Complaint Review: Top Auction Items.com

I seem to have a very similar story with this company as many other people in this site. The company address ( 6130 W. Flamingo Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89103 ) is always the same but the company one is talking to differs. In my case the company was Top Auction Items.com. Here is my case:

I bought an artwork from an online auction (www.invaluable.com) from a company called TopAuctionItems.com. The artwork was supposed to be an original Claude Monet pencil drawing but several art experts here in my country (Finland) let me know that it was a lousy counterfeit. I contacted the auction house who told me to ship the item back to them and insure it for $1,000. At this point I was already suspicious since previosly, according to them, the artwork should have been worth $65,000-$70,000 and when I bought it I insured it for the same amount as I bought it ($11,172) - did they know that it was a counterfeit? Once they received the package they told me that the insurance company had broken the artwork (which was worthless according to the art specialist that I used).

The day after, they said that the artwork was indeed a counterfeit but that it was still worth $5,000 - $6,000 (without showing me any documents). I asked them to refund me the full amount + all expenses (incl. shipping). They said that they will pay me only the amount of the painting minus their fee and minus the worth of the artwork now ripped. I asked them on several occations to show me some documents regarding the worth of the artwork but they could never provide it. Suddenly, they started to say that I ripped the artwork (which they previosly claimed that the shipping company broke) and that their attorneys are saying that I'm trying to fraud them. They never sign their messages (even if I have asked them to do so), so I never know to who I am talking to (occasionally they sign it Lady or Mary).

Finally they decided to pay me the refund but they paid me $3,500 less than what I had paid saying that the artwork is ripped. They told me to take the $1,000 from the insurance company since they were the ones who broke it. For several months I have tried to ask them for the documents that the insurance company needs (estimation of the cost of repair of the artwork from a 3rd party who is specialised in art). At the beginning they just sent me several messages saying that it cannot be repaired. Then they sent me an estimation from PostalAnnex (which of course wasnt valid). PostalAnnex was the same company to whom I paid the shipping and insurance at the first place when I bought the artwork. The contact person for PostalAnnex is one of the two persons whose name I have: Darryl McCullough. The other person is Mary Wilson from Wilson Antiques and Art. She is the art specialist that the auction house "hired" to make the repair estimation (email wilsonantiquesandart@gmail.com).

Few messages from the auction house were occationally signed Mary or Lady, so I am thinking if both Mary are the same person. Mary Wilson sent me a short email saying that the artwork cannot be fixed. When I asked her for a document on paper as well as additional information on her company and her education, she quit responding. I have sent both of the companies several emails but they are not answering any more. Her last email was "I see the auction house helped you   best", which is written in the same style as the other company use to send (did they mix up their emails?). After months of fighting and getting a chronic heartburn (doctor's documents available) from all the stress I am still missing around $3500 from what I have spent/paid (approximately the same amount as other people seem to be missing from the same company). I have all the emails saved from the conversations with all the companies, as well as all the files and pictures. At this point, I have contacted the local authorities and my attorney. I am really hoping to finish this terrible experience and to get both my money back and find a peace of mind.

DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM ANY COMPANY RELATED TO THIS ONE!