- Report: #159187
Complaint Review: Park West At Sea - Carnival Cruise Lines - Southfield Michigan
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Author Confirmed
Why?
Park West At Sea - Carnival Cruise Lines
29469 Northwestern Southfield, 48034 Michigan, U.S.A.
Phone:
800-521-9654
Web:
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Investigation: feel confident about doing business with Park West - commitment to 100% customer satisfaction to resolve any and all issues. Over 1 million clients - the majority repeat customers, excellence in the art industry.Rip-off Report Investigation: Park West receives a POSITIVE RATING from Rip-off Report -commitment to providing excellent customer service, pledges its commitment to 100% customer satisfaction - over 1 million satisfied clients - feel confident & secure when doing business with Park West Gallery
Rip-off Report Investigation:
Park West gets a POSITIVE RATING from Rip-off Report and is fulfilling its commitment to provide excellent customer service. Park West joins the Rip-off Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program and pledges to resolve any and all legitimate complaints.
Customers can feel confident and secure with Park West. Park West pledges its commitment to 100% customer satisfaction and friendly, personal service. Our investigation found that Park West has had a reputation of excellence in the art industry since its founding in 1969. Over 1 million clients - the majority of whom have been repeat customers. The number of complaints Park West received on Rip-off Report in comparison to the number of satisfied clients is incredibly low Less than one complaint per year posted on our website for every 50,000 clients. Park West at Sea received the Porthole Magazine Reader's Choice Award for the Best Art Auction Program". Park West auctions are a highly anticipated event for many cruise vacationers. All Park West art is certified authentic; an independent audit revealed that Park West has never had to issue a refund based on authenticity!
The Park West call center operates seven days a week with courteous personal attention always putting the customer first. Park West believes one complaint is too many that is why they approached Rip-off Report and requested to join Rip-off Report's Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program. Our investigation revealed that Park West truly cares about its clients, and makes every effort to provide an excellent level of service to each and every one of them.
Read more about Park West and their commitment to total customer satisfaction and why consumers should feel safe and confident when doing business with a member of Rip-off Report's Corporate Advocacy Program.
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NOW TO THE ORIGIONAL REPORT THAT WAS FILED
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Park West At Sea And Carnival Cruise Lines ripoff, con artists, snake oil salesmen, fraudulent misrepresentation, knock-off kings Southfield Michigan
August 14-21, 2005 Park West Gallery and Carnival Cruise Lines
Our dream vacation turned into a financial and emotional nightmare. Our "new friends" at Park West Gallery,
"America's number-one art dealer", according to their website and their very smooth-talking salesmen on the Carnival Cruise Ship Victory, managed to woo my friend and I into a sense of total trust and confidence in them and their "art" work.
Though each of us works in the civil service field, giving you and idea of our "not so prosperous" income level, we were able to purchase over $30,000.00 in art. We were told that our artwork was being bought at "lower than land" prices. We were assured that Park West Galleries, being the "largest gallery in the U.S.",was a reputable and honorable establishment. We could trust that we were getting an absolute bargain!. We were assured that our artwork would appraise well above the gallery price.
WE WERE HOOKED, later to be battered and fried.
Upon returning home, we went to work finding our artwork online to get an idea of what a wonderful deal we had gotten. Our hopes were quickly dashed with just a few searches of our specific purchases. The "ship" prices we paid were no where near the base prices from other galleries throughout the U.S.
They were absolutely exorbitant. Most of our purchases were valued and available for immediate purchase at a much lower price.
We contacted Park West Gallery and spoke with someone about our account. We were told that they would get back to us in 48 to 72 hours. After 8 days with no response, we called Park West Gallery again. The week of waiting had taken its toll on my friend. She was becoming ill due to the stress. When she spoke to Jackie at Park West Gallery she explained that due to her health problems and the fact that she had spent well beyond her means, she needed help from Park West Gallery. She would return the artwork, much of which arrived damaged which further increased her emotional distress, and begged them to credit her account so she would not have to file bankruptcy.
Park West Gallery told her "all sales are final". They didn't care about the emotional stress that she was in, the financial difficulties, nor the fact that their customers were being duped by their misleading sales tactics. After having been passed on to a "supervisor", she was told that Park West Gallery was NOT the merchant and could do nothing about her problem, that she would have to contact Carnival Cruise Lines who were "actually" the merchants for the sale of artwork on their ships. She was also advised to speak with her creditors, one of which was opened for her ON the cruise ship under the name of Park West, a credit line that is available to ship customers for their artwork purchases.
My friend contacted Carnival Cruise Lines and spoke with Kevin Johnston (Special Advisor to the Office of the President in Guest Relations). She explained her situation and Mr. Johnston was sympathetic, however, he explained to her that Carnival Cruise Lines was NOT the merchant and other than registering her complaint, could do nothing to help her. He did advise her that we should have been able to return the artwork within 30 days to receive full credit. She informed him that she had made the original request within the time frame and was told "all sales are final". He also suggested that she contact her creditors and call Park West again. He informed her that this was NOT the first complaint that Carnival had received about Park West Gallery and was not the worst complaint received.
So, here we sit with 30,000.00+ worth of artwork, which has a real life value far less than what we paid for, much less than what we were told it was valued at on the ship. My friend is not even able to sell the artwork to recoup the money she is paying for it to get out from under the financial debt due to the deceptive sales practices of Park West Gallery.
Add to this her emotional distress over the fact that so many of the pieces were received in damaged condition and the fact that her good faith efforts to correct this problem were not only ineffective but unheard by our "new friends" at Park West Gallery. They would rather see her file bankruptcy than to deal in a fair and honest manner.
I wonder how many people are out their suffering the same fate as my friend because of the deceptive sales practices of Park West Gallery. I also have to question the partnership between Carnival Cruise Lines and Park West Gallery and the fact that Carnival Cruise Lines, having had other complaints, is still
"in bed" with Park West Gallery. Carnival Cruise Line serves up its guests to Park West Gallery to be fleeced in their isolated and controlled venue.
Shame on you Park West Gallery and Carnival Cruise Lines. You have turned my friend's only cruise experience into a total nightmare and a life-altering financial disaster.
R
Waterbury, Connecticut
U.S.A.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Carnival Cruise Lines
Park West gets a POSITIVE RATING from Rip-off Report and is fulfilling its commitment to provide excellent customer service. Park West joins the Rip-off Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program and pledges to resolve any and all legitimate complaints.
Customers can feel confident and secure with Park West. Park West pledges its commitment to 100% customer satisfaction and friendly, personal service. Our investigation found that Park West has had a reputation of excellence in the art industry since its founding in 1969. Over 1 million clients - the majority of whom have been repeat customers. The number of complaints Park West received on Rip-off Report in comparison to the number of satisfied clients is incredibly low Less than one complaint per year posted on our website for every 50,000 clients. Park West at Sea received the Porthole Magazine Reader's Choice Award for the Best Art Auction Program". Park West auctions are a highly anticipated event for many cruise vacationers. All Park West art is certified authentic; an independent audit revealed that Park West has never had to issue a refund based on authenticity!
The Park West call center operates seven days a week with courteous personal attention always putting the customer first. Park West believes one complaint is too many that is why they approached Rip-off Report and requested to join Rip-off Report's Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program. Our investigation revealed that Park West truly cares about its clients, and makes every effort to provide an excellent level of service to each and every one of them.
Read more about Park West and their commitment to total customer satisfaction and why consumers should feel safe and confident when doing business with a member of Rip-off Report's Corporate Advocacy Program.
=====================
NOW TO THE ORIGIONAL REPORT THAT WAS FILED
=====================
Park West At Sea And Carnival Cruise Lines ripoff, con artists, snake oil salesmen, fraudulent misrepresentation, knock-off kings Southfield Michigan
August 14-21, 2005 Park West Gallery and Carnival Cruise Lines
Our dream vacation turned into a financial and emotional nightmare. Our "new friends" at Park West Gallery,
"America's number-one art dealer", according to their website and their very smooth-talking salesmen on the Carnival Cruise Ship Victory, managed to woo my friend and I into a sense of total trust and confidence in them and their "art" work.
Though each of us works in the civil service field, giving you and idea of our "not so prosperous" income level, we were able to purchase over $30,000.00 in art. We were told that our artwork was being bought at "lower than land" prices. We were assured that Park West Galleries, being the "largest gallery in the U.S.",was a reputable and honorable establishment. We could trust that we were getting an absolute bargain!. We were assured that our artwork would appraise well above the gallery price.
WE WERE HOOKED, later to be battered and fried.
Upon returning home, we went to work finding our artwork online to get an idea of what a wonderful deal we had gotten. Our hopes were quickly dashed with just a few searches of our specific purchases. The "ship" prices we paid were no where near the base prices from other galleries throughout the U.S.
They were absolutely exorbitant. Most of our purchases were valued and available for immediate purchase at a much lower price.
We contacted Park West Gallery and spoke with someone about our account. We were told that they would get back to us in 48 to 72 hours. After 8 days with no response, we called Park West Gallery again. The week of waiting had taken its toll on my friend. She was becoming ill due to the stress. When she spoke to Jackie at Park West Gallery she explained that due to her health problems and the fact that she had spent well beyond her means, she needed help from Park West Gallery. She would return the artwork, much of which arrived damaged which further increased her emotional distress, and begged them to credit her account so she would not have to file bankruptcy.
Park West Gallery told her "all sales are final". They didn't care about the emotional stress that she was in, the financial difficulties, nor the fact that their customers were being duped by their misleading sales tactics. After having been passed on to a "supervisor", she was told that Park West Gallery was NOT the merchant and could do nothing about her problem, that she would have to contact Carnival Cruise Lines who were "actually" the merchants for the sale of artwork on their ships. She was also advised to speak with her creditors, one of which was opened for her ON the cruise ship under the name of Park West, a credit line that is available to ship customers for their artwork purchases.
My friend contacted Carnival Cruise Lines and spoke with Kevin Johnston (Special Advisor to the Office of the President in Guest Relations). She explained her situation and Mr. Johnston was sympathetic, however, he explained to her that Carnival Cruise Lines was NOT the merchant and other than registering her complaint, could do nothing to help her. He did advise her that we should have been able to return the artwork within 30 days to receive full credit. She informed him that she had made the original request within the time frame and was told "all sales are final". He also suggested that she contact her creditors and call Park West again. He informed her that this was NOT the first complaint that Carnival had received about Park West Gallery and was not the worst complaint received.
So, here we sit with 30,000.00+ worth of artwork, which has a real life value far less than what we paid for, much less than what we were told it was valued at on the ship. My friend is not even able to sell the artwork to recoup the money she is paying for it to get out from under the financial debt due to the deceptive sales practices of Park West Gallery.
Add to this her emotional distress over the fact that so many of the pieces were received in damaged condition and the fact that her good faith efforts to correct this problem were not only ineffective but unheard by our "new friends" at Park West Gallery. They would rather see her file bankruptcy than to deal in a fair and honest manner.
I wonder how many people are out their suffering the same fate as my friend because of the deceptive sales practices of Park West Gallery. I also have to question the partnership between Carnival Cruise Lines and Park West Gallery and the fact that Carnival Cruise Lines, having had other complaints, is still
"in bed" with Park West Gallery. Carnival Cruise Line serves up its guests to Park West Gallery to be fleeced in their isolated and controlled venue.
Shame on you Park West Gallery and Carnival Cruise Lines. You have turned my friend's only cruise experience into a total nightmare and a life-altering financial disaster.
R
Waterbury, Connecticut
U.S.A.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Carnival Cruise Lines
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Ellie
Scotland,Europe,
United Kingdom
Eyes Wide Open
#2Consumer Comment
Tue, October 11, 2005
I don't want to seem too unsympathetic but this sounds a bit like shoppers guilt to me.
I've bought art from Park West at sea and i know i spent more than i should have.
However, I blame me! I got carried away with the excitement of it all and had few glasses of bubbly, liked what i saw so i bought it!
Maybe my art isn't worth the huge amounts suggested but i like it so does it matter. You don't cruise to become an art mogul -you cruise to have a nice vacation and if you get some nice souvenirs, great!
Damaged art is a different issue - in the UK we have a Sale of Goods Act which protects you if you receive faulty goods and the couriers will be insured against damage. Also, if you bought with a credit card, most credit cards offer protection on these issues. Check out your card issuer.
However, at the end of the day, you don't ahve to go to the auctions and you don't have to buy. If you wouldn't walk into a gallery at home and spend $30K why do it on a ship? If you had lost the money in the Ship's casino you wouldn't be blaming them!
I know that what is perceived as bad service is disappointing but sometime we need to get real! No-one forced you into spending money so if you've put yourself in a difficult positions sell what you can and get over it!
I don't imagine I'll buy from an onboard auction again as i know i am too easily carried away, but I like what I bought and know it was me that spent all my money, not Park West!
I hope you get your situation sorted out though.
