I've read that this episode is similar to the second one (Graveyard Rats) in terms of story. I can see that: both revolve around a morally dubious central character who owes money to thugs, both of these characters wind up discovering a secret passage that leads them to discover a horrifying creature, and both characters end up trapped and unable to escape.
Graveyard Rats is the superior story thanks to Vincenzo Natali's deft handling of the material and better performances. Lot 36, directed by Guillermo Navarro, suffers from weak acting and bad writing: Was that preamble to the auction necessary? (surely the potential buyers know how these things work); the stuff about the book burning up when a transaction is made doesn't make much sense; the hopping is never explained; there's a very clumsy subplot about racism; and it all ends exactly as expected.
I presume that the series was completed before any of the episodes were released, so why start with this one when there are stronger tales in the 'cabinet' to hook the viewer? Lot 36 seems like a good way to lose an audience almost immediately.