A little disappointment rant
 

**remove if you think it should be**

So I'm done with LOTG auctions and I know several of the members love them and I hoped to as well based on past positive posts about them. well, I'm disappointed in their latest auction decision. I'll try to be brief.

Auction closes on Aug 9th, I win an item on Aug 9th, I pay for my item on Aug 10th. On Aug 12th, I get an email stating that there will be a delay in shipping items since they are going to a local show to get some consignments for their next auction. How about completing this auction before worrying about the next auction?

This tells me one thing: LOTG cares more about their future customers and consignment fees than their current customers who helped make them bank on their auction. I gave them a whole week of delivery days to see if I was over reacting but nothing, no item and no shipping update email. Who knows when I'll see my item? I know I don't.

If they had stated in their email that shipping and handling charges would be credited by 20%, 10% or even 5% then I would say "at least they know it wasn't ok" but no, nothing...

I plan to participate ZERO more times in any of their auctions. I wish the best of luck to those that will continue to support them, but I think this was a bad decision on their part. Maybe hire a couple of family members to help out, it's not like they weren't given any notice of the show...poor planning on their part shouldn't effect any customer paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for an item.

Im done, thanks for listening.

I cracked beers with Al at the National a couple of weeks ago, fantastic guy! I think he might have been at the East Coast National getting consignments. He's got a business to run so it is ALWAYS about the next round of consignments. If he's not out hustling for this stuff others will beat him to it. Instead of crapping on him in public, try messaging him privately. He would probably get back to you before you were finished typing, he's that kind of guy. Don't get your panties in a knot, you'll get your winnings.

Did your payment clear on the 10th? How long did they say your shipment would be delayed?

I know Al is a Net54 member and has a lot of supporters here, and I agree that at least one attempt to contact him directly should have been made before blasting him on a public forum. From your post it's not clear if that attempt was made.

I don't get the hostility either.
He sent all bidders a note that he'll be at the East Coast National this weekend.
Al is a 1 man company, he does everything himself and he does it right.

Per the rules the original poster is Mark Dol.fi .....LOTG is an advertiser here but regardless, I am still a strong supporter. Al does just about everything right.

I do agree with this to a certain extent. I'm certainly not going to boycott them but it is disappointing that they decide to hunt down some consignments rather than have someone (anyone) from the company completing these shipments. And to hear it won't be until mid next week that they will get "caught up". Oh well.

if you paid on the 10th, they couldnt have even shipped til the 11th, a weeks worth of delivery days would then be the 18th, it seems to be only the 16th today.

you didnt get your item in 4 shipping days and you are going off, whats going on? give em another week. plus why not call, email, text and just ask where it is? 2 weeks is not a long time to wait till you get your winnings.

Lotg
 

In a short span of time, Al C. has created a top auction house. Hard work, honesty, attentiveness, research skills, remarkable knowledge of his offerings and the sincerest desire to articulate the best descriptions of these offerings in the business have set LOTG apart from the crowd. I continue to stand behind him, knowing that he gives his all, his very best.

all the best,
Barry

Al is a great guy who is building a first rate auction house that we can trust. Not sure why you are so hostile/impatient. Chill..you will get your stuff.
James Hill

Al is a top notch guy and he told me they're a little behind on shipments because of the East coast national. I do kind of chuckle when I see an advertiser saying "accepting consignments", isn't every auction house always accepting consignments?

Al is such a breath of fresh air in the Hobby compared to the the card doctoring, puffery writing, bid shilling, s/h raping Masters of the Universe we are used to. As pointed out he is a one man show, wearing all the hats and, in my experience as both a consigner and a bidder, doing a hell of a job building a first class AH from scratch. Real nice guy to work with too. Guess you can't please everyone.

Some guys just can't wait to get their new bubble gum card. OP probably negs eBay buyers/sellers first day after auction ends - I know the type. Al is the best - what other AH would send an apology email in advance knowing that things were being delayed?

Love
 

Mark-- it is too bad you are disappointed with your recent experience with LOTG, but unless you think the majority here are just off base, maybe you should at least consider giving them another try. I have experienced delays on occasion with many good sellers because of a temporary issue. I would never stop doing business with a dealer who had great hobby reputation because of a minor shipment delay, otherwise I would be the main loser

Al Crisafulli is an A+ First-class guy who runs an auction house by himself. If he didn't go to shows to pick up consignments, he would have nothing to offer any of us.

Further, if you had a problem with his "open communication" regarding his delay in shipping, you should have sent him a private message instead of attempting to smear him on a public forum. Al is an honest guy, hence his message to those of us who won items in his auction. It's called Customer Relations, Mark.

For the record, I sent him payment for my winnings the day he posted my invoice. I didn't work myself into an unreasonable snit when I received his message about the delay. On the contrary, I appreciated his honesty.

My wife appreciated his message because it means that I'm not sitting in a folding chair by the mailbox every day.

Lighten up, Mark. Al is a super-super guy.

Cheers,
Mike

What an unbelievably petty post.

I think this is a very fair read of this. Al is a good guy, friend to many on the board and certainly more honest than the average auction house owner (in fairness so is a cockroach). But the beef raised by the OP is legit and has been used to attack Heritage and other auction houses. Al is a big boy and can answer for himself but being a serious auction house sometimes requires quicker shipping. I suspect Al will fix this and I also suspect the OP will give him another chance. He deserves it if for no other reason than he's not a crook. And we need as many auction house owners like that as we can get.

Let's do the math. Let's say a bidder lives all the way on one coast, say West Covina, CA. And the auction is all the way on the other coast, say New Jersey. How long should it take a package to get delivered cross-country?



I think the answer is clear: If it doesn't arrive within 4-5 business days you should boycott the auction.



So how many auctions are left on your non-boycott list?



Also simple: Only those west of the Mississippi.



Make sure to always check before bidding...

Mark, were you trying to flip the item? Just curious.

On a related note, do you guys think I did the right thing here?



Earlier today at 2:00 pm I called Domino's.



At 2:31 I called a lawyer. And left a message



At 2:33 I posted a complaint online....



Still haven't heard back from either, so I've contacted the state bar association to report the lawyer.



I'm now hungry and mad.



Please advise... And also beware of ordering from Domino's.

I fall somewhere in the middle. I think Al is a good, honest guy, and that is what's most important.

But I think everyone jumping all over the OP is a little uncalled for. I think it's very reasonable to expect that after you pay for your auction winnings, getting your items to you would be the first priority for the auction house.

I personally would have been a little bummed to have to wait (I didn't win anything in this one) but I would have understood. Basically, I agree with Jeff.

How about a little patience. You won the card and know you will be receiving it. Without the auction you wouldn't have been receiving the card at all. In the whole scheme of things I don't think waiting a few extra days or a week is that big a deal. I know when I win a card I get excited and want to receive it as soon as possible but I know its only a piece of cardboard and how ever long it takes, it takes, as long as it's not an unusually long period of time it's ok by me.

I also know Al is one of the best guys out there and deserves the benefit of the doubt. Has anyone ever heard of Al not doing everything in his power to satisfy customers, I haven't.

Give LOTG one more chance.

I do agree that if an item has been paid for it should be shipped in a timely manner. The bigger issue for me is whether or not an attempt to contact Al at the auction house directly was made before the OP went on this forum to complain. To me, that would be the logical first step.

Hi Lug-Nut. I do understand that you may feel a certain level of frustration.

Still, do not be surprised if Al goes out of his way to reach out to you. I think he is a guy who truly does care, and I think that he will take any criticism and use it to better his operation.

I think the two of you can work this thing out in peace and go on to have a really nice business relationship.

I hope everything works out for the both of you.

Derek

Hurry, everybody pile on the OP. It's not like he doesn't have a little bit of a point, he may have just presented it a little strongly. If it were a different AH, my guess is some of you would have felt the same way.

If you receive your items within two weeks from any auction house you are ahead if the game.



It's rare to get an item within 5 business days of paying. Especially if you live across the country from the auction house.



Plain and simple.



Now if the original poster doesn't get his item within two weeks then he has a point and should contact the auction house. Then, depending on the response, you should decide whether or not to publicly chastise the place.



Just my opinion...

Did you wire the funds on the 10th? Because if you did not send a wire transfer or other instant payment [I d/k if LOTG takes PP], expecting lightning fast shipment is completely unreasonable.

It can take two full business weeks from my receipt of the check to see if the check is good. Banks often accommodate good customers by making deposited funds available before receiving such confirmation from the payor bank. This is considered by the bank to be a provisional settlement, which may be revoked by the bank and is not the same as the funds having cleared (which may take weeks depending on the nature and location of the originating bank).

Also agree that the place to start with this sort of thing is with the vendor directly, not in a public board, esp. where the vendor is a fellow board member.

LOTG takes paypal, so I assume when the OP stated that he paid on the 10th, that was via Paypal.

Also, my take is that the OP is just looking for an email stating that the package has been shipped, not necessarily delivered by the 16th. So for the poster stating that OP should only use AH's west of MS, I don't think that's fair.

I do agree that Al sent an email stating shipping would be delayed, so he does deserve a little more understanding here, and certainly not a thread stating OP will no longer bid in future auctions. Hopefully, things will work out here.

There are bigger fish to fry in this industry:

* auction house executives going to prison for fraud
* shillers and card doctors
* auction house owners who used to cheat old ladies out of their retirement on TV

I'd give an honest, hard working, ethical, diligent, auction owner like Al a pass and focus a boycott on the above if you want to make a statement.

jeff

Their website states "We will begin shipping materials as quickly as possible after payment."

They do not promise same day delivery.

Enjoy the anticipation of receiving the card and lighten up!

Mercy, a minor inconvenience.
Let the man run his business.
JMHO

We all want instant gratification, but given how many things Al does right, I think he's entitled to a break here.

Wow, I remember the days I'd be happy to get a shipment from one of the major auction houses within the month, sometimes having to wait 6 weeks or more. Now if it's not received before the week is out, boycotts are being started. Rough business.

It's funny how much smack some of you guys talk when several of you have posted far worse derogatory things about fellow board members. I'm not going to humor most of your posts since they were a little extreme.

I will clarify that I did pay via PP and I did not expect my items delivered within a week, I expected a "shipment sent" email like I was told in the email that came 3 days after the end of the auction. And the email I sent to LOTG, has not been answered as of 20 minutes ago.

I expressed my disappointment about an AH that no matter what AH it was, would get the same response. I know for a fact that I'm not the first to express their disappointment about an AH on forum. I wasn't slanderous, I didn't call anyone a douche-bag, I wasn't sarcastic like some of you were in this thread. which now tells me what sellers and buyers to stay away from. I don't post negative feedback on ebay and I'm not petty. And quite frankly, I don't give a frogs fat a*s if your domino's pizza was late, get a real job so you can afford papa john's.

Ok that was a great response. Well done!

I'm a New Yorker, we don't do Domino's or papa john's, but that response was funny. But Mario Batali does have a great pizza place here, if you're looking for something more upscale than the usual NYC slice...

Of course, when Papa John opened up an East Village location, they actually handed out flyers touting their new "East Side Village" location, so clearly all that extra dough they are charging you isn't going to learning new markets!

You mis-spelled, "sorry, I may have jumped the gun a little and apologize for attacking an auction house that does a (generally) great job."

It's OK. Everyone makes mistakes.

Exactly...I wonder if Lug-Nut was still bidding in Legendary up to the final death knell?

i agree, its pretty rough if they are calling people out and not even been a week yet.

I know it can be frustrating to have to wait for something to arrive in the mail. I also don't know what the OP won, or how long he's been looking for it.

That being said, I won two cards in Al's auction. Both are cards I've been looking for for several years. One of them has taken me multiple auctions and being outbid every time before I finally came out on top this time. I am not going to get uptight if they haven't arrived within a week. It took me years to find the cards and win them in the first place; what's another couple of days, or a week or two?

Al is a great guy who runs an outstanding auction, and in my experience, he always treats his customers well. We definitely need more people like him in this hobby.

Steve

Is there really a difference in price between Domino's and Papa John's?

Hi everyone:

First, thanks to everyone who chimed in with such positive comments. While they're all much appreciated, I think Mark's concern is valid because he clearly expected that his shipment would be sent to him within four days of my receipt of payment, and I did not meet that expectation.

When I set up LOTG, I wanted to model my shipping after Sterling and REA, who are the fastest in the biz. Sterling sometimes ships the day they receive payment! Since most other auctions ship, in my experience, within a week or two of receipt - so I set a goal of shipping within a week, via priority mail, and most of the time, I meet that goal.

In this case, since shipments will go out slightly more than a week after some payments were received, I felt it was important to let winning bidders know. I sent out an email on Wednesday to that effect. Perhaps it would have been smarter to just ship when I could, but I felt like customers who are accustomed to receiving their material from me in four or five days have a right to know that they'll be receiving it in eight or nine.

Mark, since you addressed my company here in a public forum rather than privately, I hope you don't mind that I respond to you publicly as well. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience of your having to wait. I know that LOTG is not the first auction house with which you've done business, so I know you're aware of how frustrating it can be to have to wait three and four weeks to receive your winning items. I understand that you were expecting better service from LOTG, and I apologize for not being able to deliver this time around.

I'm extremely disappointed to have let you down with the first and only item you've ever bid on with my company. I received your payment at 11:30 PM on Monday night, and while I understand many customers want their material shipped immediately, some times it's just not logistically possible due to volumes and time constraints. When I sent out the email on Wednesday evening, I did it so that I could properly set expectations. In that email, which admittedly was sent almost 48 hours after you paid, I explained that we were behind schedule and would be slow in fulfilling orders due to our attendance at the White Plains show. I understand that you take issue with our priorities and our planning, and yet I hope you also understand how important shows can be to an auction house.

You've noted several times that you expected a "shipment sent" email, as you were told you would receive. The part that I may not have been clear about is that you will only receive a "shipment sent" email after your shipment has been sent. The reason you have not received that email is because your shipment has not been sent. It is slated to be shipped on Monday, and you can trust that when it is, that email will be sent to you.

You also mentioned in your recent post that the email you sent to me has not been answered. Unfortunately I searched through my inbox and my spam folder, and have received no email from you. The only emails I have ever received from you are the Paypal receipts from the day you paid. Perhaps you used the wrong email address? Of course that doesn't matter; you have every right to be frustrated for not receiving a response and I hope you accept my apologies. Trust that your winnings will be shipped to you on schedule tomorrow, via Priority Mail, which means you will receive it 8 calendar days after your payment was made. I realize that's not as quickly as you would like, and for that I apologize.

It's unfortunate that I've lost your future bids, as it's my goal to delight every customer. The longer LOTG is in business, the more I realize that's not really possible, but it doesn't stop me from trying!

Regardless, I hope you do enjoy the item you won, and I thank you for your bid.

Warm Regards,
-Al

I rarely bid through auction houses, but after reading this thread full of positive comments and Al's response, I think Al might be getting my bids very soon. Very professional, sir!


Sam

Al is a class act. Period.
 

For some reason, when Al apologizes and pretty much says he will strive to do better, I believe him. I dunno, maybe it has something to do with a small business and personal service. And past history. JMHO

Keith Temple

After reading Al's post I have reconsidered and will never order pizza from him again. Eight days is just too long to wait...

I would prefer to wait an extra month rather than have an AH hire a bunch of temps for a couple days and need to raise the buyers premium to pay for it.

you stated in your post that "I'm not petty," but you will tell someone they must have a crappy job if they ordered from an "inferior" fast food pizza house. really? that's classic.

In defense of old lugnut, I believe he was being sarcastic. Nobody's that dumb.



However, I have a confession: I'm both lactose and stupidity intolerant. Which means I probably won't be having pizza with at least one poster from this board.

Heck i been now waiting 4+ months to get the money on a card i consgined or the card back from Mile High. I did get a direct email contact at the National that I will try tomorrow but did wait months before i started to complain not a few days

Class act. Let's put this one to rest.

drones
 

Two words Al....Delivery Drones.....

You are a very class act, Al. I know on the lots I've won at LOTG, I've received them quickly and without issue. I have no issues bidding in the future!!

Is now a bad time for me to bring up that I got a tracking # email from Sterling, 45 mins after I paid on a Sunday night? :eek:

Edited to add: LOTG is awesome. I bid on (and lost) exactly 20 lots in this past auction. I've won items in 10 of their auctions and have never had an issue. I can understand the OPs frustration, but hopes he reconsiders his stance (unless, Mark, you are going to bid on T213-1s hee hee :))

Al....
 

your attitude is refreshing! your auctions are top notch! keep up the great work:)

^This post made some good points and the end also made me laugh :)

I think Mark probably should have tried again to contact Al to try to resolve this, but to his credit, he did say he did email and didn't get a response...even though Al said he didn't receive anything...so who really knows where the email is :eek:

No one should be bashing Mark for venting about his experience, even if you agree or not. He made some good points and although I don't know if I would have taken the exact path he did, I'm sure I wouldn't expect to get ripped for sharing my experience with everyone here. It's no secret that Al is amazing and one of the best in the business, but that doesn't mean he won't make mistakes from time to time...and I'm not saying he made a huge one here.

I think some of the people that responded to this thread missed the point of the OP. He wasn't looking for everyone to take down Al and his company, but to hear some voices with some constructive feedback would have been nice...which some did.

Mark has been a valued member of this board for a long time...let's treat him with some respect. That being said...Mark, I think you should reconsider LOTG and continue to bid :)

Talk about staking out a position squarely in the middle. Have you considered politics? :D:D

After Al's heartfelt apology I think makeup sex is in order.

I have only won one item in a LOTG auction, and the packaging was the best and safest I've ever seen from any auction house (or eBay seller, for that matter). I hope I win more in the future and I'm happy for the shipping to take a little extra time to make sure it's done correctly. Thanks, Al.

All I can say is my very first auction house experience was with LOTG and it was a great one! I had a few rookie questions about some things and Al was always quick to reply with helpful answers. I had spent no money with him and no money on auctions before, but this didn't matter to Al, he decided he would earn my business!

Being new to the world of auctions houses and reading some of the horror stories you hear about with some of the other companies I was very tentative about jumping in. The respect & kindness I was shown by Al encouraged me to give it a shot and I was rewarded with outstanding services and a new avenue to explore in my never ending search of St. Louis Cardinals & St. Louis Browns items.

I am sorry you had a bad experience your first time out but I really encourage you to give them another shot. Since my first experience with LOTG I have bid with a few other auction houses and received pretty good services but nobody has gone above and beyond like LOTG does. I think you would be hard pressed to find better!!

Keep up the good work LOTG! I can't wait for the next Set Builders Auctions!!

Thanks,
Scott

I assume you were talking about my post when you responded :cool:

Yeah, I'm in the middle because I can see both sides...but that's also my point, Peter. I learned that early on...to look at both sides and assess and try not to make a snap judgement. Although I probably wouldn't have went to the extent that Mark did, I still understand his frustration and making him feel like an a**hole (like some did) would have been the last thing I would have done in response to his rant.

As far as politics goes...never!!!:eek:

I'm just mad I didn't win anything in his last auction. Hopefully Al can do something about that

I miss the Jerry Springer Show

Al, great response to the OP. If you ever get tired of doing auctions, you could teach classes in damage control. Not that there was any need for an apology or damage control in this instance, IMHO. If Al isn't the best in the business, then I don't know who is!
Val

And charge shipping and handling, and taxes, and.....

lol! :d

bravo!!!

Personally, I have no problem with OP's post. It's not like the East Coast National came as some big surprise. If shipping was going to be a problem, that should have been stated ahead of time.

Kudos to Al for his great response but that doesn't negate that OP has a good point.

Al I thought your drone delivery service would be operational by now....you are such a slacker...great auctions and great guy and a breathe of fresher air in this hobby.

Boycotting any ah
 

I would like everyone here to boycott every single AH for obvious reasons...finally I could get a lot of cards at great prices!

Unless Al has an in with the IRS I'm pretty sure he isn't the decision-maker on who gets charged which taxes.

Yeah, I know. Just being an @ss bitching about taxes. My bad. Al is not the guy who has hit me with surprises in the past. Just sayin.

Amazing ... OP needs to grow up.
 

+1

I like that you can give and take, a true New Yorker!

Poor Lug-Nut, absolutely gets shredded for voicing his opinion. Talk about killing-the-messenger. Keep your head up Lug-nut, it's was a good point.

For all AH's, if your going to accept payment, ship the product within 48 hours. Or...don't process the payment until you're ready to ship. Simple business. Win customers and build a loyal brand. Buyers don't want to hear about the labor, just deliver the baby.

Agreed. Heck, Al even agreed. I'm beginning to think people are just looking for a reason to attack.

This doesn't make sense for checks as the AH should be able to wait for the check to clear before sending something out.

jeff

To me, this and Jay's request for make-up sex are the most interesting parts of this thread. Everyone here knows Al and so there's really nothing to talk about with regard to his customer service. I'm still blown away with how fast he's become a major player in this industry, and he's one of my favorite guys in the hobby in all respects. The first time I met him I gave him a pretty big pile of my stuff to auction off, just because I like the guy, and I had only known him for a day. How many people can you say that about?

Lugnut
 

Hang in there Mr Lug Nut
 

It's not like you're waiting for a kidney?