A Switcheroo Illustrates Why Not Everyone's Sold on Vacation Art Auctions

Summer break is beginning. You might dream of a nice, cool beverage in your hand. But you might wind up raising an auction paddle instead.

When you go on vacation, there’s a good chance you’ll see an art auction pop up on a cruise or at a resort. They’re advertised as auctions for regular folks. But beware before you bid. Some viewers had ugly brush-ups that required our intervention. 

Downtime, Paddles Up

On YouTube, Park West Gallery features a thumping video called “Art for Everyone.” The video paints a picture of Park West’s open-door art auctions on cruise ships and at resorts. 

“The champagne’s flowing, and next thing you know your [paddle] is up and you’re buying art,” said Jonathan Castaing in South San Francisco. He’s previously bought artwork from Park West on a cruise. And he was happy. 

Recently, Park West invited him to a local auction at a Half Moon Bay Resort. They would even put him up for the night. Jonathan accepted the invitation. 

He snapped a photo that day, after latching onto Salvador Dalí’s “Purgatory 25.” Jonathan said he paid about $9,000 for it, with shipping and fees. 

His new Dalí was embossed and numbered in the lower-left corner. “Nine of 25,” he noted. 

But, when Park West delivered, Jonathan immediately knew it wasn’t the same piece.

A Switcheroo

“Zero number on it, zero stamp,” he said. “It was a copy. Flat out. It was not the exact same art.” The barcode on the art also did not match Jonathan’s receipt. 

So, he complained to Park West. And asked where his Dalí was. Castaing said a rep explained it this way: “‘Oh, that art is lost, so we sent you this one.’” Castaing wanted a refund. “She said, ‘We can offer you store credit.’ And I said, ‘That’s not an option for me.’”

Stuck in limbo with “Purgatory 25,” Jonathan asked us to help him get his refund. Our team emailed Park West about the switcheroo. The gallery then took back the replacement piece and refunded Jonathan’s $9,000. 

“It wouldn’t have happened without you,” he said. 

A ‘Simple Mistake'

A Park West rep said cases like Castaing’s are “rare” and offered this explanation: “A simple mistake by the person filling the order caused the wrong artwork to be shipped, so we simply refunded our customer to ensure their satisfaction.”  

We asked why it took our intervention for Jonathan to get his money back. Park West did not reply. We wondered if Park West ever found the correct Dalí. Also, no reply.

“How many other people are in this situation,” Castaing asked. 

We can tell you about one other case: in 2018, two Rembrandt etchings were key to a case we handled. A Sacramento viewer said he paid Park West $7,000 for them on a cruise. He later tried to sell the pair. Appraisers told him the etchings had zero market value. We stepped in. Park West then gave him his money back. Park West said it, “fully and finally resolved this dispute.”

The viewer told us he signed a non-disclosure agreement, so we could not interview him.

How to Protect Yourself

“More often than not, your viewers would be doing this as an impulse purchase,” said Lance Fung, a former art gallery owner who now teaches art classes at San Jose State University.

We asked him about buying art on a cruise or at a resort. Fung says if you have an empty wall, a stuffed wallet, and you’re comfortable, go ahead. But if you’re new to art and not sure who’s who or what’s what --maybe downing free champagne and feeling pressure -- he has a one-word recommendation: “Pause,” Fung said.

“There is absolutely no urgency in buying art on a cruise ship or on holiday,” he said.   

If you think you’re investing in art, do some research online before you bid. Find out who the artist is and how their pieces are priced outside the auction. Fact check the auctioneer. 

“The cruise is like a week or two weeks. You have plenty of time to do your research,” Fung said. 

Look Locally, Minus the Pressure

Fung says you’ll find art for sale locally – no auction required. Ideally, you can take home what you buy that day. If an art dealer has to ship it, Fung says to demand a detailed receipt that proves you will get what you bought, not a copy. 

Also: have your camera ready.

“The picture was one of the biggest things that saved me,” Castaing said. He recommends immediately snapping photos of the paperwork and the art itself as he did. Also: flip the artwork over. 

“You want to look at the back,” he said. Look for a tag or barcode. Snap a photo of that, too.

“Protect yourself,” Castaing said. 

You can also pay with your credit card to protect yourself. If something goes south, open a dispute with the credit card company to get your money back. Here's a video showing you how.

Have a consumer complaint? Let us know, so we can help.