My experience with LOTG

[Al C.risafulli]

My name is Frank Horvath and I stand 100% by everything I've said here.

I will also stand 100% by everything that Frank says here.

He won the lot in question, and paid very quickly. His check was deposited on December 10, and his order was pulled and put into the queue to be packed and shipped.

After not receiving any sort of tracking number, Frank reached out to me December 20 to inquire about the status of his order. Since I had no record of the order having shipped, I asked him for a couple of days to get to the bottom of it, and on December 28, I sent Frank an email advising him that I could not locate the package. Best I can guess, his cards were packed up with someone else's order and shipped to them in error. I offered him a full refund, and told him that he could have the refund in the form of a check or auction credit, whichever he would prefer (some folks like the credit).

Frank responded that he had no need for an auction credit because he'd never be bidding with LOTG again. I responded that I understood his frustration, took complete blame for the error, and DID say that "companies in every industry certainly do make mistakes occasionally."

I cut and mailed a check for the amount in full the following day, December 29.

This thread is, unfortunately, the first I am learning that Frank has not received his check, and once again, Frank, for that I apologize. I did cut the check, and I did mail the check, for the amount in full. Perhaps the combination of a holiday weekend and rancid weather in the Northeast is to blame for it not arriving at this point, so I will suggest we give it a couple of days, and if the check is not there by then I will stop payment on the check and PayPal you the money, and absorb all fees.

It is absolutely my goal to be 100% perfect in every transaction, with every lot and with every order. Sadly, despite the lofty goal, occasionally we make a mistake that is 100% in our control and we simply fall down. When that happens, we do our best to make it 100% right in every case.

I'll also stand 100% by everything I've said here.

Happy New Year, Frank, and everyone else as well.

-Al

[botport]

Originally Posted by Al C.risafulli

I will also stand 100% by everything that Frank says here.

I cut and mailed a check for the amount in full the following day, December 29.


-Al

I will scan a copy of the envelope and postmark to this thread when it arrives...

[Al C.risafulli]

I will scan a copy of the envelope and postmark to this thread when it arrives...

Sounds great. I'd be curious to see that myself, since the letter carrier picks up the mail from the box just outside this office every afternoon. If you post the check, which I hope you do, I'd appreciate if you'd obscure the bank account number.

-Al

[botport]

Originally Posted by Al C.risafulli

Sounds great. I'd be curious to see that myself, since the letter carrier picks up the mail from the box just outside this office every afternoon. If you post the check, which I hope you do, I'd appreciate if you'd obscure the bank account number.

-Al

I wish you were as concerned for me receiving my winnings as you are with this thread...

Ill block out all confidential info... Al

Frank

[autograf]

I've bid in most all of Al's auctions and received everything timely. I think he came on the thread and agreed with everything you said, apologized, and continues to want to make it right. I guess, at what point will you be happy? Hopefully you'll get the check soon or take the PayPal and cut your losses. I've had issues with auction houses in the past too, but at some point, beating the dead horse doesn't make it deader. Hope it's cleared up in the next day or two for you. You seem like you don't believe that he's done what he said he had done......

[jefferyepayne]

Originally Posted by botport

I wish you were as concerned for me receiving my winnings as you are with this thread...

Ill block out all confidential info... Al

Frank

If you and Jake would like a list of auction houses that are run by people who have been in jail, defrauded little old ladies out of their retirement on TV, allow consigners to bid on their own items, have molested children, or are known to trim/soak cards, I'd be happy to send it to you so you can make sure you don't support the real criminals in this hobby either.

If the worse thing Al ever does is mistakenly put a lot in someone else's package and then makes it right, I think I can live with that.

Jeff Payne

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by jefferyepayne

If you and Jake would like a list of auction houses that are run by people who have been in jail, defrauded little old ladies out of their retirement on TV, allow consigners to bid on their own items, have molested children, or are known to trim/soak cards, I'd be happy to send it to you so you can make sure you don't support the real criminals in this hobby either.

If the worse thing Al ever does is mistakenly put a lot in someone else's package and then makes it right, I think I can live with that.

Jeff Payne

Lets see if someone goes forward and says they got his cards packed by mistake with their order and will return it....if they do, ill send them a T206 for free...not a good trade for them but better than nothing!

[vintagewhitesox]

Originally Posted by jefferyepayne

If you and Jake would like a list of auction houses that are run by people who have been in jail, defrauded little old ladies out of their retirement on TV, allow consigners to bid on their own items, have molested children, or are known to trim/soak cards, I'd be happy to send it to you so you can make sure you don't support the real criminals in this hobby either.

If the worse thing Al ever does is mistakenly put a lot in someone else's package and then makes it right, I think I can live with that.

Jeff Payne

Very well said.
Al is a stand up and honest guy. Mistakes happen.

[MVSNYC]

I’ve consigned and bid in every one of Al’s auctions since day one. Saying he’s top notch is an understatement. Sorry this happened to you, but he will work hard to make it right.

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by botport

I will scan a copy of the envelope and postmark to this thread when it arrives...

Frank, Al has proven to the vast majority of this board about his being a stand up auction house owner and person. You are treating him like he is the guy with socks on the floor holding up a superimposed T206 Wagner for sale.

You will find the board are overwhelmingly on his side. Sorry you have had some issues...stuff happens, and it is the true test of a man's character how they handle it.

Brian Park:er

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

Frank, Al has proven to the vast majority of this board about his being a stand up auction house owner and person. You are treating him like he is the guy with socks on the floor holding up a superimposed T206 Wagner for sale.

You will find the board are overwhelmingly on his side. Sorry you have had some issues...stuff happens, and it is the true test of a man's character how they handle it.

Brian Park:er

Almost forgot about that guy. Hard to believe it has been so long.

[Eric72]

Add me to the list of Net54 members who have had nothing but positive experiences with LOTG. I am confident that Al will make this right.

[Moonlight Graham]

Add me to that list as well-Al is the man. And he runs a great auction house too!!

Joe K

[ValKehl]

I, too, have consigned to and won cards in LOTG Auctions. Shit sometimes happens, despite the best efforts of good people. Al C. is good people!

[Kenny Cole]

Originally Posted by eric72

add me to the list of net54 members who have had nothing but positive experiences with lotg. I am confident that al will make this right.

+1000

[sycks22]

I'm more concerned that if someone got extra cards in their package they never returned them to Al. I've only had great experiences with Al and his company.

[orly57]

Obviously, Al is well-respected by the members of this forum. It is also clear that anyone can make a mistake. But I don't think we need to belittle the OP's feelings here. I don't know how common or rare the card he purchased may be, but I think he has every reason to be angry that he's not getting the card he purchased. And getting his money back isn't going to change that. So while I think that the support for Al is wonderful, and extremely telling of the kind of guy he is, I don't think it's right to write-off the OP completely and make him seem irrational. I know I would be extremely angry if I bought a card and it was lost, and I know that some of Al's defenders here would be too. Maybe we need to stop treating issues as black and white, right and wrong, true and false. Al is a great guy. LOTG is an amazing AH. And the OP has every right to be pissed off.

[botport]

Thank you.

FH

[glchen]

Originally Posted by orly57

Obviously, Al is well-respected by the members of this forum. It is also clear that anyone can make a mistake. But I don't think we need to belittle the OP's feelings here. I don't know how common or rare the card he purchased may be, but I think he has every reason to be angry that he's not getting the card he purchased. And getting his money back isn't going to change that. So while I think that the support for Al is wonderful, and extremely telling of the kind of guy he is, I don't think it's right to write-off the OP completely and make him seem irrational. I know I would be extremely angry if I bought a card and it was lost, and I know that some of Al's defenders here would be too. Maybe we need to stop treating issues as black and white, right and wrong, true and false. Al is a great guy. LOTG is an amazing AH. And the OP has every right to be pissed off.

+1

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by orly57

Obviously, Al is well-respected by the members of this forum. It is also clear that anyone can make a mistake. But I don't think we need to belittle the OP's feelings here. I don't know how common or rare the card he purchased may be, but I think he has every reason to be angry that he's not getting the card he purchased. And getting his money back isn't going to change that. So while I think that the support for Al is wonderful, and extremely telling of the kind of guy he is, I don't think it's right to write-off the OP completely and make him seem irrational. I know I would be extremely angry if I bought a card and it was lost, and I know that some of Al's defenders here would be too. Maybe we need to stop treating issues as black and white, right and wrong, true and false. Al is a great guy. LOTG is an amazing AH. And the OP has every right to be pissed off.

+1

Hard to imagine that all the posters would feel the same if they were in the OPs shoes. Just sayin’.........

[pokerplyr80]

Originally Posted by orly57

Obviously, Al is well-respected by the members of this forum. It is also clear that anyone can make a mistake. But I don't think we need to belittle the OP's feelings here. I don't know how common or rare the card he purchased may be, but I think he has every reason to be angry that he's not getting the card he purchased. And getting his money back isn't going to change that. So while I think that the support for Al is wonderful, and extremely telling of the kind of guy he is, I don't think it's right to write-off the OP completely and make him seem irrational. I know I would be extremely angry if I bought a card and it was lost, and I know that some of Al's defenders here would be too. Maybe we need to stop treating issues as black and white, right and wrong, true and false. Al is a great guy. LOTG is an amazing AH. And the OP has every right to be pissed off.

I agree with this. Also, the check cleared on the 10th, and the OP had to reach out 10 days later to inform the AH that his order hadn't been sent out. I would expect someone at LOTG to have been looking for these cards to send out before that. And after being informed it took another 8 days to get a response back? If this happened to me I would not be pleased.

I get that AL is well respected and one of the good guys in our hobby. But from what I've read in this thread this particular situation could have been handled better in my opinion.

[freakhappy]

Originally Posted by orly57

Obviously, Al is well-respected by the members of this forum. It is also clear that anyone can make a mistake. But I don't think we need to belittle the OP's feelings here. I don't know how common or rare the card he purchased may be, but I think he has every reason to be angry that he's not getting the card he purchased. And getting his money back isn't going to change that. So while I think that the support for Al is wonderful, and extremely telling of the kind of guy he is, I don't think it's right to write-off the OP completely and make him seem irrational. I know I would be extremely angry if I bought a card and it was lost, and I know that some of Al's defenders here would be too. Maybe we need to stop treating issues as black and white, right and wrong, true and false. Al is a great guy. LOTG is an amazing AH. And the OP has every right to be pissed off.

+1

Although Al and LOTG are top notch, this situation seems to have been handled rather poorly. I have no doubt that Al will make this right, but he lost a customer in the process and it could've easily been avoided. I hope everything is resolved sooner rather than later

[vintagetoppsguy]

I can't believe some of the responses that I'm reading. There's this notion with a lot of Net54 members that if a "good guy" makes a mistake, they shouldn't be called out for it. I wouldn't have handled it the way the OP did, but I don't fault him either. He's waited a month since cleared payment and he doesn't have his cards or his money back. Is a month not a reasonable amount of time? If you purchased something on eBay and you still didn't have it a month after payment received, wouldn't you feel like the OP does? Maybe you would handle it differently, but I can almost bet that you would feel the same way. Being a "good guy" doesn't excuse you from making mistakes or getting called out for the mistake. I think it was an honest mistake, but the "he's a good guy, so we're on his side" has to be one of the most ridiculous things I've ever read on this board.

[philliesphan]

David-

I think Al has accepted accountability, and no one here is giving LotG a "free pass" for making a mistake.

The overriding notion I keep coming back to - why didn't Frank pick up the phone and make a call instead of going to social media?

[packs]

People usually move quicker when others are watching.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by philliesphan

David-

I think Al has accepted accountability, and no one here is giving LotG a "free pass" for making a mistake.

The overriding notion I keep coming back to - why didn't Frank pick up the phone and make a call instead of going to social media?

I agree, Al did accept accountability and handled the situation very professionally. But statements like "You will find the board are overwhelmingly on his (Al's) side" sure sounds like a free pass to me. The buyer did nothing wrong, but we're going to overwhelmingly take the sellers side? And I'm not picking on the person who wrote that statement or calling him out, there are many other similar statements.

Originally Posted by packs

People usually move quicker when others are watching.

This. I recently had a similar situation as the OP, but I waited over 2 months for my refund. I was very patient, but I finally posted bad reviews on several websites, posted on my neighborhood website (it was a neighborhood business) and filed a complaint with the BBB. I got my refund check the very next day. So social media does work.

Let me repeat, I would have handled the situation differently from the OP, but we all handle different situations differently, But to take the side of the person who is in the wrong even if they do accept fault is absolutely mind boggling to me.

[OriolesHOF]

I understand the OP's frustration as I had a similar incident recently with Lelands. I was awarded lot #156, (2) 1941 Lou Gehrig Memorial July 4th Ticket Stubs, in their October auction. After having made payment and not receiving delivery information I called the auction house. I explained to the gentleman who answered the phone the reason for my call and he placed me on hold for several minutes. Upon returning, he indicated their system was down and he could not determine whether my item had been shipped. The following week, I called again and was transferred to a woman in the business office who explained to me the ticket stubs could not be found. Rather than accept an immediate refund I told her I'll wait one more week, maybe the tickets would reappear. The following week, I requested my refund and within two days it was received.

As for LOTG, Al C. is #1 in my book!

In keeping with the spirit of transparency and the rules, my name is Hal Taylor.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by Al C.risafulli

I cut and mailed a check for the amount in full the following day, December 29.

I'll also stand 100% by everything I've said here.

Hmmm....