Complaint Review: RCI Auctions Atlanta

I wish I knew then what I know now but I guess you live and you learn and this is the only reason I am writing this report. It is intended to warn potential customers or RCI auction Atlanta of the unethical conduct and complete lack of integrity of the branch owner. I am a 16 year Air Force enlisted member and was lied to and purchased broken, junk restaurant equipment from this business.

On Feb 17, 2015 I was researching the web to purchase some good used restaurant equipment and stumbled across this sRCI Auctions online website. It seemed pretty legitimate so I registered and proceeded to bid and purchase several pieces of equipment from RCI auctions online. Before bidding, I called the Atlanta branch and spoke to Glenn the owner and asked about some of the equipment I was thinking about bidding on and if there would be anyone at the pickup location to assist me with loading the equipment since I had just had surgery and could not load the equipment by myself. He seemed polite and assured me that they have three people there and would happily help. I felt pretty good about it so I bid and purchased a little over $2k worth of equipment (4 pieces).

I left the very next day and drove almost 400 miles from Florida to Atlanta Georgia to pick up the desperately needed restaurant equipment. I admit, I was totally unprepared and made a few mistakes (I showed up with a little truck and needed to rent a U-Haul trailer) but in my defense this was the first and only time I have ever dealt with any such purchase and transaction. I got to the warehouse with the truck and trailer and proceeded to check out the items that I purchased, I was ok with three of four items but extremely disappointed with a refrigerated sandwich prep table that I purchased, the item was completely misrepresented and appeared to be in significantly worse shape than the photo they posted online revealed. I was extremely hesitant to pick it up and drive 400 miles just to find out it did not work but the warehouse worker (Tony I think) insisted that it worked perfectly and stated that I had no choice but to pick it up anyways because of the bidding agreement I signed when I registered with the RCI Auctions site. I asked him to call his boss and see if we could work something out because I did not want the prep table since it did not look like the one I bid on and the refrigerant coils in the back were crushed in different areas which was selectively not shown on the online photos. He told me that the refrigerated sandwich prep table was tested and worked properly and that I should not worry. He seemed sincere so with great hesitation I believed him and agreed to take it.

As we proceeded to pick it up I noticed that it was missing a wheel and that there was broken glass all over the inside. I again asked him if he could call whomever was in charge so that I could speak to them about the item and it not being represented properly and that I did not want to purchase it any longer. He pretty much refused, told me that I had no real recourse because of the bidding agreement and insisted over and over that it worked just fine and he even promised that he would send me a replacement wheel in the mail (it's been almost a month and I still haven't received anything). I felt pressured to accept it and prayed that it was really working properly, I told myself so what if it's ugly, as long as it works it'll get the job done.

I drove the 400 miles back home and unloaded the equipment in my future restaurant location then went back the next morning to test everything out. I plugged in the prep table and to my extreme disappointment but not surprise it did not work at all, as a matter of fact the compressor is fried and the fan makes a noise that sounds like an elephant screaming, it is also R12 Freon which is nearly impossible to get anymore. I called the RCI Atlanta location and spoke to Glenn the business owner and he told me that he would look into it and get back to me to see how we could resolve this issue. Needless to say days went by and I never received any phone call in return so I called the RCI Auctions main office and spoke to a guy named Dan, he seemed sincere and told me that he would contact Glenn and try to figure out some way to make things right and get back to me.

Well it's been almost a month now and I had to call again and Dan finally responded and told me that he spoke to Glenn and that Glenn agreed to work something out with me and that I should call Glenn back and discuss the way ahead. I was momentarily pleased and proceeded to call Glenn. Glenn answered the phone and immediately questioned my integrity and denied ever having any conversation with me and denied that his warehouse workers ever stated that the equipment worked and insisted that I purchased the equipment as is and that there was nothing he could do about it because I had picked it up and said that I should have left it there. I repeatedly tried to explain to him that his workers that I assumed represented his business assured me that the equipment worked properly and that was the only reason why I agreed to pick it up and that I attempted to leave it there but his employees practically shoved it into my truck without giving me the option of leaving it there. He continued to deny that any such conversation occurred and called me stupid three different times for believing his employees and stated that it was my word against his.

After listening to him talk nonstop for about 5 minutes I asked him if he would reconsider and at least reimburse me 50% of the cost (the prep table cost me $615 so 50% would be $307.50). He said he would only reimburse me 50% if I drove back the almost 400 miles each way and returned the broken equipment, which is ridiculous since it wouldn't be worth the effort and he knows it. Besides, the prep table is so old that it is unrepairable and he would just try reselling it in another auction and scam another customer.

I sent Dan from the RCI Auctions main office a video and pics of the condition of the equipment and he was stunned himself. I have to admit, I was pretty stupid for trusting this group of criminals so in a way he was right about that but at the same time I feel that I trusted the word of his workers and I knew I signed an agreement and I am a man of my word and integrity is a core value that is instilled in me so I went against my better judgment and picked up the equipment. By the way, I purchased 4 items that day, 2 ice makers and 2 refrigerators, three of the four items did not work but at least the two Ice machines are repairable and I was not lied to about their condition where as I was directly lied to about the condition of the prep table and was deceived by sketchy pics. I accept my part in being naive in dealing with this type of situation but these guys are professional criminals and I have learned another very expensive life lesson.

Do not trust RCI Auctions Atlanta! They will lie to your face and deny any wrong doing. In any case, I hope this helps someone avoid a very expensive mistake. In my experience, RCI Auctions Atlanta is unethical and unwilling to conduct themselves in honorable manner.