Police Auctions

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  • 19lottie82
    19lottie82 Posts: 6,027 Forumite
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    I'm totally bewildered as to why MSE keeps promoting these auctions in their weekly emails. They are full of absolute tripe!
  • forgotmyname
    forgotmyname Posts: 32,554 Forumite
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    We made a good few £ from one last year, Normally we only go for something specific that we or someone we know wants, a lot of the time we dont get it because people pay virtually full price for them.

    We went for something specific, Only wanting a cuple of items but found the box included far more than they listed in the catalogue.
    Sold off the excess for a nice profit. Gave a few away as gifts also.

    Whilst there they had some garden benches the plastic ones, I thought £30 ish, adding in the extra costs, They sold for just short of £60, So the buyer paid £80. They had them on sale at B&Q for less.
    Censorship Reigns Supreme in Troll City...

  • MattHawkins
    MattHawkins Posts: 53 Forumite
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    I've looked at this auction site once a year for the last few years. It is all junk. The only decent stuff goes for crazy prices considering you've got no idea if it works and the descriptions are extremely vague. I assume the nice stuff never quite makes it on to the site.

    Why would you buy a laptop with no indication it works? You might as well just take £100 to the casino as I reckon your odds are better.

    The site design coupled with "Nochex" means you need to value your own time quite badly for it to be worth trying to trawl through it. Never mind the process of paying and acquiring the item!
  • Abbo24
    Abbo24 Posts: 4 Newbie
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    A warning to all.
    You get some real bargains on bumblebee but it is buyer beware, you cannot view the item until you collect it and by then it is too late to complain or get your money back. I bought 12 signet rings from them paid the £300 when i got them the hallmarks were all there but when I took them to a jewlers they were highly polished brass. So if you like the look of an item ask a lot of questions as if they describe them as they see them there is no refund.
  • Fellwalker
    Fellwalker Posts: 92 Forumite
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    Abbo24 wrote: »
    A warning to all.
    You get some real bargains on bumblebee but it is buyer beware, you cannot view the item until you collect it and by then it is too late to complain or get your money back. I bought 12 signet rings from them paid the £300 when i got them the hallmarks were all there but when I took them to a jewlers they were highly polished brass. So if you like the look of an item ask a lot of questions as if they describe them as they see them there is no refund.
    Well said.
    Why does MSE keep promoting these? Why do Police Forces keep using Bumblebee, rather than a proper site that would not charge entry, and that uses a payment method that has some comeback?
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 26,612 Forumite
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    19lottie82 wrote: »
    I'm totally bewildered as to why MSE keeps promoting these auctions in their weekly emails. They are full of absolute tripe!
    You posted this in 2015 and MSE are still promoting the auctions as worthwhile.
  • Sparhawke
    Sparhawke Posts: 1,420 Forumite
    edited 22 September 2016 at 4:37AM
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    Abbo, didn't you think to return it to the police station in question and make a formal complaint? This is not just buyer beware, they are selling fake jewellery with fake hallmarks, that is illegal and they cannot hide behind an auction site either.

    If the original lot was described as costume with no hallmarks though that would be different.

    https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/report-fake-or-counterfeit-goods/
    "Don't blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And don't blink. Good Luck" - The Doctor.
  • RFW
    RFW Posts: 10,021 Forumite
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    Sparhawke wrote: »
    Abbo, didn't you think to return it to the police station in question and make a formal complaint? This is not just buyer beware, they are selling fake jewellery with fake hallmarks, that is illegal and they cannot hide behind an auction site either.

    If the original lot was described as costume with no hallmarks though that would be different.

    https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/report-fake-or-counterfeit-goods/
    Exactly right. I think in Abbo's case it depends how the items were sold. If the listing said "12 golden coloured metal rings" then there is less chance of a refund than it saying "12 hallmarked gold rings".

    If I was ever unsure of something and had no way of verifying it I'd always err on the side of caution when lotting. Sadly people are quick to con themselves. Occasionally a £5 ring will be worth £1000. More often than not someone will pay £50 thinking it's worth £1000 and it isn't worth £5.

    In Abbo's case I can't see from his post that he has definitely been misled.
    .
  • mrcol1000
    mrcol1000 Posts: 4,791 Forumite
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    RFW wrote: »
    Exactly right. I think in Abbo's case it depends how the items were sold. If the listing said "12 golden coloured metal rings" then there is less chance of a refund than it saying "12 hallmarked gold rings".

    If I was ever unsure of something and had no way of verifying it I'd always err on the side of caution when lotting. Sadly people are quick to con themselves. Occasionally a £5 ring will be worth £1000. More often than not someone will pay £50 thinking it's worth £1000 and it isn't worth £5.

    In Abbo's case I can't see from his post that he has definitely been misled.

    From my experience, Police Auctions go at great lengths to describe jewellery as either coloured metal or to say you should assume it is custom jewellery. . There is also a warning on every page saying that the police force selling it can not confirm the authenticity of anything.
  • shaun_from_Africa
    shaun_from_Africa Posts: 12,858 Forumite
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    Abbo24 wrote: »
    A warning to all.
    You get some real bargains on bumblebee but it is buyer beware, you cannot view the item until you collect it and by then it is too late to complain or get your money back.


    That was true under the Distance selling regulations as the contract for goods purchased via an online auction was exempted from the right of cancellation and return but there is no such exemption under the Consumer contract regulations.
    Buying from Bumblebee auctions online gives you the same right of return as buying from any other online trader.
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