How to Buy Art Online with Confidence
Have you considered buying original art online? Today, more and more collectors are turning to the internet to make their art purchases. They have become increasingly confident, letting go of past woes of fraud, and payment and shipping uncertainties. The best part is, they are acquiring quality art from the comfort of their homes.
If you decide to join the online art buying revolution, you should know a few things before clicking the ‘Buy Now’ button.
- Choose a reputable seller. Research the seller on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) listing and see if they have good ratings on Google.
- Buy from an online company that lists a physical street address and/or has a real-person telephone support service.
- Find out if the company has a return policy and review it carefully.
- If you are making an international purchase, shop on sites that are physically established in countries with stable legal systems. This will be to your benefit if you incur a legal matter regarding your purchase.
- Compare the artwork shown with the description provided. Make sure the description is exactly what you are viewing, if not, authenticity is questionable.
- Take a moment to research the artist, the price history of the work, and the sale price of other works by the artist to confirm you are making a good investment decision.
- Know the size of the artwork you are purchasing to make sure it fits in the space you desire to place it.
- Make sure the work is authentic. If the site does not provide a certificate of authenticity, try using an outside source to confirm authenticity
- Confirm you are purchasing on a secure site so that your personal information (credit card number, mailing address, etc.) is protected.
- Pay with means that are traceable. Choose a payment option that provides you a payment or receipt number that you can track.
- Request for insured and tracked shipping. Have the seller provide you a tracking number of the delivery along with a confirmation of the insurance coverage amount if possible.
This list will help you make a more educated decision when buying online. So go and click your way to your next great art purchase.