Much of the details of my most recent transaction with Premiere Props / Hollywood Roadshow can be found in these topics:
“Premiere Props, Hollywood Roadshow, Auction Outcome Manipulation”, “…Update 1”, “…Update 2″, “…Update 3″, “…Update 4″
Generally speaking, I’ve come to expect that, as a consumer buying goods, issues do happen.
However, most issues can be resolved with 1) good customer service/communication and, more importantly, 2) the exercise of “good will” on behalf of the merchant. In my personal experience, Premiere Props is incapable of the first and completely lacking the second.
I want to preface this by noting that props are just “things”, but I feel it is important to share our experiences with dealers and vendors so that we hobbyists and consumers can collectively learn from one another and be better informed. That is my objective in sharing the details of this transaction.
Summary:
I bid on many items during the Hollywood Roadshow live auction event via eBay on July 14th, as managed by Premiere Props.
Of the six items I won, I was shown as the winner at the end of bidding and received e-mail confirmation from eBay and Premiere Props confirming each of my six wins with the heading: “Congratulations, the item is yours”.
The Premiere Props completed auction results showed me as the winner of all six lots. My eBay account “Items I’ve Won” page also verified that fact.
I was sent an invoice a few days after the event, paid immediately via PayPal for all six lots, and received a confirmation of the lots and that payment was made and accepted.
8 days after being invoiced and having paid for my items – 11 days after the sales had ended – Premiere Props processed a refund for one of my six items through PayPal, claiming that this item – won and paid for by me as the winner – was “awarded to a phone bidder”.
I contacted Premiere Props directly – no resolution to the problem was offered. In fact, they hung up on me after asking, “what’s your problem?”
In calling back, I could not reach anyone who cared to resolve the problem or even discuss it with me. I asked to speak with the owner of Premiere Props but was told not to expect a return call.
I legitimately won an item at auction, was recorded as the winning bidder, was invoiced, and made payment.
Premiere Props refused to ship me my item, refused to discuss the issue, and offered no alternative resolution.
I was not given any replacement options for the item supposedly sent to another bidder. Because I was hung up on, I was never given the option to cancel all of my business with Premiere Props either – they simply shipped it out.
Upon receipt, one of the items I won – which incidentally I had “bid” $200 on but “registered” somehow as $350, nearly double what I had actually “bid” (see report immediately following the bidding the day of the event: “Hollywood Roadshow Live Auction in L.A. – Held Today“) – this item arrived broken. It was obvious that the damage was caused due to the fact it was wrapped very tightly with bubblewrap stretched and taped so tightly it crushed the fragile prop inside.
Attempts to Resolve Premiere Props Issues Directly With Premiere Props
As noted above, in regards to my primary “win” of the event being shipped to another bidder, I attempted to resolve that in some way with Premiere Props immediately. I picked up the phone and called them as soon as I was notified of the problem.
From my perspective, as a collector, the item in question was the primary item of interest to me. I was prepared to bid as much as $2,000 for the piece, and actually won it for $300. So, with Premiere Props not following through on their obligations as a seller, my view was that I had suffered damages. I think it would have been appropriate, based on the admitted mistakes of Premiere Props, to offer the supposed other bidder the item was purportedly sent to a replacement item of his or her choice from the same film from their online store. Short of success on that front, such an offer to me would have been the least Premiere Props could have done to attempt to resolve this issue of their own making.
I was offered nothing.
And, as recounted already, the lead customer service agent at Premiere Props sought to resolve the issue simply by hanging up on me and refusing subsequent phone calls and contact.
Alternate customer service agents were of no help, and requests that the owner of Premiere Props contact me directly were not acknowledged.
So, as a wronged customer, my attempts to resolve issues that were a consequence of Premiere Props faulty business practices were rejected at every level: customer service rep, lead customer service agent, owner.
I tried to salvage the experience by at the very least returning the broken piece for a refund – what could be a more simple and routine matter for Premiere Props to rectify?
Since they refused to communicate with me directly, and I paid via PayPal, I elected to file a formal PayPal dispute on that item so I could force them to communicate, allowing me to ship the item back, and obtaining a refund for that item.
As noted previously (see “Update 4“) Premiere Props unilaterally escalated the PayPal “dispute” to a “claim”. Because Premiere Props invoiced customers for the Hollywood Roadshow event off-eBay, per PayPal representatives I spoke with, this converted the Hollywood Roadshow eBay transaction into an “Off eBay” transaction, which negated most buyer/consumer protections offered by PayPal and eBay. As long as the merchant provided a tracking number showing a package was sent and delivered, PayPal would not facilitate any further resolution efforts.
So not only did Premiere Props renege on my primary auction win and refuse to offer any resolution, refuse all consumer attempts at communication, and break a prop in preparing it for shipping – now they further refused to resolve yet another issue that they themselves created.
Options?
At this point, after being subjected to poor business practices at the hand of Premiere Props and Hollywood Roadshow, as well as deplorable customer service, I was left with two options:
1. Accept that they did not send me my primary auction win, accept the broken piece, and accept the consequences of poor business practices and disrespectful customer service.
Or
2. File a dispute with my credit card company and ship everything back, reversing the entire transaction.
My view was, as a consumer, I went above and beyond to pursue all avenues of recourse to resolve this – directly and professionally – with Premiere Props. My opinion is, every step of the way, as a business, they did the exact wrong thing. All of their decisions, in my experience, are counter-intuitive to sound and professional business practice and long-term customer relations.
They reneged on my primary auction win, shipped one prop broken as a result of negligent packing, and subsequently refused every attempt to resolve these issues.
As such, I filed a dispute with my credit card company.
I carefully repackaged the entire order with new bubble wrap, new foam shells, and a new sturdier box – all purchased with my own funds. By contrast, Premiere Props simply wrapped the items in bubble wrap and packed everything otherwise loose in a box. So I was sure to pack things in a professional and superior manner. I then shipped everything back to Premiere Props – at my own expense – via UPS. I included a letter recounting the issues as articulated here, my experience, and notification of the credit card dispute (and hence return of all merchandise from the transaction).
Premiere Props refused the package.
Since they would not return phone calls nor e-mails, I immediately faxed a letter to them, again outlining the issues and explaining that I have filed a dispute with my credit card for all the items, all were in the package, and to please contact UPS with the included tracking number to request a second delivery attempt for the following day. I contacted UPS myself, and they said they would attempt another delivery if requested by the recipient.
A few days later, UPS returned the package to me with the following explanation:
“RECEIVER HAS REFUSED THE DELIVERY OF THE PACKAGE”
About a month later, I received the following e-mail from Premiere Props / Hollywood Roadshow, along with an e-mail including a link to a FedEx return slip:
We have been informed that you have received money back from the chargeback initiated through your credit card company. We are also aware that you have all the items in your posession. We have e-mailed you a FedEx return shipment slip already. Please return all items listed below by Monday, October 1st. If we do not receive the items or a tracking number showing these items have been returned we will be involving the authorities, as they are now considered stolen merchandise.
List of items to be returned:
1. 2001 Grindhouse (Lot#233)
2. 2002 Grindhouse (Lot#235)
3. 2003 Grindhouse (Lot#298)
4. 2039 Black Snake Moan (Lot362)
5. 2977 Team America (Lot#1090)Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
Premiere Props
This was the only contact made by Premiere Props, aside from the short PayPal dispute, since being hung up on two months earlier.
I shipped the items back for the second time the next morning, and sent a response to the e-mail above (which was sent by the lead customer service agent who originally hung up on me).
I received a reply, which opened with a request to “discontinue the back and forth”, which is a fascinating comment, since the lack of resolution in these issues was a consequence of a complete lack of communication and “back and forth” from Premiere Props from the outset of the first issue.
The message ended with a request to “not ever contact us again.” I have honored this request, in that, with my obtaining a refund and Premiere Props having their merchandise returned, there is no reason for me to communicate with them.
I will never transact with Premiere Props or Hollywood Roadshow again, and they do not seem to have any interest in fostering any sort of relationship or good will with their customers, if my experience is any indication.
I would like to respond to a few comments made in the Premiere Props e-mail, for the record, since they stated “[w]e will make this incident known to everyone, and have already reported this to eBay” and “I look forward to reading more about this situation and seeing all the time you spent writing about this on your website”.
Premiere Props Comment:
1. Per our terms and conditions: #9. In the event of a tie between an online bidder and a floor bidder, the floor bid will take precedence. The auctioneer’s decision will be binding and final. – Regarding the Grindhouse item, it was awarded to a phone bidder, also considered a live bidder, and thus shipped out the next business day since payment was processed that night.
During the phone call in which I was hung up on, the lead customer service agent offered to show me proof that this item was awarded to an alternate bidder (contrary to the eBay public record), as well as prove that it was shipped to an alternate customer the next morning (a Sunday) – she then took back that offer to prove either of these claims.
If correct – which I’ve still never been shown any evidence to believe – Premiere Props claims a “phone bidder” is also a “live bidder”, but the quote above from the Terms and Conditions doesn’t reference a “live bidder” but a “floor bidder”.
In any event, and to the point, the only public record of the bids is the eBay listing Bid History showing me, jdebord, as winner of the auction (LINK):
Link to full archived bid history: Stuntman Mike Death Proof Keys Bid History Archive
In these auctions, “Floor Bidders” were noted as “Floor Bidders” in the eBay bidding history, and there is no such bid, higher or lower. Where is the “tie”? In my experience on another lot, I was recorded as a winning bidder, the lot was closed, then reopened and awarded to another bidder (a “Floor Bidder”), with no option for me to advance my bid. In the case of the Stuntman Mike keys, the outcome was changed 11 days later.
Premiere Props Comment:
2. Regarding the Team America item, our terms and conditions stated the following: 6. Purchasers may inspect the merchandise and are urged to do so.
The Auctioneer makes no warranty as to condition and shall not be held responsible for any defects in any lot. All goods are on display for Public Exhibition and, condition is described in the listings for online bidders.
Item descriptions, dimensions and estimates are provided for guidance. It is the buyer’s responsibility to inspect all lots prior to bidding to ensure that the condition is to their satisfaction. These are for guidance only, and all lots will be sold as described, as per our Terms and Conditions of Sale. All goods are sold “AS IS, WHERE IS” with no warranties or guarantees “WITHOUT RECOURSE”.
I see you live in CA but did not come to inspect the items you bid on. That was your choice. This item could have easily been repaired and I’m sure you are well aware of that. Additionally, we accept no returns for live auction items. It was a live auction, you accepted the terms and conditions. There was nothing wrong with any of the items you won and had no right to file a chargeback. Had you let us know you were sending the items back, the package would not have been refused. Premiere Props does not accept unexpected packages.
I am fully aware of live auction terms and conditions, and the fact that they generally favor the auction house in every conceivable way. In fact, I’ve written several articles about this (“Auction House Buying Considerations, Part I: Overview“, “Auction House Buying Considerations, Part II: Chandelier Bid Legislation“, “Auction House Buying Considerations, Part III: Bonhams“).
I am no attorney, but I imagine the “Clean Hands Doctrine” would apply here, in that Premiere Props and Hollywood Roadshow has acted in bad faith overall in regards to the transaction at hand.
“Those seeking equity must do equity”.
Given that Premiere Props and Hollywood Roadshow would not resolve these issues – rectify their own mistakes – nor communicate with a customer that they have wronged – I pursued the only avenue of recourse left available to me.
The comment that because I live in California (an 8 hour drive from the live auction location), and that I should have inspected the merchandise beforehand… Well, I suppose anyone who bids on Premiere Props or Hollywood Roadshow auction via the Internet should take note. In any event, it is irrelevant, in that it appears certain that the piece in question was damaged as a result of negligent packaging.
Premiere Props says, “There was nothing wrong with any of the items you won and had no right to file a chargeback.“
I sent a photo clearly showing the damage as part of the PayPal dispute.
I absolutely had a right to file a chargeback as I had no other avenue of recourse left, given the wholesale lack of communication and good will from Premiere Props.
Premiere Props says, “Had you let us know you were sending the items back, the package would not have been refused.“
All attempts to “let [them] know” were ignored. I did notify them of the return – they ignored it.
Premiere Props Comment:
3. By the time we saw the dispute in paypal, opened by you, it had already escalated to a claim. Not by us, but by you. Please get your records straight. Disputes allow us to communicate and work out situations, where claims do not.
Factually incorrect.
The PayPal record:
Once escalated to a Claim, PayPal closed the dispute. My only recourse available was with my credit card company for all items (invoiced collectively) – a last resort as a consequence of no communication or good will from Premiere Props. Because I was billed for all items on one invoice, I was forced to ship all items back and dispute the full amount.
Premiere Props Comment:
4. Our invoicing system is through an ebay live auctions supplier. That is how our invoices are sent. That is how it has been done in the past as well as by others who use Live Auctioneers to conduct live auctions through ebay.
PayPal is aware of how we conduct our Live Auction business, otherwise we wouldn’t have the option for customers to pay using PayPal. It was up to you to sign up for the auction and to bid on items.
My hope is that other hobbyists and consumers realize the implications of paying via this invoicing system, and the implications and consequences of doing business with Premiere Props and Hollywood Roadshow “off eBay”. I was advised by multiple PayPal representatives that consumers keep more buyer protections in place by bypassing such invoices and paying the appropriate amount directly via PayPal (not using the invoice link) and referencing back to the original eBay auction listings referencing the item numbers.
Conclusion
As I understand the business model, studios are partnering with companies such as Premiere Props in order to promote their film and television properties through the liquidation of assets that have already served their purpose, from a production standpoint. Typically in concert with theatrical and DVD releases for maximum impact and exposure.
In other words, companies such as Premiere Props are expected to spread good will on behalf of the studios, spark interest in these films by marketing original artifacts from the production, as well as generate some additional income through the sale of these assets.
My question, which is now a rhetorical one, is this:
What kind of good will is generated by poor business practices and deplorable customer service?
Paramount Pictures, Miramax, MGM, DreamWorks, Sony Screen Gems, 20th Century Fox, Universal, The Weinstein Company, Lionsgate, Lakeshore Entertainment, Spyglass, Constantin Films… Premiere Props represents films from all of these studios. I think it is unfortunate, in that, in addition to my opinion that the company is poorly managed, they are regarded by many hobbyists as non-specialists when it comes to the actual product that they are selling (see my article, Trend: The “Widgetization” of the Hobby). This issue would be mitigated if good business practices and good customer service were in play, but my personal experience has proven quite the opposite.
My other rhetorical question is:
What exactly does Premiere Props have to offer, to warrant exclusive representation of so many prominent studios?
In any event, I, personally, will never do business with Premiere Props again, via the Hollywood Roadshow events or on eBay exclusively or on their website. In my personal experience, I have found them to run their business poorly, which is compounded by deplorable customer service. This experience was, in part, inspiration for my article, The “Other” Dealer Issue: Communication & Good Will.
At this point, I am just happy to put this experience behind me.
Jason De Bord