Hey guys, ... some of you said they smelled rats and stuff like that, others ask for pics. 1) Belive me, there's no rat here, the story is really simple and true.

Someone offered me an artwork saying it’s an original Banksy. They also told me some things to make me belive that. The only thing i could do was to send emails to PC, exlaining them the situation, with all the things i was told (also the names of the people who offered me the work) and pictures of the work. … Then i was asking here how they (PC) usually act in front of situations like this, … if they usually answer etc. and, until now, i didn’t get a clear answer about this, but it seems that they could never answer. … This all situation made me think that the authentication process of Banksy works has some “bugs” … for ex. , the fact that they don’t answer to someone asking informations about a work he’s been offered, … so where’s the “protection” against fraud they talk about on their site? …

2) About showing the pictures here, i can not do it for many reasons, this situation still has too many unclear aspects. Please, try to understand. I thank you all anyway for your help. Thank you again, really.
I wish PC is gonna answer, so that i can think that i was wrong about them, i really wish that. In case this miracle should happen, i also want to tell you all, clearly, that it is my intention to buy the work and to keep it, i would not be interested in selling it. … So that, once for all, anybody can be sure that no scam is going on here.
Thank you very much again to you all.

The fact is the original owners don't want to and can not claim the CoA right now, for reasons they explained me but that i can not say here (nothing so “bad” or illegal , just their business) .

The only thing i could do was to contact PC and ask informations about the painting “before” i buy it.

I think the problem is all here: to have some secure informations about the painting without being already the owner of it. If this will be possible, and PC will answer to my emails. everything is gonna be fine. …

Once again, in case this miracle happens, i would keep the work, it’s really not my intention to sell it.

There aren't many collectors that would invest in something that 'might' be a Banksy. It doesn't matter how good the accompanying story is, without a COA in hand it's a huge risk. If the original owners don't want to/can't apply for a COA then I'd personally avoid buying it.

A coa takes a bit of time to get and costs £65. (I guess a coa for an original is the same price as one for a print?) Is it really worth the risk to buy without?

this thread is radio rental

Just wondering if anyone can help?

Does any one know how long a piece of string is?

personally I think it is nonsense to say PC won't email you back until you are the owner of the work, and then they will sudddenly answer all your emails. They have a long track record of helping prospective buyers confirm registered owners and with other pre-sale info. I once contacted them about a signed unnumbered WSM that had a 'too good to be true story' (friend put on exhibition and was left it blah blah) - they advised it was not recognised as a gifted or authorised print and a COA would be unobtainable, so I was able to run a mile.

IMO they haven't replied because:

a) they haven't got round to it yet (this can take months sometimes)
b) it might be an image they recognise and they are sending pics onto their 'line manager' (who can be rather elusive at times)
c) its blatantly not a banksy and they can't be bothered to reply to every random timewasting email saying 'is this [bambi] a banksy'.

My 2p's worth on this rather odd thread is that you have been seduced by a story, but in the cold light of day that story doesn't stack up. The proximity of a street piece proves literally nothing at all. Ask yourself how their story would change if they had a stack of 20 of these 'banksy's' - it wouldn't. Their 'provenance' tells you no story about the canvas' authenticity whatsoever.

If this piece was 'real' and they were genuine owners, they would be pulling out all the stops to get themselves a PC COA and the canvas over to Christies themselves - they could well snag in excess of £100,000 for a genuine 'lost' early Banksy OG Canvas. Their story goes that they made friends with banksy, right? They'd defo be able to hit up PC with enough 'private' info about the guy and the canvas' origins to at least get them to ask Mr B the question.

If you buy this for a 'steal' at say, €10k (approx 1/10th market value of a COA'd piece), who on earth is EVER going to buy it off you, if one day you need to sell? Absolutely no-one - not an ebayer, a gallery and certainly not a buyer on here. You'll be paying someone a massive amount of money (sorry, 'a huge discount') for something that will cease to have any 'value' once you take ownership. And to me, that sound like a scam.

Oh, and coming on here with the naiviety that the seller isn't reading this thread too strikes me as odd. And the fact you won't post any pics, or even describe the image strikes me as very, very odd indeed.

Good luck with it, anyway.

I still can't work out what sort of a wind up this is?

Posting a picture here will probably save you (and PC) time and hassle.

Mikey ... I think you are being a bit unfair.  He is getting ... 'Straight to the point' ... also seen within his first post.

(Isn't this post really about the OP trying to dis PC and looking for someone to suggest an alternative to auth a work supposedly being held by a Sicilian mafia/someone who does not own a PC/to old to write/never heard of banksy (but a long time friend)/ type person?  Or maybe bought a bambi works thinking it was banksy ... she was doing a gig in Italy last year and had some free time to daub a few walls ...  Just my thoughts ...)

GL with the purchase.

Didn't know that, cheers.

Got your pics yet peppus?. If its same one i was sent forget it mate,its no Banksy.