Experienced art buyer and past broker
I am writing as an experienced art buyer as well as a past art broker of 25+ years. Art Brokerage completely ripped me off with exorbitant shipping fees after taking a high deposit for shipping saying I would be refunded for any overage I paid. After my purchase was accepted I was told (all communication in writing) from my consultant that I would be charged $125 estimated shipping and, after the art ships, I would be credited back for the overage amount. After I received the art and asked about my shipping cost and refund, I was THEN told that Art Brokerage charged a minimum $100 shipping fee! This was never stated in any of my previous communications. When I asked about my $25 refund, the $100 minimum amount suddenly became higher. I was informed that the new minimum ship fee was now $125, the EXACT amount I paid. FYI, the painting (12 in. x 16 in. unframed) shipped was small and light, arriving in a small box with bubble wrap on top and a cardboard egg crate shape on the bottom, shipped Ground UPS. Bottom line, they handled this most unprofessionally and I wouldn’t do business with them again. It’s not about the money, it’s about the lack of honesty and poor communication. If Art Brokerage can mislead about shipping fees how could I ever trust them to be honest about artworks?
Date of experience: July 02, 2023
