These Terms and Conditions of Sale (“Terms”) govern all auction purchases and transactions conducted by Nora Fine Arts (“Auctioneer”), whether bidding takes place in person, online, by telephone, or through an absentee bid. By registering for an auction, placing a bid, or purchasing an item, each bidder or purchaser (“Buyer”) acknowledges and agrees to be bound by these Terms.
Nora Fine Arts reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to refuse participation, reject bids, cancel a transaction, or restrict a Buyer from participating in future sales if the Buyer fails to comply with these Terms.
Unless otherwise stated, property offered for sale has been consigned to Nora Fine Arts by independent owners (“Consignors”), and Nora Fine Arts acts as an agent in connection with the sale.
Before the Auction
Inspection and Condition of Property
Prospective Buyers are strongly encouraged to personally inspect any property before bidding.
ALL PROPERTY IS OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS, WHERE IS, WITH ALL FAULTS, AND ALL SALES ARE FINAL.
Nora Fine Arts makes reasonable efforts to provide accurate descriptions, photographs, catalogue information, marketing materials, and verbal commentary. However, no statement made by Nora Fine Arts, its employees, representatives, or Consignors constitutes a representation or warranty concerning an item’s condition, dimensions, quality, rarity, materials, medium, age, authenticity, attribution, provenance, cultural origin, source, historical importance, or other characteristics.
No employee, Consignor, or representative of Nora Fine Arts is authorized to provide a guarantee or warranty regarding any property unless expressly provided in writing by Nora Fine Arts.
Buyers are responsible for conducting their own inspections, research, and due diligence before bidding. Information learned or discovered after an auction does not provide grounds for cancellation, return, refund, or adjustment of a completed sale.
Absentee and Telephone Bidding
Nora Fine Arts may accept absentee and telephone bids at its discretion. Requests for absentee or telephone bidding should be submitted no later than 6:00 p.m. on the day preceding the auction.
Required forms and acceptance of these Terms must be submitted in writing by the Buyer through an approved method before such bidding arrangements will be accepted.
Nora Fine Arts will make reasonable efforts to execute properly submitted telephone and absentee bids but does not guarantee that any such bid will be successfully placed. Nora Fine Arts shall not be responsible for missed calls, communication failures, clerical errors, technical difficulties, or any other circumstances that result in a telephone or absentee bid not being executed.
Cancellation of Absentee or Telephone Bids
Requests to cancel a telephone or absentee bid must be received in writing at least twenty-four (24) hours before the scheduled start of the auction.
Written cancellation requests should be emailed to: Sales@NoraFineArts.com
Timely written notice is required for Nora Fine Arts to recognize a cancellation request.
Online Bidding
Online bidding may be offered through LiveAuctioneers.com or another platform selected by Nora Fine Arts.
Registration through an online bidding platform does not automatically guarantee approval to bid. Nora Fine Arts reserves the right to approve or reject registrations at its discretion and may require a completed bidder approval form and acceptance of these Terms.
Buyers seeking online bidding approval are encouraged to register at least twenty-four (24) hours before the auction. Registrations received less than 24 hours before the auction may be reviewed at Nora Fine Arts’ discretion and are not guaranteed approval.
Buyers are solely responsible for all activity and bids submitted through their online bidding accounts. Once submitted, online bids are considered final and binding.
Nora Fine Arts assumes no responsibility for internet outages, website malfunctions, platform errors, software failures, transmission delays, technical problems, or other circumstances that may interfere with bidding.
Handling and Removal of Property
Buyers assume responsibility for packing, handling, loading, transporting, and removing purchased property.
Nora Fine Arts and its employees shall not be responsible for injury to persons or damage to property resulting from lifting, moving, loading, packing, handling, or transporting merchandise before or after a sale.
During the Auction
Nora Fine Arts acts as an agent in the sale of consigned property and is not responsible for the acts or omissions of Consignors.
Unless otherwise announced, property may be offered subject to a confidential reserve where permitted by applicable law.
Nora Fine Arts reserves the right to:
- withdraw any lot before or during an auction;
- reject any bid;
- refuse or discontinue a person’s participation in an auction;
- refuse admission to its premises;
- resolve bidding disputes;
- reopen bidding when appropriate; and
- clarify, correct, supplement, or modify information concerning a lot before it is sold.
In the event of a dispute arising during or following an auction, Nora Fine Arts’ determination regarding the conduct and outcome of the auction shall be final to the extent permitted by law.
Descriptions, estimates, catalogue information, and other information concerning property may be corrected or modified before or during the auction. Property will be sold based upon the information provided by the Auctioneer at the time of sale.
Bids submitted in person, by telephone, online, by email, fax, or through an absentee bidding arrangement are binding once accepted. Buyers are responsible for errors made when entering or communicating bids.
Payment After the Auction
The total amount due from a successful Buyer includes the hammer price, applicable buyer’s premium, taxes, and any other applicable charges or fees.
ALL SALES ARE FINAL.
Nora Fine Arts does not accept PayPal or credit card information provided by telephone, email, or fax.
Nora Fine Arts may hold purchased property until checks, wire transfers, or other payments have fully cleared and funds have been confirmed.
Unless different terms are stated for a particular sale, payment must be received within ten (10) business days following the auction.
If payment is not received within the required period, Nora Fine Arts may, at its discretion, cancel the transaction and offer the property for resale privately or at a subsequent auction.
If a successful bidder refuses or fails to pay an invoice, the Buyer may be responsible for liquidated damages equal to 30% of the hammer price, subject to applicable law.
If payment remains incomplete for fifteen (15) days, Nora Fine Arts may dispute the unpaid transaction, cancel the sale, and restrict or revoke the Buyer’s ability to participate in future auctions.
Payment Terms by Bidding Method
1. Floor Bidders
Purchases made by floor bidders are subject to a 25% buyer’s premium.
Payment is due on the day of the auction.
Accepted payment methods include cash and approved checks drawn on a United States bank. Nora Fine Arts may require payment by money order, cashier’s check, or bank wire transfer at its discretion.
Failure to pay for a successful purchase may result in cancellation of the transaction, applicable liquidated damages, and loss of future bidding privileges.
2. Telephone and Absentee Bidders
Telephone and absentee purchases are subject to a 25% buyer’s premium.
Full payment must be received within ten (10) business days following the sale.
Acceptable forms of payment include approved check, money order, cashier’s check, or bank wire transfer. Nora Fine Arts does not accept Visa or Mastercard payment information provided over the telephone.
Nora Fine Arts may require a cashier’s check, money order, or bank wire transfer for any transaction at its discretion.
Failure to make payment may result in loss of future bidding privileges.
3. Online Bidders
Online purchases are subject to a 25% buyer’s premium unless otherwise stated for a particular auction or bidding platform.
Full payment must be received within ten (10) business days following the sale.
Accepted payment methods include approved check, money order, cashier’s check, or bank wire transfer.
Successful online Buyers will generally receive an invoice by email within forty-eight (48) hours following the conclusion of the auction. Failure to receive an invoice does not release the Buyer from responsibility for property successfully purchased.
Buyers remain responsible for determining whether they were the successful bidder and for making timely payment.
Failure to provide cleared funds within the required period may result in reporting the unpaid transaction to the applicable bidding platform and restriction from future Nora Fine Arts auctions.
4. International Payments
Buyers submitting payment from outside the United States must pay by bank wire transfer, regardless of the method used to bid.
Payment is not considered complete until Nora Fine Arts receives the full amount shown on the Buyer’s invoice in cleared funds.
All bank charges, intermediary fees, currency conversion expenses, exchange-rate costs, and other transfer-related charges are the Buyer’s responsibility and must be paid in addition to the invoiced amount.
All transactions are conducted in U.S. dollars (USD).
Foreign checks will not be accepted.
Nora Fine Arts may retain possession of purchased property until all funds have fully cleared.
5. Taxes
Applicable state and local taxes will be charged when required by law, including on merchandise collected in person.
Buyers claiming a resale or other tax exemption must provide Nora Fine Arts with valid and current documentation establishing the exemption before the transaction is completed.
Endangered or Protected Species
Certain property may contain materials derived from endangered, protected, or regulated species, including but not limited to ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoiseshell, coral, whalebone, Huanghuali, Huali, or other regulated woods or animal materials.
Such property may be subject to federal, state, international, CITES, customs, import, export, transportation, or resale restrictions.
It is the Buyer’s sole responsibility to determine whether a lot may legally be purchased, possessed, transported, exported, imported, or resold in the Buyer’s jurisdiction or destination country.
A permit or certificate allowing export from one jurisdiction does not guarantee permission to import the property into another jurisdiction.
The inability to obtain an import or export permit, certificate, license, or other authorization does not cancel the sale or relieve the Buyer of the obligation to make full and timely payment.
Nora Fine Arts may, when reasonably possible, assist a Buyer in attempting to obtain appropriate documentation; however, Nora Fine Arts makes no representation or guarantee that any permit, certificate, or license will be issued.
Any catalogue notation concerning regulated materials is provided for general guidance and does not constitute a warranty regarding the legal status of a lot.
Storage and Removal
Buyers are encouraged to arrange for prompt removal of purchased merchandise once payment has been received and cleared.
All removal, handling, packing, loading, and transportation are performed at the Buyer’s expense, risk, and responsibility and must be coordinated at a time acceptable to Nora Fine Arts.
Property that remains uncollected more than five (5) business days after completion of payment may incur a storage charge of $10.00 per item, per day.
Property remaining uncollected for more than thirty (30) days may be considered abandoned, subject to applicable law.
Where permitted, Nora Fine Arts may apply deposits or other funds toward losses, storage charges, expenses, damages, or costs associated with unpaid or abandoned property.
Shipping
Shipping is separate from the auction purchase price unless expressly stated otherwise.
Shipping charges for each lot should be confirmed by the Buyer before transportation is arranged. Buyers are responsible for selecting appropriate insurance coverage for shipped property and for paying all shipping, handling, insurance, and related charges.
Third-party shipping companies operate independently from Nora Fine Arts. Buyers should review the shipper’s terms, insurance coverage, limitations, and procedures directly with the selected shipping provider.
INTERNATIONAL BUYERS ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLYING WITH ALL CUSTOMS, IMPORT, EXPORT, AND OTHER APPLICABLE REGULATIONS.
Nora Fine Arts may provide reasonable assistance concerning international shipments but cannot guarantee delivery or accept responsibility for restrictions, seizures, delays, denials, or other consequences resulting from domestic or international laws or customs requirements.
Special and Restricted Property
Jewelry and Jade
Because jade and similar materials may undergo treatments such as bleaching, dyeing, impregnation, or other enhancement processes, Nora Fine Arts does not guarantee the color, age, quality, treatment status, or authenticity of jade or jewelry unless an express written guarantee is provided for a particular lot.
All jewelry and jade are sold AS IS, WHERE IS, without warranties. Buyers are responsible for making their own assessment before bidding.
ALL SALES OF JEWELRY AND JADE ARE FINAL. NO RETURNS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
Paintings and Fine Art
Unless Nora Fine Arts expressly provides otherwise in writing for a particular lot, Nora Fine Arts makes no guarantee or warranty concerning a painting or work of art’s authenticity, attribution, artist, origin, age, quality, medium, provenance, or other characteristic.
Buyers should conduct any desired independent research or professional evaluation before bidding.
Endangered Species and CITES-Regulated Property
Nora Fine Arts intends to comply with applicable Florida, federal, and international laws governing property containing endangered or protected species.
Property containing ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoiseshell, coral, endangered woods, whalebone, or other protected materials may be subject to significant restrictions.
The Buyer bears sole responsibility for researching and complying with all laws affecting the purchase, possession, transportation, resale, import, or export of such property.
Nora Fine Arts does not warrant that a particular lot can legally be shipped, exported, imported, transported, or resold in any particular jurisdiction.
Buyer Acknowledgment
By registering to bid, submitting a bid, or completing a purchase through Nora Fine Arts, the Buyer confirms that the Buyer has read, understood, and agreed to these Terms and Conditions of Sale.
The Buyer further acknowledges that all purchases are made based upon the Buyer’s own inspection, research, judgment, and due diligence and that, except where expressly stated otherwise in writing, all property is sold AS IS, WHERE IS, WITH ALL FAULTS, AND ALL SALES ARE FINAL.