Art Auctions

[Darkwolfe]

Hmm.. This thread is back from the dead I see.

 

We'll see if there's an auction on Mariner in a couple of weeks. If there is, my nosy self will be looking for signs of chicanery. "Art Actually" is going to get scrutinized very carefully and I doubt that they get any money from me.

 

I'll post the results in the cruise review when we get back.

[mommabean]

I just got off a trans-Atlantic on the Adventure of the Seas. Park West was gone and a new program in place. I didn't attend any of them but our trivia mate did under his wife's insistence. He answered some question and "won" $400 piece of art only to find he had to pay a "modest" shipping charge of $30 to get it. Since neither of them liked the piece, they declined that offer. The auctioneer told him he would give him $400 worth of art he could carry off the ship. It was four 8x10 pictures. On the back of one of them was a price tag for $9.95. His wife made him graciously accept them even though neither he nor she liked them. He gave them away at trivia that day. I took one because there was a mat with it I could use. Later in the week he "won" more art. Same pictures. Same offer at trivia.

 

On the plus side, they conducted art tours several times to talk about various art pieces on the ship. They were well attended and I heard very good.

 

Tucker in Texas

 

I went to one "Art Actually" auction on Adventure's TA. It's basically the same as Park West only some different art and the "free" art is NO where near as nice even though the shipping charge is less. They are giving this "free" art out like it's water.

 

The auction was guaranteed to last 59 minutes or everyone would get free art. I went and told my husband I could guarantee we'd all get "free art" so they could hope we'd all pay the shipping charge. Well, it was closer to 2 hours than it was to 59 minutes so there is no way it was ever intended to be over in less than an hour. They do hand out a print at the end of the auction - with no laughable certificate of authenticity and it's a different picture each time.

 

As far as I'm concerned, it's not as interesting as Park West was either. I do admit to going to one of the lectures and did find the information presented about some famous artists to be very interesting.

 

But that's it for me. NO more art auctions. It's a disappointment that they are bringing them back.

 

By the way - they endlessly defend Park West each time they have an event. Their terms are much simpler and clearer. There is no money back fake guarantee.

 

Gina

[Darkwolfe]

Interstingly, the Better Business Bureau has no record of "Art Actually" on their website. That would be a potential red flag right there.

 

It almost appears that the company exists purely to work with RCI....

http://www.artactually.com/docs/index.php

 

Most curious.

[shaggyofwv]

Interstingly, the Better Business Bureau has no record of "Art Actually" on their website. That would be a potential red flag right there.

 

It almost appears that the company exists purely to work with RCI....

http://www.artactually.com/docs/index.php

 

Most curious.

 

 

It says on their website that it was created to increase awareness of, and interest in RCI's art collection.

 

I see that they were founded by the owners of ICArt and "its partners and other key individuals". I wonder who these "partners and other key individuals" are?

[Coralc]

There's an awful lot of (interesting) art on Royal Caribbean ships, good/bad and always interesting. . I guess it all comes from somewhere. It's not too surprising that they have a company that acquires it for them. Thanks. I'm glad you looked it up, or I wouldn't have known. :)

 

It doesn't really seem like that unusual of a partnership to me. :D:)

[Darkwolfe]

I did a little more digging and it only seems to have been in existence for a year. That, combined with the timing of the PW fallout, begins to look suspect. Add in the defesive attitude about PW from AA people that been reported and I have a few more red flags appearing.....

 

Most curious.

[shaggyofwv]

I did a little more digging and it only seems to have been in existence for a year. That, combined with the timing of the PW fallout, begins to look suspect. Add in the defesive attitude about PW from AA people that been reported and I have a few more red flags appearing.....

 

Most curious.

 

 

Yes, very curious. I wonder if Park West has any interest/involvement in this new "company" but is taking a behind the scenes roll because of their poor reputation?

[Darkwolfe]

Yes, very curious. I wonder if Park West has any interest/involvement in this new "company" but is taking a behind the scenes roll because of their poor reputation?

 

I had the same thought....

[The_Big_M]

For what it's worth, no art activity on Rhapsody at the moment. I was wondering why it still referred to the art auction program on the survey though.

[Nascar]

Probably the reason Park West is gone from RC (and other cruise lines) is because of all of the litigation. Royal Caribbean is now a named defendant along with Park West by a cruiser named Sharon Day. The trial was supposed to start this month, but it may have been continued.

 

The issue is selling fake/forged artwork. We'll see what happens as the wheels of justice turn.

 

Just for kicks I looked at Park West's website and they state that there are no lawsuits -THAT'S BECAUSE THEY SETTELED MOST OF THEM OUT OF COURT, LOST A HUGE ONE TO A COMPANY THEY SUED CALLED FINE ART REGISTRY (they are appealing the decision, of course) and the Sharon Day trial is coming up. If some company caused me that kind of trouble I'd kick them off of the ship too.

[Darkwolfe]

Hmm so another case appeared? Been a year since this was active, wonder if it's going to get interesting again.

 

Can't help it, I like watching scammers get what's coming to them. If I get to help deliver it, so much the better.

 

Call it a hunch, but if RCI is named in the Day case, I would be willing to bet their contract with PW shows that PW was responsible for all sales and customer service after the sale as well. That will absolve RCI of intentional wrong-doing on the spot.

 

On the other hand if they don't have a clause like that in the contract, then whoever wrote it shouldn't have been doing that job in the first place and RCI is going to get reamed.

[UNV-IT!!!]

I've been wary of them. Last cruise I bought art in the britto gallery. No worries there. Got the britto at sea painting of the cruise ship

[Nascar]

Hmm so another case appeared? Been a year since this was active, wonder if it's going to get interesting again.

 

Can't help it, I like watching scammers get what's coming to them. If I get to help deliver it, so much the better.

 

Call it a hunch, but if RCI is named in the Day case, I would be willing to bet their contract with PW shows that PW was responsible for all sales and customer service after the sale as well. That will absolve RCI of intentional wrong-doing on the spot.

 

On the other hand if they don't have a clause like that in the contract, then whoever wrote it shouldn't have been doing that job in the first place and RCI is going to get reamed.

 

I think what happend regarding the contract is RC protected themselves against services, but not goods. Artwork would be considered goods. OOps. Some attorney probably lost their job over that one.