WELCOME TO THE DEADBEAT CUSTOMERS
HALL OF SHAME!!
This page is to help the 99.9% of our customers who are wonderful people! In today's society, their ara a lot of scammers, deadbeats, and people who pass bad credit cards, phony money, and more. Sadly, we have seen an increase in these folks, especially in our auctions. The people listed below are now banned from doing business with us, auctions on HiBidm Live Auctioneers, and other firms, due to their inability to read and follow rules, swear at or badger staff, lie, commit fraud, not pay what is owed, and other issues of malfeasance! These are people who try tp buy model train or railroad artifacts, and we want to help you avoid doing business woth these pieces of crap so you don't get "taken to the cleaners!"
You are welcome to send us information about problem people that you have had to deal with in the railroad industry and we will post them here as well, and they will also be added to the National Deadbeat List. We will give these people one opportunity to make good on the errors of their ways, but if they do not, the listing will remain permanent here. THANK YOU!!
WARNING!!! P.O.S. Deadbeat Bidder Alert!! 3/28/2026
We believe in doing the right thing and exposing bad bidders who refuse to pay for what they buy in our auctions, claim they didn't bid, register, etc....when we have all the proof and more that they have done so. Make sure you note the name Brian Switzer, of 9949 County Lane 212 in Webb City, MO. Phone 417-439-8785, and email of br.switzer@gmail.com. He has stiffed us for money owed for items he bid on in TODAY's auction on March 28, and was swearing at staff, swearing in emails, lying, and making excuses. It is deadbeats like this who need to be exposed so they can't affect others who try to do business with them. And it's people like this who cause auctions to have to raise their sellers fees and buyers fees due to the time and cost of having to deal with people like this who do not honor their commitments. 99% of our bidders are great people and many have become friends....but we'll let you know of people to watch out for as well so you don't get taken by them, too!
HERE IS THE LATEST DEADBEAT ALERT...ALSO A FRAUDSTER!! 4/15/2026
Be on the lookout for James Klein, of 916 Riverview Dr, Little Suamico, WI 54141. Phone is 920-819-1997. Email is kleincarpentry@hotmail.com. This person bid in our Sunday, March 29 model train auction. Can't read rules. Did not call at the approproate time to set up a pick up. But then finally read the rules and called ELEVEN TIMES in one day, on March 31, never leaving a message until the last call! Why, you may ask? Trying to get his items THAT DAY; not telling us he had filed a chargeback on his credit card the day before, on March 30! He "claimed" he didn't recognize the charge!! THAT CONSTITUTES FRAUD!!! Has made every excuse in the book, and did not respond to our follow up phone calls on March 31 and April 6, of course!! Continues to write emails and is now blocked, by us, HiBid, and others. Global Payments confirmed with us the date of his chargeback; we gave him until 5PM today to make good, and, of course, more excuses and it did not happen! We have contacted the Brown County (WI) and our local Kewaunee County (WI) sheriff's office and Mr. Klein will soon be receiving a visit and some calls from them, as well as letters from our attorney. The last person to commit fraud against our company spent 6 months in jail, as many of you know! We take fraudsters seriously, as they affect all of you good buyers, as you should be able to win these items, instead of bad people like Mr. Klein! Make sure to watch out for and block this P.O.S!
ADD ONE MORE BLOCKED DEADBEAT TO THE LIST......4/15/2026
This one is an interesting one, as he has "multiple personalities," and tries ro be all "nicey-nicey" to get what he wants, but then will screw you over. Watch out for Roger Karr, with a "current" address of PO Box 63855, Colorado Springs, CO 80962. Phone is 402-429-0776, and email is full.steam@hotmail.com, as well as alden1@mail.com. Seems as if the address and emails change often, as do the auction bidder profiles. Wanna know why? Mr. Karr is a 2x deadbeat with us. Bounced his credit card in a previous auction, but made good, so we gave him a second chance. Even received a sign from him as a consignment about a year ago. Once again, in the March 28 sale, bounced his card; and initially did not respond. Then called us and left a "nicey-nicey message" asking us to bring his items to a train show we were attending in Colorado! Uh----NOT!! We knew that he knew he had not paid when he said in his message "if you have any problems with the payment, I can pay you at the show!" As all of our good customers know, and our rules state, nothing gets shipped, picked up, or delivered unless it is paid for. Many excuse emails followed from him, and we told him what would happen if he didn't pay up. He didn't like it that we told him he would not get delivery of his items and would have to pay for shipping, but as all of our great customers knew, and read, we were picking up estates along the way to the show and had NO ROOM!! (as it was, we had to carry a load on top of the truck bed deck and wrap it for weather protection!!) The final straw was when he came to the show in Denver and started to threaten our staff, at which point we contacted security to escort him out; he then left on his own accord with his wife. Of course, he has been blocked on HiBid, and by others. Yep----these are the kinds of idiots we get to deal with in our auctions sometimes, and we are happy to eliminate them, so YOU, the good buyers, can win the items on auction day, PLUS, not get taken to the cleaners if they try to do business with you!