Participated in an online auction. Bid on a vehicle which was shown on screen but was not the actual vehicle being auctioned.
I was an online bidder, paddle #*******, on the 3-11-17 Tampa Machinery auction. I bid on and was high bidder for a vehicle shown on the screen to be lot #*******. Two minutes later the same vehicle was on screen up for bid. Thinking they didn't get my bid I bid again and again was high bidder on lot #*******. Looking at the messages on screen I was notified I won a different vehicle, lot #******* which was never shown on my screen and I did not bid on. I immediately contacted the message operator at the auction so they could put the vehicle I DID NOT BID ON back up for auction. I was told to contact the auction company which was facilitating the online service, Proxibid, Inc., which I immediately did. I was told by them to call the auction house directly which I, again, immediately did. I spoke to Theresa, explained the situation and asked her to notify the auctioneer to re-auction lot #******* since that lot was NOT on my screen when I bid. I also told her I DID want to purchase lot #******* which I was winning bidder on. She told me they would have to do a "no sale" at the end of the auction on lot #******* and would discuss if I would be allowed to purchase lot #*******. I told her to go ahead and do a "no sale" on both lot #'s ******* and ******* if that would make it easier. She replied "fine" and hung up. Later that evening I received an invoice from Tampa Machinery for both lot numbers! The following business day I contacted Tampa Machinery, spoke to the owner and explained the situation. I also stated I wanted to take the offer a no sale given to me by his employee, Theresa. He replied all sales are final and I would be banned from bidding in any future Tampa Machinery auctions to which I agreed! I contacted Proxibid to complain and investigate. They stated they could do a metadata search of the auction but COULD NOT determine what was actually on my screen at the time I was bidding.
Subsequently Tampa Machinery filed a complaint with Proxibid. After speaking with Proxibid several times they sided with Tampa Machinery and I have been banned from participating in ALL future online Proxibid sponsored auctions even though I have had NO previous incident in all my years bidding on their website.
I have a time stamped copy of the ongoing on screen messages of this incident. It clearly shows Tampa Machinery going out of numerical sequence which could explain the incorrect vehicle being on screen at the time I was bidding. It also clearly shows my attempt to notify Tampa Machinery and Proxibid, in a timely manner, of their error and adequate time to correct it and re-auction lot #*******.
Instead, Tampa Machinery is being allowed to bully and strong arm me by filing an unfounded complaint with Proxibid for THEIR mistake and lack of policy to re-auction items due to their error.