Article: Park West 'art auction' ripoff?

[jleq]

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/2010-06-10-cruise-art-auction-fraud_N.htm

[2thesea]

I work with a fellow that is an "art collector" and he said RUN don't walk....never by art on a cruise ship!!!!

[big_duck]

How could someone repeatedly spend thousands of dollars cruise after cruise without having their original purchase independently appraised?

 

Boggles the mind.

[med9114u]

Oops...wish I would have seen that before our last cruise. I placed 2nd in one of the blackjack tournaments on board and we bought a Thomas Kinkaide from them. Not anymore I guess....oh well, live and learn.

[gtouch]

Art sold on a ship may not be a good deal? Who would have guessed that. I found it interesting that people in the article some were buying for investment purposes. I can understand someone who sees a picture they like and decide it is worth the price to them to buy it and display it at their house. But to buy on a ship for investment.......I don't really see that logic.

[Aknot]

Art sold on a ship may not be a good deal? Who would have guessed that. I found it interesting that people in the article some were buying for investment purposes. I can understand someone who sees a picture they like and decide it is worth the price to them to buy it and display it at their house. But to buy on a ship for investment.......I don't really see that logic.

 

Along those lines if they were that valuable you would think the insurance alone for placing them on a cruise ship would be astronomical. At least I would.

[Traveler353]

Never buy "art" on a cruise ship with the intention of having an investment. If you just want a pretty print to hang on the wall then buy smart.

The only piece that I have ever bought onboard was a Thomas Kinkade. I did not buy it during the auction. I approached the Park West employee after the auction and made him an offer. I purchased it for just a over half of what he sold one during the auction. I had it appraised at the Kinkade gallery in Key West. They appraised it at 3 times what I purchased it for. They had one in the gallery and the appraisal matched their asking price. The signatures on the print were legit and signed after the printing by both Kinkade and the printer. So good deal for me on a nice print to hang on the wall. I have no intention of buying anymore prints from Park West but I might stop in and drink their free sparkling wine.:p

[Crazeecat5]

Hubby & I have bought 3 pieces from Park West because we liked them and we were comfortable with the prices. Certainly not bought for investment purposes. They hang on the walls of our house and remind us of wonderful cruises we've taken. We even won one piece that also hangs. I can certainly think of better places to invest my money....like on more cruises! LOL!:D

[forwardcabin]

Those who get ripped off by cruise ship art are the same ones who trust the cruise line's recommendations to buy jewelry at DI and TI in ports of call. Buyer beware!

[johnjen]

If these are the same shysters we encountered on RCL, they are very pushy people and we could tell there was a scam in the air.

 

Thomas Kincaide? Yuk. Tacky, very tacky art indeed. That's 'starving artist' category if you ask me. "look, the light in the windows look really lit up" oh, pu-lease. K-mart blue light specials!!

[gtouch]

If these are the same shysters we encountered on RCL, they are very pushy people and we could tell there was a scam in the air.

 

Thomas Kincaide? Yuk. Tacky, very tacky art indeed. That's 'starving artist' category if you ask me. "look, the light in the windows look really lit up" oh, pu-lease. K-mart blue light specials!!

 

Kind of harsh don't you think. I don't personally like Kincaide but in art it is personal preference. Believe me my wife has her degree in Art and I have seen a lot of pieces. I know the difference between a Manet and a Monet. I usually don't "get" modern art. I figure if I could have made it it isn't art. But that is just opinions.

[Traveler353]

If these are the same shysters we encountered on RCL, they are very pushy people and we could tell there was a scam in the air.

 

Thomas Kincaide? Yuk. Tacky, very tacky art indeed. That's 'starving artist' category if you ask me. "look, the light in the windows look really lit up" oh, pu-lease. K-mart blue light specials!!

 

 

OK, if you say so. :confused: But it is obvious that you know nothing about the complete works of Thomas Kinkade.

[topspin1267]

I have 4 pieces from Park West that were all purchased because we liked them never for investment, all were purchased after the auctions, and all were at prices I was happy with from a personal stand point not an investment one. I would have paid as much or more at Rooms to Go or Kirklands if they had been there.

 

Why people think that a cruise is the right place to buy investments just baffles me.

[steelcity5044]

We were just on the Freedom May 16th and we attended the first art auction. We were shocked by how much this event has gone down hill. I hope they will stop having these on board. We have attended on other cruises in the past, mostly to learn about art and view some nice prints. We have purchased one in the past for a reasonable price and we have collected and framed some of the free art we have been given. This time we were nauseated by the end.

First, they offered everyone free prints if you joined their "club". You just had to fill out a "club" application. Upon receving and reading, I found it to be a GE Money credit card application. I couldn't believe that they were performing this sham, especially in this day and age of supposed credit reform. When I asked if this was an application for credit, I was told no it's an application to join their "club". Yea right, so you need my socail security number and signature saying ok to pull credit for GE Money to join a "club", NO THANK YOU!!!

**BEWARE IT IS A CREDIT LINE APPLICATION FOR PARK WEST = READ CAREFULLY AND UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE SIGNING**

Now here comes the art auction. All of the prints being shown were damaged. The frames were cracked and broken. The prints were just tossed in a corner when done. The prices were outrageous and there were obvious plants in the audience purchasing a handfull of prints for over $10,000. When no one else purchased anything, the auctioneer became rude and mean and blew thru the rest of the prints making rude comments under his breath.

Then they have a drawing for prizes. At this time there were only about 10 people left in the room. Low and behold they took both ticket stubs from you when you entered and said they wrote your auction card number on them giving you 2 chances to win instead of 1. There were about 100 people to start and only 10 left. Funny how everyone who won just happened to be still in the room!!! And waiving their cards in the air!!! What a sham.

I will never attend another art auction and I urge you to do the same.

[steelcity5044]

Bump!!!!

[big_duck]

Bump!!!!

 

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Bumping

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[DGP1111]

. . . Now here comes the art auction. All of the prints being shown were damaged. The frames were cracked and broken. The prints were just tossed in a corner when done . . .

 

Luckily, those prints are mostly part of a numbered series, and the purchased one you'd receive at your own home would be shipped from the gallery wharehouse and not be damaged.

 

In my own opinion nothing at the Park West auctions is of investment quality. Those that I've purchased onboard were simply because I liked the look. I've never once paid for their offered appraisals - - would do me no good whatsoever.

[salty dingo]

How anyone could be dumb enough to buy "art" on a cruise ship is beyond me. But they keep selling it, so they have a lot of gullible people buying it.

 

I cannot think of a worse location to buy, and one where they buyer is at a worse disadvantage than a cruise ship, but still they buy.

 

But hey, there is a bright side - free champagne!

 

--- I do hope they sue Park West out of business, but really, some of the people suing are just irresponsible. Like the person who used his child's college savings to buy art! That's just stupid!

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

LINK

 

Tom

[Rosefloater]

I have no intention of buying anymore prints from Park West but I might stop in and drink their free sparkling wine.:p

 

Was on the Paradise 3 weeks ago and you had to register for the auction in order to get the free champagne. Don't know if it was just on the Paradise or Park West finally realized that they were giving out more champagne than there were registered people and they are now cracking down. I used to just walk in and get my free champagne w/o registering and then watch a lot of people buy art. Guess I won't be going there anymore!

[shadoo]

I would not waste my time at an art auction while on a cruise. There are so many more fun things to do. I'll spend my money somewhere else.

Hard to believe Carnival continues to have these guys on board.

[dfmeeks]

We attended the art auction when we were on the Liberty 2 yrs ago. I saw a painting that reminded me of when I attended New School For Social Research in NY. It was a beautiful, IMO, painting of Washington Square Park. They tried to push us to purchase it but we declined as I didn't want to spend that much. But I continued to go back & look at it. We no longer live in the North East & it just brought back so many wonderful memories & emotions. I was able to point out to my daughter where my school was in relation to the park, where her dad & I had coffee & cannolis, NYU's location, etc. Three months later, my husband surprised me with it for our anniversary. He called the gallery, got it for a fraction of the price on the ship, & it hangs in my living room. I look at it at least once a week & remember when we were dating while I was in school. I don't care if it's worth $5. It's worth so much more to me!

[janabm81]

I would never buy on the ship...not only do you have to hassel with getting it back home but the deals really aren't good. I can easily go to one of the art dealers here in town and get great pieces for half of what the ship wants them for.

[steelcity5044]

The biggest surprise to me is how much the quality of the whole operation dropped. It reeked of desperation and was an extremely shoddy outfit. I don't know why Carnival would associate themselves with this operation, do they receive a cut?

[tea4ular]

On an NCL ship in May 2008 NYC to Bermuda...as my D and I were walking around it, enjoying the art (just looking, I don't buy art on a cruise ship, nor purchase cruise tickets at an art gallery), these 2 jerks came in and never even looked around...just kept talking...one said to the other, "I can't wait for the auction, so we can screw these people." The other just laughed and laughed. Until D & I walked around the corner and then saw us.

 

Jerks.

 

I had always suspected, but catching them sealed it.