My experience with LOTG

[pokerplyr80]

Originally Posted by Jason

QUOTE: I learned this today, because that customer read this thread, reviewed his shipment, and realized he had the cards.



He must have won a fair number of lots if he had to review his invoice to see he had 11 extra T206 slabbed cards. I think that sort of thing would stand out by just opening the package and looking at the cards.

I thought the same thing too. How many cards would you have to purchase to not notice 11 extra graded t206s? 100?

Much more likely that he realized people would be keeping an eye out for these cards and he would never be able to sell them. Or he figured they were just a Christmas gift from the AH.

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by pokerplyr80

I thought the same thing too. How many cards would you have to purchase to not notice 11 extra graded t206s? 100?

Much more likely that he realized people would be keeping an eye out for these cards and he would never be able to sell them. Or he figured they were just a Christmas gift from the AH.

This is almost impossible to believe, in my opinion. Who gets 11 extra slabbed cards in an auction win and doesn't notice?

Can we learn who this lucky fellow is? Also, were all of the 11 cards returned to Al? Excuse me if this has been answered above, I can't bear to read all of it.

[sb1]

You would be surprised to know how many people receive winnings and don't go through them closely or even open them for weeks, some times months. There are some buyers who win dozens of lots of bulk lots and it all blends together as well.

Same with consignors who get checks and don't cash them for weeks or months.

Some folks have other things to do, or assume since they have the box/check in hand there is no rush to do further.


Scott

[Al C.risafulli]

There were almost 200 cards in various lots that this person won. There were two weeks of holidays in-between his receipt of the package and the start of this thread. The person is a good guy, a long-time customer, who did the right thing and helped us correct a mistake that was 100% mine. He deserves a pat on the back.

-Al

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by calvindog

Who gets 11 extra slabbed cards in an auction win and doesn't notice?

Gotta be a board member, right? That's what was inferred.

Originally Posted by Al C.risafulli

I learned this today, because that customer read this thread, reviewed his shipment, and realized he had the cards.

[timn1]

So now people want to pile on the person who mistakenly got the cards???

From time to time I have done exactly what Scott said - not opened or looked at my packages for days or even weeks because I had other things to do, or, for example, because of THE HOLIDAYS! And I've never gotten 200 cards in an auction shipment as this person did.

The resolution is forthcoming and all is well. Stand down the attack dogs ... We've all got better things to do.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by conor912

You mean they're not already?! I've never consigned to an auction house and never read a consignment agreement, but there's no way I'd ever hand someone something of value without the approximate market value and clear steps to be taken and payout to be received from said AH if it "goes missing". That's just crazy to me and would think it leaves both sides open to a world of heartache.

My one experience consigning sports stuff, I got a copy of the sheet stuff was written down on. It was basically just a handwritten list on a form stating they'd do their best and payment should be 60 days after the auction date.

But then, I was consigning a carload of "stuff" ranging from a few probable store model bats that on ebay might have slid as potentially game used, a few autographs, boxes of cards that "used to book for something but mostly don't anymore" and loads of other random stuff.

A local antiques auction took walk in consignments. Hardly any paperwork, rough description and a number. Great place to sell stuff that wouldn't sell on Ebay. Except a big box of 88 Donruss... that didn't sell. And the auctioneer really tried.

Maybe it's different for small groups of better items? Or at bigger auction houses.

[jad22]

I haven’t opened up packages for several months before.

[packs]

My packages are shipped to a "permanent" address which isn't my primary address. It would not be unusual at all for me to get a card, confirm it was delivered through tracking, and not lay hands on it for a few months.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

Seller received cleared payment 12/10 and has been sitting on them for a month now. Yeah, maybe just a titch more patience. Clearly he should have waited two months.

Whether you agree with the OP's methods or not, it worked. Period. I really don't think he would have received his cards if not for this thread.

That's not a knock against Al, I truly believe it was an honest mistake. But the squeaking wheel gets the grease.

Umm.... 12/10 to 1/10 is only one month.

[orly57]

Originally Posted by jad22

I haven’t opened up packages for several months before.

In contrast, I look at the tracking 50 times a day and stalk the mailman.

[vintagebb2014]

+1

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by orly57

In contrast, I look at the tracking 50 times a day and stalk the mailman.

I'm an impatient bastard too.

If my max bid is five times market value, I expect the lot to be shipped before the auction ends.

[steve B]

I actually had to go check.

I bought a part for an old tractor I have, but I'm not actively working on it. The guy who'd bought the brand (not in production since the 60's) Made a run of a particular cast part mine is missing. So I bought one.

I've never opened the package.

It was shipped to me in March 2016.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by steve B

Umm.... 12/10 to 1/10 is only one month.

No kidding?

Reading comprehension is a lost art.

[Stampsfan]

One question is why would the buyer specifically ask for it to be shipped to arrive before Christmas, then (apparently) not verify it until he checked this thread in January?

He must have really wanted his winnings badly...

[orly57]

Originally Posted by Stampsfan

One question is why would the buyer specifically ask for it to be shipped to arrive before Christmas, then (apparently) not verify it until he checked this thread in January?

He must have really wanted his winnings badly...

Bob, let's not allow logic to get in the way of wild speculation.

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by Al C.risafulli

There were almost 200 cards in various lots that this person won. There were two weeks of holidays in-between his receipt of the package and the start of this thread. The person is a good guy, a long-time customer, who did the right thing and helped us correct a mistake that was 100% mine. He deserves a pat on the back.

-Al

This does make sense. As long as he didn't open up the package and sell any of the cards off I suppose.

[barrysloate]

It probably wouldn't be a bad idea if when your package of auction winnings arrives, you open the box in a timely manner to make sure it was packed correctly. That would help you get a resolution if a mistake was made. Yes, we are all busy, but opening a box to check it for accuracy is probably a 5-10 minute project. It's time well spent.

Don't call an auction house a month after you received your winnings to say a mistake in shipping was made. If I'm the auctioneer (and I was for many years), that just sucks.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by Stampsfan

One question is why would the buyer specifically ask for it to be shipped to arrive before Christmas 2018, then (apparently) not verify it until he checked this thread in January?

He must have really wanted his winnings badly...

Originally Posted by orly57

Bob, let's not allow logic to get in the way of wild speculation.

Logic wins.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Y'all need to come to a live auction and walk out the door with your winnings same day.

[Fred]

Originally Posted by sb1

You would be surprised to know how many people receive winnings and don't go through them closely or even open them for weeks, some times months. There are some buyers who win dozens of lots of bulk lots and it all blends together as well.

Same with consignors who get checks and don't cash them for weeks or months.

Some folks have other things to do, or assume since they have the box/check in hand there is no rush to do further.


Scott

Boy do I understand this statement. My ebay buying has dropped off a lot, but in the hey day of buying there'd be times I used to win 15+ lots a week (not every week was crazy, sometime's it was just a few). My travel schedule was brutal and I'd come home to 30+ packages. At first, I'd be very vigilant about checking everything but after a while the packages would just accumulate and I wasn't paying as much attention to whether or not I received everything I bought. Sounds crazy, but sometimes life just gets really busy and priorities change.

It wouldn't surprise me if I was shorted a package or two but that's what happens when you get sloppy with the accounting.

I'm much more in tune with my purchases now since they've dropped off a lot. I pick up things from fleabay and different AH's (including LOTG) and for the most part I have no complaints about any of the current AHs.

[BeanTown]

Originally Posted by sb1

You would be surprised to know how many people receive winnings and don't go through them closely or even open them for weeks, some times months. There are some buyers who win dozens of lots of bulk lots and it all blends together as well.

Same with consignors who get checks and don't cash them for weeks or months.

Some folks have other things to do, or assume since they have the box/check in hand there is no rush to do further.


Scott

+1 on that as I'm in that boat. Heck, I still have unopened boxes from Hunt and Huggins in the basement dating back years. Dont have any plans on selling, and nothing jaw dropping that I need to take to the bank. Why open a perfectly wrapped box?

[orly57]

I guess he just wanted the BOX in time for Christmas then. That's plausible. Makes the gifts appear more plentiful if you wrap it up and put under the tree. Makes for a good platform to set up the Christmas train. You can use as a tray for the hot cocoa.

[Neal]

Originally Posted by orly57

In contrast, I look at the tracking 50 times a day and stalk the mailman.

LOL

Same here!

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by the-illini

Not Steve but I would guess he is referring to your wondering if there was something nefarious involved with LOTG offering to essentially let the OP have his winning lot for free...

Just made an observation of letting the OP have his winning lot for free. What would been the cutoff to not letting him pay...lot worth $1000?....at a certain price point i think everyone would be wondering.....its not like it was just 5 bucks.......it was $540 bucks...

If you note when the lot wasn't 'found' yet no free money was being offered in addition to refund. Why only after delivering the cards is he also going to let him have free money (keep the cards that went for $540). Why not offer him more than his refund (0-$540) to begin with for the mistake...would have costed the Auction House the same....yet all that was offered was the refund and alleged lack of communication..but they chose the giving free money action after this thread started and cards found (but not before the thread).........however the buyer that started this thread is very happy and it all worked out....

[timn1]

The buyer wanted to be sure this large group of winnings had arrived safely at his home before he went out of town for the holidays, so he requested the faster shipment. Which didn't mean he was wild to look at them right away, presumably because he was busy with holiday stuff. Completely understandable.

In the same way, I have asked to have packages held and not shipped until I returned from out of town.

Originally Posted by orly57

Bob, let's not allow logic to get in the way of wild speculation.

[timn1]

This one is obvious too, from a customer service perspective. When all this blew up, the reputable AH owner decided he wanted to do absolutely everything possible to satisfy the customer and all onlookers - hence the offer of the refund. Ironically, for a few people, that extra-mile offer only served to create even more suspicion.

Man, it doesn't seem to matter what either the OP or the AH owner do - someone who knows better is going to jump all over them.

Can we all try to agree that everyone acted reasonably here and all has ended well? and move on.

Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector

Just made an observation of letting the OP have his winning lot for free. What would been the cutoff to not letting him pay...lot worth $1000?....at a certain price point i think everyone would be wondering.....its not like it was just 5 bucks.......it was $540 bucks...

If you note when the lot wasn't 'found' yet no free money was being offered in addition to refund. Why only after delivering the cards is he also going to let him have free money (keep the cards that went for $540). Why not offer him more than his refund (0-$540) to begin with for the mistake...would have costed the Auction House the same....yet all that was offered was the refund and alleged lack of communication..but they chose the giving free money action after this thread started and cards found (but not before the thread).........however the buyer that started this thread is very happy and it all worked out....

[3-2-count]

Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector

Just made an observation of letting the OP have his winning lot for free. What would been the cutoff to not letting him pay...lot worth $1000?....at a certain price point i think everyone would be wondering.....its not like it was just 5 bucks.......it was $540 bucks...

If you note when the lot wasn't 'found' yet no free money was being offered in addition to refund. Why only after delivering the cards is he also going to let him have free money (keep the cards that went for $540). Why not offer him more than his refund (0-$540) to begin with for the mistake...would have costed the Auction House the same....yet all that was offered was the refund and alleged lack of communication..but they chose the giving free money action after this thread started and cards found (but not before the thread).........however the buyer that started this thread is very happy and it all worked out....

Jake, thank God that we have you here. We'd all be lost without the presence of your immense knowledge regarding each subject which is discussed.

[orly57]

Originally Posted by Fred

Boy do I understand this statement. My ebay buying has dropped off a lot, but in the hey day of buying there'd be times I used to win 15+ lots a week (not every week was crazy, sometime's it was just a few). My travel schedule was brutal and I'd come home to 30+ packages. At first, I'd be very vigilant about checking everything but after a while the packages would just accumulate and I wasn't paying as much attention to whether or not I received everything I bought. Sounds crazy, but sometimes life just gets really busy and priorities change.

It wouldn't surprise me if I was shorted a package or two but that's what happens when you get sloppy with the accounting.

I'm much more in tune with my purchases now since they've dropped off a lot. I pick up things from fleabay and different AH's (including LOTG) and for the most part I have no complaints about any of the current AHs.

Originally Posted by timn1

The buyer wanted to be sure this large group of winnings had arrived safely at his home before he went out of town for the holidays, so he requested the faster shipment. Which didn't mean he was wild to look at them right away, presumably because he was busy with holiday stuff. Completely understandable.

In the same way, I have asked to have packages held and not shipped until I returned from out of town.

Strong hypothesis. But no need to speculate here. Fortunately for us, Al is on this board. He has been keeping us in the loop. Is that what happened Al? Did the guy who received the package simply leave it unopened during the holidays and opened it up when he read this thread? Or maybe the recipient of the package who returned the cards will chime-in, since he is obviously a board Member. I hate speculating when the answers are so easily accessible. Seems like a silly thing to quabble about, but I think it may bring closure to this ugly situation.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by BeanTown

+1 on that as I'm in that boat. Heck, I still have unopened boxes from Hunt and Huggins in the basement dating back years. Dont have any plans on selling, and nothing jaw dropping that I need to take to the bank. Why open a perfectly wrapped box?

Kind of defeats the purpose not to even look at your cards once, no? Why not start a virtual collection? Or is it just investment?

[the-illini]

Originally Posted by orly57

Strong hypothesis. But no need to speculate here. Fortunately for us, Al is on this board. He has been keeping us in the loop. Is that what happened Al? Did the guy who received the package simply leave it unopened during the holidays and opened it up when he read this thread? Or maybe the recipient of the package who returned the cards will chime-in, since he is obviously a board Member. I hate speculating when the answers are so easily accessible. Seems like a silly thing to quabble about, but I think it may bring closure to this ugly situation.

Ugliest thing about this situation has been some people’s reaction to it IMO.

[bbcard1]

Al is super solid. We have never met, but I consider him a friend in the hobby. He is always super responsive to my emails, I have sold through him and bought though him and am 100% confident in him. Ok. 99.897%. Because businesses of all sizes make occasional mistakes.

[Fred]

Originally Posted by the-illini

Ugliest thing about this situation has been some people’s reaction to it IMO.

Got that right....

Like they say, "opinions are like ass-holes, everybody's got one...."

My opinion -

OP probably jumped the gun on the post.

LOTG showed a lot of class in addressing this.

OP was understanding enough not to take the money and cards. IMO, that would have been a total dick move if the OP accepted the freebie.

In the end, OP and LOTG are good to go - a happy ending (of sorts).

[Bestdj777]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Kind of defeats the purpose not to even look at your cards once, no? Why not start a virtual collection? Or is it just investment?

For a lot of people, me included on occasion, a lot of the fun of collecting is acquiring the cards, not necessarily owning them. I'm excited when I click buy and can stop looking for something. Sure, there is some satisfaction in looking at some of the nicer cards, but some of the rather common pieces could stay in the box for a while.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Kind of defeats the purpose not to even look at your cards once, no? Why not start a virtual collection? Or is it just investment?

I took that post as a joke. I hope he wasn't serious. How do you know if you even got the right cards if you leave them unopened? Mistakes do happen and this thread is proof of that.

[rainier2004]

Originally Posted by 3-2-count

Jake, thank God that we have you here. We'd all be lost without the presence of your immense knowledge regarding each subject which is discussed.

Absolutely, I feel enlightened every time he quotes the sale price followed by GLWS and all the brilliance brought. The grasp of the obvious and go against the logistics is simply amazing. Bravo, just bravo...

[z28jd]

Originally Posted by sb1

You would be surprised to know how many people receive winnings and don't go through them closely or even open them for weeks, some times months. There are some buyers who win dozens of lots of bulk lots and it all blends together as well.

Same with consignors who get checks and don't cash them for weeks or months.

Some folks have other things to do, or assume since they have the box/check in hand there is no rush to do further.


Scott

I actually won a T3 card from LOTG in the winter 2015 auction and didn't get to see the card until over three months later. The box sat unopened at my house because my trip to visit relatives for a few weeks (which started days before the auction ended), turned into a 3 1/2 month trip when I was needed to help out with driving people to work after a family emergency. I ended up staying a little longer to go to Spring Training before returning home. So if there was a similar issue at that time, poor Al would have waited a long time to find out I had them.

He's a good guy, had him over one time to pick up some consignments and drop off some winnings.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

No kidding?

Reading comprehension is a lost art.

It sure is Especially when someone says two months in their post, which is quoted and still doesn't get that it's not even close.

Keep up the good work.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

I took that post as a joke. I hope he wasn't serious. How do you know if you even got the right cards if you leave them unopened? Mistakes do happen and this thread is proof of that.

If JC was joking that went right by me, I must admit.

[mrmopar]

Disclaimer: I wouldn't see this post of my own if I didn't write it myself, as I lost interest after the first couple of pages the day it posted, but...

I can't believe it is topics like these that seem to generate the most interest on card sites (regardless of the site).

I personally come to these sites to view photos, hear stories, share information and even learn some things. It is sad too me that threads trying to stir up conversation and interaction that are on the topic of collectibles often tend to die quickly with little interest, but when a pot is stirred, the replies are buzzing in by the minute.

Now, back to your bickering...

[rainier2004]

Glad everything worked out and Frank will get his cards and Al took care of things.

I was looking at the lot again...I'm not a t206 guy but one of those cards looks tough? Isnt the t206 brown old mill back a super tough back or maybe I have confused with the other t206 OM...I thought the brown back was the toughie but I'm not a t206 guy and am probably confused per norm...

Glad there was an honest buyer out there who helped make things right. Enjoy the cards Frank.

[mechanicalman]

I hear you, Mr Mopar. Here’s an attempt to bring it back to a positive place. I had a similar observation as Steve. Isn’t this an awesome buy given the rarity of that card? (Again, I’m not a backs guy either so I could be way off base.) If so, I can see why the OP was anxious to have those cards found, and I’m glad they’re returning to their rightful owner. As for Al, I don’t know him personally, but I was impressed with his honesty and desire to make things right, so much so that it helped me decide to commit my first large consignment to LOTG. I don’t believe in the adage that there’s no such thing as bad PR (there is), but when you respond to bad PR in a positive way, good things can happen.

Edit to add: Holy $hit. Steve posted the same observation while I was writing. LOL

[glynparson]

Wow some people are really ignorant. Al makes a mistake makes it right and some fools say they won't bid with him. The man is human he made an error he admitted such and did what he could to correct it. Then another jerk piles on with the asinine oh it must have sold cheap so al didn't ship it. That's a load of crap and insulting to a very honest man. You owe Al an apology for such a freaking ignorant dumb a$$ statement. Then instead of issuing said apology you double down on the stupidity. Al sorry you had to prove you were human and have to deal with such utter nonsense. This happend over the holidays people remember to factor that into the equation. This will have zero impact on my bidding with LOTG. Still as good as they come, but al is still just a human and therefore can make a mistake. Jake do you even know Al or do you just get off playing the jerk off behind the safety of your keyboard? Keep doing the right thing Al those that know you know your a great guy and have your back.

[edjs]

Originally Posted by rainier2004

I was looking at the lot again...I'm not a t206 guy but one of those cards looks tough? Isnt the t206 brown old mill back a super tough back or maybe I have confused with the other t206 OM...I thought the brown back was the toughie but I'm not a t206 guy and am probably confused per norm...

If the card is really a Brown OM, that was an incredible steal, and very strange that it was not mentioned in the right up. Also strange would be that it is graded a "1" as I believe all Brown OMs are hand cut and get an "A" grade. There is not a scan of the back, and I know enough about Al that he would know a Brown OM and feature such a card, not bury it in a collector grade lot, unless he just didn't see it. I wasn't going to post in this thread, but this changed things. I would love to see the back.

[h2oya311]

Originally Posted by edjs

If the card is really a Brown OM, that was an incredible steal, and very strange that it was not mentioned in the right up. Also strange would be that it is graded a "1" as I believe all Brown OMs are hand cut and get an "A" grade. There is not a scan of the back, and I know enough about Al that he would know a Brown OM and feature such a card, not bury it in a collector grade lot, unless he just didn't see it. I wasn't going to post in this thread, but this changed things. I would love to see the back.

+1

And if i were the consignor, i would have made sure to mention this to Al as well (prior to the auction)...pretty rare card to be lumped in with 10 common T206s. I can now see more clearly why there was such paranoia and panic by the OP!

[Pat R]

It was a mistake on the flip.
http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=249408

[Sean]

Originally Posted by edjs

If the card is really a Brown OM, that was an incredible steal, and very strange that it was not mentioned in the right up. Also strange would be that it is graded a "1" as I believe all Brown OMs are hand cut and get an "A" grade. There is not a scan of the back, and I know enough about Al that he would know a Brown OM and feature such a card, not bury it in a collector grade lot, unless he just didn't see it. I wasn't going to post in this thread, but this changed things. I would love to see the back.

The Brown OM was discussed in a thread two weeks ago. The general opinion of the board was that it was a Black OM, and was labelled incorrectly by PSA. If it was brown it should receive an Authentic grade. Furthermore, the card doesn't show up in the Pop report for Browns, and if you search the PSA database for that serial number, it shows up as Black.

But I hope that the OP will show us the back when he receives the card.

Oops, Pat beat me to it. I wish that I had learned how to type in high school.

[Vintageclout]

Originally Posted by botport

first off to al...

I appreciate you coming on here and admitting fault and agreeing with the timeline that i put forth. You were always a gentleman when we talked regarding this situation and you were also a gentleman in this forum. For this i commend you and truly appreciate your actions. Should i have been more patient? It surely appears many feel that way and that is something for me to consider in future actions.

Having said this i feel it is important to say that none of this would have happened if one of two things took place.

1) i received my auction winnings.
2) i was reimbursed in what i felt was a timely manner.

In less than 24 hours since i have posted this thread it has been suggested that i be sued. I have been blacklisted. My character has been called into question. I find it ironic that many will give lotg a pass for what many (myself included) consider an honest mistake but will crucify me for also making what they consider a mistake.

To me, what i did was the equivalent of leaving a negative feedback. And to me, it was a negative experience.

Also, thanks to the many posters who tried to see my side of this and posted level headed, understanding responses.

Lastly, i am going to reserve the post below this reply to post the scan as promised because i do not want to bump this thread again.

+1000

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by mrmopar

Disclaimer: I wouldn't see this post of my own if I didn't write it myself, as I lost interest after the first couple of pages the day it posted, but...

I can't believe it is topics like these that seem to generate the most interest on card sites (regardless of the site).

I personally come to these sites to view photos, hear stories, share information and even learn some things. It is sad too me that threads trying to stir up conversation and interaction that are on the topic of collectibles often tend to die quickly with little interest, but when a pot is stirred, the replies are buzzing in by the minute.

Now, back to your bickering...

I must have missed all the bickering. I thought 90% of the posts here were just to make clear that Al, an advertiser on the site, is a good guy who runs a top operation. Sure there was some pissing and moaning along the way, but I thought that was why this thread had legs.