Why Is Estate Sale Corruption and a Salted Sale Not Different

If you have been attending estate sales for any length of time you should be aware of how some (not all) estate sellers are unethical. The number one reason why clients and buyers ask the estate seller: “Do you buy from your estate sale?” is to determine whether you are a trustworthy person or not.

They already know that it is unethical for the estate seller to compete with buyers. Above all else, you would be undermining your fiduciary relationship with your client because you are under contract to perform your best estate liquidation service in their best interest.

Nobody is perfect and unfortunately corruption may take place in the best estate sale companies because some owners, assistants and buyers may be sneaky and clever. As professionals, however, we must be vigilant and do our best to protect the client’s property and interest.

Estate sales are professionally operated sales environments with a good reputation for selling quality items at fair, negotiated prices. Estate sales ARE NOT a place where anything goes.

Estate sale policies or rules with sound reasoning are posted online and on the front door at the sale. They must be followed. When buyers visit a sale, you are entering someone’s personal residence whether they live there or not, and everything in it belongs to them until you buy it and remove it immediately.

Theft is illegal! That is why many sales have uniform security or officers in plain clothes keeping a watchful eye. That is also the responsibility of every estate sale staff member.

When an estate sale company is dealing with other people’s money, there are no gray areas in ethics. If your estate sale is not conducted honestly and fairly on behalf of the client from contract to final sales accounting, you could be held liable.

A Salted Estate Sale Is A Salted Well

A salted estate sale is another common form of corruption whether the client or estate seller suggests adding things to the sale from other sources that are not part of the original estate contents or inventory. If a client informs you of their intention to do this, gracefully decline the sale.

If your estate sale company informs you of their intention to add items from other sources to your estate sale, this is an unethical and unfair practice. As you, the client, will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of these “salty” items.
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Written by Tonza Borden from Atlanta, Georgia:  Hi, I'm estate liquidator of EstateSaleServiceAtlanta.com, and publisher of Secret Of Estate Sales Marketing Success: REAL Estate Sale Techniques & Templates To Go From Beginner To Getting An Endless Stream Of Estate Sale Clients. I help people find the resources they need to succeed in estate liquidation, worldwide.