Shipping and returns
Where it goes, and what happens if something is wrong
Written in plain English rather than legal English, because this page exists to be read.
Shipping
Shipping is free, worldwide, on every order. No minimum, no surcharge for distance, no handling fee.
| Carrier | Tracked and insured international courier |
|---|---|
| Packaging | Rolled in a rigid, moisture-protected tube |
| Transit time | 3–5 business days after dispatch |
| Customs documents | Declared accurately as a hand-painted oil painting, HTS 9701.10 |
| Duty and import VAT | The customer's responsibility |
We declare the true value of every shipment. Under-declaring means your parcel can be held, returned or destroyed, and the cost of that lands on you rather than on us — so we do not do it.
Duty and import VAT
- United States — hand-painted oil paintings are duty free (HTS 9701.10), and shipments under the $800 personal exemption threshold generally incur no duty at all.
- United Kingdom and European Union — import duty on original paintings is normally zero, but import VAT is charged on the value of the goods. That VAT is the customer's responsibility and is collected by the carrier before delivery.
- Everywhere else — check your own country's rules for original artworks. Our invoice and certificate give you the documentation a customs officer will ask for.
Why your painting arrives rolled
A canvas rolled inside a rigid tube is one of the safest things you can put in the post. A painting stretched on a frame needs a wooden crate to survive the journey, which costs three to five times as much to move and still arrives damaged far more often. Any local framer will stretch the canvas onto stretcher bars — usually within a few days, and for roughly the price of a takeaway meal. We send the exact finished dimensions with your certificate so there is no guesswork.
Returns and refunds
Commissions
A commissioned painting is made specifically for you, to a composition you approved, so it sits outside the usual right of return. Here is what protects you instead:
- You approve the digital mock-up before any paint is mixed, with unlimited free changes at that stage.
- You receive two progress photographs and can raise concerns mid-painting.
- You receive a photograph of the finished canvas and get one free round of adjustments.
- If the finished, approved painting does not match what was agreed, we repaint it at our cost, or refund it in full.
Once a commission has been approved at the finished-photograph stage and dispatched, it cannot be returned for a change of mind. In the UK and EU this exclusion for personalised goods is expressly permitted (Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU, Article 16(c)) and is stated on this page and at checkout before you pay.
Original paintings
An available original is a finished, unsold work rather than something made for you, so it carries a 14-day return window from delivery. Return it in its original rolled packaging, unframed and undamaged, and we refund the purchase price once it is back and inspected. Return shipping is paid by the customer unless the piece arrived damaged or is not as described.
Damaged or lost in transit
Photograph the parcel before opening it, then photograph the damage, and email us within seven days of delivery. We repaint or refund in full and handle the insurance claim ourselves. You will not be asked to negotiate with a courier.
Order cancellations
- Before the mock-up is approved — cancelled in full, no questions.
- After mock-up approval, before painting starts — a full refund less any third-party costs already incurred.
- After painting has begun — the deposit is retained, because the work has already been done.
Getting in touch about an order
Email [email protected] with your order reference. Replies come within 24 hours.
Order with the details in front of you
If anything on this page is unclear, ask before you buy rather than after.