The News-Sentinel in Fort Wayne, Indiana reports that classic car auction company Kruse International has been the subject of numerous complaints with the Better Business Bureau by consignors who claim that the auction house has failed to make timely payments on sold goods. Owner and CEO Dean Kruse acknowledges the problem and pledges that debts owned to consignors from past events will be paid following this Labor Day’s annual auction event.
The next “Collector Car Auction” is scheduled for September 3-8 at the 480-acre Kruse International Auction Park in Auburn, Indiana. Full event details and the PDF auction catalog can be found at Kruse.com:
For this event, there are only a few movie or television used vehicles listed in the catalog – a 1966 Citröen used in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, a Brinks truck used in Mission Impossible III, and 1995 Volkswagen Jetta used in one of the Fast & Furious films.
As noted, articles by Bob Caylor of the News-Sentinel report that the Better Business Bureau of Northern Indiana has received a number of complaints from consignors to the auction house for non payment to these sellers.
The two articles can be found at News-Sentinel.com:
Mr. Kruse is quoted in the articles explaining that the delayed payments to consignors are a result of cash flow problems and the problems of the American auto business.
It will be interesting to monitor this issue, as well as see if the weak economy causes similar problems with any of the auction houses that specialize in movie and television memorabilia.
Jason DeBord