winning biddered to purchase. I asked him why they couldn’t even have the auction preview up on their website so potential bidders could see what was coming to auction 7 days later. He again couldn’t answer the question. He told me that he sent out a mass email that previous Friday but I never received it. I told him to forward me a copy of the email which he never did because it didn’t exist. I told him that I didn’t want my jersey to be auctioned without a reserve. He continued to dance around the issue and said we would talk about it later.
Monday night (5 days prior to the start of the auction) a marketing email finally went out to MEARS bidders promoting my item. Note: This was only done to appease me because of all the complaints that I had made and this email was found in my spam folder. That was one of my complaints because if I was having emails go to my junk folder then just how many were also going into potential bidders junk boxes? Wednesday morning I looked on the MEARS website and saw where he had a preview of the my item on the website and the item starting with an opening bid of less than what I requested. No where did the item show a reserve or any of the additional information that I had sent to Troy that was crucial to the potential bidders. I immediately called Troy and asked him why the information that I sent wasn’t included on the auction description and why there was no reserve? I told him that I wanted the item pulled from the auction if a reserve and additional information wasn’t going to be used. He told me that this was just the initial description and that they were still working on loading the auction descriptions. My auction item was immediately taken down from the website so nobody could see it. I told him that I would slightly reduce my reserve but I didn’t want the item sold without a reserve to protect me since it wasn’t marketed like originally promised. He also told me that the description didn’t include the additional information because he didn’t have time to write it. He told me to write up the additional description and email it to him so they could add it to the item description.
Note: I am trying to babysit my auction item while trying to get ready for a 10 day vacation with my family to Disney World the next day.
Wednesday afternoon I sent an email to Troy updating the auction description and with an attachment to prove what I wrote was fact. I thought everything was ok and that all the information would be used and that my item would be auctioned with a reserve but I couldn’t confirm it because it wasn’t listed back on the website yet. On Thursday I sent Troy a text to make sure the new info would be used and the reserve used and that I wanted him to send me a copy of the auction description that was going to be used prior to is being listed on the website. Friday comes and I still have not received a response from Troy and I then notice Friday night that the auction preview if finally posted and my item is listed without using the write-up that I sent Troy and without using a reserve like I had requested. I also notice that of the 12 featured items in the auction, eight of them have posted reserves. I have called Troy numerous time with no response. I emailed Troy yesterday morning prior to the start of the auction and stated that didn’t want my item in the auction since he has ignored my request and has lied since the very beginning. I also stated that I would call the Milwaukee Police Department and report the item stolen and is being sold without my permission. I did talk to a detective who went to MEARS and spoke with Troy who told him that I am having sellers remorse but said it is a civil matter and he could do nothing.
It’s now Sunday and this has disrupted my family vacation as I have had to deal with this whole mess. I will be contacting an attorney tomorrow and filing and injuction to stop the sale of my item and to get my item returned to me. I don’t understand why something so simple could have been done and followed by MEARS and it would have alleviated this whole mess. It all boils down to Troy Kinunen and MEARS constantly lieing from the start and is worried about nothing but making money on the sale of this item no matter at what cost it is to the consignor.
Sorry about the long post but I just want to make sure that other potential consignors are aware of how Troy Kinunen and MEARS operates. I will keep everyone updated and hopefully soon will have the item back and consigned to a true respectful auction house.
Thanks
Todd Evans
Approximately 10 weeks ago I called Troy and spoke with him about a game used item I have and the possibility that it actually could be a historically significant item. When I first mentioned it to Troy he stated that it could possibly be an item valued in the six figure range. He requested that I send it in which I was going to do anyway. He also mentioned in the initial conversation that he would love to auction the item if I decided to sell it. He told me that he would only charge me the regular $450 fee if I would consign them the item. I sent the item to MEARS where it was researched and came back as authentic and although no difinitive confirmation could be made that it was the item used in this historic event, it was agreed upon by Troy and Dave Grob that it was very likely the item that was used in the event.
Now before sending the item back to me it was agreed upon that MEARS would auction the item. I told Troy that I wanted a reserve and he told me that for the April auction they were going to run things completely different than past auctions. I was told that the April auction would be heavily promoted and advertised through both local and national print, radio and internet media. He stated that MEARS Auctions was moving away from starting items at the reserve prices because they weren't getting the needed action when such a high opening bid is used. I told him that I was still uncomfortable about not using a reserve and he assured me that it wouldn't be a problem because he had some big spenders already interested in the item and that I would be happy with everything. The only reason I consigned to MEARS was the promises that Troy made with the way the item and this auction would be marketed and that I would be happy with the realized price. I told Troy that I was still uncomfortable with no reserve and that I at least wanted a minimum bid of $5,000. He told me that it wouldn't be a problem.
A couple of days later I get the item delivered to me because the shipping department at MEARS was not aware that I was consigning the item. Troy tells me to overnight it back to him and that he would reimburse me for the $45 charges because he need the item back quickly so he could begin marketing it. I sent the item back to MEARS along with some other information that I had gathered to further detail the item. This was approximately six weeks before the start of the auction.
Now fast forward about a month. I had seen no marketing done what so ever, the MEARS Auction website had sit dormant still showing the previous auction except for a small advertisement for the Wagner bat that is currently being auctioned. I then called and emailed Troy and and made my displeasure known and wanted an explanation as to why no marketing had been done since the auction was just two weeks away from beginning. I told him that every auction I know heavily promotes their auctions weeks and months prior to the start. His response was that he doesn't like to market until right before the beginning of the auction because the item and auction may get lost with all the other auctions taking place. I told him that I disagreed and that it's simple Marketing 101 and that the more exposure an item gets the more excitement and fanfair the auction receives.
I made a couple of more inquiries and on April 8th I told Troy over the phone that I wasn't happy with how my item and this auction was being marketed and was concerned and wanted a reserve used on my item. Troy told me that he didn’t want to use a reserve because no other item in the auction would be using a reserve and he just didn’t want my item to have one. Note: this was being told to me right after Dave Grob had just listed a new article on their website explaining how MEARS would handle auction items with reserves. He also told me that he was bringing Reggie Jackson in to promote the auction and that he would take some pictures with the item and that he also had several local executive from Miller Brewing coming to the live grand opening ceremonies. I told him that I could’t give a crap if Reggie Jackson was taking a picture with my item and that his picture with it wouldn’t help with the bidding on it. I told him I wanted the auction promoted so their would be plenty of exposure to my item. He told me that he would send out a mass email the next day to his bidders to promote my item and the auction. That day came and nothing was sent out. I called Troy on Monday, April 12th and told him that I wasn’t happy with the whole situation since he had misrepresented everything that would be done to market my item in the auction. I told him that I have everything to lose on this and that he has nothing invested since no marketing had been done. He responded that he had spent $2500 to build a custom display case to showcase the jersey in which would be offered to the winning biddered to purchase. I asked him why they couldn’t even have the auction preview up on their website so potential bidders could see what was coming to auction 7 days later. He again couldn’t answer the question. He told me that he sent out a mass email that previous Friday but I never received it. I told him to forward me a copy of the email which he never did because it didn’t exist. I told him that I didn’t want my jersey to be auctioned without a reserve. He continued to dance around the issue and said we would talk about it later.
Monday night (5 days prior to the start of the auction) a marketing email finally went out to MEARS bidders promoting my item. Note: This was only done to appease me because of all the complaints that I had made and this email was found in my spam folder. That was one of my complaints because if I was having emails go to my junk folder then just how many were also going into potential bidders junk boxes? Wednesday morning I looked on the MEARS website and saw where he had a preview of the my item on the website and the item starting with an opening bid of less than what I requested. No where did the item show a reserve or any of the additional information that I had sent to Troy that was crucial to the potential bidders. I immediately called Troy and asked him why the information that I sent wasn’t included on the auction description and why there was no reserve? I told him that I wanted the item pulled from the auction if a reserve and additional information wasn’t going to be used. He told me that this was just the initial description and that they were still working on loading the auction descriptions. My auction item was immediately taken down from the website so nobody could see it. I told him that I would slightly reduce my reserve but I didn’t want the item sold without a reserve to protect me since it wasn’t marketed like originally promised. He also told me that the description didn’t include the additional information because he didn’t have time to write it. He told me to write up the additional description and email it to him so they could add it to the item description.
Note: I am trying to babysit my auction item while trying to get ready for a 10 day vacation with my family to Disney World the next day.
Wednesday afternoon I sent an email to Troy updating the auction description and with an attachment to prove what I wrote was fact. I thought everything was ok and that all the information would be used and that my item would be auctioned with a reserve but I couldn’t confirm it because it wasn’t listed back on the website yet. On Thursday I sent Troy a text to make sure the new info would be used and the reserve used and that I wanted him to send me a copy of the auction description that was going to be used prior to is being listed on the website. Friday comes and I still have not received a response from Troy and I then notice Friday night that the auction preview if finally posted and my item is listed without using the write-up that I sent Troy and without using a reserve like I had requested. I also notice that of the 12 featured items in the auction, eight of them have posted reserves. I have called Troy numerous time with no response. I emailed Troy yesterday morning prior to the start of the auction and stated that didn’t want my item in the auction since he has ignored my request and has lied since the very beginning. I also stated that I would call the Milwaukee Police Department and report the item stolen and is being sold without my permission. I did talk to a detective who went to MEARS and spoke with Troy who told him that I am having sellers remorse but said it is a civil matter and he could do nothing.
It’s now Sunday and this has disrupted my family vacation as I have had to deal with this whole mess. I will be contacting an attorney tomorrow and filing and injuction to stop the sale of my item and to get my item returned to me. I don’t understand why something so simple could have been done and followed by MEARS and it would have alleviated this whole mess. It all boils down to Troy Kinunen and MEARS constantly lieing from the start and is worried about nothing but making money on the sale of this item no matter at what cost it is to the consignor.
Sorry about the long post but I just want to make sure that other potential consignors are aware of how Troy Kinunen and MEARS operates. I will keep everyone updated and hopefully soon will have the item back and consigned to a true respectful auction house.
Thanks
Todd Evans