Elinoff Gallery Neal Elinoff Claim a signature of Chagall authentic but not provide certificate of authenticity accordingly Teluride, Colorado

The ONLY authorized authenticators of a work of art by Marc Chagall are the members of the COMITE CHAGALL, their President is at the following address:

Mr Jean Louis PRATT President of Fondation Maeght 06570 Saint Paul FRANCE

their phone number is:

+33 4 93328163

Best wishes,

ArtBuff

"Bobby" essentially wrote that the owner of the business filed a bankruptcy over 3 years ago.

Yes.  It's true.  But the business did not file a bankruptcy, only one of it's owners did.  Donald Trump had to file a bankruptcy.  Lots of people have had to file to preserve company jobs and protect the interests of the creditors.  The courts make sure of that. 

It would be good to know what Mr. Bobby's complaint is, other than to disparage the business?  He made a purchase and returned demanding a refund when it was clear in our policy that he agreed to and signed off on that we would not refund his purchase and that it was a final sale. 

So then he threatened our staff, all captured on video.

And now he wrote a rip-off report.  We've been in business for 22 years, since 1991, with tens of thousands of satisfied clients but every once in awhile, someone blows their budget, blame us, then bad mouth us and call themselves "victims".  It's disgusting but we just have to put up with it sometimes. 

We run our business using the highest, ethical standards of the JVC and we're graduate gemologists.  If he has a legitimate beef other than "I just blew my budget and I want a refund" we're here to listen to him.

 Sir I can truly feel your heart ache as I have just experienced the same type of ripoff.  the amount 10k.  I was most remiss in not reviewing this site nor looking up reviews on this establishment before making a purchase of this size.  I am thanking you though for standing up to this type of dishonesty.  I to was taken advantage of today 12-31-13 and have filed a report on this establishment especially after finding out that the owners and business have filed bankruptcy on 4 million dollars yes four million dollars and for those creditors I feel terrible for them ...ouch i know it hurts! know that I am so sorry for you guys. this bankruptcy is public recorded info and not heresey.  To all you other consumers out there that have been taken advantage of by this establishment and others that have wrong us consumers we must unite and prevent these types of individuals from taking adavantage of other trusting consumers.. My whole families Christmas Vacation and New Years celebration has been severly tarnished.  

Ahh...it justs gets more interesting: The Certificate of Authenticity i received from Mr Elinof and his gallery seem to be not recognized in the Arts world . The certificate issued me is from The National Arts Guild and signed by George Kopel.  There is no information available anywhere on george Kopel or the National Art Guild where these certificates come from. No phone number. No address. No contact information!! And  to look it up on the internet and all you find is stories that back up my initial claim. This Art Dealer is dealing in misrepresentation and useless COA. Please do your own research before buying anything from this supposedly prestigious gallery in the resort town of Telluride Colorado. Don't get taken like i did!

I stated that i believe (and actually do know) the lithographs to be authentic. That was never the issue herein. My point is that the gallery owner clearly refuses to authenticate the signature .He stands to lose no money other than his profit made from me.
Over the years in my travels to other reputable gallerie and dealers i have seen these same (book edition) prints but always unsigned. Every one has told me that it is highly unlikely that these prints bear an authentic signature. And indeed even Mr. Elinoff now tells me it cannot be substantiated.
 As i was charged 5 times more for each print then what it sells for without the signature, it seems to me I should receive substanciation to the dealers claim. This he refuses and says tuff luck you vindictive poor boy !??
 All these years i have wanted to believe these Signatures were authentic; However, consistently over the years I have been told that it is not likely .  Now  I am embarrassed to display these prints. I am not looking to make a profit here I am only asking that  the gallery substantiate their claim or refund me the money paid in good faith, without interest.
 He claims I am vindictive and must be in financial hardship? I now believe he is trying to distract from the issue at hand:  either substantiate the signature on the authentic lithos cut out from an edition Chagall book or refund my purchase . I think maybe it is him whom is greedy and does not want to give up the extra $10,000 profit he made on unsigned prints!

Dear Reader,

The complainer states that the Certificate of Authenticity is vaguely
worded.  He states his case, "My point is: this certificate should say
complementary signature by the artist, not simply a complimentary
signature" (sic)

The dictionary definition of signature is as follows:

1. One's name as written by oneself.
2. The act of signing one's name.  However, there is also a third definition, ie,
3. The name of a person or a mark or sign representing his name, marked by himself or by an authorized deputy

By deductive reasoning, the person who signed the piece is the person whose name is signed, except in the 3rd case, in which case it may be signed by an authorized deputy.

So the complainer is right.  There is no way to know.  The only evidence that the signature is authentic is by a signature expert, for which I am not.   However, that doesn't diminish the fact that the artwork is indeed, authentic, whether or not it was signed by the artist or his deputy.

He purchased these lithos in early 2003.  However, he approached us by telephone last week, June 28th, 2012. Waiting 9 years to lodge a complaint about whether the artist or his deputy signed an original litho is beyond reason.   I think there is something else going on. 

Many people are experiencing financial hardships at the moment.  Business is down, unemployment is up and the economy is in the toilet.  I think he wants a refund because he needs money and when we only offered
him a store credit, he got angry and vindictive.

He's enjoyed these authentic lithos for years and I hope that he continues to enjoy them for generations and not get hung up on the wording of the COA.  If there was no COA, it would not change the authenticity of the art, nor does having a COA validate the authenticity of the signature. 

It is authentic art done by the artist represented and the issue of whether or not the artist or his deputy signed the work cannot be confirmed or denied by the COA.