solidARTy.org - art fundraiser project

Ha ha let me tell you my side of the story

Bought piece in December 15. Chased and waited 6 months before I received it. Yes Borondo not always there but he does have a woman who works for him.

Anyway during this 6 month waiting I chased but did not moan or complain. Piece got shipped by them and I sent them the money for the shipping.

Piece arrived as you can see an Aliminium piece with all the corners badly bent. More pics avail if anyone wants to see. Sent him and Sasha pics via the lady in his office. This is the mail she sent back re the damage.

Hi John,

This sounds even stranger to us! There's no chance that anyone damaged it before to pack it since I made the first packaging and then brought it to MBE to add an extra layer or packaging and the rigid box where it was contained so sounds crazy.
Maybe the postal service opened it to check the content but if you say that the packaging wasn't damage can't be like this.

I'll update you as soon as I'll be able to talk with MBE.

As you can see she says there was no damage and she paled it but accepts that the pics show it is now damaged.

Here is her follow up email

Hi John,

I talked with Gonzalo and he's surprised and so sorry too. We don't know what to do since the piece and package left Rome in perfect conditions and so we feel lost as you in this situation. Do you have a photo of the entire piece to see if further to the corners of the plate also the image has been damaged? Just to check the piece in its entirety.

Thanks,
Chiara

Again as you can see she says was in perfect condition not like the photos show. Now is quite a big piece and was a charity thing. So did no jump on my high horse etc. I sent the below email. Yes was pissed
at the damage etc. But just thought like his work if he gives me a little something to make up for the damage all is good. Easy I thought he must have loads kicking around he does sketches at shows etc do no hassle. Sent this

Thx Chiara

Checked with my Bro and he is pretty sure
it was packed this way. As it arrived very well packed.
Or it was damaged and repacked

As you can see from the pics it is pretty
damaged all over. Particularly the corners and
does have a bit of a chunk out on one bit
Will ask my bro for a complete pic

Will also send you copies of all he sent think
I did send most.

No interest in this getting daft or a fall out etc.
Do not expect a refund from the Charity etc.

As a bit of a suggested solution one is.
You guys take a look at the damage see what
you think. If Gorondo would be willing to do a little
additional piece for me to make up for it or if he has
Something kicking around his studio in whatever
format. I love his work so that would be a solution
for me
Whatever that is you guys decide and that's fine
by me. I will of course pay the postage again.


So thought the above was a pretty friendly amicable solution that involved no costs for anyone other than me. He could just quickly sketch or something lying around etc. done deal.

They sai no to this as donated the piece and no damage to the central image. Which is a bit like buying a print with bent corners and saying but the image is ok!!

Now yes money went to charity but it was not a donation the piece was auctioned with a starting price at just below or around market value. So Zi said if being like this and they do not want to do a little something then either give money back or replace the damaged piece.

Anyway Sasha got involved and after discussions with me and then he sent me this

On May 19, 2016, at 11:09 PM, Sasha Bogojev (saL) <bend98@gmail.com> wrote:

Hey John,

Sorry for the wait but I just mailed with Chiara and they agreed on my suggestion to work out a replacement panel for you.

They will send you detailed photos of the new panel before anything starts shipping and if you're ok with it, they will send it to you as soon as they receive back the one you have now.

Im guessing I'll take care of the shipping costs, so I really hope this solution will work for you.

Please think about it and let me know your thoughts.

Thank you for your patience and I'm looking fwd to hearing back from you.

Cheers,
Sasha

I accepted and said would send piece back soon as I returned to the UK on June 22nd.

As per mail they were supposed to send me pics but received nothing.

Soon as got back to UK chased Sasha on the pics of the piece so could and started to pack up the piece for shipping..

Hi John,

so here is the email I got from Chiara.

As you can read here and as we spoke previously and as Gonzalo confirmed me personally - these plates were never mint or intended to be sold as such. He decided to donate one only cause of the good cause. They were used as part of install, and in the printing process before that, so they all have holes, bends, dents, marks, etc. Some more, some less, but that is how they all look. To swap one for the other will cost everyone some time, and me some money (I have to cover this out of my pocket), so I'd like to ask you to reconsider your decision one more time please.

If it helps, I can paypal you €50-70 to ease the pain, cause after we settle all the shipping (which will cost me way more), you'll still have a very similar piece with slightly less dents/creases/etc.

Let me know what you think


He offered 50-70 now he had committed to me to pay for the return so 80 roughly and then them for the new piece so 80 again. I had paid 80 and had already bought two pieces of light ply to put it between to send it back. So said I wanted a €100 and that was fine I would go with it and keep the piece. So again trying to be fair and get it sorted .

So done deal just send it Tony pay pal or do the replacement which ever you want Iwill do.

Then after all this he says been on phone to his mates now he is doing neither as piece was perfectand not damaged. Here are pics of a perfect not damaged piece

I asked him to reconsider we spoke on phone and he refused all he promised. I think I have acted properly in all of this. So now I am putting it on Igram and responding to here

http://instagr.am/p/BHJvVtNBZ5E

http://instagr.am/p/BHJwlCTBHs-

People can think or say what they want.

This is not about money and never has been

I ordered piece paid etc etc. never really complained

Even when it was delivered in a mess

Here was my solution and the key to why this is now a mess

Anyone who thinks this is s bad solution would love to hear why not .

daft or a fall out etc.
Do not expect a refund from the Charity etc.

Do not want to argue get daft or a fall out etc.
Do not expect a refund from the Charity etc.

As a bit of a suggested solution one is.
You guys take a look at the damage see what
you think. If Gorondo would be willing to do a little
additional piece for me to make up for it or if he has
Something kicking around his studio in whatever
format. I love his work so that would be a solution
for me
Whatever that is you guys decide and that's fine
by me. I will of course pay the postage again.


So artist turned down reasonable solution. Sal tried to sort after that made promises to exchange. Which was agreed.

He met with artist discussed and withdrew when in actual fact going back as he does at shows he could have knocked out a quick squiggle sketch a bit of an apology etc and done. You can see from the above at outset I demanded nothing. Just a bit of a sort out.

I asked yesterday Sal to sort this he refused. I can as pole dance said afford the piece so the money does not matter. However the fact that the artist in my view is a twat and Sal went against his agreements after 8 months. No where in the sales does it mention damaged etc. then sorry I do not want other collectors treated the same. This whole thing has been a mess not of my making and it has even started to make me question the whole concept of what is going on.

He wasnt the one listing it, I was. It was stated they were part of install so I never expected tgem to be mint. But yes, stating it at first would obviously change the course of this and again, Im really sorry I didnt do that.

This thread will be temporary blocked if we keep discussing these personal issues. The thread should be informing us about the fantastic work of the fundraiser and the pieces that are up for auction.

I suggest sal and Johnny continue this privately as both sides have already expressed their grievances.

We love j and s on here and both contribute to this forum

Done and done.

Also I did not introduce the topic to the forum he did.