ami question / help needed

[suicide_squeeze]

Re: ami question / help needed

Oops!!! Wrong President.....my prior post, I meant JFK....not clinton2828, my apologoes!

[suicide_squeeze]

Re: ami question / help needed

clinton2828.......Here is a post I just made (a portion of it under "Mastro Net" earlier today) that deals with your question, and subsequent theory. I hope it helps in enlightening you into AMI and their history.....

"I remember laughing out loud when I saw on AMI's site "Let's get back to the good old day of bidding...." and so on, referring to the fact you can no longer place a "Max" bid on their auction items. The FBI shut that crapola down.

They shut it down because the auction house was seeing the max bids on their system, and making the poor souls who placed them pay for it by bidding.....shill bidding....the item right up to that bid JUST BEFORE the max placed by an honest, yet naive bidder.

Pathetic."


Does THAT explain the high auction results they were getting for their consignors?

[suicide_squeeze]

Re: ami question / help needed

[quote=JFK;128887]

I always wondered how they were able to command such high prices for some of their items. quote]

May I suggest you look at the other "AMI" posts here......pop the top on a beer......happy reading.......

[33bird]

Re: ami question / help needed

Just an update. They didn't respond with payment within the 10 days as stipulated by my lawyer, so he now is going to sue them and collect the whole package-25k+ interest lost in the last 6 months that they've had my money. I'll let you know how that goes once they get all the paperwork from my attorney.
Greg
biggamebird@yahoo.com

[JFK]

Re: ami question / help needed

A Class Action lawsuit might be the best approach. Complaining to the BBB is a waste of time. Complaining to the Attorney General is also a waste of time (unless it's the office specific to the State of Nevada). So unless you live in or near Las Vegas, you're going to have a tough time resolving this issue. Their contract also has a clause that requires you to resolve all issues in Las Vegas !

I am amazed that they are still running auctions.

Unfortunately, the word has not gotten out yet as to just how bad AMI is in terms of honoring their obligations. So there are still many people out there that still hold AMI in high regard, since they probably were at one time, for a long time, a good place to consign to.

I have been looking for a forum like this for a couple of years now.

I always wondered how they were able to command such high prices for some of their items. One of my theories is that since they're not paying their consignees, the consignee feels forced to bid on other items instead of getting paid. They are then forced to bid higher than an item might be "worth", just to get it over with. Then, sometimes, when an auction ends and they know that they're not getting cash for it, they tell the winning bidder (the consignee that they owe money to) that the item was taken back by the seller, or sold to someone else. They then offer it to the second-highest bidder, who is also sometimes another person they owe money to. So what I'm suggesting is that many of the sales are attempts from the people they owe money to to get something back from them. Just a theory.

[JFK]

Re: ami question / help needed

I have been monitoring the bbb website for some time now. I saved all of the screen prints as well.

On 2008.07.31 they had a "Satisfactory" rating, with 6 complaints.
On 2008.12.17 they had a "Satisfactory" rating, with 16 complaints.
On 2009.01.16 they had an "F" rating, with 23 complaints.
On 2009.02.03 they had an "F" rating, with 28 complaints.
On 2009.02.11 they had an "F" rating, with 30 complaints.
On 2009.02.23 they had an "F" rating, with 31 complaints.
As of today, they still have an "F", with 31 complaints.

[clinton2828]

Re: ami question / help needed

what about charging them criminally with theft? my buddy who is a cop said i could based on the circumstances because they are making no effort to pay.

[lund6771]

Re: ami question / help needed

"AMI has made some great changes this year as well, with quick consignment payouts, we look forward to yeliding the best prices, in the industry maintaining our excellent quality and impeccable customer service."




Greg....maybe Keeta thinks that 5+ months and counting is "quick"?...I'd hate to think what she considers to be a "delayed consigment payout"...years?

Anyhow, I wonder how much they owe in consignment payouts?...with being multiple auctions behind, endless pissed off consignors, bad economy....not a pretty picture

[33bird]

Re: ami question / help needed

AMI owes me 20K+. My auction ended on Sept. 18th. So it's been 5+ months. I finally took everybody's advice and got a lawyer and he sent them a letter last week and said payment within 10 days or you'll be sued for the full sales price and interest that would have accrued. What's great is my brother in law is a high powered attorney right in Las Vegas. So he took it for free-it won't cost me a thing. Well, when they get the letter, I get an email from keita stating that, "Their contract specifies payments taking longer if necessary..." I laughed and said 5 MONTHS IS LONGER THAN NECESSARY! Unbelievable. I emailed her back and said payment in full within 10 days or you'll be sued for the FULL sales price. So, I'm kindof hoping they won't and I can eventually collect 25k+ instead of 21K. Because my attorney will kill them in court and it won't cost me a thing. I didn't want to consign to them in the first place. I was gonna go with Robert Edwards or Grey Flannel but their auction dates were so far away I went with AMI. What a mistake. I think that's what gets them consignors-an auction every month and you think you'll get paid faster, but it's just the opposite. I'm begging all you guys to stay away from them. Go with the legit auction houses. These guys are a complete joke!
Greg
biggamebird@yahoo.com

[bondsfan]

Re: ami question / help needed

This information is quite helpful.

I also think it's only fair if the same BBB information is provided for all of the top auction houses, including GUU.

Eric, can you that?

Thanks,

Coveh Solaimani

[Eric]

Re: ami question / help needed

I will post it in its own thread...
Eric

[hblakewolf]

Re: ami question / help needed

By the way, according to the Better Business Bureau site, here is American Memorabilia's rating

http://www.vegasbbb.org/bbb_rated_acc_rpt.asp?bbbid=65098&tr=rated&lg=F&ex=15%2C18%2C19

"Based on BBB files, this business has a BBB rating of F.
Reasons for this rating include:
Length of time business has been operating.
Number of complaints filed against this business.
Failure to respond to complaints filed against this business.

The Bureau processed a total of 30 complaint(s) about this company in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period.
Complaints Concerned:
2 - Selling Practices
2 - Sales presentation used dishonest sales practices
3 - Billing or Collection Issues
3 - General Credit or Billing Complaint Issues
1 - Delivery Issues
1 - General Delivery Complaint Issues
3 - Refund or Exchange Issues
2 - Failure to honor promised refunds, exchanges, or contract
1 - General Refund or Exchange Complaint Issues
21 - Contract Issues
1 - Work performed outside the terms of the contract or agreement
16 - Failure to honor a contract or agreement
4 - General Contract Complaint Issues

The 30 complaint(s) closed in the last 36 months was/were closed as:
23 - Resolved
4 - Company resolved the complaint issues. The consumer acknowledged acceptance to the BBB.
19 - Company resolved the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledged acceptance to the BBB.
6 - Administratively Closed
2 - BBB determined the company made good faith and reasonable offer to resolve the issues, but the consumer did not accept the offer.
3 - BBB determined that despite the company's good faith effort to address complaint issues, the consumer remained dissatisfied.
1 - BBB determined the company provided proper verification that indicated there was no obligation to resolve the issues of the complaint.
1 - No Response
1 - Company failed to respond to the BBB or to the consumer to resolve the issues."

Eric-

This is fantastic and very useful data. Can you email me the link, or post it here, for the same type of BBB information for Bricol Sports in Palm Harbor, Florida?

Thanks again.
Howard Wolf
hblakewolf@comcast.net

[Eric]

Re: ami question / help needed

By the way, according to the Better Business Bureau site, here is American Memorabilia's rating

http://www.vegasbbb.org/bbb_rated_acc_rpt.asp?bbbid=65098&tr=rated&lg=F&ex=15%2C18%2C19

"Based on BBB files, this business has a BBB rating of F.
Reasons for this rating include:
Length of time business has been operating.
Number of complaints filed against this business.
Failure to respond to complaints filed against this business.

The Bureau processed a total of 30 complaint(s) about this company in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period.
Complaints Concerned:
2 - Selling Practices
2 - Sales presentation used dishonest sales practices
3 - Billing or Collection Issues
3 - General Credit or Billing Complaint Issues
1 - Delivery Issues
1 - General Delivery Complaint Issues
3 - Refund or Exchange Issues
2 - Failure to honor promised refunds, exchanges, or contract
1 - General Refund or Exchange Complaint Issues
21 - Contract Issues
1 - Work performed outside the terms of the contract or agreement
16 - Failure to honor a contract or agreement
4 - General Contract Complaint Issues

The 30 complaint(s) closed in the last 36 months was/were closed as:
23 - Resolved
4 - Company resolved the complaint issues. The consumer acknowledged acceptance to the BBB.
19 - Company resolved the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledged acceptance to the BBB.
6 - Administratively Closed
2 - BBB determined the company made good faith and reasonable offer to resolve the issues, but the consumer did not accept the offer.
3 - BBB determined that despite the company's good faith effort to address complaint issues, the consumer remained dissatisfied.
1 - BBB determined the company provided proper verification that indicated there was no obligation to resolve the issues of the complaint.
1 - No Response
1 - Company failed to respond to the BBB or to the consumer to resolve the issues."

[clinton2828]

Re: ami question / help needed

sammy,

i do have a full time job and dont have all day to research these companies.

when i called i spoke with the whole staff since it was a high end item and they insured me i would be paid with in 30-90 days.

the service was outstanding until payment time came.

anyone have any other suggestions?

[lund6771]

Re: ami question / help needed

With as much information that has been posted on this site and others concerning the sleazy business practices of American Memorabilia, Inc. (AMI), I cannot for the world of me, understand, why any one would consign with these *********.

That being said, I have absolutely no sympathy for any current consignor that gets the shaft.

Sammy

what about the newbies that they run into at shows?...and people like myself?...I was unfortunately referred to them a few years ago before these sites were in full swing

at least now, when you google AMI or Lampson there are plenty of horror stories that pop up....I couldn't believe that anyone, outside of a straight jacket, would refer them now!

There should be a thread with side bets on what date their site goes down and their phones are disconnected...how about all people that sign in with a guess put $5 in...winner takes all?