The auction requirements were a 25% deposit of what you thought you were
going to spend. ID. Company card. blah blah blah.

When I got there, all I did was fill out the stub on a card, and was handed
back the top portion.

I provided no identification of any type. I made no money deposit of any
type.

If I had been a putz, or had an ax to grind with this company, or overspent,
or just had buyer's remorse, I could have filled in Joe Schmuckatelli,
Hillbilly, Kansas, and bought a LOT of stuff that they would have been stuck
with. If I was buying with cartel cash, I could have come and gone, and
there would be absolutely no evidence save a little forensics that I was
ever there.

I didn't get the thought till today, and was wondering how the
pre-registration and identification processes are at other auctions.

Steve

Steve B wrote:

The auction requirements were a 25% deposit of what you thought you were
going to spend. ID. Company card. blah blah blah.

When I got there, all I did was fill out the stub on a card, and was
handed back the top portion.

I provided no identification of any type. I made no money deposit of any
type.

If I had been a putz, or had an ax to grind with this company, or
overspent, or just had buyer's remorse, I could have filled in Joe
Schmuckatelli, Hillbilly, Kansas, and bought a LOT of stuff that they
would have been stuck
with. If I was buying with cartel cash, I could have come and gone, and
there would be absolutely no evidence save a little forensics that I was
ever there.

I didn't get the thought till today, and was wondering how the
pre-registration and identification processes are at other auctions.

Steve
If you actually place a bid, a guy sitting next to the auctioneer enters
that info on a laptop, and they immediately check the balance on the
cashier's check you left with them. When you exceed your deposit, they
will re-open the bidding a few seconds after it was declared "sold" and
say something like "oops, the winning bidder is disqualified, we're
reopening the bidding" and start at the price before your last bid.
I've seen that happen before.

Kind of strange you got a bidder number without a deposit - I suspect that
was an actual screw-up by the auctioneer's staff. Or else, it was a small
auctioneering outfit that hasn't gotten their act together.

Jon

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 09:03:19 -0800, "Steve B"
wrote:

The auction requirements were a 25% deposit of what you thought you were
going to spend. ID. Company card. blah blah blah.

When I got there, all I did was fill out the stub on a card, and was handed
back the top portion.

I provided no identification of any type. I made no money deposit of any
type.

If I had been a putz, or had an ax to grind with this company, or overspent,
or just had buyer's remorse, I could have filled in Joe Schmuckatelli,
Hillbilly, Kansas, and bought a LOT of stuff that they would have been stuck
with. If I was buying with cartel cash, I could have come and gone, and
there would be absolutely no evidence save a little forensics that I was
ever there.

I didn't get the thought till today, and was wondering how the
pre-registration and identification processes are at other auctions.

Steve


Most of the industrial auctions I've been to you put a $500 deposit
down with a credit card and your business card (probably they have
some kind of fine print that allows them to suck more out than that),
get a bidder's number, and you're okay up to a couple thousand dollars
bidding, IIRC. Above that you're supposed to deposit a cashier's check
or make other arrangements to ensure you're good for the money. I
think the business card is mostly so they can spam you with ads for
future auctions.

Spehro Pefhany wrote:
On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 09:03:19 -0800, "Steve B"
wrote:

The auction requirements were a 25% deposit of what you thought you were
going to spend. ID. Company card. blah blah blah.

When I got there, all I did was fill out the stub on a card, and was handed
back the top portion.

I provided no identification of any type. I made no money deposit of any
type.

If I had been a putz, or had an ax to grind with this company, or overspent,
or just had buyer's remorse, I could have filled in Joe Schmuckatelli,
Hillbilly, Kansas, and bought a LOT of stuff that they would have been stuck
with. If I was buying with cartel cash, I could have come and gone, and
there would be absolutely no evidence save a little forensics that I was
ever there.

I didn't get the thought till today, and was wondering how the
pre-registration and identification processes are at other auctions.

Steve


Most of the industrial auctions I've been to you put a $500 deposit
down with a credit card and your business card (probably they have
some kind of fine print that allows them to suck more out than that),
get a bidder's number, and you're okay up to a couple thousand dollars
bidding, IIRC. Above that you're supposed to deposit a cashier's check
or make other arrangements to ensure you're good for the money. I
think the business card is mostly so they can spam you with ads for
future auctions.

In the late 1990s we'd just show up with a blank company check. That
seemed to work. Other bidders had to keep writing checks out the
auctioneer as they kept buying stuff if it started to get expensive. For
under $10k of loot, nobody seemed to care. All the paperwork happened at
the end.

Cydrome Leader wrote:


In the late 1990s we'd just show up with a blank company check. That
seemed to work. Other bidders had to keep writing checks out the
auctioneer as they kept buying stuff if it started to get expensive. For
under $10k of loot, nobody seemed to care. All the paperwork happened at
the end.
These days, anybody with a laser printer can forge a VERY convincing
phony check. The banks are having a HUGE problem with forged cashier's
checks being passed. I'm sure the auctioneers have written their contracts
to be immune to these losses, but the sellers need them to at least try to
verify that people really are going to pay.

Jon

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 09:03:19 -0800, "Steve B"
wrote:

The auction requirements were a 25% deposit of what you thought you were
going to spend. ID. Company card. blah blah blah.

When I got there, all I did was fill out the stub on a card, and was handed
back the top portion.

I provided no identification of any type. I made no money deposit of any
type.

If I had been a putz, or had an ax to grind with this company, or overspent,
or just had buyer's remorse, I could have filled in Joe Schmuckatelli,
Hillbilly, Kansas, and bought a LOT of stuff that they would have been stuck
with. If I was buying with cartel cash, I could have come and gone, and
there would be absolutely no evidence save a little forensics that I was
ever there.

I didn't get the thought till today, and was wondering how the
pre-registration and identification processes are at other auctions.

Steve


There well may be "mid-west rules" but I've spent up to 60K at auction
and never had them do more than take an imprint of my driver's
licence.

I do think they make it their business to ID the bad actors and get
them moved to the side

Karl

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:43:49 -0500,
wrote:

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 09:03:19 -0800, "Steve B"
wrote:

The auction requirements were a 25% deposit of what you thought you were
going to spend. ID. Company card. blah blah blah.

When I got there, all I did was fill out the stub on a card, and was handed
back the top portion.

I provided no identification of any type. I made no money deposit of any
type.

If I had been a putz, or had an ax to grind with this company, or overspent,
or just had buyer's remorse, I could have filled in Joe Schmuckatelli,
Hillbilly, Kansas, and bought a LOT of stuff that they would have been stuck
with. If I was buying with cartel cash, I could have come and gone, and
there would be absolutely no evidence save a little forensics that I was
ever there.

I didn't get the thought till today, and was wondering how the
pre-registration and identification processes are at other auctions.

Steve


There well may be "mid-west rules" but I've spent up to 60K at auction
and never had them do more than take an imprint of my driver's
licence.

I do think they make it their business to ID the bad actors and get
them moved to the side

Karl

Same here in New England, at least for the regional auctioneers. The
good ones have good memories and get to know you and treat you fairly
and cut you some slack if you don't jerk them around. If you're smart,
you don't waste your time patronizing the bad auctioneers long enough
to get acqauinted.

--
Ned Simmons

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:13:50 -0600, Jon Elson
wrote:

Steve B wrote:

The auction requirements were a 25% deposit of what you thought you were
going to spend. ID. Company card. blah blah blah.

When I got there, all I did was fill out the stub on a card, and was
handed back the top portion.

I provided no identification of any type. I made no money deposit of any
type.

If I had been a putz, or had an ax to grind with this company, or
overspent, or just had buyer's remorse, I could have filled in Joe
Schmuckatelli, Hillbilly, Kansas, and bought a LOT of stuff that they
would have been stuck
with. If I was buying with cartel cash, I could have come and gone, and
there would be absolutely no evidence save a little forensics that I was
ever there.

I didn't get the thought till today, and was wondering how the
pre-registration and identification processes are at other auctions.

Steve
If you actually place a bid, a guy sitting next to the auctioneer enters
that info on a laptop, and they immediately check the balance on the
cashier's check you left with them. When you exceed your deposit, they
will re-open the bidding a few seconds after it was declared "sold" and
say something like "oops, the winning bidder is disqualified, we're
reopening the bidding" and start at the price before your last bid.
I've seen that happen before.

Kind of strange you got a bidder number without a deposit - I suspect that
was an actual screw-up by the auctioneer's staff. Or else, it was a small
auctioneering outfit that hasn't gotten their act together.

Jon

I've bid on stuff with no deposit, then after I won, I had someone
come up to me and ask for money. A blank check worked then. After
it was over and I went to pay they said certified checks only. My
bill was under 200 and they took my company check as is.

I tried a while ago to get a bank letter of gaurantee and that was
like pulling teeth. Never did get one, they told me it takes 2 weeks.
Might be easier now as I have a line of credit.

Remove 333 to reply.
Randy

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 09:03:19 -0800, "Steve B"
wrote:

The auction requirements were a 25% deposit of what you thought you were
going to spend. ID. Company card. blah blah blah.

When I got there, all I did was fill out the stub on a card, and was handed
back the top portion.

I provided no identification of any type. I made no money deposit of any
type.

If I had been a putz, or had an ax to grind with this company, or overspent,
or just had buyer's remorse, I could have filled in Joe Schmuckatelli,
Hillbilly, Kansas, and bought a LOT of stuff that they would have been stuck
with. If I was buying with cartel cash, I could have come and gone, and
there would be absolutely no evidence save a little forensics that I was
ever there.

I didn't get the thought till today, and was wondering how the
pre-registration and identification processes are at other auctions.

Steve


I think the last few I was at where I was not a repeat customer, I had
to give them my drivers license.

Remove 333 to reply.
Randy