Print the value of index0
Robert L. Reese Antiques Ripoff, fraud, Shipping broken items, guaranteeing and charging for insurance but not providing it, refusing to refund any money, Reported to local police and FBI FloridaOcala Florida
I purchased two items from Robert L. Reese antiques. A bronze blackamoor table and a bronze dore' statue. The cost for both items was $15,000. I found them on the ormolu.com website. I emailed the site and contacted Kelly Reese Fesperman, the sister of Robert Reese. In doing so I found the company had been moved from Atlanta to Ocala, Florida.
I spoke with Ms. Fesperman and she said that she would only accept a personal check from me and would ship the items out only after my check had cleared. My check cleared on 6/23/05 and I had to contact her by email twice in order to have her ship the items to me.
She shipped the items Fed Ex, uninsured, although she charged me for insurance in the amount of $199.25. She stated in her email that $150.OO of the amount was for insurance. I finally received the items on July 14th.
When I opened the box I was shocked. The blackamoor table was in pieces. The marble top was broken in half and the feet had been separated from the rest of the table. I saved the box and took detailed pictures of it. There was no damage to it.
That was not the only problem. She did not send the blackamoor dore' statue. She sent a large empire plateau.
I emailed Ms. Fesperman immeadiately and stated that I wanted to return the items. She emailed me back and said that I should return them, but she would only refund my money when she received the items back in the condition in which she sent them.
When she did receive them, she blamed me for all of the damage. She said that I broke the table and tried to rub the gilding off. She went even further and said that I put a large gouge in the mirror of the plateau. She said that she would not refund my money until she could have an antiques restoration professional repair them. Then she would deduct that amount from the $15,000 that I paid her.
I was outraged that someone would intentionally send not only broken items, but the incorrect ones and claim negligence on the part of the consumer. This was after she charged me for insurance and refused to place it on the items.
I put Robert L. Reese in Yahoo on July 21st and the first item that appeared was a rip off report. I could not believe it. I contacted the Ocala police department and the FBI. She is currently under investigation.
BUYER BEWARE, DO NOT PURCHASE ANTIQUES FROM ROBERT L. REESE ANTIQUES!!!!
They obviously have a history of breaking items and sending them uninsured. They will refuse to accept phone calls and will not respond to emails.
Randy
Houston, Texas
U.S.A.
9 Updates & Rebuttals
Randy
Houston,Texas,
U.S.A.
Dealer removed from several antique search sites
#10Author of original report
Thu, September 01, 2005
Dealer has been removed from several antique search engines in an attempt to keep the company from stealing money from any other customers. Removed from listantiques.com and goantiques.com. I am in contact with several others in order to minimize the criminal activities.
The company has also been reported to the IRS for fraud. How could a company possibly report stolen money as income. This report is in addition to the FBI, FTC and local Ocala police.
Randy
Houston,Texas,
U.S.A.
Ormolu.com continues fraudulent activities
#10Consumer Comment
Sat, July 30, 2005
I checked the Ormolu.com website today. The two items have been placed on an "appraisal pending" basis. I am sure this is to try to continue to blame me for the damage. This is after she made me pay her for insurance on the items and did not place it on them.
Quote from Kelly Reese Fesperman,
"The shipping will be $199.25, $150 of which will be for $15,000 of insurance."
I also noticed that two sections of the Robert L. Reese website have been deleted in the About Us section.
They are as follows:
"You may buy with 100% confidence that any item you purchase from us is guaranteed as described and we stand behind the Authenticity of all our items we offer for sale."
"Our objects are expertly packed and all items are sent INSURED with signature confirmation and tracking numbers to insure safe and prompt delivery."
It is amazing how quickly their website changed, after they claim to have been in business for twenty years and have never had a complaint before. I believe this is because I contacted their website manager about why they would allow one of their on line vendors to operate a business in this manner.
They are attempting to cover up what they have already done. It is too bad for them that I have copies of every webpage with date signatures on them and their emails, since I began this transaction.
Ormolu.com and Kelly Reese Fesperman are attempting to steal $15,000 from me, just as they stole $7600 from the man in Philedelphia.
Instead of refunding my money and being honest, they would rather change their website and refuse to have contact with a customer who purchased items from them in good faith.
Larry
Tucson,Arizona,
U.S.A.
Reese's website
#10Consumer Suggestion
Sun, July 24, 2005
I looked at www.ormolu.com. It sure looks impressive at first. But then I noticed that all these "antiques" look like they are brand new. Where have you ever seen so many antiques in such good condition?
I looked at the blackamoor table and noticed that there is scant evidence to support his claim that it was made in France between 1800 and 1805. He talks about the style of that era and references some literature, but the history of this piece is absent. No maker, no previous owners, no authentication. Certainly nothing to justify that $9750 price tag.
I also looked at several other random items and found that none had a history for that particular item. I don't know much about antiques but it seems that a person offering items in this price range ought to be able to authenticate the item.
India and Pakistan have thriving industries making cheap reproductions of collectible items. Is this table 1805 French or 2005 Indian?
It sounds like Reese has your money and all the physical evidence that would prove you were scammed. What a slick operator.
Reese probably does not accept credit cards because those can be reversed. Once he cashed your check you were screwed.
You may have one more thing on Reese. He charged you for insurance but there is no proof that he purchased any from a licensed insurer. That would mean that Reese is operating his own insurance company, in effect. What are the chances that he has a license to do that? You might want to check Florida statutes to see whether this is a criminal violation and/or whether there is state insurance agency that can force him to pay your insurance claim.
Larry
Tucson,Arizona,
U.S.A.
Reese's website
#10Consumer Suggestion
Sun, July 24, 2005
I looked at www.ormolu.com. It sure looks impressive at first. But then I noticed that all these "antiques" look like they are brand new. Where have you ever seen so many antiques in such good condition?
I looked at the blackamoor table and noticed that there is scant evidence to support his claim that it was made in France between 1800 and 1805. He talks about the style of that era and references some literature, but the history of this piece is absent. No maker, no previous owners, no authentication. Certainly nothing to justify that $9750 price tag.
I also looked at several other random items and found that none had a history for that particular item. I don't know much about antiques but it seems that a person offering items in this price range ought to be able to authenticate the item.
India and Pakistan have thriving industries making cheap reproductions of collectible items. Is this table 1805 French or 2005 Indian?
It sounds like Reese has your money and all the physical evidence that would prove you were scammed. What a slick operator.
Reese probably does not accept credit cards because those can be reversed. Once he cashed your check you were screwed.
You may have one more thing on Reese. He charged you for insurance but there is no proof that he purchased any from a licensed insurer. That would mean that Reese is operating his own insurance company, in effect. What are the chances that he has a license to do that? You might want to check Florida statutes to see whether this is a criminal violation and/or whether there is state insurance agency that can force him to pay your insurance claim.
Larry
Tucson,Arizona,
U.S.A.
Reese's website
#10Consumer Suggestion
Sun, July 24, 2005
I looked at www.ormolu.com. It sure looks impressive at first. But then I noticed that all these "antiques" look like they are brand new. Where have you ever seen so many antiques in such good condition?
I looked at the blackamoor table and noticed that there is scant evidence to support his claim that it was made in France between 1800 and 1805. He talks about the style of that era and references some literature, but the history of this piece is absent. No maker, no previous owners, no authentication. Certainly nothing to justify that $9750 price tag.
I also looked at several other random items and found that none had a history for that particular item. I don't know much about antiques but it seems that a person offering items in this price range ought to be able to authenticate the item.
India and Pakistan have thriving industries making cheap reproductions of collectible items. Is this table 1805 French or 2005 Indian?
It sounds like Reese has your money and all the physical evidence that would prove you were scammed. What a slick operator.
Reese probably does not accept credit cards because those can be reversed. Once he cashed your check you were screwed.
You may have one more thing on Reese. He charged you for insurance but there is no proof that he purchased any from a licensed insurer. That would mean that Reese is operating his own insurance company, in effect. What are the chances that he has a license to do that? You might want to check Florida statutes to see whether this is a criminal violation and/or whether there is state insurance agency that can force him to pay your insurance claim.
Larry
Tucson,Arizona,
U.S.A.
Reese's website
#10Consumer Suggestion
Sun, July 24, 2005
I looked at www.ormolu.com. It sure looks impressive at first. But then I noticed that all these "antiques" look like they are brand new. Where have you ever seen so many antiques in such good condition?
I looked at the blackamoor table and noticed that there is scant evidence to support his claim that it was made in France between 1800 and 1805. He talks about the style of that era and references some literature, but the history of this piece is absent. No maker, no previous owners, no authentication. Certainly nothing to justify that $9750 price tag.
I also looked at several other random items and found that none had a history for that particular item. I don't know much about antiques but it seems that a person offering items in this price range ought to be able to authenticate the item.
India and Pakistan have thriving industries making cheap reproductions of collectible items. Is this table 1805 French or 2005 Indian?
It sounds like Reese has your money and all the physical evidence that would prove you were scammed. What a slick operator.
Reese probably does not accept credit cards because those can be reversed. Once he cashed your check you were screwed.
You may have one more thing on Reese. He charged you for insurance but there is no proof that he purchased any from a licensed insurer. That would mean that Reese is operating his own insurance company, in effect. What are the chances that he has a license to do that? You might want to check Florida statutes to see whether this is a criminal violation and/or whether there is state insurance agency that can force him to pay your insurance claim.
Larry
Tucson,Arizona,
U.S.A.
Ripoff artist at work
#10Consumer Comment
Sat, July 23, 2005
Randy,
Just a few days ago someone else posted an almost identical complaint against Robert L. Reese. Like you, the buyer had spent thousands of dollars and was told that the items would be insured. They charged the buyer for insurance but did not actually insure the goods. Upon arrival, the items were damaged beyond repair.
Then the same story: the seller says the buyer damaged the goods after he received them and they won't refund the buyer's money. The seller even claimed that the buyer should not have accepted delivery from Fedex if the items sealed inside the box were damaged! So it's the buyer's fault for not having x-ray vision.
The other buyer says that filed a lawsuit against Reese and won by default. Of course, trying to collect on that judgment may be a bit harder.
Robert Reese seems to be a major league scam artist. Is he actually selling valuble antiques that get damaged in transit or is he sending out broken reproductions knowing that no one will have the pieces appraised by an expert?
Randy
Houston,Texas,
U.S.A.
Kelly Reese Fesperman said Robert Reese had passed away, how could he have sent a rebuttal
#10Author of original report
Sat, July 23, 2005
When I first started doing business with Kelly Reese Fesperman, she stated that her brother had passed away in May. I see that this may not be true, as he typed a rebuttal on 7/21/05 in reference to the $7600 urns.
This rebuttal was only sent after I alerted Kelly Fesperman that Robert L. Reese antiques was listed on ripoff.com and that I would report her for fraud if she did not return my money.
Also notice in the rebuttal that it says nothing about insurance, just how carefully they had wrapped the urns and that Robert personally oversaw this task. Kelly Reese Fesperman charged me for insurance, but never provided it. The website states that all items are insured as well.
She also claimed that she personally wrapped the blackamoor table and that it was in great condition. Then when the antiques arrived, she claimed that I broke the items.
I would suggest that no one do business with Robert Reese Antiques. He has judgements against him and his sister is being investigated for fraud by the authorities. Furthermore, the location has changed from Atlanta to Ocala. Has Robert really passed away?
Randy
Houston,Texas,
U.S.A.
Broken item placed back on the website for sale
#10Author of original report
Sat, July 23, 2005
I checked the Robert L. Reese website today, July 23, 2005. The broken blackamoor table has been placed back on the website for $9750. It is item #129316, stock #T0181.