Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/24/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Date of Transaction: February 25th, 2024 Bond Street Auctions sent out a FLASE Advertisement claiming that their products were certified and authenticated. The items that were purchased from Bond Street Auctions are UNAUTHENTIC and the Appraisal Certificates are also FALSIFIED. They do not originate from reputable organizations and lack essential elements such as serial numbers, signatures, or seals. The FAKE Certificates and Appraisals also have obvious spelling errors. The Jewelry that was sold to me was misrepresented. Upon consultation with a certified gemologist, it was revealed that the estimated value of the jewelry piece is substantially lower than the appraisal provided by the auctioneer, further highlighting the discrepancy. With an approximate difference of $80,000. The receipt describes the ring as containing "Pink Diamonds," which is inaccurate upon inspection by a certified gemologist. All of the items that were sold from the Merchant were not as described, and backed up with falsified documents. The total amount that was paid over to Bond Street Auctions is $47,742.00. This total amount was paid for UnAuthentic Items and two pieces of Jewelry that was falsely advertised, misrepresented with fake appraisal papers as well. After contacting the merchant, he originally agreed to refund me, however he has not answered any of my contact attempts since agreeing. The merchant has failed to fulfill his commitments, including scheduled meetings. Attempts to contact the merchant have been unsuccessful, indicating a lack of willingness to address the issue.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/02/2024

   Dear Concerned Party.

  
  Thank you for bringing your concerns regarding the advertisement and authenticity of the items purchased from Bond Street Auctions on February 25th, 2024, to our attention. We appreciate the opportunity to address your grievances.

  
  We understand your dissatisfaction and wish to assure you that Bond Street Auctions takes every measure to ensure the accuracy and integrity of our auctions. Our advertisements undergo thorough scrutiny to comply with industry standards, and our products are sourced from reputable suppliers,undergoing rigorous authentication processes prior to sale.

  
  Regarding the authenticity of the items and the validity of the appraisal certificates, we stand by the professionalism and integrity of our appraisal process. Our certificates originate from reputable organizations and contain all necessary elements to validate their authenticity. Any suggestion of falsified documents is unfounded.

  
  We would like to clarify that the jewelry appraisal in question was provided by a third-party certified gemologist several days after the sale,on 2/28/24. This appraisal was not intended to influence your purchase decision and could not have done so due to its timing. We stand by the descriptions of natural pink diamonds and all other items offered in our auctions.

  
  We acknowledge your dissatisfaction with the variance between the appraised value and the valuation determined by your independent gemologist. However, it's crucial to consider that valuation can fluctuate due to diverse factors, such as market dynamics and the methodologies employed by individual appraisers. Rest assured, our appraisal procedures adhere to industry standards and are conducted with utmost integrity. Whats more,upon reviewing your appraiser's documentation, we identified rudimentary errors that detracted from its credibility, rendering it unreliable and therefore unable to be taken seriously.

  
  Regarding the Certificate of Authenticity for the the painting created by the Artist *****, we stress that it was authenticated by ***** himself, rendering any claims of falsity baseless.

  
  Additionally, it's worth noting that the buyer has not provided any evidence to prove that the pieces purchased are "UNAUTHENTIC". We take accusations of falsified documents seriously and would welcome any evidence the buyer may have to support their claim.

  
  Furthermore, It is important to note that as a licensed auction house, we represent both the buyer and the seller. Consequently, after a sale,the auction house is contractually obligated to pay out the seller for items sold. This policy necessitates a no-refund policy for buyers, a condition agreed upon by signing the terms and conditions of the sale as well as the final invoice. (Documents attached.)

  
  We empathize with your desire for a refund, and we have endeavored to facilitate this process. However, it is essential to acknowledge that waiting over three weeks during peak season to request a refund adversely affects the seller, as it keeps the item off the market, potentially leading to missed opportunities for sale. Therefore, the seller has made a final decision not to proceed with the refund.

  
  Furthermore, the buyer made false accusations to our bank, asserting that they did not wire the funds into our account and accusing us of committing bank fraud. these false accusations have the potential to damage our relationship with the bank.

  
  At this point, we ceased communication with the buyer when they threatened to disrupt our events and indicated the possibility of sending a family member, whom they claimed to be a police officer, to harass us. This behavior is unacceptable and does not align with our commitment to providing a safe and professional environment for all participants in our auctions.

  
  Lastly, we believe the customer has acted in bad faith and has made and continuous to make unfounded accusations and defamatory statements. We are committed to upholding the integrity of our business and will take appropriate action to address these baseless claims.

  
  We appreciate your feedback and are committed to addressing any further concerns in a timely and satisfactory manner. Please do not hesitate to contact us directly at ************ to further discuss this matter or explore potential resolutions.
  Sincerely,
  ***************************- Bond Street Auctions

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/06/2024

   
  Complaint: 21606328
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  While I appreciate your efforts to address the issues raised, there are several points that I would like to clarify and respond to. 
  
  The Certificate of Authenticity for the ART PIECES please note ATTACHMENTS #1, #2, DO NOT come from a certified and reputable ART APPRAISING COMPANY. Before I get into detail and point out all the problems that are highly visible in the forged appraisals, let's begin with a simple investigation of ********************** ******* which I also urge the Better Business Bureau to investigate. 
  
  Knowing that Art appraisers are experts with experience and accreditation in fine art valuation, they should be certified in the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and belong to one of the three major accrediting agencies: the **************** of Appraisers, the ********************* of Appraisers, or the ********************** of America. There is absolutely zero indication that the ART appraisals that the merchant provided comes from any of those organizations. 
  
  Next, the discrepancies identified on the appraisals the merchant provided: 
  
  1. OBVIOUS SPELLING ERRORS ON ALL FORMATS: 
  "THE WORK OF ART DESCRIBE HERE IN IS CERTIFIED AS AN AUTHENTIC". Please see attachments. 
  
  The Advertisement (Attachment #3), mailed out to the public claims that ALL ART AND JEWLERY CERTIFIED AND AUTHENTICATED. Once arriving to the auction house, the Merchant made the same presentation to all customers that all ART AND JEWELRY CERTIFIED AND AUTHENTICATED. However, Once purchasing the Art pieces and Jewelry, the merchant did not provide me these documents on the day of purchase. Or in a timely fashion. 
  
  I WILL ATTACH AN EXAMPLE OF AN AUTHENTIC ART APPRAISAL FOR REFERENCE FOR YOU TO SEE. PLEASE FIND ATTACHMENT #4 FOR AN EXAMPLE OF AN AUTHENTIC AND VERIFIED ART APPRAISAL FOR SUPPORTING EVIDENCE AND COMPARE BOTH SIDE BY SIDE. YOU WILL NOT ONLY FIND DIFFERENCES, BUT YOU WILL ALSO COME TO FIND THAT IT IS UNPROFESSIONAL FOR AN AUTHORIZED ART APPRAISAL PERSON TO MAKE SPELLING MISTAKES, NOT IDENTIFY A DATE OF APPRAISAL, NOT IDENTIFY THEIR APPRAISAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER, PROVIDE NO SEALS OR STAMPS ON THE CERTIFICATION ECT
  
  Adam Levihson provided multiple of these certificates, with the same gold border, pictures, and a pasted description from ****** about the artist. 
  
  Let's discuss the Jewelry that was purchased, firstly I would like to state the timing of the appraisal does not negate the significance of the difference found in the value of the Jewelry. In this scenario the FALSE Appraisal report from the Auction house states an amount of "$99,735.00". Regardless of when a jewelry piece was appraised, the difference between the appraised value and the actual value of the jewelry item raises extreme concerns. We are looking at a difference of $81,735.00 from the auction house report compared to the report that I was provided from an AUTHORIZED, G.I.A ********************************** of **** JEWELRY **** **** ESTABLISHED 1955. Please find attachment #5 and #6 to find the difference between both appraisals. The merchants appraisal is missing stamps and there is NO LIVE signature from the Appraiser. Nothing to identify the authenticity and real value of the items purchased.
  
  I also see that you stated that "This appraisal was not intended to influence your purchase decision and could not have done so due to its timing". Already goes against your commitment as a certified Auctioneer at an Auction House. Your ADVERTISEMENT and your Oral Presentation in the room advertised the value of the jewelry to be worth over $**0,000. 
  
  You stated in your Appraisal that it is worth "$99,735.00". You reassured me and my business partner ******* that the jewelry that was purchased was well worth over $**0,000. You then proceeded to tell us to go to the jewelry district in *** and get it appraised ourselves. 
  Please look at the evidence that you will see right on front of you. I have attached the documentation in picture forms, and you will be able to easily see the differences. 
  
  The next jewelry piece, the ring, arrives with no appraisal at all. Again, this already goes against your terms and advertisements. The ring arrived with 0 certification.
  
  Your Oral Advertisement for the ring emphasized on the Pink Diamonds. Your receipt also reads Pink Diamonds. However, it was declared by a professional and licensed appraisal report that it did NOT in fact have pink diamonds in it. YOU OR ANY REPRESENTATIVE IS FREE TO CONTACT THE G.I.A GEMOLOGIST FOR ANY CLARIFICATION. HERE IS HIS CONTACT INFORMATION BELOW **** JEWELRY COMPANY **** ************. 
  
  In terms of our communication, I have screenshot Messages from our discussion WHICH I have previously provided and will continue to as you wish. The Merchant agreed to a meeting for an exchange of a FULL REFUND and broke his verbal and textual agreement multiple times. In no shape or form did he Empathize or in any way try to facilitate the process. I have the messages and phone call attempts. No response is zero facilitation.
  
  The ignorance of the Merchant is 0 empathizing. I have contacted my bank and have provided them with the same documentation. There was no threat in any disturbance. *********;********* proposed the idea himself for my business partner and I to come to his establishment and do the exchange before GOING MISSING AND NOT ANSWERING ANY OF OUR CONTINUOUS ATTEMPTS. 
  
  The Merchant also has a past of repeating the same actions and catching victims in different states. PLEASE FIND ATTACHMENT #**. Here you will find how *********;**************;has acted in bad faith and has had auction license permanently suspended in different states. This is just general evidence that you will find on the merchant *********;Levinhson - bond street auctions, please note below: "Mr. **************;voluntarily permanently surrendered his North Carolina auction license. This action resulted from Mr. ****************;newspaper advertisements about "************************* Auctions" which were believed to be false and misleading".
  
  I have also come to found that Mr. **************;has had his license suspended in 2018. I will provide evidence AND A LIST OF PUBLIC COMPLAINTS regarding *********;*********, specifically bond street auctions. These Public complaints have resulted in his license suspensionin **/07/2018. Found on Myfloridalicense.com I will also provide screenshots. Attachment #**. Based off Mr. ****************;record, he has had over 4 public complaints from other individuals. 
  
  The Merchant has repeated these actions in multiple cases and scenarios. Not only by falsely advertising but also forging appraisals. This is going to be my last attempt where I will provide the merchant with the chance to settle this and provide an exchange for a full refund for all the items originally purchased. I am hopeful that we can resolve this issue and that they will accept their merchandise back for a full refund as initially promised. 
  
  Please let me know if you have any questions or require any extra documents. 
  
  Sincerely,
  Frensi Myftari

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/06/2024

  These are extra documents relating to my message prior. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/06/2024

  More Documents.