[arthurglass]

Thanks for looking. I do not post on the forum that frequently but was advised to post this problem by a regular user because I am very worried. If the truth be told I am small-time on the Banksy collection front with just a few unsigned prints. For about 9 years I have always been able to afford unsigned prints at last year's prices. I did push the boat out recently and bought an unsigned pulp fiction from Prescription Art (PA) (or at least I thought I did). I then got this email below (names deleted) saying that PA do not have the print in hand and the price PA were buying it at had gone up so they will refund me. Ideally I would like the print but it looks as though this is not possible. PA have not refunded the money and have stopped replying to my emails. What should I do? Advice and views please.

Thanks Arthur Glass  

***************************************************************************************

Hi X,

I’m really sorry but I seem to have a bit of a problem with this print… 

I was selling this on consignment for a customer. We had agreed the sale price, and I had been waiting for her to get the COA for the print before listing it for sale.

Since you purchased the print, I was arranging a time to collect the print from her… and was going to head to London next Wednesday evening.

She’s now emailed today to say that another gallery has offered her more money for the print... and that she is going to sell it to them instead.

I’m not very happy about the situation. As I say, only yesterday we had been arranging a time next week for me to collect the print from her.

I do have another Pulp Fiction print available, but I’ve been waiting for some time for the COA to be sorted out, and it’s still not been issued.

So unfortunately it seems as though I will have to refund you.
 
I’m really sorry about this….

James X
***************************************************************************************

[dotdot]

not the best of worlds .. i'd tend to agree.

mmmmmm but ... j is an upstanding gent.

he has offered you another pf but (the pesky) coa is outstanding.
he has been let down and is being up front.
could he be fairer .. ?

i'd air on the side of patience and wait for that .. coa.

..could be wrong... but i'd wait.

still not too sure on the heading on this thread ... thought on first reading..

pa had been bought by some "hypocritcal" type... (I did type city earlier.. then thought.. many people live in cities..

good luck .. however you decide to go !

..

[vinzc]

I think this happens from time to time. It's certainly not your fault, and you're due the price you and the gallery agreed on...no doubt. But it seems the gallery got in a shaky deal with another client/seller. or better said, got into a legit deal, but with a shaky client. Not sure id put it on PA just yet.

HOWEVER, regardless, it seems you are due your refund should the gallery not be able to represent they can deliver to you what they agreed they would...a PF w COA. I'd imagine PAs approach was to hope for the best (ie get the COA before this became an issue). Now that more time has gone by, it's certainly within your right to demand a refund. But. Now you end up with what you started with, the cash you had in hand, vs a print you believed you loved/wanted at that price that you likely deemed a fair price.

If it were me, I would prematurely open an inquiry with the cc or bank you used to pay (sooner=better)...simply to protect the cash you laid out, BUT in tandem still continue to work with PA (and convey the reasonable decision to do so to PA) and PC to get the COA and ultimately get the print you wanted.

Just my 2c.

I hope in the end you get what you wanted. Which was a print at a specified price with a coa from PA.

Good luck dude.

[craigf]

Just give James a call, have a discussion and decide if you either are happy to wait for the other PF's COA to be granted or ask for a refund. It isn't clear to me how long this has been going on for / how long it has been since you have been in contact, but it feels like the heading of this thread is a bit over the top

[Jeezuz Jones Snr]

'Not refunded' and 'stopped replying to emails', great way to run a business!! thanks for posting as it's another site for us to think twice about using/recommending. I won't be using them.

Hope you get your money back and take your business elsewhere mate, also worthwhile maybe to put up a thread here that your after a pulp fiction, see how that goes..

[Prescription Art]

Hi, someone just let me know about the thread.... I'm sorry i've just been away at a wedding for the weekend and haven't been able to sort a refund.... I will do when i'm in the gallery tomorrow.

I am sorry about the situation with the print... I wasn't aware that my client had also offered it for sale elsewhere.

Thanks,
James

[arthurglass]

Thanks for eventually replying to my emails.

[Deleted]

Mar 9, 2014 22:24:29 GMT 1 Jeezuz Jones Snr said:

'Not refunded' and 'stopped replying to emails', great way to run a business!! thanks for posting as it's another site for us to think twice about using/recommending. I won't be using them.

Hope you get your money back and take your business elsewhere mate, also worthwhile maybe to put up a thread here that your after a pulp fiction, see how that goes..

james/pa is a reputable and decent guy, nothing to worry about

[melize]

Mar 9, 2014 22:29:05 GMT 1 Prescription Art said:

Hi, someone just let me know about the thread.... I'm sorry i've just been away at a wedding for the weekend and haven't been able to sort a refund.... I will do when i'm in the gallery tomorrow.

I am sorry about the situation with the print... I wasn't aware that my client had also offered it for sale elsewhere.

Thanks,
James

Call it public service - call it public accountability - I for one, appreciate a gallery / anyone who tries to do the right thing in the circumstances and avoid a messy situation. These things happen - it's how we deal with them that counts.

[vinzc]

PA isn't a bad site to work with. James, or, co, just happened to run into a bad seller. it happens. perspective is necessary.

[gironawatch]

The same happen to me with opus few weeks ago!
The had the print for sale, but they did not own this print, they refund me after 2 week

[Deleted]

i think James gets mucked about with sellers just like we all do...its the way the Banksy world works...
what can he do but offer to replace or refund..

hes a good guy to deal with and 100% honest..in my experience

[kaboom]

Bought different works from James without any problems, he will refund you the money...

[iamzero]

Am I the the only one that thinks its a little naughty to take the money before they have the thing they are selling you?

[Jeezuz Jones Snr]

Mar 10, 2014 18:27:05 GMT 1 iamzero said:

Am I the the only one that thinks its a little naughty to take the money before they have the thing they are selling you?

This is what annoys me also, although they probably all work this way? Theres another online gallery (large well known) post here regular, no input to the forum just something on the lines of... 'Looking for a Nola AP, got a client waiting, must be mint please deliver to me in London'!! So he's probably taken the cash from some one already, that person is sat waiting? Then the seller has to go to meet him sell it at a price, he will then call the client who will come to pick it up and pay much more for it.. Great business as he doesn't have to outlay any cash...

I should open a website here in oz as no one has tried it, easy way to make $$$

[snidleywhiplash]

Mar 10, 2014 22:07:28 GMT 1 Jeezuz Jones Snr said:

Mar 10, 2014 18:27:05 GMT 1 iamzero said:

Am I the the only one that thinks its a little naughty to take the money before they have the thing they are selling you?

This is what annoys me also, although they probably all work this way? Theres another online gallery (large well known) post here regular, no input to the forum just something on the lines of... 'Looking for a Nola AP, got a client waiting, must be mint please deliver to me in London'!! So he's probably taken the cash from some one already, that person is sat waiting? Then the seller has to go to meet him sell it at a price, he will then call the client who will come to pick it up and pay much more for it.. Great business as he doesn't have to outlay any cash...

I should open a website here in oz as no one has tried it, easy way to make $$$

So their company is based on being a middle man.  I would have thought if your going to represent yourself as an art gallery and sell artwork you would have to have it in hand to sell it. But as long as they know where to get one when it is purchased no one makes a stink about it.  Find that a little shady but I guess that's how the secondary market works

[Deleted]

Lots of businesses act as middlemen when selling products and i dont think its an issue as long as the product is inspected in hand before its sent to the customer.

[Deleted]

Double post

[Deleted]

by the very nature of consignment the work should be 'consigned' to the gallery i.e. they should have it in hand! there is far far too much of this 'i will need to check with the seller' IMO