At the Seniors Discount Club, we acknowledge and appreciate the inherent value of personal items and heirlooms. These objects are not just ‘possessions’; rather, they're tangible reflections of a life lived with love, replete with memories, moments and milestones. Understandably, then, when we came across this story involving a family whose cherished possessions were unceremoniously auctioned off after being placed into storage, our hearts broke.

Do you have anything in storage? Image source: Shutterstock.

Like many other families renovating their houses, the Elias clan decided to temporarily store over 30 boxes of their personal belongings, including family heirlooms and cherished keepsakes. Sarah-Jane Elias, the mother in this family saga, had every intention of retrieving cherished possessions once the renovation work was finished.

In a cruel twist of fate, the family's credit card was stolen, leading to missed payments for the storage unit. The family was under the impression that they would receive a call from the storage facility to organise an alternate payment method; alas, this call never came.

Fast forward to a few weeks later, and the family discovered that their precious items were part of a ruthless online bidding war, with everything sold off on June 26th for a mere $1300.

Understandably, the shock was enormous. 'It was utterly devastating,' Sarah confided to Sunrise, recalling the moment they heard the news. 'I think we were just in shock ... we cried, and we screamed, and we were just calling out, “That’s all our stuff!”, It just didn’t feel real.'

Among the items sold at auction were her daughters' first dresses, their hospital bracelets, cherished toys, and family heirlooms. The devastation was not limited to the possessions that were sold. They also lost the nostalgic connection that comes with revisiting these keepsakes—a painful feeling that Ailta Elias, Sarah's daughter, succinctly summarised.

'When mum read it had been auctioned off, all our hearts just shattered into a million pieces,' she stated, her voice breaking with emotion. 'To be in this house our whole lives and every cupboard you open ... every draw there are always things there, now it’s like all our childhood memories have been taken away. It is really hard.'

The harsh reality of the situation was only further highlighted by the idea that the bidders likely didn't know the sentimental value behind these objects. 'We've lost family heirlooms, gifts, things that are irreplaceable, and are so precious to us,' rued Sarah, a sentiment that will no doubt resonate with many of us.

The Elias family is appealing to anyone who may have purchased their items at the auction. They have gone so far as to offer double or even triple the amount paid at auction. For them, it's not just about the items; it’s about reclaiming their memories and keepsakes that hold so much personal value.

The family's earnest plea is summed up in Sarah's heartfelt words: 'Just give our memories back, please.'

Key Takeaways

• A Western Sydney family's precious possessions were sold at an auction after they fell behind on their storage facility payments due to a stolen credit card.
• The family were devastated to learn that their belongings, including irreplaceable family heirlooms and their children's first dresses, were sold for just $1300.
• Sarah-Jane Elias, the mother, believes that the bidders are unaware of the sentimental value of the items.
• The family is pleading for anyone who may have purchased their belongings to return them, promising to pay double or triple the cost.

This story serves as a reminder to us all that sentimental value outweighs monetary value. If you've recently purchased something from an auction, we encourage you to consider the journey those items may have been on—a journey filled with joy, love and tears.

Have you ever had something like this happen to you before? What would you do if you were in this situation? Tell us in the comment section below.

 

[Gsr]

How sad, losing precious keepsakes and heirlooms through no fault of their own. Surely the person who rented the shed and organised the auction should have at least contacted them so they could use an alternative method to pay the rent. Why didn’t they contact them anyway when their credit card was stolen as it would have been cancelled so they must have known the rent wasn’t getting paid. Some blame must be taken by them as well.

 

[Trudi]

How many payments did they miss as a result of their stolen credit card? The whole story doesn't sound quite right to me.

So I had a quick look at a standard Australian self storage agreement which states that if the storage fees are 46 days in arrears, the goods may be auctioned!

As for a stolen credit card, it takes roughly 7 to 10 days to receive a new card.

The standard self storage agreement also stated that valuables, sentimental items should not be put into the storage facility.

The family would have had plenty of time to notify the owner of the storage facility that their credit card was stolen and it is THEIR responsibility to arrange an alternative payment method to ensure their possessions would not be auctioned off!

 

[Suzanne rose]

Something with this story doesn't seem right.

Surely if they had missed payments the storage place would have called, emailed or posted a letter the old fashioned way.

It's against the law to sell off items without trying to contact the owners .

There is always two sides to a story and would be great to see the other sides story

 

[mylittletibbies]

Something with this story doesn't seem right.

Surely if they had missed payments the storage place would have called, emailed or posted a letter the old fashioned way.

It's against the law to sell off items without trying to contact the owners .

There is always two sides to a story and would be great to see the other sides story

I saw this story on TV and thought exactly the same, the responsibility for payment is theirs not the owner of the storage facility.
Go there and pay cash.