Bankruptcy Sale Local hotel - legit? Faulty goods

dotcom13

Banruptcy Sale Local hotel - legit? Faulty goods

Hi all, I have just spent €200 on a video camera from of the "Irish Stock Driector" sale in a local hotel.

The camera does not work? I havn't tried yet to get a refund as the phone line does not open until Monday. Has anyone had a similar experience? did you get any money back or cab you advise me what to do?

jor el

If this is what I think it is, then you'll have pretty much no comeback. These "Auctions" are little more than a scam, and usually, all sales are final.

Not an Online Buying issue either, so moving to Consumer Issues.

gerrycollins

when we lived in Dublin we used to get leaflets about these all the time too good to be true with their pricing etc.

look out for a lot more of these with current conditions places closing down etc its a mini scam. Usual conditions I saw was that the sale is final.

darc

you've been duped!

write to the hotel about the complaint - thye can't do anything but at least it will stop the scam merchants coming back.

Rev. Kitchen

Its a scam you will see leaflets that say PSP 10 euro 32" tv 50 euro video camera 20 euro etc. When you get there they will have empty boxes of PS3's etc they will start off with some silly worthless things like a set of pens for example worth 5 euro they sell it for 1 euro you think ah thats a bargin. About 20 people will get those and then thats it. They will do stuff like "this psp is worth 200 euro i wont take 200 euro ill put it with this dvd player this shaver this kettle etc". All this stuff can be collected "after the show" and big stuff like TV's will need to be delivered.

The second its over some big cross men come in and heard everyone out you are left standing wondering where your stuff is while some one shoes you out the door. They dissapear and are never seen again.

You could go to the hotel they would have some contoct details maybe for them as they would have had to book the hotel but i fear those details wont be any good either.

The real hussle on BBC3 covered this scam.

jor el

Rev. Kitchen wrote: »

The second its over some big cross men come in and heard everyone out you are left standing wondering where your stuff is while some one shoes you out the door. They dissapear and are never seen again.

That's one type of scam alright, but the one I'm thinking of, and the one the OP is talking about too, is where you do actually get stuff, just that it's not a bargain, it's just shit. They whip the crowd into a bidding frenzy, possibly using actual brand name goods, but they sell this to a plant. Then, they offer "similar" items to everyone else, at the same price (which will be way more than what the knockoff is worth).

Learn the rather expensive lesson, and stay clear of all these things in future.

dotcom13

Thanks all for your response, I'll make an effort to get something back. Wish me luck! :mad:

jor el

Did you pay cash, or credit card (and yes, some of these scammers actually are legit credit card processors too)? If credit card, you might get in touch with the bank.

dotcom13

Nope just cash, Big Mistake all round.

not over yet tho..

Oryx

dotcom13 wrote: »

Nope just cash, Big Mistake all round.

not over yet tho..

Ill be interested to see how you get on. But these guys do this for a living. They are used to flicking off complainants and they dont scare easily.

dotcom13

I agree, can only try... Goods don't even work at all, stuff missing etc...

I'll update at later stage to show outcome.

Yavvy

the first time I saw these type of flyers come in the door I went along thinking it might actually be true. but when I got there ( and I paid 2 euro entrnace) I saw it was a Scam straight away.

they did this halliarious thing where they pretended it was an action and ( for example ) they held up a dvd palyer .. "we have 10 of these" and said "do I here 100 euro"... nothing... "do I here 90 euro"...nothing... and when they get to the price they want to sell at "do I here 80 euro" then all the order takers walking the floor would start shouting "one here" "two Here" even though I could see no one was bidding...this would pressure some poor soul thinking about it to put up his/her hand before they ran out !!

also the spen the first hour selling low value crap so they can shift loads of low value crap before trying to shift high value crap like cameras and TV's ..

I ddint buy anythign so I cant say how good or bad the quality is but a friend I know bought a pair of "Nike" from a simial type scam ( his discription was identical to mine ) and they were fakes that fell apart.

I hope you get your money back but im afraid you will have to live and learn.

In my opinion Adverts.ie is the best place for low cost electronics. I have got some amazing bargins on there and all items are as described in my experiance. afterthat ebay has been good to me

eth0_

darc wrote: »

you've been duped!

write to the hotel about the complaint - thye can't do anything but at least it will stop the scam merchants coming back.

Come on though, the hotels know well that it's a scam, and yet they still hire their conference rooms to these tinks.

bongo2

I went to one of these 10 years ago with my brother and we both bought tvs. Mine is still going strong. He did have a problem with his but he contacted the people running the auction and they collected it from him and repaired it. I agree that it's a bit of a risk purchasing items from these auctions but I have been to a couple and haven't had a bad experience.

eth0_

Yeah right...I haven't heard one positive story about these things. They're run by scam artists.

the groutch

been to a couple of them, they are in the most part a scam, but I enjoy filling a couple of bags with the little fiddly items for a quid a two each

Is this what happened ? .....................................

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o1zdm7ANVw&feature=related

foggy_lad

if you got a leaflet in the door about the sale/auction then it might have the sellers details on it in the "smallprint"

Vic_08

eth0_ wrote: »

Come on though, the hotels know well that it's a scam, and yet they still hire their conference rooms to these tinks.

Indeed.

These hotels ought to be named and shamed for profiting from these scams, maybe some high-profile shaming would discourage other establishments from hosting scam parties.

Holding these events in respectable looking hotels is an important part of the convincer. If it was at an outdoor market, scummy warehouse or back of a caravan at a halting site even the dimmest people would be likely to smell a rat.

ongarite

foggy_lad wrote: »

if you got a leaflet in the door about the sale/auction then it might have the sellers details on it in the "smallprint"

Yeah right, just like all the clothes charity collection flyers that come through my letterbox contain a genuine phone and registered company number.

dotcom13

Well its been nearly a week since I've had my money taken from these boy's and I've called a few times they did answer twice but not in the last few days.. Still no money back.

Climate Expert

dotcom13 wrote: »

Well its been nearly a week since I've had my money taken from these boy's and I've called a few times they did answer twice but not in the last few days.. Still no money back.

Give it up.

Greed has lost you €200. The camera you bought is probably worth €15 anyway. Broken or not you still got scammed.

In future research your purchases before and try and buy from a reputable dealer or website.

jor el

dotcom13 wrote: »

Well its been nearly a week since I've had my money taken from these boy's and I've called a few times they did answer twice but not in the last few days.. Still no money back.

If you have a name and address for the company, then you're only option is to get a Solicitor to write them a letter. Even this may not work, but a solicitor who specialises in consumer issues would probably know.

Citizens Information office, or National Consumer Agency, may also be able to advise, but they won't get involved on your behalf. It'll still be you against them, and if they're not even replying, then you won't get far.

Lplated

Because this is an auction, advertised as such, and you made a winning bid, i think you're stuck with the 'buying as is' thing - i.e. that you bid on a good in the condition its in (whether working or not).

Even if i'm wrong on that, you're obviously going to have problems getting satisfaction from traders whose only interface with the public is by booking hotels room and sending out flyers with a mobile phone number on it.

Unfortunately, most of the time when something looks too good to be true, thats becuase it is.

Elmo

Have you ever gone to one of these clearances usual in a hotel?

I have a flyer for one thinking of going. Are they any use?

Wacko

This feels like a weird case of deja vu, I think someone asked the exact same question a while ago, short story of it, they are chancers and crooks stay away.

MonsterMob

Would be interested. Do you have any other details about it?

thenightrider

Just stay away they are a big scam

PCPhoto

was at one of them...... years ago ..... didnt know what to expect and what I was looking for ...it was mainly clothes and in my opinion mainly last years stock or damaged stock (I got a jacket for €70 and discovered small hole less than 1cm in diameter on the inside afterwards ..... jacket retailed for €250)

Anyway.... take care and inspect everything and you can get them to drop the price ...so haggle a bit.

REMEMBER - theres NO REFUNDS !!! (all sales are final)

admiralofthefleet

have a read of this thread from consumer issues

coldfire1x

Warning: Dont go anywhere near them. SCAM!!!

Plenty of good deals available in good stores and on the net.

old boy

dont go send your money to nigeria instead, at least they are good at scamming.

Bondvillain

Disastrous. Filled with tat, run by chancers (you can tell by the grammar & spelling errors on the leaflet, and the lack of a landline or realistic VAT details) and generally a bad experience all round. Don't bother. You'll almost certainly regret it, if only for the realisation that you've wasted your time on visiting an open plan pound shop.

(Anecdotal evidence of counterfeit small-denomination note currency circulating at a higher rate than usual after they've blessed a town with their presence too...)

Elmo

MonsterMob wrote: »

Would be interested. Do you have any other details about it?

I do but I didn't want to give the details on here and from the response it seems like it would be a bad idea.


You know when you ask: "why shouldn't I press the red button?" and some tells you it because it will do something really dangerous, and you know you shouldn't but you just have to press the button.

Well thats how I feel now

Elmo

How is this not against the law? Trade descriptions etc.

Elmo

There is one happening in the Carlton Hotel, Old Airport Road. Did you get your money back in the end?

bk

I went along to one of these things before and it was great fun.

Not because I bought anything, I didn't, but because I watched otherwise intelligent people get sucked in by a very obvious and amateurish scam due to herd mentality.

If you have any interest in human psychology it is really interesting, I believe it is the same psychology that leads to pyramid schemes, property bubbles, etc. just on a much smaller and easier to watch scale.

MiniMetro

Went to one of these years ago in Sach's Hotel in Donnybrook with my mother. Had money saved up to get a Hi-Fi. Bought a Hi-Fi, didn't actually turn out to be that cheap, after they added the 'VAT and fees' on. My mother bought a pair of 'top of the range' binoculars for my dad for about £40-50. When we got home the Hi-Fi was completely dead, not a blink out of it and the binoculars didn't have lenses, just see through plastic discs.

We got straight in the car and headed back down. We can't have arrived more than half an hour after the sale had ended. The whole room had been stripped and there was no evidence of the sale whatsoever. Luckily we caught site of one of the guys from the sale and after much arguing finally got our money back.

It's proper cockney wideboy stuff.

Clare Bear

Got that flyer too about the one on in the Carlton Hotel on the Old Airport Road this Sunday. All looks too good to be true really. I'd like to go to see the type of scum that will be there but I'd rather not get mugged so I think I'll give it a miss.

Climate Expert

Elmo wrote: »

There is one happening in the Carlton Hotel, Old Airport Road. Did you get your money back in the end?

Somebody should ring up the hotel and tell them what is being planned. I think somebody from here had one of these events cancelled by doing just that.

dotcom13

wow when is the one on in the Carlton?
would be great to know... I'd happily ring the hotel...

dotcom13

Deleted User wrote: »

Is this what happened ? .....................................

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o1zdm7ANVw&feature=related

This is exactly what happened, watch out!
Didn't think I would get caught out in something like this but I did..... arahhh

dotcom13

Elmo wrote: »

There is one happening in the Carlton Hotel, Old Airport Road. Did you get your money back in the end?

The event in the Carlton is a legit expo not an auction. I went to the trouble of finding out...

Elmo

Clare Bear wrote: »

Got that flyer too about the one on in the Carlton Hotel on the Old Airport Road this Sunday. All looks too good to be true really. I'd like to go to see the type of scum that will be there but I'd rather not get mugged so I think I'll give it a miss.

In fairness to the "organizers" they are mugging you without the pain! at the same time I would like to just see what goes on only I am to scabby to even pay 2euro to see people get conned!

Not because I bought anything, I didn't, but because I watched otherwise intelligent people get sucked in by a very obvious and amateurish scam due to herd mentality.

But you did go and pay that 2euro fee!

Are they not the same people who organize these events each time?

We could all go and ruin it on them by demanding to see the products for sale etc.

Elmo

dotcom13 wrote: »

The event in the Carlton is a legit expo not an auction. I went to the trouble of finding out...

Well this is what the poster says:-

NOT TO BE MISSED WHOLE SALE & HIGH STREET STOCK CLEARANCE

FOR ONE DAY ONLY

On the instructions from several well known high street outlets RTL. Ireland's longest established and biggest wholesale clearance company has to dispose of a large quality of new and graded stock.

ENTIRE CONTENS OF WAREHOUSE MUST GO REGARDLESS OF COST

ETC ETC

CARLTON HOTEL
(OLD AIRPORT ROAD)

permit issued by the Dept. of Enterprise and Employment VAT No. IE9660428D WEEE No. RIN100

ADMISSION €2

SUNDAY 25TH JANUARY 2009

SALE FROM ............ 6PM TO 9PM

VIEWING FROM 10AM- PLEASE ARRIVE PROMPTLY FOR EACH SALE

oneweb

Got the leaflet yesterday too (attached). Brought it to work to scan and post a warning to fellow boardsies.

I went to one of these years ago. Nothing short of disgraceful. Didn't buy anything, mainly 'cos I didn't fall for the false sense of pandemonium. Why on earth any hotel would want to have any association with this sort of scum is unbelievable!

There are plenty of posts on boards regarding these 'events'. They usually end along the lines of "don't waste your time or money".

...

OH, don't for a second think you'll get anything on the leaflet for the price listed. That's the starting price and one of the plants will up it straight away.

bk

Elmo wrote: »

But you did go and pay that 2euro fee!

No, it was in Cork a good few years ago and it was free, so it was just some free entertainment for me. I wouldn't have paid for it obviously, just on the principal of it.

It was exactly like what you see in the youtube video above.

dotcom13

Mine had very similar stuff on it. If you go just be careful and let us know how you got on.

Watch the youtube link posted on this thread, if it looks the same let us know.

This one is run by Ring Lee Trading, search them on the internet first.. I found nothing when googled

It sounded ok when I talked to the Hotel people..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o1zdm7ANVw&feature=related

Elmo

oneweb wrote: »

Got the leaflet yesterday too (attached). Brought it to work to scan and post a warning to fellow boardsies.

I went to one of these years ago. Nothing short of disgraceful. Didn't buy anything, mainly 'cos I didn't fall for the false sense of pandemonium. Why on earth any hotel would want to have any association with this sort of scum is unbelievable!

There are plenty of posts on boards regarding these 'events'. They usually end along the lines of "don't waste your time or money".

...

OH, don't for a second think you'll get anything on the leaflet for the price listed. That's the starting price and one of the plants will up it straight away.

Might be an idea to merge these threads and sticky them? http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=58725873#post58725873

Elmo

dotcom13 wrote: »

Mine had very similar stuff on it. If you go just be careful and let us know how you got on.


It sounded ok when I talked to the Hotel people..

Don't think I will go TBH.

I don't think the Hotel people are the people to talk to, they are going to want to keep their good name intact. Not sure if Carlton has a good name but still.

MOH

Elmo wrote: »

Well this is what the poster says:-

NOT TO BE MISSED WHOLE SALE & HIGH STREET STOCK CLEARANCE

FOR ONE DAY ONLY

On the instructions from several well known high street outlets RTL. Ireland's longest established and biggest wholesale clearance company has to dispose of a large quality of new and graded stock.

ENTIRE CONTENS OF WAREHOUSE MUST GO REGARDLESS OF COST

ETC ETC

CARLTON HOTEL
(OLD AIRPORT ROAD)

permit issued by the Dept. of Enterprise and Employment VAT No. IE9660428D WEEE No. RIN100

ADMISSION €2

SUNDAY 25TH JANUARY 2009

SALE FROM ............ 6PM TO 9PM

VIEWING FROM 10AM- PLEASE ARRIVE PROMPTLY FOR EACH SALE

The VAT number and WEEE number seem legit anyway.