Urban Art Association

Hello to All

Happy New Year 17!

Blancs-Manteaux auction will broadcast on the internet and live its future auction the 2nd of Feb at 17h30 pm
(Paris time)

Full catalogue : click here

British version of the catalogue here


You can register and bid now.

Isn't this the auction house that someone had posted they were having issue with just a few weeks ago?

Yes it is, and the reply from Nukod does not help having a clear view. Best, Nukod, would be that you take part in the chat on the issue and clear the matter.

urbanartassociation.com/thread/141767/offer-available-7-days?page=2

It is your very thread, so you should be aware of that. Clear enough?

I can confirm that I have been promised a full refund and that the money is on its way, so it looks like the matter was satisfactory concluded in the end.

Update, this turned out to be not entirely correct. See below post for info if interested.

I feel it is time to update and write a full report of what happened, as this dispute became quite publical here.

The issue arose when purchasing a print in their after sales from the last urban auction. I paid for the item the 13. october and sent a mail saying the money was on its way, and the artwork arrived at 8. november. When I received it, I was sceptical right away, as the tube had a low diameter. When I opened it, the print had also been very tightly wrapped inside the tube so it was free to move. It was also no brown paper or side protection or anything, the print was just packed inside a soft plastic sleeve, rolled and put inside the tube. When that also was free to move, I guess most of us can deduce where the damage came from.

There was some edge damage of course, but the worst was that the paper was "broken" through the motive with significant wrinkles and creases. The right side of the print was also almost rectangular after being to tightly rolled. I see nukod means that it was not poor packaging in his other post, but I disagree. If further clarification is needed I will have no problem posting pictures of the tube and the plastic wrapping and so each member can decide for himself.

I then immediately took pictures and sent a mail to Blancs regarding the damage. I recieved answer two days later where it stood amongst other things, and I quote directly: But for me, the artwork was like this when we send it to you.

I then of course asked whether or not the print was damaged from before, when I in the start of the inquiry had asked about the condition of the print and gotten the answer that it was perfect. Five days later I had received no reply and so I sent a new mail asking. Two days later I had received no answer and so I asked whether the last mail had arrived. Four days later I had no answer and so I sent a new mail asking whether or not any of my mails were coming through. That day I finally got an answer where he offered me a compensation or a fee free next purchase.

I now asked for contact information to the owner, as I was getting quite annoyed with the response times and effort this particular employee put in. I then received no answer to this. It turns out the fellow I was corresponding with actually was the owner and founder so yeez.

I then sent three new mails, the 25., 26. and 30. of november where in the last I yielded my quest for a refund and return of the item as I was getting no answer and reached out to restorers. They gave me a quote, but said the injuries would probably never be good. I then conveyed this information and asked for a little on top to cover travel expenses to the restorer and got the answer that that amount was impossible.

After three new days and more mails from me he agreed to pay for the restorer, but no travel expenses. I figured this was the best I was ever going to get (remember I did not pay by paypal or credit card - if so a case would have been opened long ago) and accepted. He then asked for the invoice when it came. As I had grown quite suspicious of these people (and besides I figured asking a restorer to bill a person in France would be tricky) I asked for the money up front. This was then the 2.d of december. And that was it. Complete radio silence where I sent seven mail up until the second week in january. They were posting on facebook and other social media, so he was just choosing to ignore my mails. This is probably the time where they, as he wrote in his other reply, were they "checked every other possible solution". Which is odd, given that they already had agreed on a solution.

At the forum-members tips I then started adressing the issue on their social media channels and also got into contact with the second owner through a second polite email (I even asked if the fellow I had talked to perhaps had gone sick) and the correspondance again started the 18. january. He then expressed that he had no idea how the print had been injured as it had been packed to perfect standards (yeah) and said they had no legal obligation to reimburse me, but as they were very keen to keep good relations he would resolve the matter shortly.

He then on the 22. january found out I have criticized the auction house in the second thread that is linked above here, and wrote that if I did not write that they had taken care of business and would refund me now to the full amount he was not sure he would like me to be refunded. I therefore wrote what I did above, to try to salvage something from my purchase. It seems he thinks I wrote that criticizm after he had said he would refund me, when it fact it was before. I am actually quite amazed on how these people are raging angry at me, where I at all times have written polite emails and offered quite a lot of solution paths.

Anyways, he said then in PMs that I would be getting a full refund, and also wrote that here where "refunded his artwork price". The money has still not come, but yesterday they sent a mail and said they had wired the money, which turned out to be 40% of artwork price. I finally thought this was concluded, alas no.

So I ended up getting the original asking for the attempt to get it restored, which is something I guess, but not exactly what I hoped for. I then sent them a mail asking why they said a full refund and made me write it, and then only sent 40%. I also said that I then of course had to update the post I had written where I said I got a full refund, and asked whether or not they wished to avoid that as it would probably cost them way more in bad press and loss of customers. They were not very happy that I was not very happy with the 40%, to say it the least. This ended in quite a lot of mails this morning where I ended up accused for blackmail, slightly threatened, and told to f**koff. Honestly, Is**t you not.

Well rant over, I'm sure there's more to it and that the "auction house" sees it quite differently, but that is my side of the story and everything I have stated can be documented. Forum members can then decide for themselves what they think of the service.

I'm on the other hand wagering that none of the money will arrive in my account, but will update if the 40% acctually comes through. Fair's fair. But I will never purchase from these people again.

Agreed. It would be easier to accept a damage if the tube had arrived smashed to bits, but when it is due to pure and simple rubbish packing, and from people that should be considered "experts" in the profession; it just rubs me the wrong way.

Good luck with your claim mate, I wish I had paid this through paypal to be honest

Worst type of excuses. No intension of refunding you clearly.

Pity Josh that, after the quite snooty replies we had from Nukod, I thought that we were not polite enough (i.e. the forumites and myself).
Apparently it runs out that the behaviour is in line with their policy. And diplomacy is not quite working. Alas, while being French myself and and somehow p..d off to admit it, frankly most auction houses in France can go to hell. They are just in street art as it is a new trend, nothing related to art anymore. Except I'd say Digard or Tajan with whom I had a nice experience (certainly others for sure). At least thank you to share your view and your experience here, as more I go into the collecting the more I am cautious with everyone when someone I trust is not vouching for them. Well, I wish you good luck for the remaining issues...

Oh you silly billy, do you realize how many people read this tatty forum, on top of that, Chinese whispers and so on.

I spoke to three prominent French street artists last week and they were disgusted at the way French auction houses are acting with street art compared with others.

Thanks guys for the info, I ll stay away from them

Always good to know what to avoid. Hope it all goes well for you at the end.

What kind of a "reputable" auction house operating in the online environment won't accept credit card or PayPal payment?!??

Red flag right there. Maybe it's time for some honest online reviews mr. Phoj..

Wow I just scrolled through their listings, its 90% bottom of the barrel rubbish.