Terms and Conditions

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All clients who wish to hire us must read and accept the terms and conditions below. If you proceed with the hiring process, it is assumed that you have carefully considered and accepted the terms and conditions in full. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Your use of this website constitutes your agreement to all terms, conditions, and notices contained herein or otherwise posted on the website. (The content of such agreement, inclusive of all the terms and all such additional conditions and notices, are together referred to herein as the “agreement.”) If you do not accept any of the provisions of the agreement, we ask that you do not use the web site and the services we provide.

The company may, at its sole discretion, modify or revise the Terms and Conditions at any time by updating the text of this page.

You are bound by any such modification or revision and should therefore visit this page periodically to review the Terms and Conditions.

 

Market Tours

The half-day tour lasts four hours, with transportation time included (pick up and drop off at hotel in Paris).

The full-day tour lasts eight hours, with transportation time included (pick up and drop off at hotel in Paris).

If Riad is available and a client wishes to extend a tour past the standard four hour or eight hour visits, they may certainly choose to do so. Each hour will be billed at the same rate as the pre-scheduled hours. Please note that we will round up to the next hour in all cases (if a client extends the tour by fifteen minutes, for example, he or she will be billed for an extra hour).

All tours are offered for up to four people due to transportation. For questions about larger groups, please contact us.

If a client has his or her own means of transportation, there is no discount in the total day rate, as the transportation is a courtesy for market visits in Paris.

The price of lunch is not included in the fee for the tour. If a client chooses to stop for lunch at one of the excellent bistros of the market, the time spent there is included in the half-day or full-day tour.

Included in the fee for each tour is: pick up at hotel or apartment in Paris, parking in Paris and Provence,* visit and tour of antiques markets with descriptions of art and surroundings, advising on and identification of pieces considered, translation into English, and negotiations in case of purchase.

*If the client provides  his or her own means of transportation in Paris, he or she must pay for parking.

TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE MARKET OF ST. OUEN

The transportation to and from the market takes place in a vintage Mercedes S320 with leather interior and air conditioning.

TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE MARKET OF ISle SUR LA SORGUE

Transportation to and from the Isle sur la Sorgue market is not included in the price of the market tour. However, Riad can rent a car and provide transportation to the market and back. There is no extra fee for the organization of the rental and the driving service between the train station and the market, but the cost of the car rental is to be paid by the client, in addition to any insurance fees or gas, and toll costs. We recommend that clients purchase car rental insurance, as we are not liable for any accidents or damage. The client is at full liberty to decide which  type of car will be rented, and he or she will be requested to provide credit card information so that Riad may organize the rental.
If a client is located further from the market and would like to request a transportation service, Riad asks that he or she please contact him for special arrangements. Additional fees may apply for a greater distance.

Transportation from Paris (or other French locations) to Provence

Whereas Riad can arrange on-site transportation to the market itself, the client or travel agency is asked to take care of transportation to Provence. However, the client may certainly hire Riad for the additional service of organizing transportation to Provence if he or she so chooses.

PAYMENT FOR MARKET TOURS

All fees for private tours must be paid twenty business days before the tour in question, with the exception of last-minute requests. Upon payment for market tours, clients may receive an invoice if they wish.

The only currency accepted is Euros, by wire transfer or cash. We apologize for our inability to charge credit cards and accept checks from foreign banks.

Additional Services, Subject to an Additional Fee

Private Web Pages AND/OR ADDITIONAL RESEARCH

As an additional service requested by the client, Riad can create a private, password-protected webpage within 72 hours of a shopping day that includes photos, descriptions, and historical contexts of pieces considered. Only the client, Mr. Kneife, and his assistant will have access to the password of this page, but the client may share the password of this page with close friends, family, or decorators in order to facilitate a sound purchase decision. This service is not included in the price of the half- and full-day rates.

Clients may also request descriptive files of items, at an additional price, that include more detailed historical information from Riad’s extensive library and archives: biography of the artist, history of exhibitions in museums in galleries, etc.

If the client takes advantage of this additional service but does not choose to purchase any of the items considered, he or she will be charged a fee of 250€ minimum for the time spent creating a private web page. If a client proceeds with the purchasing of items and hires Riad to organize the shipping process, the cost of the private web page will be included in the price of the shipping organization.

If a client requests extra research in addition to that which is included in the private web page, there will be an additional fee in order to cover necessary gas, parking, photography, or library fees and the additional time devoted to the project.

FACILITATION OF PURCHASES

When clients retrospectively choose to purchase items seen on the market, Riad must return to the market to determine which items are still available for purchase. Once he verifies availability, he uses his expertise to ensure that items have no hidden flaws. After this rigorous quality control check, he then negotiates the price for the client and provides the dealer with a voucher of purchase. At this point, however, the purchase cannot be confirmed until the funds have been wired.

PAYMENT FOR ITEMS PURCHASED

Payment options include cash or wire transfer. We only accept Euros. If you pay by cash, you must pay each dealer separately on the day of the market visit. You may also simply send one wire transfer — with the total sum of all items purchased — within ten business days, after which time Riad will organize appropriate payments to each dealer.

Despite excellent relationships with all the dealers, we cannot guarantee that a dealer will keep items aside for a client during the interim between the purchase decision and the payment. We therefore suggest that you pay as soon as possible.

QUALITY CONTROL OF INVOICES FOR CUSTOMS FORMALITIES

When you purchase an item while at a market, Mr. Kneife can check to ensure that dealers have created an appropriately detailed invoice that adheres to the guidelines set by customs regulations.

This rigorous and meticulous service ensures that the shipping process will proceed smoothly and that all items will be able to pass through customs.

Overseeing and Quality Control of Shipping

As an additional service, Riad can oversee the transfer of pieces from the market to the shipping warehouse. At each step of the way, he carefully inspects each piece to ensure the highest quality. Before the final shipment, he inspects and photographs each piece before it is packaged and shipped.

Included in this service is the overseeing of potential restoration services. Riad is connected to the top specialists and artisans who work for the markets and can facilitate any desired restoration, rewiring of light fixtures, repainting, etc. Upon completion, Riad will again do a quality control check and see that items safely arrive at the shipping warehouse. If the client chooses to take advantage of these services, he or she must pay the restorers for the work requested.

Payment for SHIPPING AND FOR ORGANIZATION THEREOF

The shipping company will contact a client when all items have been crated and the cost of shipping has been calculated, and they will ship the merchandise once they receive a payment from the client. It is also at this time that Riad will send an invoice to the client that details the cost of the requested organization of shipping, documentation, potential restoration, etc. If he or she does not pay for this completed additional service, the shipping of the merchandise will be blocked until the payment is completed.

SHIPPING AND Receipt of Items at Your Home

Payment for transportation (paid directly to the shipping company) includes insurance. Each item is insured for its full value.*

We work with the top shipping company in France for the export of antiques and are highly confident in their services. Upon receiving your purchases, however, please immediately inspect each item and photograph any potential damages. In such a rare instance, we ask that you contact us right away so that we may assist you in filing a claim with the shipping company.

*In case of damage, there is a deductible which is calculated on a case-by-case basis.

 

In Case of Dispute

These general terms and conditions of sale, the sale and all matters relating thereto are governed by French law; the sellers, buyers and their agents accept that the courts of Paris (France) alone shall have jurisdiction over any legal action.