silvermyn
Junior Member
Posts • 1,611
Likes • 781
April 2008
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Art dealer in 'Del Boy' scam fined £10k, by silvermyn on Dec 17, 2009 13:42:34 GMT 1, In today's Evening Standard. Seems like he got off lightly to me...
"A West End art dealer has been ordered to pay £10,000 for an "Only Fools And Horses" scam, passing off cheap prints as Victorian water- colours.
Michael Walker, 59, was found out after a victim who paid £450 for an "original" painting spotted an identical one in his Marylebone gallery.
It later emerged that Walker, of Michael Walker Fine Art in Devonshire Street, had seven copies of the work - a sunset over Siena painted in 1900 by Richard Henry Wright.
When undercover trading standards officers from Westminster council approached the gallery, Walker tried to sell them an-other version of the painting for £500. At City of Westminster magistrates' court, a Victoria and Albert Museum curator confirmed both were prints worth no more than £10 each.
The victim's suspicions were raised when he noticed the "painting" was glued to a separate backing. When he returned to the gallery to complain he saw the same picture on display.
At the court hearing, Walker, who has been an art dealer for 26 years, pleaded guilty to misleading customers. He was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs and compensation of £4,642.14. It is believed to be the first prosecution of its kind under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, which came into force last year.
Westminster community safety cabinet member Daniel Astaire said: "To dupe a customer, like a character out of Only Fools and Horses, is unacceptable."
Walker, of Hampstead, told the Evening Standard he acted in good faith and was selling the pictures on behalf of someone else."
In today's Evening Standard. Seems like he got off lightly to me... "A West End art dealer has been ordered to pay £10,000 for an "Only Fools And Horses" scam, passing off cheap prints as Victorian water- colours. Michael Walker, 59, was found out after a victim who paid £450 for an "original" painting spotted an identical one in his Marylebone gallery. It later emerged that Walker, of Michael Walker Fine Art in Devonshire Street, had seven copies of the work - a sunset over Siena painted in 1900 by Richard Henry Wright. When undercover trading standards officers from Westminster council approached the gallery, Walker tried to sell them an-other version of the painting for £500. At City of Westminster magistrates' court, a Victoria and Albert Museum curator confirmed both were prints worth no more than £10 each. The victim's suspicions were raised when he noticed the "painting" was glued to a separate backing. When he returned to the gallery to complain he saw the same picture on display. At the court hearing, Walker, who has been an art dealer for 26 years, pleaded guilty to misleading customers. He was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs and compensation of £4,642.14. It is believed to be the first prosecution of its kind under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, which came into force last year. Westminster community safety cabinet member Daniel Astaire said: "To dupe a customer, like a character out of Only Fools and Horses, is unacceptable." Walker, of Hampstead, told the Evening Standard he acted in good faith and was selling the pictures on behalf of someone else."
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neale
Junior Member
Posts • 1,585
Likes • 2
December 2008
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Art dealer in 'Del Boy' scam fined £10k, by neale on Dec 17, 2009 14:36:05 GMT 1, Happy Xmas Michael Walker
Happy Xmas Michael Walker
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bojangles
New Member
Posts • 129
Likes • 1
June 2009
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Art dealer in 'Del Boy' scam fined £10k, by bojangles on Dec 17, 2009 14:41:17 GMT 1, should pay a heavier fine in my opinion...just proves all should check and double check when buying any piece of art
right, back to ebay!
should pay a heavier fine in my opinion...just proves all should check and double check when buying any piece of art
right, back to ebay!
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Dellboyy
Artist
Junior Member
Posts • 2,729
Likes • 270
October 2006
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Art dealer in 'Del Boy' scam fined £10k, by Dellboyy on Dec 17, 2009 14:58:16 GMT 1, Not me i might add! ;D
Not me i might add! ;D
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neale
Junior Member
Posts • 1,585
Likes • 2
December 2008
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Art dealer in 'Del Boy' scam fined £10k, by neale on Dec 17, 2009 17:51:27 GMT 1, they are always selling on behalf of someone else when they get nicked...and usually in good faith, must have been a pretty crap dealer not to notice that 7 paintings were identical, especially having been a dealer for 26 years FFS!!
they are always selling on behalf of someone else when they get nicked...and usually in good faith, must have been a pretty crap dealer not to notice that 7 paintings were identical, especially having been a dealer for 26 years FFS!!
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volvic
Junior Member
Posts • 1,778
Likes • 309
December 2008
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Art dealer in 'Del Boy' scam fined £10k, by volvic on Dec 17, 2009 20:22:56 GMT 1, how someone could buy a print and think its an original is beyond me.
how someone could buy a print and think its an original is beyond me.
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