Misrepresentation in selling mass produced art

**Jewels4u** · 09-06-11, 14:04

@ Lilythepink

The links that OliveArt gave here is the paintings I bought myself on ebay. As you can clearly see from the links I have lost money on the artworks and did not make a dime. Yes, I am not familiar with the art terms as I am actually a jewelery seller and just tried a new direction to feel the waters. I copied the advertisement from ebay as is into bidorbuy and according to me, if something was not a "print" it was an original. This mistake was truly done then out of "not knowing".

By last night close to ten o clock, I was very frustrated for two reasons. First of all wasting my money and having to mail these artworks at a loss. And secondly because of community watch mails flying around the whole day and I was terrified they will block me while I had no intention of being dishonest and also having a lot of jewelery on auction and would have had go under if bidorbuy decided to block me at that stage.

I know I was nasty and I know my answer was nasty and I am asking your forgiveness for this here on the forum. I was just a bid fed up with the whole issue going on the whole day and then getting your mail just before closing time. But, I know, I was snappy and that was unnessary.

Thus, please forgive me.

I still have a few paintings coming thatI have already bought and are already sorry that I did, which I will advertise differently, and after that I will stick to jewelery which is at least a topic I know more about.

I hope you all understand.

Greetings

elize

**Jewels4u** · 09-06-11, 14:29

Afterthought.

If you look at the prices the art reached and you see what I have paid for it and you add postage, customs and bidorbuy fees you will clearly see that I have lost R500 on my art expedition. So, if it will make anyone feel better, I am not retiring on my three "misrepresented" artworks sold last night. Hehehe

**ATA STAMP CENTRE** · 09-06-11, 15:20

Originally Posted by Jewels4u

@ Lilythepink

The links that OliveArt gave here is the paintings I bought myself on ebay. As you can clearly see from the links I have lost money on the artworks and did not make a dime. Yes, I am not familiar with the art terms as I am actually a jewelery seller and just tried a new direction to feel the waters. I copied the advertisement from ebay as is into bidorbuy and according to me, if something was not a "print" it was an original. This mistake was truly done then out of "not knowing".

By last night close to ten o clock, I was very frustrated for two reasons. First of all wasting my money and having to mail these artworks at a loss. And secondly because of community watch mails flying around the whole day and I was terrified they will block me while I had no intention of being dishonest and also having a lot of jewelery on auction and would have had go under if bidorbuy decided to block me at that stage.

I know I was nasty and I know my answer was nasty and I am asking your forgiveness for this here on the forum. I was just a bid fed up with the whole issue going on the whole day and then getting your mail just before closing time. But, I know, I was snappy and that was unnessary.

Thus, please forgive me.

I still have a few paintings coming thatI have already bought and are already sorry that I did, which I will advertise differently, and after that I will stick to jewelery which is at least a topic I know more about.

I hope you all understand.

Greetings

elize

HI
You must be complimented in admitting you made a mistake and apologising for the remarks.Not many (if any)of us are able to do that.In my estimate this has raised you to another level.
All the best
NEIL

**Miss Jewels** · 09-06-11, 15:40

Hi Elize. No, unfortunately retirement will be put on ice for a few more years!

**mellowred** · 09-06-11, 16:03

Ai Elize, at least when you do retire it will be with a clear conscience ... would be nice to have several million and a clear conscience though hey!

Glad to see you have a sense of humour despite the bad experience.

**Wild Olive Art** · 09-06-11, 16:16

Hello Elize

It is a shame that you have been taken for a ride by the seller of these artworks on ebay. Admittedly , they are attractive paintings and I can see how someone not familiar with the art world can believe that these are original works of art , particularly considering the wording in their ad . Unfortunately it is often the case these days,with art being sold on ebay in particular, that unless the history of the painting can be traced as well as an artist biography it is likely that it is a reproduction.

Obviously this seller has hit on a good thing , I noticed that she has sold a number of copies of these paintings and ebay , being the size it is , would find it difficult to control the number of items that I am sure are misrepresented there.
It's also quite possible that other countries do not have the same degree of consumer protection that we have here and it's ok for the seller to carry on business without the threat of any legal recourse.

I think very often us South African buyers assume that the description of goods being sold is an honest description, we seldom investigate further and this leaves us open to being taken for a ride. Fortunately with the new consumer protection act , as buyers we now have solid legal recourse which means as sellers, we need to be very careful in describing the goods we sell honestly and accurately.

I see you sell really beautiful jewellery and I did notice yesterday that you have very good ratings. I am sure that you would not intentionally list incorrectly or try to deliberately misrepresent an item .

Thank you for clarifying the issue with us here on the forum , it is much appreciated.

**Jewels4u** · 09-06-11, 17:59

Hi Olive Art

Yes I have paid a lot of school fees with the jewelery as well. I suppose its part of the business. I am sorry that I have stepped on the real artists toes in the artists section sticking my nose into an area I know little about, although I do love art. But seeing that retirement will not happen this week, I will still be around for a while, but mostly in the jewelery section where I belong (after I have sold my other wrong art buyings).

Glad I have met some of you though, I was not really very aware of the forum section untill I have heard I am a celeb around here. Hihihi

Will show up here now and maybe get to know who is who a little more.

@ ATA STAMP CENTRE, thank you for your kind words, but you know how it is. You go to bed with a headache and feel actually good if you can just at least snap at SOMEONE before you go to bed. But then the next morning the guilt steps in......