Stephen Cherry
12-12-2010, 10:59 AM
Last week I bid, and won an auction for some hardwood in North Carolina:
All Hardwoods: 153P 2x6x16 Cherry, 52P Misc Sized Brazilian Cherry, 42P Misc Cypress, 42P Sapele 5/4 Rough
Hammer price: 1,050.00 (1,050.00 each) USD
Image Link (Active 30 days)
Attatched is one of the pictures from the lot, there were several other pictures showing the extent of the lot.
I paid for the wood on the day immediately following the auction, and have a paid invoice marked paid in full.
I live in Maryland, so I needed to rent a box truck, take a day off work, and drive 6 hours to pick up my wood.
I get there and a kid who looks to be about 20 years old is running the site. I told him that I was there to pick up my wood, and showed him the paid invoice. He told me that someone had picked up my wood for me and paid with a check.
At this time that was my wood, and I had not authorized anyone to pick up this wood, or given any permission for anyone to release it to another individual. I asked him the name of the person who had picked up the wood, and he would not tell me. I asked him where the check was so that I could see the name, and he stated that it was in the hotel. I later saw a check in his notebook that appeared to be for same amount as my wood. At my seeing this, he became angry with me. When I stated that we need to call the police because someone had fraudulently taken my lumber, he insisted that that was not necessary.
He later stated that a two stacks of softwood were my lots. As stated in the description, and in the photograph, my lot was all hardwood. The lot pictured in the photograph is not what he had showed me.
He then stated that I should look around, and maybe there would be something else that I would want. At that time I left, and, due to the inconsistent explanations causing me to suspect improper activity, I filed a report with the local sheriffs department to investigate this matter. Given the hammer price of this lumber, as compared to the potential retail price, this lumber presented strong incentive for theft or fraud.
I've always been under the impression that auctions were the place to demonstrate integrity. When the hammer falls, the high bidder pays and it's his (or hers). The only thing I can think of is that there was some personal inducement involved. I think that the punk that they had running the site got a better offer.
Monday I'll be checking back with the local sherrifs department, I think that they could recover my wood, and during my lunch break, I'll stop by the FBI field office. It's just around the corner from where I work, and maybe I can interest them in the case due to the multi state nature of it. Fundamentally, I think the little ____ was involved in the theft of my lumber.
What a nightmare.
All Hardwoods: 153P 2x6x16 Cherry, 52P Misc Sized Brazilian Cherry, 42P Misc Cypress, 42P Sapele 5/4 Rough
Hammer price: 1,050.00 (1,050.00 each) USD
Image Link (Active 30 days)
Attatched is one of the pictures from the lot, there were several other pictures showing the extent of the lot.
I paid for the wood on the day immediately following the auction, and have a paid invoice marked paid in full.
I live in Maryland, so I needed to rent a box truck, take a day off work, and drive 6 hours to pick up my wood.
I get there and a kid who looks to be about 20 years old is running the site. I told him that I was there to pick up my wood, and showed him the paid invoice. He told me that someone had picked up my wood for me and paid with a check.
At this time that was my wood, and I had not authorized anyone to pick up this wood, or given any permission for anyone to release it to another individual. I asked him the name of the person who had picked up the wood, and he would not tell me. I asked him where the check was so that I could see the name, and he stated that it was in the hotel. I later saw a check in his notebook that appeared to be for same amount as my wood. At my seeing this, he became angry with me. When I stated that we need to call the police because someone had fraudulently taken my lumber, he insisted that that was not necessary.
He later stated that a two stacks of softwood were my lots. As stated in the description, and in the photograph, my lot was all hardwood. The lot pictured in the photograph is not what he had showed me.
He then stated that I should look around, and maybe there would be something else that I would want. At that time I left, and, due to the inconsistent explanations causing me to suspect improper activity, I filed a report with the local sheriffs department to investigate this matter. Given the hammer price of this lumber, as compared to the potential retail price, this lumber presented strong incentive for theft or fraud.
I've always been under the impression that auctions were the place to demonstrate integrity. When the hammer falls, the high bidder pays and it's his (or hers). The only thing I can think of is that there was some personal inducement involved. I think that the punk that they had running the site got a better offer.
Monday I'll be checking back with the local sherrifs department, I think that they could recover my wood, and during my lunch break, I'll stop by the FBI field office. It's just around the corner from where I work, and maybe I can interest them in the case due to the multi state nature of it. Fundamentally, I think the little ____ was involved in the theft of my lumber.
What a nightmare.