[johnmac62]

Apr 4, 2024 22:48:36 GMT 1 artearte said:

Apr 4, 2024 21:21:41 GMT 1 00mardy00 said:

I requested the COA in 2020 and received the following response in 2021, requesting for the images to be reuploaded. I did so at the time, but have not heard anything back since I sent them the images they asked for. I have also put in a new request for the print recently, as I had not heard anything, but have had no response at all to that request.


russian image host

Get a solicitor to send a letter to PC 
in 2020 this print was 40k 

Sorry to hijack thread but has anyone actually sent a solicitors letter? I am in a similar position waiting 3 years now for COA (i'm original purchaser from POW, have receipt/bank statements etc) I had some correspondence where they asked for additional pics which I sent and have heard nothing since. I was offered 30k for it and not worth half that now. Been so frustrating and poor from Pest Control, I can never understand how people defend them on here.

[Deleted]

It's quite common unfortunately. Pest Control Office are a more serious problem than many realise. A cancer to the market.
The artist isn't going to do anything re PC so the only option is solicitors letters and people speaking out publicly(nobody wants to do this but they're left with no choice).
Or wait until PC is shut down, then the coas will be useless and normal practice of due diligence will resume. Might be a while.
As it stands, without a coa not many will risk buying.

[The Italian One]

send it to auction, it will have COA in no time!

[Deleted]

Apr 5, 2024 7:48:00 GMT 1 The Italian One said:

send it to auction, it will have COA in no time!

 That's not true unfortunately, works have been sent to auction in that hope and not received a coa. I know you mean well but the last thing the market needs is encouragement for more works to be sent to auction. Actually the last thing the market needs is the current Pest Control.

[Imoy-San]

In 2012/3, I applied for several COA's which were approved, and I was happy with just having them registered to my name... I didn't really need the paperwork.

I subsequently applied for another COA in 2020, and sent payment for the the old applications.

On getting the following letter, I immediately forwarded all the relevant details as requested.

It's now April 2024, they have refused to reply to multiple email messages and are withholding my money.

"We have received 3 x payments from you over the last few weeks.

A COA was offered to you for request #60027 only on 28th September 2020 - Can you confirm if this payment has been made?

The notes you have made on the payments we have received via PayPal relate to extremely old authentications request where COAs around 7-8 years ago. These requests were closed as they were either not complete or not paid.

If you would like us to re-open the requests we will require further information from you listed below for each of the works mentioned in your notes #6035, #6926 & #6925

- New, straight on close up image of the edition number. Please see the attached example for your reference
- If the work is signed, a straight on, close up image of the signature
- A separate image of your photo ID place next to the edition number

Also, for any further payments please only write the reference numbers in the notes section on PayPal - The notes are only checked for reference numbers and not for information related to the request so this information may not always be passed onto authentications.


Kind regards,

Pest Control Office Authentications"

[Deleted]

Apr 4, 2024 21:38:47 GMT 1 Masong said:

That’s a whole lot of info on your eBay listing. Print number, name and address of the original purchaser, date on the tube and you’re admitting it doesn’t have a COA at present. Blimey you’re seriously asking for trouble.

 And yet Pest Control advise anyone interested in buying Banksy to use the Check before you buy section on their website, sharing all info including unredacted coas. Meaning the seller must share this info with prospective buyers first. Collectors shouldn't do this. Unscrupulous individuals will have everything they need without spending a penny to create exact fakes.
The right thing to do would be for the seller to share this info with PC along with the prospective buyers contact details. At that point PC can liaise with the buyer to confirm it's authenticity. 
Anyone could contact a seller on the forum/gallery and offer asking price, request the required info to confirm with PC, as advised on their website. Take the info, disappear and create 10 fakes. If they were smart they would reach out to all galleries and private sellers, collect as many images as possible and sell volume quickly at very tempting prices in a short timescale. A flood of fakes before PC know what's going on.
Rule 1- do not share unredacted coas(cover serial number). The only people that should have this info is PC and the current owner. It's no use to anyone else other than forgers.
Rule 1 is the reason the concept of the coa worked so well.
Although if they don't reply in a timely fashion the whole concepts useless including the coa as people can't wait for an unknown timescale to sell their art.

When challenged PCs reply was-we would spot a fake a mile off..
Yeah maybe, but by then it will be too late for the people who bought the fakes. PC sure as hell aren't going to help people with fakes whether they bought them unknowingly or not. This isn't market control or looking after the collectors. This is laziness. It's simply them trying to make their lives as easy as possible without any regard for others. 
 


The systems broken, they need to fix it.

[artearte]

Apr 5, 2024 3:38:34 GMT 1 johnmac62 said:

Apr 4, 2024 22:48:36 GMT 1 artearte said:

Get a solicitor to send a letter to PC 
in 2020 this print was 40k 

Sorry to hijack thread but has anyone actually sent a solicitors letter? I am in a similar position waiting 3 years now for COA (i'm original purchaser from POW, have receipt/bank statements etc) I had some correspondence where they asked for additional pics which I sent and have heard nothing since. I was offered 30k for it and not worth half that now. Been so frustrating and poor from Pest Control, I can never understand how people defend them on here.

If you ask for the COA on top o the market and. Ow you loosing 30/50k 
get a solicitor, they will have to pay what you lose, is a pay service 

[LJCal]

Apr 7, 2024 16:26:28 GMT 1 artearte said:

Apr 5, 2024 3:38:34 GMT 1 johnmac62 said:

Sorry to hijack thread but has anyone actually sent a solicitors letter? I am in a similar position waiting 3 years now for COA (i'm original purchaser from POW, have receipt/bank statements etc) I had some correspondence where they asked for additional pics which I sent and have heard nothing since. I was offered 30k for it and not worth half that now. Been so frustrating and poor from Pest Control, I can never understand how people defend them on here.

If you ask for the COA on top o the market and. Ow you loosing 30/50k 
get a solicitor, they will have to pay what you lose, is a pay service 

If you read the terms and conditions I think the OP will struggle:
pestcontroloffice.com/terms.asp
The only argument would be that the terms breach consumer law and shouldn't stand. I highly doubt anyone will succeed in making a claim against PCO, they have really good lawyers behind them, one of whom I'd say is heavily invested in brand Banksy.

I suppose a claimant could say there's been some implied breach of contract due to delay however the terms clearly state that PCO are under no obligation to provide a certificate and it's within their sole discretion if one is issued. You could argue negligence however one of the limits of their liabilities prevent any claim under torte, plus if they haven't issued a decision on authenticity I'm not sure they can found to be negligent. 

I'm in no way defending PCO, I think it's a shit show. I don't buy the argument that they get inundated with emails and can't cope, if that's the case charge more for the service and hire more staff, they should also charge a nominal non refundable fee for any submission (Say £10-20) to cut out twats trying to get posters authenticated. If the service was more expensive with a non refundable element it would discourage chancers and obviously provide sufficient resource to run properly. It's not rocket science, which raises a lot of questions as to why it's being run in this way. I don't think the courts will turn this round (they may if a few people with deep pockets all bring large claims at once, regardless of their merits), more likely public opinion and and press will push change. 

[Deleted]

There's a lot of fluff in those terms and conditions. Consumers/people have rights. The recent front and centre focus on their legal team is a deterrent to put folk off, make them feel small, like they've no chance. To overwhelm. Going to court is enough to put most people off.
They have settled cases outside court regarding coas on higher value works.
For those with signed/unsigned prints who are overwhelmed/feel helpless, I would imagine the best solution would be to reach out to others who are in the same position. Then contact a newspaper, they can do a story regarding a class action against PC and invite others in the same position to reach out and the newspaper should be able to support re the legalities ,their legal team take it on in exchange for a story which will make ongoing headlines.
This, PC would have to deal with.
With individuals making a claim, expect PC to drag it out as long as possible in the hope the claimant decides to give up as it will eventually effect mosts daily/family life.
As mentioned above they should charge some fee for any submission to put off people contacting about stickers/posters and obvious fakes that 5 mins on Google would reveal.

[JFCC]

I hate to say it but I have used Pest Control multiple times over and whilst they have never been quick at getting the COAs out (the longest though was only 9 months) they were always very diligent at authentication which has been a god send.

I think they are probably backlogged with people trying authenticate things that COAs are not applicable for as the "real" volumes will have fallen significantly over the last 18 - 24 months. If you do want to sell however the Auction houses do have a fast track service with PC...but you may not get the best price with all art pricing and collectables in the doldrums due to lack of disposable income and therefore buyers/collectors.

[LJCal]

Apr 8, 2024 8:33:28 GMT 1 @revert said:

There's a lot of fluff in those terms and conditions. Consumers/people have rights. The recent front and centre focus on their legal team is a deterrent to put folk off, make them feel small, like they've no chance. To overwhelm. Going to court is enough to put most people off.
They have settled cases outside court regarding coas on higher value works.
For those with signed/unsigned prints who are overwhelmed/feel helpless, I would imagine the best solution would be to reach out to others who are in the same position. Then contact a newspaper, they can do a story regarding a class action against PC and invite others in the same position to reach out and the newspaper should be able to support re the legalities ,their legal team take it on in exchange for a story which will make ongoing headlines.
This, PC would have to deal with.
With individuals making a claim, expect PC to drag it out as long as possible in the hope the claimant decides to give up as it will eventually effect mosts daily/family life.
As mentioned above they should charge some fee for any submission to put off people contacting about stickers/posters and obvious fakes that 5 mins on Google would reveal.

Certainly a joined up approach would be the way about it and if the press got involved pretty sure it would get resolved. I think it should be done personally. I don't agree people should be forced down a particular route to sell just to get a COA, this was not made clear to buyers when they bought the works, this is probably the angle to push on a claim. If they can turn round COAs in a month or two for auctions why can't they do it for other works? 

[Reader]

Apr 8, 2024 22:11:41 GMT 1 LJCal said:

Apr 8, 2024 8:33:28 GMT 1 @revert said:

There's a lot of fluff in those terms and conditions. Consumers/people have rights. The recent front and centre focus on their legal team is a deterrent to put folk off, make them feel small, like they've no chance. To overwhelm. Going to court is enough to put most people off.
They have settled cases outside court regarding coas on higher value works.
For those with signed/unsigned prints who are overwhelmed/feel helpless, I would imagine the best solution would be to reach out to others who are in the same position. Then contact a newspaper, they can do a story regarding a class action against PC and invite others in the same position to reach out and the newspaper should be able to support re the legalities ,their legal team take it on in exchange for a story which will make ongoing headlines.
This, PC would have to deal with.
With individuals making a claim, expect PC to drag it out as long as possible in the hope the claimant decides to give up as it will eventually effect mosts daily/family life.
As mentioned above they should charge some fee for any submission to put off people contacting about stickers/posters and obvious fakes that 5 mins on Google would reveal.

Certainly a joined up approach would be the way about it and if the press got involved pretty sure it would get resolved. I think it should be done personally. I don't agree people should be forced down a particular route to sell just to get a COA, this was not made clear to buyers when they bought the works, this is probably the angle to push on a claim. If they can turn round COAs in a month or two for auctions why can't they do it for other works? 

It's coming up to three years for a couple of signed prints with full provenance here, granted one of them has a loveheart in place of a number, but with a letter from the artist it was gifted to for their charity auction and receipt I don't see the issue. I suspect the other is a DN, double number, but again, traced back to source and full prov. Informed the artist needs to physically see and ok them before a COA can be issued. This being administrated through one of the two largest auction houses in London so...

[Deleted]

Yes, from the outside it appears the auctions have a special relationship with PC. From what I've heard the auctions are pulling their hair out dealing with PC as much as the rest of us.

[Imoy-San]

I am glad to say this issue is now resolved. I have my COA's.

Yay!

Apr 5, 2024 17:29:23 GMT 1 Imoy-San said:

In 2012/3, I applied for several COA's which were approved, and I was happy with just having them registered to my name... I didn't really need the paperwork.

I subsequently applied for another COA in 2020, and sent payment for the the old applications.

On getting the following letter, I immediately forwarded all the relevant details as requested.

It's now April 2024, they have refused to reply to multiple email messages and are withholding my money.

"We have received 3 x payments from you over the last few weeks.

A COA was offered to you for request #60027 only on 28th September 2020 - Can you confirm if this payment has been made?

The notes you have made on the payments we have received via PayPal relate to extremely old authentications request where COAs around 7-8 years ago. These requests were closed as they were either not complete or not paid.

If you would like us to re-open the requests we will require further information from you listed below for each of the works mentioned in your notes #6035, #6926 & #6925

- New, straight on close up image of the edition number. Please see the attached example for your reference
- If the work is signed, a straight on, close up image of the signature
- A separate image of your photo ID place next to the edition number

Also, for any further payments please only write the reference numbers in the notes section on PayPal - The notes are only checked for reference numbers and not for information related to the request so this information may not always be passed onto authentications.


Kind regards,

Pest Control Office Authentications"