Fine Art Auction and Antiques

Before bidding: • HAC strongly recommends the all bidders, whether they are representing a purchaser or personally bidding, request as much information BEFORE placing any bids. This includes condition reports, additional photos, authenticity, provenance, other documentation, or any other major concerns. If there are any doubts after receiving the available information regarding a lot, we advise you to not bid on that said piece. • Any statement regarding a condition of a lot is provided a courtesy to the bidder. Conditions are opinions and no statement provided by an employee of HAC should be treated as a fact, guarantee, warranty, or representation. If there is no condition provided, that does not mean that the lot is in new/perfect condition or lacks any imperfections such as wear and tear, aging, etc. • Be aware that all items are sold AS IS and while HAC makes every effort to describe and catalogue these items correctly, neither they nor the consignor makes any guarantees, warranties, representations – expressed or implied – of the correctness of catalogue, or the following: physical condition, size, quality, rarity, importance, provenance, exhibitions, literature or historical relevance of the property, or otherwise, unless where stated and applicable under the Terms and Conditions for Fine Art. • HAC has the right to request identification from any prospective bidder new to the bidding process of HAC. • HAC reserves the right to require a deposit be accompanied with a bidder’s request to bid via an absentee bid or telephone. • HAC has the right to modify or delete any lots, names, or other information provided, without warning or announcing said changes. Bidding • Bidders are permitted to register online directly through the platforms the auctions will be conducted through, by telephone, or absentee form. • Bidders who choose to bid online do so at their own risk. HAC is not responsible for lack of/slow internet, glitches, web page errors, or any other connections problems. HAC also does not guarantee that certain websites are free from viruses. • The bidder is personally responsible for any and all bids from his/her account, regardless if he/she mistakenly bid, another person had control of the account, or accidentally bidding against oneself. This also includes any bidder that is representing a purchaser. • HAC has the right to deny a bid from any bidder. • HAC auctioneers possess the sole and final say on determining the successful bidder. In the event of a tie between an absentee bidder and a live bidder, the lot will be granted to the live bidder. • If a lot is subjected to a reserve when offered, HAC may bid on behalf of the consignor, open the bidding at the select amount, repeatedly bid, or bid in response to other bidders to achieve the set price. • Consignors shall not be permitted to bid on their own items. • The highest bidder shall be appointed the successful winner. He/she will be the purchaser of the offered lot, assume full risk and responsibility, and agree to pay for the purchase in full. The purchaser, upon bidding which hereby binds them to these terms and conditions, will also sign a confirmation of purchase if requested. Invoices • Invoices will be emailed to the registered email address within 24 hours of the conclusion of the auction. Payment is due upon receipt of the invoice. After one week, HAC reserves the right to force change any card provided when registering to bid. After 21 days, HAC does not guarantee that the offered lots will still be available to the purchaser. • Disputes will be opened on purchaser for the following reasons: • Refusal to pay partial or total amount on the invoice • No contact after winning the offered lot • Exceeding the allotted time to pay • HAC is not required to close any disputes after payment is made. • Payments can be made by: personal or business check, bank check, wire transfer, money order, Mastercard, Visa, Discover and PAYPAL. HAC does NOT accept cash or American Express. • HAC exercises the right to require a check or wire transfer be made for high value invoices. • HAC can at anytime or for any reason request a binder to pay their invoices via the method of our choosing. • Available methods of payment are HAC website, over the telephone, through a third party (example PAYPAL), and bank transfer. This is not an inclusive list of methods and is subject to change at anytime and at our discretion. • If a purchaser chooses to pay with a check, the items will not be shipped until the check has cleared. A fee will be charged for a bounced check. • All invoices provided include our 25% NON-REFUNDABLE buyer’s premium which the purchaser is responsible for paying even if he/she decides after winning the lot, that he/she does not wish to purchase the item in question. The invoice will also provide a shipping and handling quote. • If the purchaser believes that any charges provided on the invoice are incorrect, it is the responsibility, as the purchaser to address all concerns pertaining to the invoice to HAC BEFORE paying the invoice. Disputes will not be opened on a purchaser with a late payment awaiting a revision to an invoice, if the concern is addressed within a timely manner. Shipping and Handling • All items are to be packed, shipped, or transported at the purchaser’s risk and expense. • HAC offers premium in-house shipping and an estimation is automatically included on the invoice. If a quote is not included on the invoice, the purchaser must contact HAC to arrange shipping of the item(s). • The in-house shipping quote is not obligatory and therefore it may be removed, however purchasers must sign a waiver (click HERE to download waiver form) absolving HAC of the requirement to ship until HAC is notified in writing of the arrangements the purchasers made for shipping. • HAC does not offer a “pick-up” option. All items will be packed and shipped or packed and dropped off. Regardless, items will be packed to insure safe transport no matter the destination, and a fee will be applied for the packaging and trip to the third-party shipper. • If a purchaser wishes to have different lots of the same invoice sent to different addresses, this must be stated before invoices are issued, and he/she will be subject to a greater shipping charge. • HAC will ship all items within 10 business days after payment is received. This excludes larger and high value items that special arrangements may need to be arranged for. All winnings must be paid for and removed from HAC within 2 weeks of payment, unless an agreement was reached before the sale. After the 2 weeks, storage fees will be charged. • HAC is not responsible for covering VAT charges for international buyers. Upon registering to bid, international buyers, are agreeing that they understand this auction house is based in the United States. • Purchasers are responsible for providing the correct address to ship the package(s) to. HAC will not be held liable due to wrongly provided shipping instructions. • If a buyer wishes to use a different shipping address than the address, which was provided at the time of registering for the auction, or sees an error regarding a shipping address, it is their duty to notify HAC as soon as possible. • HAC will do their best to email tracking numbers to the email addresses provided on the invoice. If there is an error in the address when the purchaser receives the tracking number, they must notify HAC as soon as possible to find a resolution. • The shipping quote provided on the invoice includes the cost of fully insuring the items in transit. If the purchaser wishes to opt out of insurance, HAC must receive a written compliance indicating the purchaser assumes liability and responsibility of said items in transit. Click HERE to download form) • HAC will not be held liable for lost, stolen, or damaged items in transit Authenticity • HAC guarantees the authorship of a lot for 30 days from the date of receiving the item, and only to the original purchaser on record of the lot in question. The original purchaser must have remained the owner of the lot without transferring the lot to the possession of a third party. All guarantees stated herein apply only to the purchaser of the item(s) on the invoice issued by HAC. These guarantees are non-transferrable • If authenticity of any lot is questioned, the purchaser will be required at least one statement from an accredited expert, neutral to the purchaser and auction house, in the given field. Statements of inauthenticity must include an official letterhead, state the lot(s) in question, and be signed and dated to be deemed acceptable. This will be done at the purchaser’s expense. • If an item is deemed inauthentic, HAC will issue a refund equal to only the hammer and buyer’s premium. Shipping and handling costs, along with any applicable taxes, will NOT be included in the refund. • Returned lots must arrive in the same condition the purchaser received it in, and must be returned within one week’s time of the determination of inauthenticity. It is shipper’s responsibility to insure all items for their full value, and cover the cost of returned shipping regardless of the reason of return. HAC will NOT reimburse shipping costs on returned items. • Refunds will not be processed until HAC is in possession of the item(s) in question and in cases regarding authenticity until we are satisfied with the findings provided by third parties. • If it is mutually agreed upon between the auctioneer and the purchaser, the purchaser may opt to receive credit with HAC instead of a refund. This agreement must take place in some form of writing and cannot be changed after a decision is concluded. • Refunds will not be issued based on physical condition, provenance, or COAs, if the bidder did not request and receive the needed information regarding the piece before the start of the auction. • All content, including (but not limited to): descriptions, photos, condition reports, provenance, additional information, and COAs, that are produced and property of HAC is a courtesy and shall not be duplicated or published elsewhere without consent of Hockessin Auction