Terms of Sale, Payment and Processing

Due to the nature of the Internet, occasional glitches, service interruptions or mistakes may cause unintended inaccuracies to appear on the Site for which VA cannot be held responsible. VA has the right to correct any inaccuracies or mistakes and to void any purchase of an item displaying an inaccurate price or description. We respect our customers’ privacy and will not share any information with third parties. Minors are not permitted to use the Site and all users must be 18 years of age or older to use this Site.

All items are offered, sold and must be paid in U.S. dollars. The Final Purchase Price for any item includes: (i) the price of the item; (ii) any sales, use, internet or other taxes, fees or levies VA is required to be collected from Buyers under applicable law at the time of sale; and (iii) all shipping, handling and insurance charges. Packing materials, shipping, handling and insurance costs are included when shipping prices are indicated on our site next to the price of item(s). For items listed without a shipping price, all shipping, handling and insurance costs are at the buyer’s expense (see Shipping and Pickup Policies below). All applicable sales taxes and shipping costs will be included and listed separately on VA’s Invoice or Sales Receipt.

Credit card payments are processed through our third party payment processors PayPal and Stripe. Arrangements can be made for personal checks, cashier’s checks, traveler’s checks, money orders or bank transfers but bank transfers must include any bank, wire transfer or other fees. All payments must be cleared through third party payment processors or our bank prior to shipment.

Once a sale is completed, a confirmation (Sales Order or Invoice) will be emailed to the Buyer at which point a binding contract for the sale is created and enforceable. A Buyer can not cancel or revoke a sale unless there was a clear misunderstanding of Final Purchase Price (which includes shipping costs).

If for any reason the Buyer cancels a credit card or any other form of payment after receipt of VA’s sales confirmation, or the Buyer otherwise fails to make a payment for the Final Purchase Price, it will be defined as a “Default” and the Buyer is liable to VA for the Final Purchase Price in full, as well as any additional costs related to the sale of the item(s), including but not limited to applicable taxes, storage, packing and handling fees and any other incurred costs, fees or levies associated with collection of any amount due to VA including but not limited to legal fees and costs related to currency fluctuations. In addition to any other lawful remedies, VA reserves the right to retain any payments paid by Buyer prior to Default with respect to the item(s) as liquidated damages, and to cancel the sale of the item without any further obligation to Buyer.

Resale Professional Courtesy

Upon proof of their status (e.g. a current business card plus a signed resale card and other pertinent documents), professional interior designers and architects may be extended a professional courtesy by VA at its own discretion. All resellers must fill out, sign and date a state Resale License Form and follow all resale procedures.

Gallery Visit

Buyers may visit our home Gallery to view and purchase items only if arrangements and appointments are made and approved in advance.

Shipping and Pickup Policies

VA will make an effort to assure your order is packed and shipped in a timely fashion and will try to ship all purchases not requiring special attention within three business days. All orders are packed and shipped using appropriate, reliable and cost-conscious shipping vendors. Orders cannot be shipped to P.O. boxes and there may be restrictions for shipments to some destinations. Multiple items will be packed together to save shipping costs if this can be done safely. We charge clients for packing materials, shipping and insurance at our actual cost.

VA has two very different shipping policies as follows: Fixed Shipping and Inquiry Only Shipping.

(a) Fixed Shipping

For Fixed Shipping VA uses UPS or USPS to ship purchases. Buyers may purchase items directly through the Site’s checkout system by submitting valid payment information to pay for their order as well as the necessary checkout/payment information VA needs to ship the order. Fixed Shipping by USPS (the U.S. Post Office) covers the continental U.S., and Hawaii and Alaska. Rates for UPS are only valid within the continental U.S. but does not include Hawaii and Alaska. The “Fixed Shipping Purchase Price” is (i) the price on the site for the item, (ii) the Fixed Shipping cost and (iii) any applicable sales, use, Internet and any other taxes, levies or fees that VA is required to collect under applicable law at the time of the sale. We reserve the right to modify Fixed Shipping Rates whenever USPS or UPS raise their prices.

Our Fixed Shipping Rates, which apply only to U.S. locations, are as follows:

$9 USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Box Shipping: Small USPS Boxes normally arrive within 2-4 business days depending on the destination and includes all 50 states.

$10 UPS Simple Rate Shipping: Small UPS Boxes ship to the continental U.S. and excludes Hawaii and Alaska. Hawaii and Alaska customers must complete a Shipping Estimate Form to purchase items and receive shipping quotations. Orders normally arrive in 4-7 days depending on the destination.

$16 UPS Simple Rate Shipping: Medium UPS Boxes ship to the continental U.S and excludes Hawaii and Alaska. Hawaii and Alaska customers must complete a Shipping Estimate Form to purchase items and receive shipping quotations. Orders normally arrive in 4-7 days depending on the destination.

$21 UPS Simple Rate Shipping: Large UPS Boxes ship to the continental U.S and excludes Hawaii and Alaska. Hawaii and Alaska customers must complete a Shipping Estimate Form to purchase items and receive shipping quotations. Orders normally arrive in 4-7 days depending on the destination.

$26 UPS Simple Rate Shipping: Extra Large UPS Boxes ship to the continental U.S. and excludes Hawaii and Alaska. Hawaii and Alaska customers must complete a Shipping Estimate Form to purchase items and receive shipping quotations. Orders normally arrive in 4-7 days depending on the destination.

(b) Inquiry Only Shipping

Items marked Inquiry Only Shipping are for larger and heavier items and for all shipments to Hawaii, Alaska, and international destinations and also applies to orders of more than one item packed together to save shipping charges. Buyers must complete a Shipping Estimate Form to provide us the necessary information to determine shipping, handling and insurance costs. After receiving the completed form, we may need 3-5 business days (or longer for international shipments) to gather multiple shipping quotations for comparisons, identify the most appropriate shipper, contact you to discuss our findings and receive your approval for shipping, handling, insurance and payment.

Buyers may elect to have VA arrange for packing, shipping and insurance. If so, we will provide shipping and contact information including the name of the freight carrier; cost of the shipment from VA to Buyer’s specified address; duties, insurance, sales taxes and any other charges to be paid by the Buyer; insurance provider name, and any other costs and fees including charges for packing, boxing, or crating items. Unless the Buyer specifies otherwise, all shipments will be insured for the full purchase price. Insurance valued below the item(s) Purchase Price is at the Buyer’s risk. No order will be shipped without Buyer’s consent, but when our shipping arrangements are accepted, Buyer will submit valid payment to VA for the Final Purchase Price (see Terms of Sale, Payment, and Processing above). Once Buyer’s payment has been deposited in VA’s bank account and cleared, the order will be packed and shipped. VA reserves the right to correct or cancel any transaction if an error is made in calculating shipping costs. Risk of loss and title for item(s) purchased from VA passes to the Buyer upon pickup by VA’s shipping vendor.

Alternatively, Buyers may arrange packing, crating, shipping and insurance with a company of their choice in which case the Buyers pays associated costs directly to the selected vendor(s). Buyers selected vendor becomes their proxy and Buyer assumes all risks. We require full payment of your order in advance of vendor’s pickup and will need written information on your shipper and the pickup time and date so we can release your shipment. Risk of loss and title for item(s) purchased from VA passes to the Buyer upon pickup by Buyer’s shipping vendor.

VA will provide tracking information and the shipping vendor’s contact information for you to follow your order’s progress and arrange to be home for the delivery. We strongly recommend that irreplaceable antiques should not be left unattended on your doorstep, as neither VA nor the shipping company can be held responsible for items left there. Buyers may request a delivery call in advance of the delivery from the vendor that may be an extra charge. We can also arrange in advance for Buyer to personally pick up their order at our home gallery by appointment only. A local third party pickup can be also arranged in advance but only with Buyer’s direct written approval and documentation that identifies the third party. Items for gallery pickup will be packed for pickup only, not for shipping.

International Orders

VA welcomes international orders and, to avoid potential complications, we require Buyer to contact us personally prior to shipment. We work with major shipping companies specializing in international orders and find safe, appropriate and economical vendors based on the shipping destination. We accept payment through third party payment processors PayPal or Stripe and well as pre-authorized bank transfers directly to our bank account for which payments must include the full shipping and handling costs, any additional bank charges, and any other costs that might be charged to release your shipment to your designated destination.

Damage Due to Shipping

Upon receiving your shipment, inspect all cartons for any perforations, misshaped boxes or damages. DO NOT OPEN A CARTON IF THERE ARE ANY SUSPICIOUS SIGNS, PERFORATIONS, OR DAMAGE. Before accepting your shipment by signing the shipper’s delivery receipt, note all irregularities, anything misshaped, cuts, holes, perforations or any other damage on the delivery receipt with the delivery person as witness. Be prepared with your cell or camera to take photos of all damaged or compromised areas and write down the delivery person’s name before signing the receipt. After you have noted damages and the driver’s name on the receipt, the driver can leave. We advise that you NOT unpack the contents before talking to us about the unpacking procedure that will help you recover damages from the insurer. We will respond as soon as possible to advise you about further actions to take before unpacking. If you chose not wait for our unpacking advice, take photos of the unpacking process of each unpacked piece with the material wrapped around it, how it is wrapped and the protection surrounding it. If you do find any damage take several photos focusing on the damaged area(s) and save the carton and all packing materials to assist in dealings with the insurer, minimize problems and help you recover reimbursement for the damages.

Since VA may not be the shipper of record, we must determine who the responsible party is and follow the specific procedures required by the designated shipper. If we are the responsible party, we will take care of the problem ourselves. If VA is not the responsible party, we will instruct you on how to best deal directly with the shipper. We will review the circumstances with you and the shipper and recommend procedure to assist you in actions to receive reimbursement for warranted damage.

Expert Review

Buyers may choose at their own cost to arrange with VA to have a designated person review item(s) prior to purchase. Such arrangements must be made in advance between the Buyer and VA, and the Buyer expressly concedes that their use and/or reliance on an expert is at their own risk and cost.

Taxes and Duties

Buyers are responsible for paying all applicable sales and use taxes, duties and all transactional taxes, levies or fees related to each item purchased (collectively, taxes). The Buyer shall pay VA all taxes VA is required to collect and VA’s failure to collect the taxes in advance will not relieve the Buyer’s obligation. For international sales the Buyer must determine, pay, collect, remit and report to the appropriate taxing authority the correct amount of all export and/or import taxes or duties payable upon export of the item from its country of origin and imported into or any other country. It is the Buyer’s sole responsibility to establish and/or document any applicable exemption from taxes.

Returns

We want you to be pleased with your purchases and are happy to provide additional information and resolve any issues that may occur. You must notify us by phone or email us of your intent to return any item within ten days of receipt of the item. We will confer with you about your refund and processing matters. Refunds will be for the purchase price less any shipping, packing or insurance charges Vanishing Arts may have incurred, and the return shipping costs are the responsibility of the purchaser. If the return is a result of our error (i.e., we shipped the wrong item or made another consequential mistake), VA will refund the original shipping cost as well as the return shipping return cost. Depending on how the payment was made, we will issue either a credit card refund or a check within 10 days after the return is received, examined and the condition of piece(s) are found to be acceptable, as refunds and their amounts are contingent on item(s) being received in the same condition they were in when they were shipped.

Although we make our best efforts to accurately represent items on our site and provide many photos of each piece from multiple angles, VA makes no guarantee or representation about the item’s condition, quality, rarity, importance or historical relevance. No statement anywhere, whether oral or written, shall be deemed any such guarantee, warranty or representation. If any item is substantially different from the way it was represented on our site, we will offer a refund in compliance with our return policy.