I recently had two limited and numbered art pieces framed at this shop, and unfortunately, my experience was far from satisfactory. Despite providing clear photos for reference (at their request, I had sent it to them via text), the frames were reversed on the two pieces and borders and matting completely done opposite of what I had requested. When I pointed this out, the owner asked me to return the next day for a correction.
Upon my return the next day, I discovered smudges on the lighter of the two pieces, which were not there when I initially brought them in, wrapped carefully in tissue wrapping paper. The owner suggested that it's possible that they came in damaged prior. These pieces were brand new and had never been opened prior to me dropping them off.
In a respectable and calm manner, I expressed my disappointment and frustration to the owner, only to be met with excuses and a dismissive attitude. I had asked them if they had used gloves to handle the pieces and he replied that they do not use gloves when handling pieces unless they are glossy photos or works—implying that gloves would have not been worn in my case, although my pieces seemed delicate in nature. His resolution was to take a white eraser to attempt to remove the stain or smudge from the white artwork. He worked at it a bit and tried his best to remove as much as he could, but I asked him to stop after a while because I didn't want to damage the fibres of the artwork any further. I also noticed that the frame on the darker piece was chipped in 2 spots. I showed him the damage and he made a comment about how the some of the frames were made in China and there was no quality control on what they would receive. But then later when I asked about how to remove finger prints from I thought was on the frame he said that the frames came from Italy and the gold foil was like that naturally? I was told that ‘nothing is perfect’ and I should not expect perfection because they can't promise that. Then he had the audacity to mention to me that he has been in business for over 40 years. Not sure if that was meant to make me feel better about my experience with them or not. You would think a business being open 40yrs would pay attention to the smallest detail. Especially being in the art display/showcase industry. And to my surprise he didn't seem to want to resolve my concerns after all that was said and done. In retrospect I believe he should have taken the damaged frame back and replaced it with a new undamaged frame. But this was never offered. Instead, to add insult to injury, the owner offered a small discount, only covering the HST part of the bill, which felt like a slap in the face considering the limited nature of my art pieces and the lack luster quality of service provided to me. I wanted to just leave at this point and I did.
Additionally, upon reflecting on my experience and reading through other reviews of the shop, I’ve noticed a concerning pattern (I know I should have done my research first, this is completely my fault). It seems that the owner’s dismissive attitude and lack of accountability are not unique to my situation. Numerous other customers have shared similar experiences of dissatisfaction, and the responses to negative reviews reflect the same dismissive attitude that I encountered. This only further solidifies my disappointment and reinforces my decision to caution others against using this framing service.
Overall, I am extremely disappointed with the service and lack of care and attention to detail at this framing shop. I expected a much higher level of service, especially given the value and rarity of my items and the nature of the business. I would caution others to think twice before entrusting their valuable pieces to...
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