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Getting Started
How do I register to buy?

To become a buyer, click "Register" at the top right of any page. If you choose not to complete your user profile during your initial registration, you will not be able to bid, buy a work, or apply to become a seller until you finish the registration process. You can complete this process at any time by filling in your user profile under My Auctions.

How do I sign up as a seller?

To become a seller, click "Become a Seller" at the bottom of any page.

Why is my credit card being declined during registration?

Credit card validation is done by a third-party service. Occasionally credit cards are declined by the card issuer. In this case, please try another card or call your credit card issuer.

Who are the sellers on artnet Auctions?

Our sellers are galleries and dealers located worldwide, many of whom are current artnet clients. artnet Auctions was created to provide a secure marketplace for buyers and sellers to trade in works of art. Although artnet may provide comparable pricing data, facilitate transactions (through escrow or other arrangements), artnet is not the seller, vendor, co-seller, or co-vendor of any artwork purchased through the auction or through any post-auction sales transaction. Click here to begin the registration process.

Is there a fee to get started?

There is no fee to register as a buyer or to apply as a seller. You will be required, however, to enter a credit card upon registration. In order for artnet to provide assurance to our sellers, all credit cards must be properly verified.

How do I contact artnet?

Please contact us via email, or call +1-800-427-8638. When contacting us, please provide as many details as possible, such as dates, lot IDs, and account details to help us answer your question.

What are comparable works?

When you view lots on artnet Auctions, you may be shown sales results for comparable works sold at auction. These results are intended to give you a sense of the market for related lots by the same artist.


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Browsing and Searching
How do I search?

To search on artnet Auctions, you may enter keywords into the search bar, or you can browse by category, by selecting options from the dropdown menu, located at the top of any page.

Can I search by auction ID?

If you know the unique auction ID of an item, go to the Advanced Search page and use the "Quick Find" box at the bottom of the form.

What are the options for customizing my search?

To customize your search, select either "Browse" or "Category" in the top navigation on every page, and choose from any one of the options in the dropdown menu. You may also do an advanced search, by entering an artist's name in the search bar and clicking "Advanced Search."

How do I search by artist?

To search by artist, enter the artist's name in the search bar, found at the top of any page. Begin typing the name of the artist, and select the name from the dropdown list that appears.


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Bidding And Buying
How does bidding work?

All lots offered on artnet Auctions have a reserve price. The reserve price must be met in order for the work to be sold.

Enter an amount that is greater than or equal to the starting or current bid. Our bidding increments are as follows:

CURRENT PRICEINCREMENT
Below 2,000 USD100 USD
2,000–4,999 USD200 USD
5,000–9,999 USD500 USD
10,000–19,999 USD1,000 USD
20,000–49,999 USD2,000 USD
50,000–99,999 USD5,000 USD
100,000–199,999 USD10,000 USD
200,000–499,999 USD20,000 USD
500,000–999,999 USD50,000 USD
1,000,000 USD and above100,000 USD

You may place a bid at the next increment, or place a maximum bid. If your maximum bid is greater than or equal to the reserve price, we will automatically bid on your behalf up to the reserve price. If there are competing bidders, we will continue to bid by increments up to your maximum bid, but will never exceed your maximum bid amount.

How do I know what an item is worth?

artnet supplies independent and verified information about the lot, when available, including past auction results. For more information on comparable works and market trends, subscribe to the artnet Price Database.

Can I cancel or retract my bid?

All bids are binding and cannot be canceled or retracted. Mistakes can occur, in which case, you must contact a member of our client services team via email, or call +1-800-427-8638.

Possible reasons for bid retraction or cancelation may include entering the incorrect bid amount (for example: $10,000 instead of $1,000) or changes to the lot description, if those changes were made after the bid was placed.

How do I view the lots I'm currently bidding on?

Go to your My Auctions page, click "All Buying," then select "Active Bids."

How do I add or delete lots from My Watchlist?

You can hover over any lot and click "Add to My Watchlist," which will appear in the top left-hand corner of the image. To see the lots you are watching, go to your My Watchlist page.

If you would like to remove a lot from your watchlist, you can do so by clicking "Delete."

How do I manage notifications for lots on My Watchlist?

Log in to your artnet Auctions account and go to your My Watchlist page. You will be able to select a type of alert for each lot. You can choose between being alerted when the lot closes in 6 hours, 1 hour, or whenever someone else places a bid on the lot.
If you do not want to receive any notifications for lots on your watchlist, unselect all alert options.

I have a question about an auction lot, what should I do?

artnet specialists are available to answer your questions. To inquire about a particular lot, simply click the "Contact Specialist” link on the lot page and enter your message.

What are My Artist Alerts, and how do I subscribe to them?

My Artist Alerts provide automatic email notifications. Choose the artist(s) you want to follow, and receive email alerts as soon as these artists come up for sale on artnet Auctions. Add the desired artist(s) to your alerts from any lot detail page, and update your artist(s) any time. This service is free of charge.

How do I add or delete artists from My Artist Alerts?

Log in to your artnet Auctions account and go to the My Artist Alerts page. From there, you will be able to select the artist(s) you want to follow. After making your selection, you will receive notifications by email whenever artworks by the selected artist(s) come up for sale on artnet Auctions.

You can select up to 30 artists to follow on artnet Auctions. If you would like to follow more artists, or receive notifications when artworks by your favorite artists come up for sale in all auction houses worldwide, you can subscribe to artnet Market Alerts.

How do I keep track of which lots I purchased?

To keep track of the lots you purchased, go to your My Auctions page and click "Items Won" or "Items Not Won."

What is your shipping policy?

Every seller is required to post detailed shipping information for his or her lots. This includes the location from which the item will ship. Typically, buyers are responsible for paying all shipping and insurance costs, which in turn may depend on the distance the artwork will travel and the final hammer price/final bid amount.

Why did the auction end after its original close time?

If a bid is placed 5 minutes before the auction is set to close, the auction closing will be extended by 5 minutes. When an auction is extended, bidders are notified via email.

As the winning bidder, how can I pay for an item I've won?

After the close of an auction, you will receive an automated email from artnetauctions@artnet.com if you are the winning bidder. Within that email, there will be a link to log in to your artnet Auctions account and begin the post-sale process.

On your "Items Won" page, you will be prompted to enter your location as well as any applicable tax information, such as a resale certificate or VAT number. Based on this information, the seller will then send you the total cost, which includes the hammer price plus any applicable taxes. In addition, they will send you payment instructions based on their preferred payment methods.

Once you confirm that payment has been sent, you will have access to the Shipping Tools page. On this page, you may request quotes from artnet's preferred art shipper. Please note that it is your responsibility to pay the shipper directly for all shipping and insurance costs.

Is there a fee to buy?

artnet collects a Buyer's Premium on all lots based on the hammer price of the lot:

25% for works up to $500,000
20% for works $500,001 to $1,000,000
15% for works $1,000,001 and above


What is Buyer's Premium? How am I charged for this?

This is a commission that the buyer pays on all winning transactions. artnet Auctions collects a Buyer's Premium on all lots based on the hammer price of the lot which may include of any/all applicable taxes on either the Buyer's Premium and/or the hammer price. If you are the winning bidder, your credit card on file will be charged with the Buyer's Premium when the auction closes.

If the charges are declined, artnet will contact you via email. Please make sure your email address is accurate, as it is the primary means by which the artnet Auctions team communicates with you.

Should you have any questions, contact us via email, or call +1-800-427-8638.

artnet Auctions is in US dollars ($), how do I convert currencies?

Currently, all items must be listed in US dollars ($). For currency conversion, please visit xe.com.


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Selling
How do I list an item for auction?

If you are a registered seller, on the Manage Auctions & Inventory page, select "Enter New Lot" and follow the directions. Please register as a seller to list an item for sale.

What do I do if I can’t find my artist?

If your chosen artist is not in our database, please contact us via email, or call +1-800-427-8638.

How do I add or upload photos to my lot?

In step five of the Enter New Lot process, you will have the opportunity to upload image files from your computer to artnet Auctions.

Can I edit or remove photos from my lot?

Once your lot has been approved for auction, you cannot edit or remove any photos. Please contact us via email, or call +1-800-427-8638, if you want to make changes to a live lot.

Can I change the order of photos in my listing?

Yes. During step five of the "Enter New Lot" process, after your photos have been uploaded, you can change the order by using our drag and drop tool. However, if your listing has already been approved by artnet, no changes can be made.

What types of images can I upload? Is there a size restriction?

Images in JPG, GIF, and BMP formats can be uploaded onto the site. The maximum image file size that can be uploaded is 4 MB.

I’m having trouble uploading my pictures. What should I do?

The most common issue that occurs when uploading an image is that the file size is too large. If the image is larger than 4 MB, you will need to shrink the image using image editing software such as Adobe Photoshop. If you encounter further issues, please contact us via email, or call +1-800-427-8638.

What does "Relist" mean?

If a lot does not sell at auction, you may have the opportunity to list the item again. Please contact the specialist working on the lot for further information.

How do I delete a listing?

Visit your Seller Inventory page and click the "X" next to the listing you wish to delete. You cannot delete a live auction. If you need to stop a live auction, please contact us via email, or call +1-800-427-8638.

My lot sold, how do I contact the buyer?

After the close of an auction, you will receive an automated email from artnetauctions@artnet.com, whether or not the lot has sold.

It is the buyer's responsibility to submit initial details that will enable you to calculate any applicable taxes. You will receive an email alert, which will contain a link to your artnet Auctions account. You will then be asked to use the information that the buyer has submitted to send them the total cost. At this time, payment instructions specified in your account will automatically be sent to the buyer. To update these preferences at any time, please go to Billing Information.

Once the buyer has sent payment, it is their responsibility to arrange shipping. The shipper of their choice should contact you directly to confirm pickup.

How do I view my sold, unsold, unfinished, submitted, or live lots?

Visit your Manage Auctions & Inventory page.

Is there a fee to sell?

artnet collects a seller's commission fee based on the hammer price of the lot:

Hammer PriceCommission
$3,000–5,00015%
$5,001–10,00010%
$10,001–15,0005%
$15,001 and above0%

All lots with a reserve price of $15,000 and under are subject to a $150 listing fee.

As a seller, how do I pay my fees to artnet?

Most sellers pay their seller’s listing fees and commissions automatically through the credit card on file. Typically, this credit card is provided at the time of registration. artnet Auctions will invoice you bi-monthly via email for the listing fees and commissions from the 1st to the 15th, and from the 16th to the end of the month. Your credit card will be charged on the 25th and the 10th (of the following month), respectively.
Should you not list or sell any artworks on artnet Auctions for a given billing cycle, you will not receive an invoice and you will not be charged.


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Account and Billing Information
I do not receive emails from artnet Auctions, what should I do?

Some artnet Auctions emails are automatically generated, and will arrive from artnetauctions@artnet.com. These emails may include bid confirmations, outbid notifications, sold lot notifications, and unsold lot notifications. Sometimes, these messages may be accidentally marked as spam by your email server. Check your junk mail or spam folder, and/or add artnetauctions@artnet.com to your list of contacts.

Alternatively, please check the email address registered to your account to confirm that it is entered correctly.

I forgot my login name and/or password. What should I do?

If you forgot your password, you may click "Log In" at the top right of any artnet Auctions page and select "Forgot Password." You will be asked to enter your username/email and a new computer generated password will be sent to you via email. To change your automatically generated password, please refer to the question below.

If you have forgotten both your username/email and password, please contact us, and a member of our client services team will be happy to help you.

How do I change my password?

To change your password, go to your My Auctions page and click "Change Password."

I’m a buyer, how do I update my billing or contact information?

Visit your user profile in My Auctions to access or change your billing or contact information. You may also contact us via email.

I’m a seller, how do I update my billing or contact information?

Visit your user profile in My Auctions to access or change your billing or contact information. You may also contact us via email.

How do I change the account details for my artnet Auctions account?

Visit your user profile in My Auctions to access or change your account details. You may also contact us via email. If you wish to change your email address, please contact us for assistance via email, or call +1-800-427-8638.

How do I close my artnet account?

If you would like to close your account, please contact us via email.


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Transaction Problems and Protections
What steps can I take to ensure secure buying on artnet Auctions?

Your best protection is to follow our Terms of Use, and conduct all business through artnet Auctions. It is also important to gather all the information you need, including previous sales by the artist, damage reports, etc. As per the artnet Assurance Policy, if an item arrives significantly different than described, the sale may be canceled and your purchase price refunded by the seller.

I have a dispute with another user on artnet Auctions. What should I do?

Your best protection is to follow the Terms of Use, and conduct all business through artnet Auctions. It is also important to gather all the information you need, including previous sales by the artist, damage reports, etc. As per the artnet Assurance Policy, if you buy an item that is not delivered as indicated in the description, the sale can be canceled and your purchase price refunded.

Why was my account suspended?

There are a few reasons why your account may be suspended. Please contact us to discuss your account suspension.

As a buyer, how do I report a problem with an item and/or receive a refund for a returned lot?

If an item you paid for has not been shipped, arrives significantly different than described, or arrives damaged, please contact us immediately. If the sale is eventually canceled, you may be entitled to a refund from the seller.

How do I report a seller or buyer for not completing a transaction?

If this should occur, please contact us immediately.

As a seller, how do I receive a refund for my commission fee for a canceled sale?

Should a sale be canceled due to non-payment from a buyer, please contact us for a possible refund of your seller's commission.


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