U.S. Auction Brokers Charged Me $287.25 For Solid Sterling Silver Necklace That Was Really Worthless Costume Jewelry Germantown Maryland

When I just looked up the word ‘fraud’ in the dictionary, I was completely shocked to learn that there was not a reference to U.S. Auction Brokers. You see, the very definition of ‘fraud,’ wrongful or criminal deception intended to deceive others, perfectly describes this swindling company. I am avidly contemplating the endeavor of petitioning Merriam-Webster to include a direct allusion to U.S. Auction Brokers the very next time someone looks up the definition of this noun.

On July 1, 2020, I made a Herculean mistake of visiting usauctionbrokers.com. In hindsight, I can suggestively chalk that up to a momentary lapse of reasoning. I ended up ‘winning’ the bidding for a solid sterling silver necklace. This is exactly how their posting appeared, “STERLING SILVER ROLO NECKLACE WITH ALL CRYSTALS. You are bidding on a solid sterling silver necklace with a total weight of 59.0 grams. It is 20 inches long and set with crystals in every link. Links are oval rolo style with 14 crystals set in each. Total weight of all crystals is approximately 35 carats. Necklace has a tab insert lock with 2 security locks on the sides. It is solid, heavy and sparkles in every direction. Has a lot of luster and brilliance.”

Prior to bidding on this item, I had never bid on a piece of jewelry over the internet. I had attended several live auctions in the past, but because of COVID-19, live auctions have now become a rarity. If only I could turn back the hands of time.

In fact, I did not even do a cursory search of U.S. Auction Brokers on Google. If I had, I would have immediately discovered several dreadful facts about these con artists. Not only are there scores of negative consumer reviews about this company, detailing fraud and false advertising, but the Better Business Bureau has given them a BBB Rating of ‘F,’ the very lowest rating a business can attain.

It is interesting to note that U.S. Auction Brokers are not affiliated with the U.S. Government, yet their title and logo would have you believe otherwise.

The price of this necklace was $225.00. The Buyer’s Premium was a whopping 21% ($47.25). The shipping fee was $15.00. After tallying it all up, I ended up paying them $287.25 on July 1, 2020.

They finally shipped the necklace on July 14, 2020. I received it on July 16, 2020.

As soon as I opened up the package, I could tell that there was something amiss. Not only was this necklace NOT Sterling Silver, but I instinctively felt that it was merely costume jewelry, which is essentially worthless. My suspicions proved correct when I later visited a jewelry store and asked the jeweler for an appraisal. He instantaneously held this necklace in his hand and steadfastly confirmed my speculations. A subsequent routine chemical test firmly cemented exactly why U.S. Auction Brokers’ reputation is abysmal. But, I was wrong about one thing. I erroneously believed that costume jewelry was worthless. The jeweler informed me that costume jewelry like this necklace typically sells for ten dollars.

As soon as I returned home, I contacted U.S. Auction Brokers’ customer service number. I left a very detailed message and quixotically anticipated a prompt return call. Several days went by and I heard nothing. I left another message. I then contacted my bank and commenced the task of contesting the $287.25 charge with the Claims Department.

Presumably, after my bank contacted them, I received a phone call from U.S. Auction Brokers. The individual I spoke to sounded so apologetic as to how they could have sold me costume jewelry masqueraded as Sterling Silver. This guy was not only one of the worse liars I have ever encountered during my 45 years of living in New York, the official mecca for con men, but he was exceptionally slimy. I actually envisioned taking a shower after talking to him. He had the audacity to ask me to send him back the necklace at my expense. I said, sure, right after I file a formal complaint with the State Attorney General’s office.

Nonetheless, on July 29, 2020, he reluctantly emailed me a return label. Weeks went by and I still had not received my $287.25 refund to my debit card. On August 18, 2020, I finally received my full refund.

I learned a very valuable lesson from this entire experience. Government auctions are so popular that copycats try to make their own auctions seem like government auctions to lure customers. This is just one of many sleazy tactics utilized. Inexperienced online auction consumers may miss the fine print and mistake them for a government auction. It’s a ploy. Then, there are the many customer accusations against U.S. Auction Brokers of “shill bidding.” Shill bidding is where their very own employees repeatedly bid up the prices so that the real customers end up paying more. Shills are illegal in some states. So why would you want to give your hard-earned money to an unscrupulous, and inherently dishonest, business such as U.S. Auction Brokers?