- Report: #1045028
Complaint Review: Auctionzip - Internet
-
Author Confirmed
Why?
Auctionzip
42 5th Street NE Suite #4 Swan Lake, MB R1N1J3 Internet, United States of America
Phone:
2048707479
Web:
Auctionzip.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
Auctionzip Stefan McKinney [email protected] Stefan McKinney posed as an auctioneer at auctionzip.com who was paid a 5% premium but did not warn customers of a possible scam totaling of more than 11 million dollars Internet
Is Stefan McKinney of [email protected] officially bonded and did auctionzip.com require a background check.
Sent from my iPad
On Apr 21, 2013, at 1:12 PM, Michael Paolo wrote:
I will get in touch with all the members ripped off by Stefan McKinney and pool our resources to file a class action lawsuit against Stefan McKinney/Auctionzip.com who allowed doubleddauction to steal over $25,000 from me. Something needs to be done before I take action because this individual was authorized to steal from us and Auctionzip provided the means and was paid well for doing nothing. I also called Auctionzip to find out if Steffan McKinney had any complaints filed against him and I told auctionzip.com that I was in the process of shipping $25,000 in rare coins for auction and at no time was I warned about any complaints filed against this individual.
From: Michael
To: "[email protected]"
Sent: Sunday, April 21, 2013 12:01 PM
Subject: 11 million dollars was stole from people like me who were told that these people had to be background checked and bonded.?
Board index Auction Discussion Forums Open ForumAll times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]
Swan Lake scammer
Page 1 of 1 [ 5 posts ]
Print view Previous topic | Next topic Author Message Allan Schein
Post subject: Swan Lake scammerPosted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 1:18 pm
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:50 pm Posts: 5 Since Auctionzip does not allow specific names of auctioneers to be posted, I shall refer to this Canadian auctioneer only as being from Swan Lake, Manitoba, Canada. Owner Stephan completed an 8 session rare coin and currency sale April 6th 2013. More than 5,000 lots were offered with a claimed value of $11 Million, and gold, bullion, collector coins and currency hammered for a fraction of their true value. Unfortunately, I have discovered that hundreds of the items sold are of photos downloaded from another sellers website, although the auctioneer told me they were taken by his firm. This discovery was made when seeking comparable value for a coin I bought. I found the identical coin in its PCGS holder, with the same certification number for sale on eBay. I looked up the seller and found it for sale on their website as well. The legitimate owner of this coin assured me they have the coin in their possession. Further research showed that 4 of the NGC or PCGS coins I bought are currently offered for sale by this firm, Coast coin of Columbia Maryland. Additionally, I have found that the Swan Lake scammer downloaded hundreds of images of certified coins and currency from the Coast Coin website, all of which Coast claims to own and have available for sale. Don't expect to receive them if you bought from the Swan Lake scammer.
The Swan Lake scammer can no longer be reached by phone. His original number and replacement number as provided to Auctionzip is unreachable. His cell phone is unreachable. He does not respond to emails. His auction promised shipping the day after cleared payment. Auction purchases over $500 were to be sent FedEx, with tracking numbers sent to the buyer. None has been forthcoming. Several individuals and firms that he claimed consigned coins to this auction deny having done so. If you paid by major credit card you are probably protected. If you wired money, you're probably screwed.
Auctionzip is "looking into" the matter. Don't expect them to help. They provided the means for the scammer to screw hundreds of bidders out of millions of dollars worth of coins and currency sold at this auction. They seem unwilling to take responsibility. The scammer has previously held online auctions through other online auction sites, and appears to have been thrown off all of them.
My advice? Stick to the known reliable major coin and currency auction houses that are known for reliability throughout the industry. But waste no time contacting your bank to dispute charges for items you don't receive from the Swan Lake auction.
Top
Allan Schein
Post subject: Re: Swan Lake scammerPosted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 11:31 am
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:50 pm Posts: 5 The latest update on the Swan Lake Scammer is that Auctionzip has been flooded with complaints from buyers at the latest 8-session offerings by the Canadian Auction firm. It has been repeatedly confirmed that none of the coins or currency notes in images downloaded from the Coast Coin website were his to sell. Auctionzip has taken the stance that they are doing everything in their power to find Stephan, but can't reach him. When I asked why there has been no notice posted advising buyers at this auction that they should contact their credit card company or bank, they stated they are "merely a software provider". I suggested that anyone who had received an invoice should be contacted directly and notified that the entire sale was a scam, and was told "Oh, believe me, they already know!" How, by instinct and intuition? Most people, its true, have likely figured it out by now, but there are always innocent individuals who trust foolishly, and are probably still waiting in hope their coins will arrive. Anyone who reads this I encourage to make contact with Auctionzip and request that formal notices be sent to advise those people who may not have realized yet they were scammed. This will also assist anyone disputing charges to their credit, debit and wire transfer activity in dealing with their banks. Auctionzip needs to be proactive here and take some responsibility rather than taking, in my opinion, a less than forthright position and do more than give oral rhetoric and verbal appeasements. It would certainly be reassuring if they showed some spine and got directly involved trying to save their customers some grief, and help mitigate the damage done. The "we only provide the software" commentary is tantamount to negligent and irresponsible facilitation of an illegal scam, as I see it. So, they have blocked this auctioneer from staging further auctions. Great. But thats like taking a smoking gun out of the hands of a shooter who has already pulled the trigger. The damage has been done. Come on Auctionzip. Show a little spine here and be proactive for the sake of your customers.
Top
Martin Bourquin
Post subject: Re: Swan Lake scammerPosted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 5:46 pm
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 9:20 am Posts: 3 They claim no responsibility but yet didnt hesitate to provide the auction house with the credit card iformation of the winning bidders. So not only should you protest the charges but i would suggest you also close the credit card and have your bank issue you a new one since if they used it once what is to stop them from using it again?
Top
Allan Schein
Post subject: Re: Swan Lake scammerPosted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 7:41 pm
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:50 pm Posts: 5 Thanks for the suggestion, and yes, this has already been done in addition to disputing the charges. This suggestion applies to everyone that participated in this auction. It's not just that bidders will never see their coins. If the auctioneer is this fraudulent it can be expected that their credit card information may well get into additional unwanted hands.
The Swan Lake Scammer is (Auction house name removed as per forum rules)of Swan Lake, Manitoba, Canada. Owner (Auction house name removed as per forum rules). I did not previously make mention of the specific name in accordance with the Auctionzip forum policies. However, since Auctionzip has been unwilling to take active measures to notify bidders of this auction about what the situation is, I believe their policy amounts to aiding and abetting a criminal activity. Refusal to identify the culprits to injured parties may be considered harboring a fugitive. Any damages that are incurred by bidders that should have and could have been protected by Auctionzip's timely notifying them, may make them responsible for damages. Its a myopic policy and position the company is taking that can do them absolutely no good. The simple act of reaching out to patrons and informing them of the circumstances would have gone a long way towards their credibility and limiting financial damages to site users. Denial of their inherent responsibility rather than the righteous responsible proactive informing of customers can only further harm their marginal reputation and business model. I know I will probably never make another purchase through this auction site. A person would have to be an absolute fool to continue using it unless they knew for certain they were adequately protected.
Top
Allan Schein
Post subject: Re: Swan Lake scammerPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 1:24 am
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:50 pm Posts: 5 The Swan Lake Scammer is Stephan McKinney of Double D Auction in Swan Lake, Manitoba, Canada.
Sent from my iPad Begin forwarded message: From: Michael PaoloDate: April 20, 2013 12:29:13 PM EDTTo: "[email protected]" Subject: Return receipt requestedReply-To: Michael Paolo
Did you receive the complaint filed against Stefan McKinney a confirmation of receipt would be appreciated.
From: Michael Paolo
To: "[email protected]"
Cc: "[email protected]"
Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2013 11:02 PM
Subject: Statement -- Complaint filed against Stefan Mckinney
Complaint filed against Stefan Mckinney Double D Auction
AuctionZip Auctioneer ID # 32827
Stephan Mckinney 42 5th Street NE Suite #4 Swan Lake, MB R1N1J3 Phone: 204-870-7479 Email: [email protected]
Initially, I met Stefan through a mistake because auctionzip starts out at a $1.00 and bids start up at $9000.00 and I made a mistake and I Stefan fixed $9000.00 bid correction. Then he asked if I had any coins I would like to sell. I told him I had a bunch of Morgan one dollar silver coins and that's when I heard awe's Stefan told me he could get a good markup for those coins.
I sent pictures of the coins initially then he stated that he needed an itemized spreadsheet and he needed to verify everyone of the coins he sells at his us auction warehouse because he has a reputation to up hold with his customers. This went on for sometime because I really did not want to give up my coins without getting something in return. One day he called me and stated he had sold a bunch of buffalo nickels I was selling. He gave me an address to send them to and after pulling some teeth he sent a western union check for $238. That was the hook he used then he told me that the client purchased my coins stated they were crap and if he was going to sell my coins I would have to ship them out through fedex and he would pay the shipping and insurance through his FedEx Account number 350778534 of which was sent to you in a previous email.
The address and the contact person I was told by Stefan McKinney to ship these coins is listed below: John Billington
1211 E 8th St, Grand Island, NE 68801
308-382-1152
I sent this individual over $25,000 dollars in silver & gold coins he just splits and I have to take the loss. I made him sign an Auction Agreement and I contacted Auctionzip for a reference check. They confirmed he was legit before I mailed these coins out and I watched several auctions so it seemed as though he had millions in inventory.
I was led to believe that I was bothering Stefan when I complained about him not listing my coins and when he failed to refund my purchase it was then obvious something was up but at that point it was already too late. At first so I guess he fronted the idea that I needed to step off since he had business to run. As of April 5 th I have not heard from Stefan since I checked my phone records.
US Case number #:13-027015 Detective Synder is investigating this complaint and his phone number is 856.488.7828
Sent from my iPad
On Apr 21, 2013, at 1:12 PM, Michael Paolo
I will get in touch with all the members ripped off by Stefan McKinney and pool our resources to file a class action lawsuit against Stefan McKinney/Auctionzip.com who allowed doubleddauction to steal over $25,000 from me. Something needs to be done before I take action because this individual was authorized to steal from us and Auctionzip provided the means and was paid well for doing nothing. I also called Auctionzip to find out if Steffan McKinney had any complaints filed against him and I told auctionzip.com that I was in the process of shipping $25,000 in rare coins for auction and at no time was I warned about any complaints filed against this individual.
From: Michael
Page 1 of 1 [ 5 posts ]
Print view Previous topic | Next topic Author Message Allan Schein
Post subject: Swan Lake scammerPosted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 1:18 pm
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:50 pm Posts: 5 Since Auctionzip does not allow specific names of auctioneers to be posted, I shall refer to this Canadian auctioneer only as being from Swan Lake, Manitoba, Canada. Owner Stephan completed an 8 session rare coin and currency sale April 6th 2013. More than 5,000 lots were offered with a claimed value of $11 Million, and gold, bullion, collector coins and currency hammered for a fraction of their true value. Unfortunately, I have discovered that hundreds of the items sold are of photos downloaded from another sellers website, although the auctioneer told me they were taken by his firm. This discovery was made when seeking comparable value for a coin I bought. I found the identical coin in its PCGS holder, with the same certification number for sale on eBay. I looked up the seller and found it for sale on their website as well. The legitimate owner of this coin assured me they have the coin in their possession. Further research showed that 4 of the NGC or PCGS coins I bought are currently offered for sale by this firm, Coast coin of Columbia Maryland. Additionally, I have found that the Swan Lake scammer downloaded hundreds of images of certified coins and currency from the Coast Coin website, all of which Coast claims to own and have available for sale. Don't expect to receive them if you bought from the Swan Lake scammer.
The Swan Lake scammer can no longer be reached by phone. His original number and replacement number as provided to Auctionzip is unreachable. His cell phone is unreachable. He does not respond to emails. His auction promised shipping the day after cleared payment. Auction purchases over $500 were to be sent FedEx, with tracking numbers sent to the buyer. None has been forthcoming. Several individuals and firms that he claimed consigned coins to this auction deny having done so. If you paid by major credit card you are probably protected. If you wired money, you're probably screwed.
Auctionzip is "looking into" the matter. Don't expect them to help. They provided the means for the scammer to screw hundreds of bidders out of millions of dollars worth of coins and currency sold at this auction. They seem unwilling to take responsibility. The scammer has previously held online auctions through other online auction sites, and appears to have been thrown off all of them.
My advice? Stick to the known reliable major coin and currency auction houses that are known for reliability throughout the industry. But waste no time contacting your bank to dispute charges for items you don't receive from the Swan Lake auction.
Top
Allan Schein
Post subject: Re: Swan Lake scammerPosted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 11:31 am
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:50 pm Posts: 5 The latest update on the Swan Lake Scammer is that Auctionzip has been flooded with complaints from buyers at the latest 8-session offerings by the Canadian Auction firm. It has been repeatedly confirmed that none of the coins or currency notes in images downloaded from the Coast Coin website were his to sell. Auctionzip has taken the stance that they are doing everything in their power to find Stephan, but can't reach him. When I asked why there has been no notice posted advising buyers at this auction that they should contact their credit card company or bank, they stated they are "merely a software provider". I suggested that anyone who had received an invoice should be contacted directly and notified that the entire sale was a scam, and was told "Oh, believe me, they already know!" How, by instinct and intuition? Most people, its true, have likely figured it out by now, but there are always innocent individuals who trust foolishly, and are probably still waiting in hope their coins will arrive. Anyone who reads this I encourage to make contact with Auctionzip and request that formal notices be sent to advise those people who may not have realized yet they were scammed. This will also assist anyone disputing charges to their credit, debit and wire transfer activity in dealing with their banks. Auctionzip needs to be proactive here and take some responsibility rather than taking, in my opinion, a less than forthright position and do more than give oral rhetoric and verbal appeasements. It would certainly be reassuring if they showed some spine and got directly involved trying to save their customers some grief, and help mitigate the damage done. The "we only provide the software" commentary is tantamount to negligent and irresponsible facilitation of an illegal scam, as I see it. So, they have blocked this auctioneer from staging further auctions. Great. But thats like taking a smoking gun out of the hands of a shooter who has already pulled the trigger. The damage has been done. Come on Auctionzip. Show a little spine here and be proactive for the sake of your customers.
Top
Martin Bourquin
Post subject: Re: Swan Lake scammerPosted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 5:46 pm
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 9:20 am Posts: 3 They claim no responsibility but yet didnt hesitate to provide the auction house with the credit card iformation of the winning bidders. So not only should you protest the charges but i would suggest you also close the credit card and have your bank issue you a new one since if they used it once what is to stop them from using it again?
Top
Allan Schein
Post subject: Re: Swan Lake scammerPosted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 7:41 pm
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:50 pm Posts: 5 Thanks for the suggestion, and yes, this has already been done in addition to disputing the charges. This suggestion applies to everyone that participated in this auction. It's not just that bidders will never see their coins. If the auctioneer is this fraudulent it can be expected that their credit card information may well get into additional unwanted hands.
The Swan Lake Scammer is (Auction house name removed as per forum rules)of Swan Lake, Manitoba, Canada. Owner (Auction house name removed as per forum rules). I did not previously make mention of the specific name in accordance with the Auctionzip forum policies. However, since Auctionzip has been unwilling to take active measures to notify bidders of this auction about what the situation is, I believe their policy amounts to aiding and abetting a criminal activity. Refusal to identify the culprits to injured parties may be considered harboring a fugitive. Any damages that are incurred by bidders that should have and could have been protected by Auctionzip's timely notifying them, may make them responsible for damages. Its a myopic policy and position the company is taking that can do them absolutely no good. The simple act of reaching out to patrons and informing them of the circumstances would have gone a long way towards their credibility and limiting financial damages to site users. Denial of their inherent responsibility rather than the righteous responsible proactive informing of customers can only further harm their marginal reputation and business model. I know I will probably never make another purchase through this auction site. A person would have to be an absolute fool to continue using it unless they knew for certain they were adequately protected.
Top
Allan Schein
Post subject: Re: Swan Lake scammerPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 1:24 am
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:50 pm Posts: 5 The Swan Lake Scammer is Stephan McKinney of Double D Auction in Swan Lake, Manitoba, Canada.
Sent from my iPad Begin forwarded message: From: Michael Paolo
Stephan Mckinney 42 5th Street NE Suite #4 Swan Lake, MB R1N1J3 Phone: 204-870-7479 Email: [email protected]
Initially, I met Stefan through a mistake because auctionzip starts out at a $1.00 and bids start up at $9000.00 and I made a mistake and I Stefan fixed $9000.00 bid correction. Then he asked if I had any coins I would like to sell. I told him I had a bunch of Morgan one dollar silver coins and that's when I heard awe's Stefan told me he could get a good markup for those coins.
I sent pictures of the coins initially then he stated that he needed an itemized spreadsheet and he needed to verify everyone of the coins he sells at his us auction warehouse because he has a reputation to up hold with his customers. This went on for sometime because I really did not want to give up my coins without getting something in return. One day he called me and stated he had sold a bunch of buffalo nickels I was selling. He gave me an address to send them to and after pulling some teeth he sent a western union check for $238. That was the hook he used then he told me that the client purchased my coins stated they were crap and if he was going to sell my coins I would have to ship them out through fedex and he would pay the shipping and insurance through his FedEx Account number 350778534 of which was sent to you in a previous email.
The address and the contact person I was told by Stefan McKinney to ship these coins is listed below: John Billington
1211 E 8th St, Grand Island, NE 68801
308-382-1152
I sent this individual over $25,000 dollars in silver & gold coins he just splits and I have to take the loss. I made him sign an Auction Agreement and I contacted Auctionzip for a reference check. They confirmed he was legit before I mailed these coins out and I watched several auctions so it seemed as though he had millions in inventory.
I was led to believe that I was bothering Stefan when I complained about him not listing my coins and when he failed to refund my purchase it was then obvious something was up but at that point it was already too late. At first so I guess he fronted the idea that I needed to step off since he had business to run. As of April 5 th I have not heard from Stefan since I checked my phone records.
US Case number #:13-027015 Detective Synder is investigating this complaint and his phone number is 856.488.7828
2 Updates & Rebuttals
IamME
Minnesota,AuctionZip allows its auctioneers to rip people off!
#2Consumer Comment
Fri, December 13, 2013
Do not use AuctionZip at all for any auctions they host. Use one of their competetors that does not allow fraudlent business practices. AuctionZip allows auctioneers with questionable business practices to conduct auctions and they will not do anything about it if the auctioneer ripps someone off. I was ripped off by Bakers Country Style Auctions on AuctionZip for a lot of baseball cards that were reprints and were not disclosed as reprints. I also was ripped off on the shipping charges by having to pay an additional C.O.D. on top of the shipping charges I had already paid them. This was due to them trying to send non-media mail as media mail. Yes the USPS figured it out and charged more! I do have this matter under investigation by the BBB, and I am dusputing the charges with my credit card company. But they were still allowed to rip me off by AuctionZip for not having tighter rules against how the items their auctioneers sell are listed and represented on AuctionZip's site. I have used other online auction sites without any issue, but the first time I used AuctionZip, guess what...issues! Buyer Beware of AuctionZip, as you never know if the item you are buying is a fake, reprint, or maybe an original.
juliefpc
Coral Springs,Florida,
Another Ripped off Bidder
#3Consumer Comment
Wed, May 01, 2013
I too was ripped off by this so called Double D auction. I am considering a class action suit against Auctionzip.com since the value of the goods charged to me was over $5000. I have contacted the RCMP fraud department in Canada. I live in FL If anyone else is willing to come on board here, please contact me at (((ROR redacted))) I think we all need to work as a team here and have Stefan McKinney arrested for fraud, but more importantly, hold auctionzip.com responsible as well. I understand Michael Paolo may be instituting a suit here, if I can be of assistance, I would be more than happy to help.
