How To Buy Art Online Safely

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How To Buy Art Online Safely

Published by Brittany O'Donnell under Buying Art, Front Page Featured on 2012/04/11

“Buyer Beware” is an old adage that takes on new meaning in the age of the Internet. Purchasing anything whether it be in person, through the mail or over the Internet can sometimes be hazardous. To buy art online can be even more scary for those new to the idea. The best way to safeguard your art investment is to learn how to buy art online safely. Do this by making sure you are following some common practices to protect yourself from scams.

The first important activity a buyer must do is make sure the artist is real by contacting him using the online contact form. Doing additional research on the Internet to ensure there is a web presence is also an important factor.

Make sure that what you want to purchase is in fact a valid item offered for sale through the online art site you have chosen to use by asking to view the item. If the item is far away there are services you can employ who will go and view the item for you. They will take a picture and send the picture to you.

Next make sure you use PayPal. PayPal is an online payment system that keeps your credit card information private. It will enable you to pay for your purchases without anyone except PayPal knowing what your credit card number is. It has been around for ten to fifteen years and is commonly known to be the safest way to do business online.

When learning how to buy art safely online, you need ask the right questions about the art piece and the process of getting the art to you. One question you would want to ask is how the artist is going to ship the work to you. You might also want to ask about shipping and insurance. Does the cost of the artwork include shipping and insurance or is that an added expense. You don’t want to have any surprises when the artwork arrives so make sure you ask questions.

If you follow these safeguards you have learned how to buy art or really anything safely online. You can now find the artwork that most inspires you and purchase that piece of art through the Internet with total peace of mind.

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About Brittany O'Donnell

As the founder of Artistically Connected I am passionate about art and business. I enjoy working with artists at all stages of their craft and learning along the way.