How to acquire art from Latitudes Online.

Art advisory services

Looking for something specific? Our team welcomes the opportunity to prepare tailored proposals for you. Contact info@latitudes.online and you will be connected with a dedicated art advisor. 

Online enquiries

Interested in acquiring a particular work on the platform? Let us walk you through the acquisition process:

1. Submit an enquiry by pressing the ‘Enquire’ button that appears alongside the relevant artwork(s).

2. A member of our sales team will acknowledge receipt of this enquiry; we will then confirm the availability of the work for you, or facilitate an introduction to the relevant exhibitor. 

3. If the work is available and you would like to proceed with the acquisition, we will source a shipping quotation for your consideration (a gentle note that this typically takes 24-48 hours).

4. If you wish for the work to be framed, we will happily source a quotation for you. Alternatively, we can introduce you to one of our trusted framing partners so that you have full oversight of the framing process.

5. If you’re satisfied with the above quotation(s), we will share an invoice with you.

6. Upon receipt of payment, our team will consolidate and ship your order to you.

Buy now

Some works on Latitudes are available to buy instantly. If you see a ‘Buy Now’ button, click this and the item will be added to your cart. Taxes will be calculated at checkout and a small delivery fee will be charged. Kindly note that this is a provisional shipping cost; the final delivery cost will be calculated by our team once we have received your order. If you approve the delivery quotation provided, you will be invoiced for any outstanding shipping costs; your order will be dispatched once these funds have been remitted.

FAQs

Payment Methods

Latitudes Online accepts the following payment methods:

• EFTs

• Credit card (a 3.5 % surcharge is applicable)

• PayPal (a 5% surcharge is applicable)

Payment in Instalments

Please ask our team if you would like to acquire a work in instalments. A gentle note that we will try our hardest to accommodate you but, ultimately, the decision lies with the relevant exhibitor/artist. 

Taxes

All artworks presented on the platform are priced exclusive of VAT. For collectors based in South Africa, 15% VAT is applicable to all acquisitions. For international collectors, no taxes are applied to Latitudes Online’s invoices. Import duties will be incurred once the shipment arrives at its final destination; these duties vary from nation to nation. International collectors are responsible for settling import duties separately in coordination with the relevant courier/customs department.

FICA

In the event that the artwork that a collector acquires is priced at 100 000 ZAR (ex. VAT) and over, kindly note that Latitudes Online is an Accountable Institution under FICA. The sales team will need to perform a Client Due Diligence on the collector before issuing an invoice. Please do not be alarmed upon receiving this request, it is nothing personal; it is a global effort to counter serious crimes like terrorism and trafficking, as art has been flagged as a ‘high risk industry’. Any personal details or documents shared will be handled with the utmost care (and encryption) in line with the requirements of the POPI Act.

Shipping Quotes & Delivery

Latitudes Online delivers pieces locally (within South Africa) and internationally. Local deliveries typically take place within ten days from receipt of payment, accounting for packaging requirements and deliveries in outlying areas. International shipments of up to three pieces typically take two to three weeks to be delivered, accounting for packaging requirements and slight delays at customs. For consolidated orders of four or more pieces, please bear in mind that shipping timelines may be slightly longer, largely depending on the varied locations of the respective artworks. Latitudes Online will communicate delivery timelines and any variables that have an impact thereon to the relevant collector throughout the acquisition process. 

Packaging

Latitudes Online works with specialised fine arts partners to ensure an artwork’s utmost protection during transit, tailored to each artwork and collector’s needs. 

Transit Insurance

Unless otherwise specified by Latitudes Online, works are not insured during transit. When providing a shipping quotation, we will include a quote for transit insurance which you are encouraged to accept. If an order is uninsured, in the event of loss or damage incurred during transit, kindly note that Latitudes Online is not liable to replace the artwork. If a shipment is insured, in the event of loss or damage incurred during transit, we will work with the relevant insurance company to replace the order or to get the collectors’ money back in full, at no additional cost to the collector. 

Framing

Latitudes Online works with reputable partners who provide high quality frames at the best prices. If an artwork is located in South Africa, Latitudes will happily facilitate its delivery to one of our framing partners for you.

Certificates of Authenticity

Generally, Certificates of Authenticity are not required for signed artworks. Should this be required for your comfort, please do communicate this upfront so that our team can make the necessary arrangements in advance.

Returns and Refunds: Overview

Kindly note in advance that, owing to the unique nature of art, returns are not always guaranteed. If Latitudes has facilitated your acquisition, please liaise with your respective sales associate at Latitudes Online for all returns and refund requests. Return and refund requests must be submitted to Latitudes Online within seven days of the delivery of your order. Where returns are applicable, the shipping costs must be pre-paid and the order fully insured at the collectors’ expense, unless otherwise stated. If your artwork arrives and it is meaningfully not as described, does not arrive, or arrives damaged, Latitudes will work with you to find the best solution at no additional cost to you. Where possible, Latitudes Online will require photographic evidence of the issue, including images of the artwork and the original internal and external packaging. In the event that we need to claim from insurance, please keep all of the internal and external packaging in case of inspection.

If a transaction is finalised between a collector and an exhibitor with little-no involvement from Latitudes’ side, kindly note that you will need to liaise with the relevant exhibitor regarding returns; we strongly encourage collectors to familiarise themselves with the respective exhibitor’s return policy before finalising an acquisition. All auction sales are final. We recommend reviewing the auction’s specific conditions of sale for more information.

Returns and Refunds: Policy & Process

Kindly note in advance that, owing to the unique nature of art, returns are not always guaranteed. If Latitudes has facilitated your acquisition and you wish to return a work or request a refund, please notify a member of our team within seven days of the receipt of the work. Unless an artwork arrives and it is meaningfully not as described or arrives damaged, the return shipping costs must be pre-paid and the order fully insured at the collectors’ expense, unless otherwise stated. 

If your artwork arrives and it is meaningfully not as described, does not arrive, or arrives damaged, Latitudes will work with you to find the best solution. If transit insurance is in place, and the work does not arrive, or arrives damaged, Latitudes Online will oversee and manage the insurance claim process to replace the work or secure a full refund for you. Latitudes Online will make a determination as to whether your item is significantly not as described. A difference of description must meaningfully impact the value or nature of the item. All dimensions are approximate. 

What is covered:

• A work is delivered and a significant feature of the work (e.g. artist's signature is missing)

• Artwork details are meaningfully incorrect (e.g. wrong edition size provided)

• A work is delivered with damage that wasn't pre-diclosed to the client or damage that was incurred during shipping, provided that an insurance policy was in place.

• Work declared lost/damaged by shipping company

What is not covered:

• Different colour dependent on light

• Details that are intrinsic to the creation of the work (e.g. incidental brushstrokes)

• Negligible differences in dimensions

• Delays: shipping company or customs processes

• Unpaid customs - duty of collector

• Issues related to sales concluded without Latitudes Online's involvement, including referral sales 

Key steps to process returns:

• Items not as described must be reported within 7 days of receipt

• Items not received must be reported within 14 days of the latest expected delivery date

• Provide any requested photographic evidence of the issue (including the artwork and the original packaging).

• Keep all the internal and external packaging in case needed for inspection in the event of an insurance claim.

Cancellations

Orders cancelled before a work is dispatched for delivery will incur a 5% processing fee. Orders cancelled after a work is delivered will incur a 10% processing fee; moreover, the delivery costs to return the piece will be deducted from the amount refunded to collectors. Refunds will only be issued once a condition report has been carried out and the work is deemed to be in good condition. If the work has incurred serious damage owing to the return trip and needs to be restored, this cost will also be deducted from the amount refunded to the collector.