FAQs

• Why create an account on artshortlist.com?

  Your account will give you access to many features: you can start negotiations by making offers, send messages to sellers, you build up a list of favorite artworks, be alerted about changes in the price of an artwork and receive our newsletter monthly.

• Can I get advice on acquiring an artwork?

  Our team is here to advise you. Art Shortlist helps you to build or enrich your art collection. To benefit from our advice, just contact us.

• I like an artwork from the Art Shortlist's catalogue, is it possible to see it?

  Of course! Just make the request and Art Shortlist will organize you a physical confrontation with the artwork. It can take place in our showroom located near Drouot in Paris, directly at the seller's home or at a meeting place chosen by you and the seller.
  
  The seller's presence is not systematic ; it's up to him to choose if he wants to be present at the appointment. Note that in some cases, you will have to pay transportation costs incurred by moving the artwork to the chosen meeting point.

• Are the photographs of the artworks true to reality?

  We have professional photo and video equipment. We take each image using methods that guarantee high color fidelity and textures. However, for some artworks located far from our bases, the sellers are responsible for making or they had the photos done by professionals, based on our technical recommendations.

• Where do the artworks sold on the Art Shortlist come from?

  The artworks that Art Shortlist offers for sale come from private collectors, professionals or selected artist studios. We systematically carry out specific research, so that you can benefit from optimal transparency by having as much information as possible about the artworks.
  
  Our team controls and selects any artwork proposed on the platform. To complete each of our analyzes, we inquire with Interpol and the Art Loss Register. This method ensures that the artwork does not fall into the category of stolen or missing works.

• How do you define the selling price displayed?

  To determine the selling price of an artwork, we take into account: its state of conservation, its provenance, its originality, its rarity and the artist's rating on the art market.

• I like an artwork, but I can not afford it at the price.
  Should I took a chance by bidding at a lower price?

  With Art Shortlist the game of supply and demand prevails. So take a chance within reasonable limits. Know that negotiation is an integral part of our solution. If you wish to benefit from advice before making an offer, contact us without delay.

• How works the artwork delivery, if I choose this option?

  Delivery charges are your responsibility. At any time during the negotiation, you can choose this option. Our team will then contact the most competitive art carriers according to the route and you will receive detailed quotes in the shortest possible time (usually the same day).
  
  To simplify the process, we will help you to pay the delivery directly to the chosen carrier. Once the delivery has been paid and an agreement on the price of the artwork has been reached with the seller, the art carrier can manufacture, if necessary, a custom-made protective box (depending on the nature of the artwork) and will collect the artwork from the seller.

• Why do we offer electronic confirmations to finalize transactions?

  The electronic confirmation contains all the terms and conditions of the transaction. Moreover, the electronic confirmations have an incontestable advantage: they combine simplicity with legal security equivalent to a signature on paper.

• What is the legal value of the electronic signature?

  With Law No. 2000-230 of 13 March 2000 and Article 1316-4 of the French Civil Code, the electronic signature has acquired the same probative force as the handwritten signature.
  
  Art Shortlist uses the services of the world sector leader, present in 188 countries, Docusign. The certificates of signatures are time stamped and admissible in court with a digital traceability system.
  
  This solution perfectly suits the European standards elDAS as Qualified Electronic Signature (SEQ).

• Where can I find my purchase invoices and my electronic confirmations?

  Invoices and confirmations can be found in your personal space. To view or download them, go to « my documents » and then « my invoices » or « my confirmations ».

• What are the average commission rates charged by art market players for the art purchase?

  These rates are in the range of 15 to 35%, it depends on the structure chosen to make your acquisition.

• Which means of payment are accepted?

  Bank transfer is the only accepted mean of payment. Our banking partner is the Banque Michel Inchauspé, a French family bank more than a century old (founded in 1887).

• How Art Shortlist collects its commission of 15 % of the price agreed with the seller?

  When you make your payment, you will have to add 15% in addition to the price on which you and the seller agree, as well as the applicable VAT of 20% on this commission.
  The 15% commission you will have added will be collected by Art Shortlist when paying the seller. This VAT will be redistributed to the French state.
  For example, for an artwork agreed with the seller at a price of 10 000€, you will pay: 10 000 + 1 500 (15% commission on the transaction) + 300 (corresponding to the VAT of 20% on the commission) = € 11 800. In this case, Art Shortlist will receive 1 500€ commission.

• What is the VAT rate when I buy an artwork from a professional or a confirmed artist?

  The VAT rate applicable when buying an artwork to a professional or an artist (having an annual revenue higher than € 42,600) amounts to 5.5%. We will take care of contacting the professional seller or the artist to provide you an invoice mentioning this VAT.