Shipping, Delivery and Returns

1Scope

This policy governs the shipping, delivery, and returns of lots purchased through the house, whether purchased by timed auction or at a fixed price. It applies to every buyer and supplements the house's conditions of sale, which govern the purchase itself. By completing a purchase, the buyer agrees to this policy.

2Payment Before Dispatch

The house invoices every purchase. A lot is not packed or dispatched until the invoice, including the price paid for the lot, any buyer's premium, applicable tax, and shipping charges, has been paid in full and the funds have cleared. To confirmaccepted payment methods and their respective clearing times, e.g., wire transfer clears in 1-2 business days; card payments clear on authorization. A payment made by To confirmpayment method subject to a hold, if any may be held until the house confirms the funds have cleared before a lot is released for shipment.

3Handling Time

Once payment has cleared, the house packs and ships a lot within To confirmhandling time, e.g., 3-5 business days of payment. Lots requiring To confirmcircumstances requiring longer handling, e.g., custom crating or third-party specialist packing may take longer to prepare for shipment, and the house will notify the buyer if handling will extend beyond the usual window. Handling time is separate from, and in addition to, the carrier's transit time.

4Shipping Quotes

Shipping is quoted per lot, based on the item's size, weight, fragility, declared value, and destination. To confirmhow a shipping quote is produced and delivered to the buyer, e.g., generated automatically at checkout for standard lots, or issued individually by the house for oversized, fragile, or high-value lots. The house ships using To confirmcarrier(s) the house uses, e.g., a named parcel carrier for standard lots and a specialist fine-art or collectibles shipper for high-value or oversized lots. A buyer who requests a particular carrier, service level, or freight forwarder does so at the buyer's own expense, and any resulting cost above the house's standard quote is added to the invoice.

5Packing Standards

The house packs each lot, or arranges for its designated shipping partner to pack it, using materials and methods suited to the item's nature, fragility, and value. To confirmdescription of packing materials/standards by category, e.g., archival sleeves and rigid mailers for graded cards and paper, acid-free tissue and solid outer cartons for ephemera, custom foam-lined crating for larger or higher-value items. Where a buyer directs the house to release a lot to a shipper of the buyer's own choosing, packing performed by that shipper is outside the house's control, and the packing standards and the transit protections described below do not apply to it.

6Insurance and Declared Value

The house insures each shipment for To confirminsured amount, e.g., the price paid for the lot plus any buyer's premium, through To confirmname of insurer or description of the house's shipping insurance program. The declared value shown on a shipment reflects the invoice amount for the lot unless the buyer requests a different value in writing before dispatch. A buyer who instructs the house in writing to ship a lot uninsured assumes the risk of loss or damage in transit from the time the lot leaves the house's premises.

7Title and Risk of Loss

Title to a lot passes to the buyer only once the invoice has been paid in full. After payment, risk of loss or damage passes to the buyer To confirmpoint at which risk transfers, e.g., upon tender of the lot to the carrier, or upon delivery, except to the extent a shipment is insured as described above, in which case a covered loss is resolved through the insurance claim described under damage and loss claims below.

8Tracking

The buyer receives tracking information by To confirmnotification method, e.g., email once a lot ships. The buyer is responsible for monitoring the shipment's progress and for being available to receive it, including making arrangements for a signature where one is required.

9Signature for Higher-Value Lots

A lot with a declared value above To confirmdollar threshold, e.g., $2,500 requires an adult signature on delivery. The house may also require a signature on a lower-value lot at its discretion, including where the shipping address does not match the name on the invoice. A buyer who asks the house in writing to waive a signature requirement assumes the risk of loss once the carrier records the parcel as delivered.

10Local Pickup

Local pickup is available for lots To confirmpickup terms, e.g., at the house's premises in [city, state, by appointment during posted hours]. A buyer collecting a lot in person must present To confirmidentification requirement, e.g., a government-issued photo ID matching the name on the invoice, and, where someone else is collecting on the buyer's behalf, that person must present To confirmauthorization requirement, e.g., written authorization from the buyer together with the representative's own identification. The house's responsibility for a lot ends once it is released at pickup to the buyer or the buyer's authorized representative; the packing and insurance provisions above do not apply to an item's onward handling or transport once it has been released.

11Undeliverable and Refused Parcels

A parcel returned to the house as undeliverable, unclaimed, or refused remains the buyer's purchase, and the buyer is responsible for the original purchase price and for the cost of reshipment. To confirmstorage fee, if any, and the timeframe after which an unclaimed, returned parcel is treated as an abandoned lot under the section below. The house is not responsible for a failed delivery caused by an incomplete or incorrect shipping address supplied by the buyer, and any resulting reshipment cost is the buyer's responsibility.

12Damage and Loss Claims

A buyer must report a shipment that arrives damaged, or a shipment that has not arrived, in writing to To confirmclaims contact, e.g., a named email address within To confirmclaim window, e.g., 7 days of the delivery date shown by the carrier, or, for a shipment that never arrives, within To confirmclaim window measured from expected delivery. The buyer must retain all original packing materials, the shipping carton, and the lot itself pending resolution of the claim. Where a shipment was insured as described above, the house's obligation to the buyer is limited to pursuing the insurance claim on the buyer's behalf and remitting the proceeds it recovers; where the buyer declined insurance in writing, the house has no obligation to reimburse the buyer for loss or damage that occurs in transit.

13International Shipping, Duties, Taxes and Export Restrictions

The house ships internationally to To confirmcountries served, or countries excluded from international shipping. A buyer outside the United States is responsible for all customs duties, import taxes, brokerage fees, and any other charges the destination country assesses on the shipment; these are not included in the invoice or the shipping quote unless the house states otherwise in writing. Certain lots, including those containing To confirmmaterials subject to export or import restriction, e.g., ivory, certain protected woods or wildlife products, or other regulated materials, cannot lawfully be exported to, or imported into, certain jurisdictions. It is the buyer's responsibility to confirm, before bidding, offering, or purchasing, that a lot may lawfully be shipped to the buyer's location. Where export or import of a lot is restricted or prohibited, the house may decline to ship it and will work with the buyer on alternatives, including local pickup or shipment to an alternate address the buyer designates.

14Returns

All sales made through the house are final. The house does not accept returns based on a change of mind, and a bid accepted at auction or an order placed at a fixed price may not be cancelled by the buyer after the fact, except as set out under the authenticity guarantee below. This applies equally to lots purchased at timed auction and lots purchased at a fixed price.

15Authenticity Guarantee

If a lot is shown not to be as described in its catalog listing as to authenticity, attribution, or period, the house will refund the buyer the price paid for the lot, any buyer's premium, and any tax collected on the purchase. This refund is conditioned on the house receiving written notice from the buyer within 14 days of the lot's delivery or pickup. To confirmnotice procedure and any supporting documentation required, e.g., where notice must be sent and whether a supporting opinion from a recognized authority in the relevant field must accompany it. The authenticity guarantee does not extend to a lot's condition; a dispute over condition is addressed under the conditions of sale and the applicable condition report, not under this guarantee. The guarantee applies alike to lots purchased at timed auction and lots purchased at a fixed price.

16Abandoned Lots and Unpaid Invoices

A lot not paid for within To confirmpayment deadline, e.g., 7 days of the invoice date is subject to the house's remedies for non-payment set out in the conditions of sale, To confirmcross-reference to the relevant section of the conditions of sale. A paid lot that is neither scheduled for shipment nor collected within To confirmtimeframe, e.g., 90 days of the invoice date is treated as abandoned. The house may charge a storage fee of To confirmfee amount or rate for a lot held beyond that period and, after To confirmadditional written-notice period written notice sent to the buyer's address on file, may resell or otherwise dispose of the lot and apply the proceeds toward storage and administrative costs, with To confirmtreatment of any remaining balance, e.g., remittance to the buyer or forfeiture per house policy.

(Draft -- counsel to finalize.)