Hello to all visitors! Please visit the NEW Net54 board at
www.Net54baseball.com
You can directly contact the moderator here if you have any questions or comments. Enjoy!
Has anyone heard from Mastro Auctions, since their last auction concluded? I haven't received an invoice (electronic or otherwise) and tried to call them, to verify my winnings. I left a voice-mail, asking someone to call me back about the lot I won (or at least think that I won). No return call....
After about 12 more attempts (in which the receptionist never picked up the phone) the recording says to leave a message. But there is never a beep (to indicate the start of recording). This would suggest that their voice-mail is full, and is perhaps unattended.
This company used to pride itself on stellar customer service. Has anyone else been successful in contacting them since their auction's close? Does anyone know what might be going on with Mastro, and if they're still around?
I received my invoice via email as usual and they have been paid. I expect no problems whatsoever. I have talked with Doug Allen 2x's in the last week and they are alive and well and you will continue to see them very active in the sports collectible auction business.
Allen's re-assurance that all is hunky-dory does nothing to address Mark's issue of a dozen unanswered calls. Why just two hours ago, before I left my office, I sent off an e-mail to address a small issue I had with a recent Huggins & Scott shipment. I've just returned home and had a most courteous reply and resolution. One email!
No, the folks over in Mastroland shouldn't fear the answering machine--it's the hard knock on the door they should worry about.
Scott...i saw that you wrote "I have talked with Doug Allen 2x's in the last week and they are alive and well and you will continue to see them very active in the sports collectible auction business."
Ahhhhh are you serious bro? They can be active all they want but i think Jeff is right, the sh$t has not only hit the fan but with all the negativity that surrounds the company right now i think it is just a matter of time before game,set and match.
There will be a lot of people salivating while waiting for the demise of Mastro Auctions because people think they'll be able to steal a few good auction lots. Usually that doesn't happen. They'll continue to get good prices for good material and those that are waiting for the day they can steal a lot will be waiting for a while. Maybe in these leaner times they will rework their business model and trim the fat a little bit. As long as they continue to have consignors with nice material, they'll be in business of offering it up and probably not at a discount.
Were there any REALLY good deals in that last Mastro Auction?
I got my (email)invoice and sent my check a few days ago and yesterday, respectively. I guess I am trusting and naive....There might be changes in the future, who knows? I am not worried about getting the cards I won. That's just me though....
And Leon, you're hardly trusting and naive. You're simply addicted to baseball cards. You'd bid in an auction even if you knew fraud was afoot!! (Which makes you just like everyone else, unfortunately.)
I can't say if anything was ever done wrong in any auction, including Mastro. I know I got a banner ad check for the first 6 months of this year, a few days ago. I am not saying something isn't going to happen or is going to happen. I have heard the rumors too. I guess we shall wait and see. I wish the best for the Mastro folks as they have always been nice and hospitable to me. As I have said a million times though, my feeling is if anyone, or business, does something wrong they should be held accountable just like anyone else. I do count them as friends and Doug, and Mastro Auctions, have always been a supporter of Net54. I appreciate that. Time will tell. regards
ps..some of my best cards (Peck & Snyder and others) have come from them too....
edited to add, yes I am a card junkie too
This message has been edited by leonl on Mar 3, 2009 10:44 PM
Mastro has always been a favorite of mine as well, and I have them to thank for many of my best pieces. I am just surprised that they have not sent me an invoice (or even responded back...)
Since I couldn't get a return phone call, I have emailed them. I bet/hope I see a response by tomorrow (Wed.) The fact that others above have already received invoices has me a bit concerned. I do see the little "+" sign on my line item, indicating I am the high bidder. And the final price was my bid amount... so unless they have some hidden reserve, I'm guessing it's simply an oversight on their part. Not a big deal- just disappointing, as Mastro's customer service has been so impeccable over the years.
Well, the Mastro Invoice did finally show up today. I was starting to question whether I really won the item, but all is well in the end. Maybe their receptionist had called in sick, or was traveling or something.
Mastro's operation reminds me of like a telemarketing boiler room. When i started thinking who to consign some T-206 cards i decided to call Mastro. The guy sounded like a cheesy used car salesman and there was no emotion in regards to the deal, he was like here is my Fed-Ex number so send them in and i will call you back after i evaluate the cards, i thought to myself what a fu*&^ing clown, then i asked for a contact number and said let me think about it. The next day i called and no one answered and it went into voicemail which in my world is a huge red flag.
Let me tell you the difference in people and companies. I then called Brian Drent who spoke to me personally and gave me his personal cell so when the cards got to him we went over each card to figure out the value, we negotiated the deal with a personal tone and i trusted the guy completely with my cards. Translation check out Drent's auction right now compared to Mastro's last. I wish them no harm but their business practices are bush league at best.
Wesley....no on both questions. Might i add that i also would never consign cards with Mastro now or ever. I'm not saying not to deal with them because some folks really like them. I myself am going to pass on dealing with them.
For what it's worth Marshall, I participated in Mastro for the first time this auction. I signed up halfway through the first day of auctions ending (which in itself could have been a nightmare)...but have first class customer service getting signed up quickly and picked up one of the two things I went after. In the course of four days I also emailed Doug Allen twice...he emailed back both times within probably 30 minutes.
I don't know if anything is going on with them, but my own experience thus far was positive. Now I just need my card.
This was my first experience with Maestro as well...and I signed up last minute. I won 1 item and I just received my invoice in the mail today. I thought I would have received email confirmation sooner...but that was just my expectation.
Oh i'm sure the company is on point now. Ask around about how they have acted in past years. Like i said maybe some folks will enjoy dealing with them. I got a bad vibe on my experience so with all the auction companies i can go elsewhere no problem.
I guess I'm not the only one. I haven't received any confirmations or invoices for the lots that I won. In the past I would receive it within 24 hours.
Steve - you must be special - they usually have a 10 day hold on checks, even though I've been buying from them for years and always pay within days of auction close.
Perhaps these things are being handled by the same people who issued checks from the wrong account to consignors and then had to ask people not to cash them?
==
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.
Unknown author
--
We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember.
No retreat baby, no surrender.
The Boss
