Artcurial experience?? 0

[cstojano]

Anyone in the US with experience dealing with Artcurial, from bidding to payment to actual delivery?

[cstojano]

Geez, bumping my own topic that had no replies previously. Still curious if anyone in the US has ever dealt with Artcurial. I won a piece a few weeks ago in their online only comic art auction and the process so far has been dreadful. First, the bidding had an undisclosed extending bidding closeout process, which changes how one bids in these types of affairs. Fine. Second, despite their page indicating major credit cards are the only accepted forms of payment they are now demanding I wire them the money due to Covid. Given how poor their communication is, how poor their shipping department is with responding to a shipping request, and general mail chaos around the world I am very hesitant to wire these folks money.

[vodou]

3 hours ago, cstojano said:

Second, despite their page indicating major credit cards are the only accepted forms of payment they are now demanding I wire them the money due to Covid.

Uh uh. HUGE red flag.

INSIST on CC, as they show or find a friend in Paris that can walk in and take care of things locally for you. You wire them that money and maybe you never get the art or it arrives damaged and you've zero recourse (just ask @Bird). No no no.

I like Europeans, overall, and do (or did) a lot of business with them in both directions, but they're using WuFlu as an excuse for every sort of bad behavior. As this time I'm actively avoiding doing any business (either direction) internationally except for Canada. And even then...I'm careful and prefer those I know and trust to newbs.

[cstojano]

Vodou, yes thanks for this. I even screenshotted their own auction page and the invaluable page that both shows major CC as the only form of payment. Then the invoice comes with this:

In light of the current health situation, your invoice can be settled by wire transfer only on the following bank account:

ARTCURIAL

Banque Neuflize OBC

3 avenue Hoche 75008 Paris

N° IBAN : FR76 3078 8009 0001 2294 7000 454 SWIFT : NSMBFRPPXXX

[vodou]

1 hour ago, cstojano said:

In light of the current health situation, ...

[grapeape]

If they did not stipulate this revised payment only option before you bid and won the piece stick to your guns. If they insist, consider (do it) telling them to go Flog themselves.

[Rick2you2]

On 12/23/2020 at 3:13 PM, cstojano said:

Vodou, yes thanks for this. I even screenshotted their own auction page and the invaluable page that both shows major CC as the only form of payment. Then the invoice comes with this:

In light of the current health situation, your invoice can be settled by wire transfer only on the following bank account:

ARTCURIAL

Banque Neuflize OBC

3 avenue Hoche 75008 Paris

N° IBAN : FR76 3078 8009 0001 2294 7000 454 SWIFT : NSMBFRPPXXX

It also doesn’t make sense to me. Why is a wire transfer safer than a credit card? They aren’t swiping or putting it in a machine.

[fenip]

On their website it states you can pay with Visa or Mastercard https://www.artcurial.com/en/buy-sell/buying-artcurial 
Anyway it's a well known auction house on this side of the pond.

Edited December 25, 2020 by fenip

[BCarter27]

18 hours ago, Rick2you2 said:

Why is a wire transfer safer than a credit card?

Wire transfer is always safer for the seller because the buyer has no recourse, whereas they could initiate a chargeback with their credit card company.

[ESeffinga]

There is no reason Covid necessitates wire transfer. Look at the world economy, largely driven by cards these days from at home shopping. It’s beyond a huge flag. I’d tell them tough tits. Get paid by card like the site states, or find another buyer. Too many ways this goes sideways otherwise. But that’s just me.

 

 

[Rick2you2]

1 hour ago, BCarter27 said:

Wire transfer is always safer for the seller because the buyer has no recourse, whereas they could initiate a chargeback with their credit card company.

I wish I hadn’t used a rhetorical question. You are right, of course. And so is ESeffinga. That was my point about no card swiping; no potential for spreading the virus.
Stick to your guns. Credit card, or refuse their terms of payment (so long as they were that way when you won). They would be in breach of contract by refusing to honor the earlier terms.

[cstojano]

Thanks all. Radio silence from them since I demanded to pay with credit card per their terms. And yes, those terms were listed at the time of sale, both on the Artcurial site and Invaluable. The radio silence does little to inspire confidence. 

[Bird]

yes, I was tagged for a reason on this one! Do not do an international wire transfer unless you trust the receiver 100%. Wait them out it you really want the art and are still comfortable paying with cc, they will come calling.

I want to emphasize that when you get screwed it can really hurt your enthusiasm for the hobby, or at least it did mine. Take that information and make sure it is part of the equation, it is more than the money. I haven't bought anything expensive since, at least not comic art.

[vodou]

3 hours ago, cstojano said:

Radio silence from them since I demanded to pay with credit card per their terms.

Oh don't read anything into this, they're all probably on "holiday" for two months. They (another Paris auctioneer) played these same games with me three years ago. Start to finish, all terms finally hammered out (meaning: I got my way at every single junction ) and art in hand = six months from initial invoice date  

2 hours ago, Bird said:

I want to emphasize that when you get screwed it can really hurt your enthusiasm for the hobby, or at least it did mine.

A real shame that was the result, but I get it and would feel the same as you. Unfortunately I wasn't aware of your situation until too late or I'd have advised you same as @cstojano now, as my own Paris "experience" pre-dated your own then too.

Perhaps, hopefully, with time you will heal...

[cstojano]

Yes I spent 2 months living in Paris and understand well what I am up against. I once waited in line for 4 hours to get into the catacombs due to a broken ticket machine (which seemed unnecessary to actually getting into the catacombs). 

The interesting thing here is my initial post from 2019 was about the same item. I tried to buy the item after the auction closed without a bid and they lacked the ability to process a payment, which had me very confused. No way I bid this high with these new terms. No way I bid this high if the bidding system had been disclosed properly. 

 

[fenip]

Could you put this one on a CC?

https://www.artcurial.com/fr/actualite/le-lotus-bleu-par-herge-un-chef-doeuvre-aux-encheres-0

[Rick2you2]

2 hours ago, fenip said:

Could you put this one on a CC?

https://www.artcurial.com/fr/actualite/le-lotus-bleu-par-herge-un-chef-doeuvre-aux-encheres-0

I saw that was coming up for sale. Supposedly, it may bring the highest price ever to be paid for comic art, let alone unpublished art.

If you’ve got the credit, sure. Unless there are some special restrictions I didn’t see, like no credit cards accepted for purchases over $1,000,000. That’s a lot of frequent flyer miles.

Edited December 27, 2020 by Rick2you2

[cstojano]

I was going to bid on that Herge but not now...

Note their current catalog continues to list cash, check, and credit card as options for purchases.

https://www.artcurial.com/fr/vente-4027-bandes-dessinees

 

Also did not notice the scary language about owing interest and the difference in price for a resale. I assume they cannot collect that from me across the pond, just ban me I assume. Who knows. If they'd just honor their own terms none of this would be an issue.

 

Edited December 27, 2020 by cstojano

[ShallowDan]

Not that I expect there to be a good answer, but have they offered any elaboration to why "in light of the current health situation, your invoice can be settled by wire transfer only"?  Are ones and zeroes being transmitted through Visa/MC's payment networks more likely to carry the 'rona  than those coming through a wire transfer?  

It's probably just my stubborn sense of general principle kicking in, but I'd be tempted to make some equally silly, unfounded demand upon them that you require be done as part of the transaction "in light of the current health situation".

[ESeffinga]

My hang up would be that they are asking you to trust them with the whole wire transfer while pulling a weird move on the payment method. Yeah, the whole Covid thing has up many businesses. Credit cards just aren’t one of them from anything I’ve seen anywhere.
 

So it smells. And when something starts to smell, I get less trustful without a verifiable explanation. Especially given other experiences are concerned.  I’ve used plenty of international wire transfers over the years. It certainly makes sense sometimes to do so. But I gotta trust the place first. And from what I’m reading they’re not exactly earning it here.

If a bunch of folks I trusted vouched for them, I’d be more inclined to trust them. Has anyone you know stepped up and said they are totally down with these guys?