Rapid Classifieds - Free Ads Placement | |
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| BEWARE of Thompson & Riley, Ltd. Auctioneers and Realtors | |
| Ad Posted: | 3/13/2008 5:45:29 PM |
| Ad Expire: | 6/11/2009 5:45:29 PM |
| Posted By: | Langeneckert |
| Category: | Announcements > Business Info |
| Ad Description: | |
Announcing http://ThompsonAndRileySucks.com I have had to take my complaint about Thompson & Riley, Ltd. Auctioneers and Realtors of Lexington, Kentucky to the public in the name of free speech and consumer protection. James J. Bates II (aka Jamie Bates) and Julie Smith of Thompson & Riley, Ltd., Auctioneers / Realtors misled me repeatedly and extensively to get my signature on their auction contract. These people were less than honest from the start and you'll be well advised to refrain from doing business with them. My original complaint was five pages but, for the sake of space and time, let’s begin here with these: 1. Jamie promised to "inventory and catalogue" the contents of the house and provide me with said inventory. No such inventory was received. The only list of contents ever received was at settlement time MONTHS after the auctions and the list received was quite small compared to the actual contents of the house. To my understanding, not providing receipts for contents and providing settlement results and disbursement months after the auctions occurred are violations. These things, taken individually, could be considered oversights (although still inexcusable) but, viewed collectively, each of the points contained in my complaint show a pattern of deception. 2. Jamie promised to utilize Ebay for the dolls, accessories and finer collectibles to get a wider market. We talked at length prior to the signing of the contract. It appears that NOT ONE item made it to Ebay. In his response to my Board of Auctioneers complaint, Jamie stated he's used Ebay for years. First, responding to that claim as he did, it shows there was merit to my raising the point and, secondly, he offered no factual defense (showing what items went to Ebay and the supporting paperwork that would have been created). Numerous promises made but not carried out. 3. Over the course of months after the auctions, numerous attempts to contact Jamie Bates and Julie Smith by phone, fax and email were met with silence. Even the published fax numbers were either disconnected or simply not answered. I wanted to know what was going on with the auctions. They had the money and simply were not disbursing. Not until I sent a registered letter demanding response and disbursement did I receive a response. Within about four days, Julie Smith called my friend Julie and opened with "You really must hate me" to which Julie responded that she "was very disappointed in their failure to follow through on what they had promised". Julie Smith said she had asked Jamie, repeatedly, to make that phone call and when she decided that he obviously wasn't going to make the call, she said she "decided to bite the bullet and make the call". Bottom line: $14 was owed to me. She said they were scaling down the cost of work performed (at contract signing, original quote from Jamie for my costs were $300-$400) and that made my net just under $1,400. Twenty-seven hundred square feet of “treasures” (Jamie’s word) for $1,400. What a bargain! The above was just part of my complaint submitted to the Kentucky Board of Auctioneers. They claimed to have investigated fully and, then, dismissed my complaint with prejudice!!! I'm considering litigation... perhaps class action. Between June of 2006 and May of 2007, there were at least 1,149 complaints filed (mine was numbered 07-1149) yet only one... ONE auctioneer lost his license!!! I smell a rat. I know that my complaint contained several rather simple infractions that were easy to see yet, (repeating for emphasis) after being "investigated", my complaint was dismissed by the Board. Any one of the basic points about which I complained required action by the Board. The more complicated points of my complaint that, with thorough investigation and witness testimony, would have proven fraud and a systematic approach of wrongdoing by Thompson & Riley, Ltd., Auctioneers and Realtors... were entirely overlooked. If you have been unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of deception by Thompson & Riley or have been dismissed by the Kentucky Board of Auctioneers, please contact me. This cannot be allowed to happen to anyone else. I understand how incredibly difficult and painful it is to have been a victim... but I still need to hear your story. Bryan Langeneckert bryan@iglou.com | |