Online “Penny Auctions” are quickly gaining popularity, and though they claim to offer consumers the opportunity to win quality merchandise at low prices, the Better Business Bureaus of Minnesota and North Dakota and Central Florida (BBB) are reminding people that purchasing bids only provides consumers the right to bid on an item; they do not guarantee any product in return. The BBB has also noted an uptick in consumer complaints regarding penny auction websites recently.
"One penny auction website – Grabswag.com – advertises frequently through Facebook pop-up ads and falsely claims BBB Accreditation. Complaints indicate Grabswag’s website claims to offer ten “absolutely free” bids for new customers who sign up with them. However, while conducting a secret shopping investigation recently, Dana Badgerow, president and CEO of the BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota, discovered the site required a credit card number and other personal information in order to receive the “absolutely free” bids. Shortly thereafter, Grabswag billed her account for $99, which is the price for a “Starter Pack.” When she tried to cancel after noticing the charge, the company’s call center (which is located in the Philippines and operated by a third party) refused to provide a refund in full but instead proposed successively better “resolutions,” going from offering a 50% refund to a 75% refund. Though Grabswag maintained they do not grant full refunds, they eventually agreed to issue a full credit."
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