Complaint Review: Carrell Estate Sales LLC

In April of 2017, we contracted with Carrell Estate Sales to perform a complete set up, pricing and moving sale from a 4-bedroom, 2-story home and a 2-bedroom condominium.  My 4-bedroom home was literally filled with fine antiques, antique automotive toys, high-end men's suits/shirts/blazers/slacks, complete kitchen except major appliances, gas washer/dryer, original/signed artwork, other fine/framed prints, rare books, full garage of yard tools/equipment, Weber grill, log rack with 1/2 cord seasoned oak, living/den/bedroom furniture/lamps, and more.  The condominium provided over 100 pair of women's shoes (mostly never out of their boxes), much kitchen ware.  From this we received a net total of $10,876.11 for everything.  The Carrells advised that business was "slow".  I know for a fact that I personally priced over $65,000.00 worth of items left for the Carrell's to sell, with Josh Carrell himself approving the pricings.  Their story was that what did not sell, they would be able to sell to a world-wide market on the internet through their live and online auctions.  But after the estate sale, I had no problem knowing how many of the really valuable artwork, antique furniture (Stickley Oak Rocker, Restored Morris Recliner With Burgundy Leather, etc.), rare books, rare antique automotive toys, etc. were gone prior to anything going to the Carrell's live and/or online auctions.  "Business being slow" is the Carrell's explanation for the paltry net estate sales funds to me of $10,876.11.  Thank God I chose to keep several very valuable items to take to our new home in Florida.

The Carrells live/online auctions did not retain the minimum values for items Josh Carrell and I had agreed to for the original estate sale, it was high bid only.  I was not made aware of that in any conversation or email with either of the Carrells.  So, with several thousand dollars worth of items left from the estate sale, I was floored with the "net proceeds" from their live/online auction.  The live/online auctions were sourced from the Carrells other location, a warehouse located at 1323 W. 13th Street, 2nd Floor, Kansas City, Missouri, 64102.  When the Carrells did have their live/online auction, they sent me another check in the amount of $1,761.37, and that paltry check bounced.  Their explanation was that one of their credit card collection services had failed to make a deposit from another of their auctions and that was why the check bounced.  I had to contact the Johnson Count, Kansas, District Attorney's Office, the State of Kansas Attorney General's Office and the Florida State Attorney's Office, and only then, with my warning to Josh Carrell of serious legal action, did the Carrells, on August 7, 2017, send us two MoneyGrams to cover the amount of the bounced check plus $12.00 to cover my bank's bad check processing fee.

When I saw the "giveaway" prices Josh/Tamara Carrell let my items go for at their live/online auctions, I immediately called them and told them not to sell one more item in any manner, and that we would come to Kansas City and pick up all of the unsold items.  Even after the Carrell's live/online auction ended, their remained one piece that I emailed Josh Carrell about to have him ship it to me and that I would pay any shipping costs.  It was a framed and very rare automotive print, only available at the 1981 12 Hours of Endurance races held March 21, 1981, at the Sebring, Florida, race track.  The Carrells will tell you that they are greatly experienced at properly packing and shipping rare, heirloom quality items, anywhere in the world.  But they packed my framed print so poorly that it was destroyed just shipping it from the Kansas City, Missouri area, to my home in Central Florida.  The glass was shattered in a million pieces and the print had hundreds of cuts/tears from the broken glass.  The frame was bent in a u-shape.  The Carrells used UPS-provided shipping boxes which read on the outside: "For Larger Mirrors/Pictures, Use Two!"  They used one box only, and had worthless pieces of foam taped to each corner of the print's metal framing.  On July 24, 2017, Josh Carrell emailed me apologizing for the damage instransit and claimed it could have only been caused by mishandling on UPS's part.  In that same email, he said that his wife, Tamara, was filing claim for the damage and that he would let me know when it was settled, and ending: "Kindest Regards, Joshua Carrell".  I gave Josh/Tamara the benefit of the doubt, but no claim was ever filed for the damaged print as of January 26, 2018.  I took the package to UPS who said they would never have been able to approve a damage claim given how poorly the item was packaged.

I hope this helps anyone else from falling victim as we did, losing valuable items, who knows how much money, and any trust with those in the estate sale industry.  And I am thankful to ripoffreport.com for providing this service.