This is my experience with them:
I was in contact with Mike and he explained all the details. I was excited about the dolls and the auction. I sent in my bids for the dolls. The auction was 3/17/2012. I was contacted by a staff member the next day that I had won the dolls but she made a mistake and charged the credit card prior to finding out the shipping cost. (Mike had agreed to wait to charge the card until he found out how much the shipping would be on 3/19 or 3/20). (Lights flashing in my head: WARNING- something is going to go wrong). This was the last day that I heard from Mike or his staff.
I anxiously waited for the dolls. Two weeks had passed and I still did not receive the dolls. I sent Mike an email on 3/31. No answer. I called the phone. No answer. I called again and again. I left messages on a phone (the message tells the number but not the name of the company). No return phone calls. I did this for the next two weeks. I am thinking that I was SCAMMED because I did not attend the auction.
I went to the website and discovered that they were doing an antique show in another part of Texas. On April 9, I called the antique show's number and asked for Kim's Korner. T person stated that he would give them my name and number. No response.
I was patiently waiting for my credit card bill, when I received this email from Mike on April 12, 2011.
"We have been away for several weeks at an antique fair. I had gotten a message while away that you had called, but didn't get more information than that. The area we were in doesn't have internet service so I couldn't email you. I will have someone put them in the mail to you on Friday at our expense. They should have been mailed out before we closed for the antique show, but it was somehow overlooked. Please give a mailing address and they will go out Priority Mail. "
My response: I am glad that your finally responded. I was very concerned because my credit card was already charged and then I could not get a phone or email response for several weeks. At least your voice mail should have stated that you were away. It is very upsetting when you buy something for the first time from a company and then they disappear for several weeks. I thought I was scammed.
His response: Sorry about the confusion. Our website did state we were away, and the machine is always left alone.. Not sure how to change the message on it. Anyhow, we will get the dolls out to you. Our expense.
Oh no. Mike's staff member called me on Monday, April 16 and stated that she just checked the messages and saw that I called but it did not say why (seems like a pattern). She stated that she would check to see if the dolls were mailed out. She mailed them out on that Monday and not Friday. (see above). I received them on Thursday April 19.
Note: NEVER AGAIN would I buy anything from this company's auction. I had to take a couple of weeks to calmed down to enjoy the dolls.
* I will post the dolls under a different post.
* I will post the dolls under a different post.
MDW - I am so sorry that you had such a horrible experience in getting your dolls shipped to you from Kim's Korner Auction. I feel partly responsible because had I not posted the information about the auction on my blog, you would not have had this experience.
ReplyDeleteIn the future I will add a disclaimer to any postings regarding people with whom I have not dealt with personally.
The morning after the auction, I received the following email from Mike of Kim's Auction:
"HI Debbie,
Had the auction today. It was an extremely light turnout. We sold only about half the dolls. If you are interested in any that were not run in the auction, get back with me in a few days. I will know more about what will happen with the dolls. The family wants us to get them sold.
Mike"
I replied to him with images of dolls I was interested in and also suggested they perhaps hold an Internet auction for the remaining dolls since the turnout was so poor. A portion of his lengthy reply is as follows (which includes information about their absence until the 2nd week in April.)
"HI Debbie,
We typically auction antique furniture and glassware on a weekly basis with our crowds numbering anywhere from 50-250 people in attendance. We had less than 10 people at the doll auction…
We normally do not auction dolls in the quantity we had… We have only conducted a doll specific auction one time before this, but that auction was filled with true antique dolls from very well known German, French and other dolls makers and the turnout was much higher and the prices were actually on the high side of estimates. From our experience and the current prices on ebay etc. for similar dolls like we had in the March 17th auction. we just couldn't justify an internet auction… it just wasn't possible to do an internet sale . We know that the doll market is a specific market, but we had advertised this sale online for nearly one year, and contacted probably 300 Ebay doll specific sellers who regularly sell them, Not one of them came to the auction. I had even emailed various clubs about the auction, and none of them even got back to me for information.
It seems that the huge impact of Ebay, and other smaller online venues, having large amounts of common items, (that only 10 years ago would have been considered harder to find items), the prices have dropped to ridiculously low prices, and the bidders can now sit at home and wait for an item in the best condition at the lowest price possible or they simply just pass it over and wait for another person to list the same item. On the flip side, very rare and unusual items have commanded steep prices because of the limited availability of such items.
I will be talking with the family again in the upcoming weeks about the remaining dolls. Feel free to get back to me with some of your "wanted items" and I will go through what is left and see what I can get worked out with the family. We will be away at the Round Top antique shows through the second week of April, so the dolls will not be going anywhere until that time. Maybe you can buy them in a bulk lot, and offer them up for bid on Ebay or to the online doll group and blog readers.
regards,
Mike"
Again, MDW, I am so sorry that your experience was so troubling. Had I known you were not able to make contact with them, I could have informed you of their absence until the 2nd week in April. This might have lessened your suspicions some about being scammed. In the end, I am happy you have your dolls now (with free shipping) and look forward to seeing them.
dbg
After your posting on your blog, I spoke with Mike and had direct emails with him. I even called him prior to the auction. I only relied on your blog for the info about the auction and nothing else. I thank you for the information and I am glad you posted about the auction. if Mike had time to post you about the remaining dolls then he had time to send my dolls that were already paid for on that Monday.
ReplyDeleteThanks Male Doll World and DBG for this information. I'm glad that you received your dolls. Snoopy me is looking forward to seeing your new dolls.
ReplyDelete