BidFTA Online Auctions — Local services in Florence

This Florence location use to be one of the most organized and one of my fave locations for pickup with BIDFTA. Yesterday was just awful. Not just for how horribly messy it was (I was unable to find most of my items even after double checking) but the parking situation was the worst I've ever seen it and one of the staff I spoke to was fairly rude about it.

So, for some reason the chain to the other lot wasn't removed. I've never seen it blocking the other lot before. So obviously that left much less space for parking and many of us barely squeezed into the end. Main issue was that they had a roto rooter guy there (he was very nice and trying his best and also having issues due to the parking ordeal) and he needed a few of us to move or he'd be blocking us in for hours once he got started. Sadly there wasn't anywhere to move. I thought that maybe the chain was still up because they hadn't been open very long for the day, so I asked him if I had some time to run in and ask the staff about the other lot and parking situation, so that no one had to get blocked in. He said he wasn't starting for about 45 minutes and seemed appreciative of the fact that I was going to go ask about the other lot being opened up.

So I go in and ask a lady that was at a table and she immediately seemed amused for some reason. She also seemed very keen on assuming I wanted something ridiculous and talking to me like I was asking her to do some outlandish personal favor for me. I nicely asked about the other lot and why it was closed off, when it's usually opened. She seemed to have no idea why and eventually just stuck with the 'thats for the trucks to park that drop off goods' type of reasoning. She'd said that if the other entrance to that lot was open we could use it but we'd have to go look (that first lot is very hard to maneuver in when full and if were allowed to park there why not remove the chain and make it easier for people to move around in the lots?) But my main issue with her attitude was that, even after I'd told her that he was out there having trouble due to the parking and that he said that he'd likely end up blocking customers in for hours, she got a bit of an attitude said 'i can't move cars for you' as if I was asking her to personally go move people to find me a spot. I had a spot and just enough time to go get my things. I was trying to bring attention to an issue that would happen with other customers if the lot wasn't opened. One that had apparently happened already another day. (he said that the other day he was there for work and ended up blocking some people in for a good while due to parking issues as well) I was trying to mention it so it'd save not only customers a huge issue but save employees from dealing with some potentially very upset (rightfully so) customers because of them being trapped in their spots for hours. Most people wouldn't know the roto rooter guy would have them stuck there for so long, through no fault of his own tbh. He can't help that he can't move once he starts and it's not his fault that people have nowhere else to go and just keep packing in farther down the only lot open, due to the other lot being closed when it usually isn't.

Anyway, the attitude this lady gave was unnecessary, as was her snarky comment about moving vehicles for me when that wasn't anything near what I was asking about. She didn't care at all about attempting to resolve something that was likely to cause some serious issues for everyone involved and couldn't be bothered.

I hope no one got stuck yesterday. I feel awful for that poor roto rooter guy. He was having such a a hard time...

This review will be bitter sweet. Business Model: This is a poorly run business. The customer is never right and every policy benefits the business not the customer. They will list items as "good condition" and after tracking it, bidding on it, winning it, driving there, finding it in the warehouse and checking out you have the opportunity to open the box and inspect said item. If the item has scratches, dents or is missing minor parts you are stuck with it. It has to have something major wrong in order to reject the item and get a refund.

Inspecting Items: They boast the opportunity to inspect items but clearly they don't want you to. They require an employee to be present at the time of inspection. This has proven to be difficult, cumbersome and sometimes impossible because there are no designated emps to accommodate this policy. Most locations are almost always short staffed. When you are fortunate enough to get a rep to show you where the item(s) are, for inspection you feel rushed. I've been to locations for inspection hours before the auctions end and the items are still wrapped in cellophane on pallets in the back of a tractor trailer, therefore impossible to inspect. They do their very best to prevent customers from inspecting before bidding.

Pictures: an absolute abomination! The pictures and listing's are initiated at a main hub location not necessarily the pickup location. Guess what this technique affords the business?....... No accountability! They can always pass the buck for wrongly listed items, bad descriptions and their atrocious photos.

Pickup availability: For well over a decade you had 5 business days to pic up your item(s). In 2024 the reduced that to 3 days. They cut your ability to retrieve the product you spent your hard earned money on by 40% (sounds like someone doesn't want you to pickup) Why would a business not want you to pickup the items you paid for you ask? Because if you don't pick up your items by the end of the 3rd business day......... They keep your money and sell the items again. Here's an example. You bid $500 on a massage chair (retail $1800). After their commission and taxes (depending on the state) you're total will be around $625. You plan on picking up the chair on the 3rd available business day but you're sick or you get called into work or you're car breaks down or any other life stifling event happens you just lost $625 and they will relist the item and double dip.

This review is ridiculously long so I'm going to leave out the rest of my issues with this business.

Oh, that's right, I said it was bitter sweet. Here's the sweet. I do get enough good deals to keep going back............. but just barely. Your mileage may...

I was harassed by the most rude employee I have ever met at a BIDFTA location. He was middle aged, heavy set, grey beard with not very good looking tattoos all over his legs. I walked in (granted it’s POURING rain, i’m 8 months pregnant, with a 2 year old with me), and as I was going to get my first item when he stopped me to tell me I couldn’t have my wallet in there. He called it a “bag” but it is literally a large wallet to fit my keys in on a strap so I can carry it easier. Either way, I guess you’re not allowed to bring anything in with you so you’re expected to keep your important belongings in your car in a busy parking lot. I was nice, smiled at him and said I would take it back to my car, even though I was dreading carrying a 2 year old back to the car in the rain, again, 8 months pregnant. This older gentleman (who was just there to pickup his stuff) offered to watch my wallet at the front so I could grab my three items. I took him up on it and let him watch my wallet (I let a stranger watch my wallet with money in it, that’s how bad it was raining outside). When I was checking out I got my wallet back from the man at the front and the employee shouted at me from more than 6 feet away “HEY! I TOLD YOU THAT YOU NEEDED TO TAKE THAT BACK TO YOUR CAR!” I was literally checking out, about to leave and he yelled at me, in front of my toddler, in the rudest attitude. I replied in a kind voice “well, I had an older man watch it for me at the front but you’re more than welcome to check my bag if you’d like.” he then again HARASSES me by shouting “there’s no older man at the front!” I said, “yes there is but again, you’re more than welcome to check my bag.” I have never had an employee in a business scream at me, let alone in front of my toddler when I was fully cooperating and trying to follow the rules. I’ve never met a more miserable individual and I will be contacting BIDFTA to report this behavior. I never leave reviews, I work in the service industry and know how harmful online reviews can be. But this man’s harassment was unacceptable and caused an 8 month pregnant mother to cry all of the way home from how...