Buying Art on Board Ship

[auie2]

Has anyone bought artwork on ship from Park West Galleries. We bought a warners brothers tissue Pencil drawing that was signed by the artist, but they sent us a lithograph of it instead. They agree that they sent the wrong item but will not give a credit only a certificate to purchase another artwork. To further add to problems when you use their credit card you get no protection against fraud by company you buy from. We called RCCL and they said they have no control over the vendor on their ships.

 

Anyone have any ideas?

 

David

[psupa]

I don't know if I'm missing something here, but did you use your credit card to pay for this purchase. If so, call your credit card company and tell them the circumstances and have them remove the charges from your credit card. It seems you paid for something you didn't get. I don't do any art auctions on board or buy any jewelry in the islands.

[Driftwoodgal]

If I am reading your post correctly you are using the credit card that you signed up for when on the cruise. Gosh I wouldn't trust the normal credit card dispute coverages if is the same company that you bought the art fromwas the credit card company affiliate. I wouldn't wait to long to file a complaint. I would send one to RCI and to Park West certified mail stating that you were either misled by the sale or the merchandise that was shipped to you was NOT what you bought at the sale.

 

If you go to small claims court you will need as much information as you can get to file against companies that don't honor their product. I would call the credit card company and put a hold on the charges until you get this corrected. I went through something similiar with a company on my last billing. After talking to them and adustments were made, I called the credit card company and told them to retract my complaint.

[superjerryw]

They admit sending you the wrong item and won't give you a refund, what a load of crap that is. You should keep posting so that everyone can see how dishonest these people are. If it were me I would attend every art auction on the next cruise I was on and make a loud scene each time to warn new customers of what they can expect.....:mad:

[Clarksfan1]

I do love RCCL but this is wrong. I love when they give out shipcredit. What if you never go again. Or in my case they have a time limit on it. It's sad sometimes the way they treat people.

[madforcruising]

I do love RCCL but this is wrong. I love when they give out shipcredit. What if you never go again. Or in my case they have a time limit on it. It's sad sometimes the way they treat people.

I don´t think that you can blame RCCL for this because it´s an issue with Park West and I believe it´s another company not affiliated with RCCL.

But of course Park West is doing a very bad job on this.

[DetroitMike]

In my humble opinion, RCCL can and should be responsible for the vendors that they bring into their ships. I think of it in a similar way to the "arrangements" that cruise lines have with certain vendors... The lines give the shops some sort of "preferred" status and then the lines claim that they will stand behind the shop's product (With, I am certain, a small kickback to the cruise line for the advertising)!

 

Why should this be any different? If anything, since it is physically happening on the ship, it should be more closely monitored by the cruise line!

[Ocean Boy]

I understand the concept of an independent contractor. But for RCI to say they have no control over a contractor who they have authorized to be aboard their ship sounds like a big cop out to me. They should have shown interest in this. How all contractors work aboard ship is a direct reflection on RCI. They also have a responsibility to insure that their contractors are performing to RCI's standards. HMMM, is RCI actually telling us something here????????

[Travelgrrl]

All of the Cruise Directors certainly promote the heck out of the art auctions!

[madforcruising]

HMMM, is RCI actually telling us something here????????

Yes I think you are right. RCI is telling us that they make some money out of Park West auctions as I´m sure they get money fomr Park West to let them sell their art on the ships. And they tell us that they won´t interfere the buiseness of Park West and their customers.

[Clarksfan1]

I disagree. If you were to go to Home Depot and buy driveway sealer. And you have a problem with the product you would expect HD to take care of the problem because it is sold in their stores. If you were to take it back and they said to you. "sorry this item is made by century industries, we can't give you your money back" you would be offended. And when you go to the auctions they always talk up how these vendors are hand selected by RCCL. They should stand by them.

[klingoncruiser]

More art auction horror stories. Check out the net and you will find that this in an ongoing nightmare. Some cruise lines have dropped Art West and just replaced it with more of the same. Why on earth people go on a cruise to buy this stuff and then get in a long and ugly battle with the cruise line escapes me. My brother finally got his settled with a paltry $100 off another cruise. I know, not everyone has the same story, but enough to make me keep well away from them.

[darkauf]

We took the park west card on our last cruise so that we could save quite a bit of the surcharge on the artwork. We have bought several times from Park West but I guess we have been lucky. We always received what we purchased in perfect condition - even our framer wanted to know where we got some of the stuff we were having professionally framed.

 

I would go after the Park West credit card people. I would also go after Park West. They have a web site online. I would insist that they replace the item especially if you have the receipt that states you bought something other than they delivered. You tell them you are going to ship back the piece of artwork they sent you and want it replaced with the correct one. I think you will get father with Park West rather than RCI who really doesn't have any stake in whether or not you get the correct art piece or not. Sure they make money when artwork is sold but there are so many people who buy on all their ships, a drop in the bucket to them if you are unhappy. Go after Park West and their illustrious credit card. As I said, it saved us quite a few bucks on our last cruise but we don't plan to use it again. We may buy again but we lost a lot of frequent flyer miles and/or hilton honor points and I don't think they give you a break more than once using that card.

 

Darlene

[BBfan316]

Bought some pieces and they sent the wrong Tarkay. Were out of the one I purchased. I had no problem returning piece and getting credited on their credit card.

[Qualicum]

Have never been able to figure out why people spend hundreds of $$$ on art that is plainly only a print of an original and for that matter, not even a numbered print ( which would have some value ). Picasso has been dead for many years. Don't be fooled into buying art that is little more that a calendar print that has been framed. If it ain't an original or a limited editon print, then you are basically buying a fancy photcopy.

[JanetMarie]

I have purchased a couple of pieces because I liked them at the time, and not for investment purposes. That being said, I have even returned, months later, artwork because I feel out of love with it, and the cruise line gladly took it back. They even sent the boxes and packing peanuts and FedEx stickers to return the pieces. :)

[Ocean Boy]

Yes I think you are right. RCI is telling us that they make some money out of Park West auctions as I´m sure they get money fomr Park West to let them sell their art on the ships. And they tell us that they won´t interfere the buiseness of Park West and their customers.

I will draw an analogy for you to medicine since that is what I know best. If a hospital contracts out its ER, or pathology, or radiology services to an independent contractor to come in an supply those services and something goes wrong with a patient, the hospital is still held responsible for those actions along with the individual practitioners and the company supplying those services to the hospital.

 

So, why would it be that RCI is exonerated from faulty service supplied by an independent contractor that they have entered into a business relationship with and have allowed aboard their ships? Maybe it is one more reason for them to fly a non U.S. flag.

[darkauf]

Qualicam - you are incorrect. The artwork we have purchased are all signed and numbered and are either Seriograph, Lithograph and/or a combo of the mentioned mediums. The are real art and have value. I have had all my purchased artwork checked out by a private art place and each time when I have stated how much I paid, the owner has said that we did very well with the pieces. None of them are forgeries and they are not "prints". The freebies they give away are signed in the "block" - not an original signature and they are worth much less. The signed and numbered pieces are worth more. We usually buy the lesser expensive pieces but pieces we bought 3 years ago are now selling for quite a bit more money. Why people spend money on different things has to do with their individual taste. We don't drink or gamble and when we see people drink hundreds of dollars worth of booze and gamble hundreds to thousands of dollars at a crap table, etc, we can't figure it out. We like artwork and really have enjoyed the pieces we have bought. If you have a problem, call Park West first and notify RCI also. I look forward to seeing what they have to auction on our upcoming cruise that starts next week.

 

Darlene

[MGoBlue2]

I will draw an analogy for you to medicine since that is what I know best. If a hospital contracts out its ER, or pathology, or radiology services to an independent contractor to come in an supply those services and something goes wrong with a patient, the hospital is still held responsible for those actions along with the individual practitioners and the company supplying those services to the hospital.

 

So, why would it be that RCI is exonerated from faulty service supplied by an independent contractor that they have entered into a business relationship with and have allowed aboard their ships? Maybe it is one more reason for them to fly a non U.S. flag.

On the flip side, if I own a shopping mall and lease out space to a retail establishment, I have virtually no responsibility for the quality of goods/services sold or the relationship between the lessee and the customer.

[Ocean Boy]

On the flip side, if I own a shopping mall and lease out space to a retail establishment, I have virtually no responsibility for the quality of goods/services sold or the relationship between the lessee and the customer.

That would seem to be true. What if instead of being a public shopping mall you were a private all inclusive resort. If a patron of yours had an issue with one of the retail establishments who you leased out space to don't you think you might take an interest in that?

 

I think that an independent contractor aboard ship, which is a private resort, reflects directly on RCI. If my customers were unhappy I would be very interested.

[ezi-amy]

Hello Everyone,

I am an Artist and I sell Original one of a kind paintings. check out my website: http://members.aol.com/eziamy

I am also a collector and bought many prints form Parkwest land and seas auctions. We received the wrong items a couple of times and returned them and received what we ordered and parkwest paid for all postage. One I disputed parkwest about receiving an artist proof intead of a regular edition and they offered that they would refund us if we return the print. Go to http://www.parkwestart.com. I like parkwest but they are getting too big for their own good.

 

Warning: Not all parkwest auctioneers are equal. the go thru training I am sure and some make mistakes and other purposely try to make you believe that something is not what it is. Example of mistakes: One of the parkwest auctioneer explained that the rembrandt that they were selling for thousand of dollars were from the original plate but with special permition were reprinted in a numbered edition in the year 2000. In another auction the auctioneer was telling everyone that the print was from the 1700.

 

Quick lesson: Signed in plate are high quality posters, but some are worth a lot of money depending on the artist and when it was printed.

AP artist proof used to be less valuable, but now they are done in very small limited edition and are usually embellished by the artist and are usually unique.

The higher the number of the edition the less valuable, anything over 500 think twice about it. For more information and to be prepared for your next auction visit my website.

 

Value your art work: A painting one of a kind is the most valuable.

A lithograph on canvas are more valuable than a lithograph on paper due to the material and cost.

The value of a limited edition will only go up if the full edition is sold, that is why a new release is sold cheaper.

I was once told by an auctioneer that an older print is worth more than a newer print by the same artist BUll Bull, a newer work of art will be more valuble because the artist have developed and evolved in his style.

 

Why does parkwest take 15% at the end of the auction? that should be ILLEGAL. An auction house doesn't own the works of art, the %15 is what their commission. But Parkwest own all the art work and have special deals with the artist they make tons of money before the auction start and they can name their own price. I have seen auctioneers overprice prints so they can sell other prints by the same artist and you think that you are getting a bargain.

[MGoBlue2]

That would seem to be true. What if instead of being a public shopping mall you were a private all inclusive resort. If a patron of yours had an issue with one of the retail establishments who you leased out space to don't you think you might take an interest in that?

 

I think that an independent contractor aboard ship, which is a private resort, reflects directly on RCI. If my customers were unhappy I would be very interested.

Now you're talking about what may, or may not, be a good business practice. Before you were talking about legal responsibility.

[superjerryw]

I will draw an analogy for you to medicine since that is what I know best. If a hospital contracts out its ER, or pathology, or radiology services to an independent contractor to come in an supply those services and something goes wrong with a patient, the hospital is still held responsible for those actions along with the individual practitioners and the company supplying those services to the hospital.

 

So, why would it be that RCI is exonerated from faulty service supplied by an independent contractor that they have entered into a business relationship with and have allowed aboard their ships? Maybe it is one more reason for them to fly a non U.S. flag.

I'm sure the reason all the cruise lines fly foreign flags is to avoid U.S. laws. By the way, the medical staff on the cruise ships are also third party contractors and the cruise line disavows any responsibility for their actions.

[Cruisin with teens]

We purchased over $7,000 in art and had no problems at all. We even called several time to check on the arrival date. I would suggest you get in touch with the art dealer/autioner himself if you have his number. Keep calling and bugging them until they fix the problem. Good Luck!

[Ocean Boy]

I'm sure the reason all the cruise lines fly foreign flags is to avoid U.S. laws. By the way, the medical staff on the cruise ships are also third party contractors and the cruise line disavows any responsibility for their actions.

I am aware of that. However, if they were U.S. flagged I am not sure that they would be immune, no matter what the cruise line may claim, from the actions of their independently contracted medical staff. I could be wrong but I have my suspicions.

 

Maybe I'll find out for myself someday when I've had enough of my present life and I'm the medical officer aboard Explorer of the Seas. :)