LEGAL

Shipping & Handling

Effective Date: May 15, 2026

Each Work is carefully packaged and shipped by Clair Fareio (the “Artist,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) from the studio in Sulmona, Italy. This Shipping Policy explains processing times, packaging, carriers, costs, delivery, customs, and the verification steps taken to ensure each Work reaches its intended owner safely. This Policy forms part of, and should be read together with, the Terms and Conditions of Sale and the Refund and Returns Policy, which govern in the event of any inconsistency.

1. Processing Time

Each order is prepared for shipment within three (3) to seven (7) business days of receipt of Confirmed Funds (as defined in the Terms and Conditions of Sale), unless a longer studio timeframe has been expressly agreed (for example, for framing, varnishing, additional drying or curing time, exhibition schedules, or Italian public holidays). Once collected for transit, you will receive an email confirmation with carrier name and tracking number.

In accordance with Article 61 of the Codice del Consumo, where you qualify as a consumer the Artist will deliver within the period expressly agreed at the time of order (which, for international shipments, may exceed thirty days due to customs and transit). If delivery does not occur within the agreed period, you may request a reasonable additional period; if delivery still does not occur, you may terminate the contract for a full refund. Commissioned Works are subject to the timeline agreed in the Commission Proposal and are not subject to the default thirty-day rule.

2. Packaging

All Works are packaged using professional materials to protect against moisture, flexing, vibration, and impact. Works on canvas or paper are wrapped in acid-free glassine or tissue, sleeved in a moisture barrier, and protected with rigid corner reinforcement. Framed pieces and large canvases ship in custom double-walled boxes or, for larger or higher-value pieces, in wooden crates. Each shipment is photographed at the studio prior to dispatch; these photographs are retained as part of the Artist’s standard records to support any insurance or transit-damage claim.

You should photograph the outer carton on arrival, photograph each layer of packing as you unpack, and inspect the Work promptly. If visible damage is apparent before signing for delivery, you are entitled to refuse acceptance from the carrier; please note the damage on the carrier’s waybill and contact the Artist immediately. Detailed claim requirements are set out in Section 5 of the Refund and Returns Policy.

3. Carriers & Service Level

The Artist ships through established carriers including Poste Italiane, DHL, UPS, and FedEx, and may use specialised fine-art shipping services for higher-value or oversized Works. Carrier selection depends on size, weight, declared value, destination, and service availability at the time of dispatch. All shipments are sent with tracking. For any Work with a declared value of one hundred Euros (€100) or more, signature at delivery is required; this protects both Client and Artist and is the primary evidence of safe arrival in the event of any dispute.

The Artist ships on a Delivered-at-Place (DAP) basis for international orders: the Artist arranges carriage to the destination address, and the Client is responsible for clearing import customs and paying any duties, taxes, and broker fees due on arrival.

4. Shipping Costs

Shipping costs are calculated based on Work size, weight, packaging method, declared value, insurance level, and destination, and are itemised in full on the invoice before payment in accordance with Article 49 of the Codice del Consumo. As a general indication only:

Import duties, customs fees, taxes, broker fees, and currency-conversion charges in the destination country are the Client’s sole responsibility and are not included in the artwork price or shipping fee.

5. Estimated Transit Times

Transit times are good-faith estimates from carriers and may vary with customs processing, weather, strikes, carrier delays, and other circumstances. Your statutory rights under Article 61 of the Codice del Consumo (Section 1) are not affected by carrier-side delays.

6. Risk of Loss & Insurance

Where you qualify as a consumer under EU law and have not designated your own carrier, risk of loss, damage, theft, or deterioration in transit passes to you upon physical delivery of the Work, in accordance with Article 63 of the Codice del Consumo. For business buyers and Clients who have designated their own carrier, risk passes upon handover of the Work to the carrier at the Artist’s studio.

Transit insurance for the full invoice value is strongly recommended and is itemised separately on the invoice. For any Work with a declared value of one thousand Euros (€1,000) or more, full transit insurance is included by default and itemised on the invoice. Claims under transit insurance are documented in accordance with Section 5 of the Refund and Returns Policy.

7. Customs, Duties & Export Declarations

All international shipments are accompanied by a customs declaration prepared by the Artist with the correct Harmonised System (HS) classification (typically heading 9701 for original paintings, drawings, and pastels, or heading 9703 for original sculptures) and the true commercial value of the Work as shown on the invoice. The Artist will not under-declare value or mis-classify a Work for any reason, including at the Client’s request; under-declaration is unlawful and exposes both parties to penalties.

Import duties, VAT, broker fees, demurrage, and any other charges levied by the destination country are determined by the destination customs authority and are the Client’s sole responsibility. Rates vary by jurisdiction; many destinations apply reduced rates to original works of art under HS 9701/9703, and the Client is encouraged to consult their local customs authority before purchase. The Client is responsible for providing any tax or import identifiers required by the destination country (such as an EORI number for UK imports above the personal threshold, or an Importer of Record for certain high-value US shipments). Refusal of delivery or failure to clear customs does not entitle the Client to a refund and may result in destruction or abandonment of the Work by the carrier, for which the Artist accepts no liability.

Works by the Artist, as a living contemporary artist, are freely exportable from Italy and are not subject to the export-licence requirements of the Italian Codice dei Beni Culturali. Where required by the destination jurisdiction or Italian customs, the Artist will file a contemporary-art self-declaration through the SUE electronic system at no cost to the Client.

8. Address Verification & Delivery Conditions

Works ship to the address you provide at checkout, which the Artist will reconcile against the payer’s billing information. Where the shipping address differs from the billing address (for example, a gift to a recipient or delivery to an office), the Artist may, at its discretion, request brief written confirmation from the payer’s email of record before dispatch. The Artist does not ship to: package-consolidators or freight forwarders such as MyUS, Reship, Borderlinx, Aramex Shop&Ship, or similar services; hotel addresses for transient guests; or addresses in jurisdictions subject to EU, UN, or other applicable sanctions, embargoes, or restrictive measures. Post-office boxes are generally not accepted; exceptions may be made for verified addresses in regions where physical delivery is unavailable, subject to signature confirmation at a local pickup point. Address changes after order acceptance require re-verification from the payer’s email of record.

It is the Client’s responsibility to ensure the shipping address provided is complete, accurate, and accessible during the carrier’s normal delivery hours. The Artist will make reasonable efforts to correct a minor typo or address ambiguity identified before dispatch, but is not responsible for failed delivery, return-to-sender costs, or loss arising from an incorrect, incomplete, or fraudulent address supplied by the Client. Re-shipment following return-to-sender is at the Client’s cost. Most carriers attempt delivery three times before returning a package to origin; after the third unsuccessful attempt, the Client is responsible for arranging collection from the carrier’s local depot or paying re-shipment costs.

9. Lost, Delayed, or Refused Packages

If a package appears lost or significantly delayed in transit, contact the Artist by email as soon as reasonably possible so that a carrier investigation can be opened. The Artist will assist in pursuing the carrier and any insurance claim and will work in good faith toward a remedy under Section 5 of the Refund and Returns Policy, or, where the Work qualifies as non-conforming, under Section 4 of that Policy. A package marked “delivered” with a tracked, signature-confirmed delivery record at the verified address constitutes presumptive proof of delivery; allegations of non-receipt in those circumstances will be handled in accordance with Section 9 of the Refund and Returns Policy.

Packages refused at delivery without legitimate cause, returned undeliverable due to the Client’s error or non-cooperation with customs, or abandoned at customs become the Client’s liability for all associated carrier, storage, and re-shipment costs.

10. Local Pickup & In-Person Sales

Clients in Sulmona or nearby towns may arrange direct pickup from the studio by appointment. Government-issued identification matching the name on the order is required at collection. Risk of loss, damage, or deterioration transfers to the Client upon collection. Works sold in person at the studio, at exhibitions, or at fairs are not subject to the distance-selling right of withdrawal under Section 3 of the Refund and Returns Policy; risk passes upon collection or delivery at the point of sale. Where pickup is arranged but the Work is not collected within sixty (60) days of the Artist’s notice that it is ready, the procedure for abandoned commissions in Section 2 of the Refund and Returns Policy applies.

11. Right to Refuse or Suspend Shipment

The Artist may refuse, suspend, or cancel shipment where, in the Artist’s reasonable judgment, dispatch would present elevated risk of fraud, sanctions exposure, customs seizure, or loss, including but not limited to: addresses inconsistent with the payer’s billing information that the Client has not confirmed; addresses subject to active carrier service restrictions; freight-forwarder, mail-drop, or package-consolidator addresses; addresses in jurisdictions subject to applicable sanctions regimes; or addresses where prior shipments have resulted in loss or wrongful chargebacks.

Where the Artist refuses or cancels shipment for reasons not attributable to the Client (for example, a destination becoming subject to sanctions after order acceptance, or a carrier withdrawing service to the destination), the Artist will refund the purchase price in full, including shipping charges. Where the refusal or cancellation is attributable to the Client (for example, an incorrect, incomplete, or fraudulent address, refusal to provide verification reasonably requested, or attempted use of a prohibited shipping destination), the Artist may deduct documented non-recoverable third-party costs (such as crating already executed or non-refundable carrier charges), itemised in writing.

12. Force Majeure

The Artist is not liable for shipping or delivery delays caused by events beyond reasonable control, including acts of God, earthquake, flood, fire, pandemic or epidemic, governmental order, war, civil unrest, terrorism, embargo, sanctions, airspace closure, port congestion, carrier service suspension or withdrawal, labor dispute, cyberattack, energy or supply-chain disruption, or carrier failure. The Artist will communicate proactively where such events affect a shipment and will use reasonable efforts to mitigate. Your statutory rights under Article 61 of the Codice del Consumo are not affected.

13. Contact

For all shipping enquiries, special requests, address confirmations, or to arrange local pickup, contact the Artist at clairvegas [at] gmail [dot] com. Please include the order number, full delivery address, and any relevant details. The Artist aims to respond within five (5) business days.