Mike Ratcliffe, Appraisals and Estates Sales

unknown

Within the first week, he sent a check for sale of 3 items. One of the items he listed as Sold was "baby clothes-$5". We did not have "baby clothes" in our inventory. I am starting to wonder if he mixed our stuff with someone else's stuff. Six months later, he still has our stuff and we have not hear from him. He does not return phone calls and does not answer the phone...."Cell Phone Only". He said he didn't use email. (that was a red flag that I ignored) About a month ago, he did answer the phone. He said he sold a quilt and the "check is in the mail". I am still waiting on 11/26/13. Our first contact with Mike Ratcliffe was good. He was referred by a person who had used his services. He gave approximate values for the stuff we entrusted to him and gave us a receipt. about a week later, of the two or three items he sold, they sold for about half of his estimate and after his 35% commission, our 'take' was miserable. He still has the rest of our stuff. Did he 'inflate' his estimates in order to 'get the business'? Or did he 'skim'? Or did the 'market drop' a week after he picked up our stuff and sold it? I wonder but what he lost our stuff and is afraid to tell us. Since he does not return phone calls or respond to written letter and does not respond to query through Tulsa Better Business Bureau, I cannot recommend this guy at all. After some serious digging, I did find where he lives and some alternate phone numbers and a website (thanks to Tulsa Better Business Bureau which, by the way, rates him as A+ with two complaints...only one of which was settled) I give him an F in every category (except perhaps he should get an A in 'first impression')