BBB Issues Warning About Art Heist, Hollywood Framed

By
Amy Fowler
– September 7, 2012Posted in: Alerts/Scams, Internet shopping, National

Consumers allege Leander-based websites take money, don’t deliver

BBB recently investigated two websites based in Leander, Texas. Consumers from across the country allege they ordered prints and framed art from art-heist.com and hollywoodframed.com, but either never received their orders, received the wrong order or received a product far inferior to the one advertised online.

Records show both websites are owned by George Prichard of Cedar Park, Texas. Consumers told BBB that they had difficulty getting in touch with Prichard about their orders or refunds.

computer2 150x150 BBB Issues Warning About Art Heist, Hollywood Framed

One woman from San Antonio, Texas said that when she tried to get a refund from Art Heist, Prichard refused. She had paid for a framed print from the website, but it was never delivered. Frustrated, she said she sent him an email telling him he should be ashamed of himself.

“He responded that my bank should be ashamed, that they were the ones with the money. He said all I had to do was file a dispute with my bank,” she said. “I was just shocked that he would call my bank a thief when he was the thief.”

Read BBB’s full investigation on Art Heist and Hollywood Framed here.

When buying art or any other merchandise online, BBB offers the following advice:

  • Do your research. Find an Accredited Business using BBB’s Member Pages, and check out the company’s BBB Business Review before purchasing anything from a website.
  • Confirm contact information is valid. Look on the site for a street address and phone number, and verify whether those are valid. Be wary if the seller’s only contact information is a post office box.
  • Pay with a credit card. It is best to use a credit card when shopping online, because, under federal law, the shopper can dispute the charges if he or she doesn’t receive the item.
  • Review refund and shipping policies. If you can’t find the terms and conditions, ask the seller through an email or telephone call to provide them to you in writing.
  • Keep documentation of your order. After completing the online order process, a shopper should be provided with a confirmation receipt. BBB recommends printing a copy of the confirmation and any indication of the expected delivery timeframe for future reference.

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About Amy Fowler

As an investigator for BBB, Amy reviews local businesses who have been accused of bad customer service, poor ethics or downright illegal behavior. When she finds examples of bad business practices that harm consumers, she reports them to the public. Sometimes those reports are simply added to a company’s BBB Business Review so consumers can make informed decisions. In more serious cases, she will write a press release for the BBB website, alert the local news media or write a post for watchyourbuck.com, the blog for BBB Serving Central, Coastal, Southwest Texas and the Permian Basin. She started her career in customer service while earning a degree in journalism from the University of North Texas. She moved on to work as a reporter and editor for several local newspapers before coming to BBB. She is passionate both about writing and giving people the information they need to make smart choices for themselves and their families — two passions that blend perfectly in her work at BBB.