Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/16/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a watercolor from The Untitled Space gallery as mentioned of a piece called "Eccentric Molecules" by *********************** October 5, 2023. I found the piece on the art purchasing website Artsy. The Artsy page of the piece states that it comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. I spoke with the gallery owner ***************************** after I purchased the piece on the gallery website **********************. I paid for the piece on their website also states it comes with a certificate of Authenticity. I spoke with ****** after I got a confirmation email Order #****. We agreed that I would hard copies of the receipt and Certificate of Authenticity with my order. Which is started practice in the art world for your records and if you ever want to resell the work. But when I went to pick up the piece on November 10 2023, I asked for the hard copies and she said that the Certificate didn't matter anymore because the artist was dead. I told her I still needed the certificate and she just had a difficult demeanor. She said she wasn't sure when it would be available. When I pressed about just sending it through the mail along with the receipt got upset and just walked away. This behavior childish, toxic and unacceptable. We agreed upon purchase of the artwork I would get hard copies of both receipt and certificate, as a certificate needs to be signed by the artist (deceased) or in this case the galley owner. Now I get emails from her team saying only Digital receipts for online orders and certificate upon request. Which is not what we agreed upon. I have asked three times for hard copies with her, over the phone, at the gallery and on the phone again this morning November 15 when she hung up on me after I requested hard copies once again and said I would call BBB. But this gallery owner ***************************** is unhinged for just asking for simply what I'm *********** and asked for 3 separate times. A hard copy of the reciept and signed certificate of Authenticity.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/16/2023

  This customer ordered an artwork online on our website and it is our policy that all receipts and documents for online puchases are provided to the customers digitally via email after they make their purchase. He received a receipt immediately upon purchase, along with a link to download a PDF gallery reciept of the purchase noting the authenticity of the artwork. He came into the gallery to pick up the artwork without an appointment (appointments are normally required oprior to pick up as noted on our website) and we gave him the artwork, and then he requested copies of the receipt and artwork certificate of authenticity, which we told him we would send via email, and that he was already emailed the galery receipt when he made his purchase (it is automated.) '

  He requested paper copies of the documents, and we informed him that paper copies would be the same as the digital copies and we could email them, and if he wanted them mailed we could mail him hard copies although it would take at least **** days as we were very backed up and overwhelmed as the artist just died and we had her memorial the next day, and were overwhelmed with requests for her artwork since her passing. He was very unreasonable and started becoming verbally agreessive that we didn't have the paper copies, although as he made the purchase online, it is standard for these type of documents to be sent digitally. 

  It is also noted on our website that paper copies of receipts and certificates are on request only. 

  "Receipts / Certificates of Authenticity for items ordered online: All items purchased online on our website are provided with a digital receipt (which is automated by the system). On your receipt, you can download an official PDF receipt certifying your purchase. Certificates of Authenticity for original or limited edition artworks are also provided digitally to customers purchasing online upon request (your PDF receipt acts also as a gallery Certificate of Authenticity). If you require a paper copy of your receipt or the artist's Certificate of Authenticity it must be requested in writing (mailto: ***************************************************). Please allow **** days for your paper copies to be mailed, and any customers requesting paper copies must supply their full address and phone number for the shipping carrier." 

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  We we never said the things this person claimed we said and we have gallery surveilance camera videos to prove that we did not say these things to the customer. On the contrary we told him several times that we would MAIL him the hard copies as requested, and that we were all very upset about the artist passing away and had her memorial the next day so were every overwhelmed and would send him the copies as requested although it may take up to a week to have them printed and mailed. 

  THIS IS NOT TRUE: "I asked for the hard copies and she said that the Certificate didn't matter anymore because the artist was dead. I told her I still needed the certificate and she just had a difficult demeanor. She said she wasn't sure when it would be available. When I pressed about just sending it through the mail along with the receipt got upset and just walked away." - We clearly told him we would mail him all the documentation and our videos also prove what we said to him and that he is trying to smear the gallery's reputation by these accusations. 

  THIS IS NOT TRUE "I have asked three times for hard copies with her, over the phone, at the gallery and on the phone again this morning November 15 when she hung up on me after I requested hard copies once again and said I would call BBB"  - We mailed his copies to him as he requested several days after he picked up the artwork. He obviously just hadn't recieved them yet, and he called the gallery owner on her cell phone and verbally abused and harrassed her, and she told him she was in a meeting and that the docments had already bveen mailed to him, and coundn't speak to him at that time. We do not allow customers to contact the gallery team on their cell phones - he should have emailed or called the office line that is clearly noted on our website. 

  This customer has since been on a vengence to damage the gallery and smear the gallery owner's reputation with these ridiculous claims that we refused to provide receipts or Certificates of Authenticity - we informed him several times that they are all provided digitally (he recieved the receipts already), and hard copies of the documents are mailed upon request, which they were within a few business days of his request.