HELP

Frequently Asked Questions
Instructions
Rules of Art-Switch for Borrowers and Buyers
Art-Switch Operating Hours
Refunds, Returns, Replacement & Cancellation Policy
Security & Privacy Statement
Delivery Policy
Terms & Conditions
Legal Notice

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Art-Switch?

Art-Switch is a library of original art where you can borrow or buy art at trustworthy prices you can understand.

How does it work?

Art-Switch establishes a fair system that allows you to try out any artwork on your walls - whatever the value. While you explore your tastes, we can determine the popularity of each piece, which in turn gives the price. Prices come directly from demand and you can watch them rise or fall daily in a market based on popularity. No more mumbo jumbo art prices! MORE

How much does it cost?

A flat fee of just £ 1.00 per day allows you to borrow any artwork - ANY artwork - whatever its value, big or small by unknown or established artists.

Where do I pick up the Artwork?

We bring the gallery to you. In your home or in your office - we will bring the artworks to you whenever you want. You can also opt to pick it up yourself: the warehouse is in Stratford.

There's so much artwork, how do I work out my preferred shortlist?

View all the art as small art-clips on ‘See the art’ page. This gives every artwork the same chance to be seen, and gives you a little taster of each one. To make sure it’s fair for measuring popularity, we even shuffle them around every day.

Just see what catches your eye and make sure you Shortlist them on your Favourites page for quick and easy reference later. You don’t have to choose here. Just borrow, check out the real thing at home and decide then. Remember, you can always Switch - we bring the gallery to you!

How does “More Like This” work?

When you find a picture that interests you, click the “More Like This” button. This will show you 10 more pictures. Our system monitors how many people look at each picture and knows which other pictures they look at. Given your interest in the first picture, these are the top ten pictures we think you will be interested in.

How long can I keep artwork?

As long as you like.

How does Art-Switch select artists?

Art-Switch does not select artists, YOU select the artists! All artists' work is accepted and the least favourite artwork lowers in price and drops out of the pool.

What does the artist get out of it?

Art-Switch is great for artists; they get regular monthly income from library fees, up to 80% commission on sales and royalties on re-sales. They also get freedom from politics and games, better exposure and they find themselves more accessible than ever to the potential Art buyer.

Can I use OpenID?

Yes you can but you need an art-switch account first:

- If you already have an account with us login to your account using your Art-Switch login details and on your 'UPDATE PROFILE' page select 'Add OpenID login'.

- If you do not have an art-switch account please join us today.

INSTRUCTIONS

To borrow:

Click See the Art to view digital images of artwork. Use the Explore buttons to narrow the choice by artist, size or medium.
Use the Explore buttons to narrow the choice by artist, size or medium.
Click any image to see it larger in its own page with related factual information.
Click Shortlist to shortlist up to ten artworks which you prefer or wish to explore. You can Shortlist any artwork even if it is already borrowed. It will appear on your Favourites.
Click your Favourites. This is your shortlist where you can compare all your selections.
Click My Priority No. to select a number from the drop down menu to prioritise them.
Click Remove to remove artwork from your Favourites.
Click Borrow. You’ll receive your highest choice as long as it’s IN and no one has prioritised it higher or for longer than you. Otherwise you’ll get your next choice.
The system offers you a delivery option.
Select I will pick up or Set Delivery Time.
Enjoy the artwork on your own wall without purchasing and with the freedom to change your mind at any time - The Ultimate Browse – in your own home.
You are informed whenever your short-listed artworks (from your Favourites) become available to borrow

To Have Fun:

View daily price updates by clicking on images in See the Art or Favourites. Prices rise with high demand to borrow and fall if unpopular.
View factual information by clicking on images in See the Art or Favourites.
Click on your Favourites to modify your shortlist
Get more for your money - take the chance to risk unusual artworks. Remember, you can always Switch.

To Switch:

Click Favourites to view and update your shortlist
Click Shortlist. Artwork goes to those who shortlist it - highest priority gets it first. So, even if its out, SHORTLIST it!
Click Switch. The system alerts us to exchange your artwork for the next available one in your shortlist. You will receive your highest priority choice as long as the art is IN and no one has Shortlisted it higher or for longer than you. Otherwise you'll get your next choice.

To Buy:

Select the image of the artwork which you wish to purchase in See the Art or Favourites
Click Buy. You will be taken to a checkout
Select I Will Pick Up or Set Delivery Time
Book delivery time (if applicable)
If another client is borrowing the artwork, payment will only be taken if they do not use their first refusal option to buy.

If you want to Pick Up or Return:

Call on +44 (0)20 8555 0037 to book a pick up or return from our warehouse in Stratford, East London

For further information please contact us or email us at info@art-switch.com _

RULES OF ART-SWITCH FOR BORROWERS AND BUYERS

Borrowing

Clients can shortlist up to 5 Works at any one time on a wall. There is no limit as to the number of Walls a Client may have.
Clients can change the shortlist at anytime.
Clients can borrow 1 Work at a time per membership.
Clients may keep a Work in their position without switching for a period of 75 days. If Clients wish to keep the Work for longer, then a fee is payable.
All clients who shortlist a Work, are informed when that Work becomes available to borrow.
The first client to notify Art-Switch that they wish to borrow the Work will receive it. If two clients notify at the same time, the Work will go to the person who has had the art on their Wall of Art for the longest.
Where the Company cannot deliver the Work due to the actions of the Client, the Work shall be made available to other clients.

Buying

As a privilege for being first to try out an artwork, borrowers have first refusal to buy the art in their possession.
Prices can rise and fall.
All Works start at a Float price, which then rises or falls to a Market price based on demand measured by popularity. Prices rise with high demand to borrow. Prices drop with low demand to borrow.
Where the Work is in the Client’s possession, the purchase price shall be the lower of the Market Price on the day the Work was first in the possession of the Client or the Market Price on the day the Client notified the Company
Where the Work is not in the Client’s possession, the purchase price shall be the Market Price.
When someone wishes to purchase a Work that is being borrowed by somebody else
- The borrower is given 2 working day to use their option for first refusal to purchase the Work.
- If the borrower chooses not to purchase then the buyer is at liberty to purchase at the market price.
- Payment is taken from the buyer.
- The borrower is entitled to a free replacement switch, provided the Work is returned within 7 days.
- When the Work is received from the borrower it is then made available to the buyer.
Non-subscribers can purchase Work from Art-Switch subject to the rules above.
All prices for Works on the Website are determined by Art Switch.

Artist withdrawal of work

Artists may withdraw artworks from the Art-Switch library for reasons such as an exhibition.
Where the Work is withdrawn so as to be exhibited by the Artist;
- The Client will be given 6 weeks notice to release the Work.
- The prompt compliance by releasing the Work will entitle the Client to an extra free switch.
- The Client may offer to purchase the Work at any time until a third party offers to purchase the Work at the exhibition.
- The Client acknowledges that where he purchases a Work that is at an exhibition, the Work may not be delivered to the Client until the end of the exhibition.
Where the exhibition finishes and the Work has not been purchased, it shall be returned to the Client for any remaining period that the Client was entitled to have possession of the Work, unless the Client has used his free switch.
Where Work is returned to a Client following an exhibition, the new Option Price will be the Market Price on the day the Work is returned to the Client.
Option prices are not transferable between Works
Option prices expire when a Client returns Work to Art-Switch.

Ownership, security and care of work

The Artist owns the work till it is purchased.
The Work must be kept at the agreed Site address only.
Art work is packaged for transport in re-usable protective packaging, which folds flat. Keep this packaging for return.
A condition check will be performed with you each time artwork is borrowed and returned, which you sign when satisfied. Clients will be charged for significant damage in accordance with standard restoration costs as published on the Website.
If artwork is destroyed or goes missing, borrowers are liable for whichever is less of their Option price or Market price.

ART-SWITCH OPERATING HOURS

Our office operating hours are 10AM to 6PM Monday to Friday and 12PM to 6PM on Saturday.

REFUNDS, RETURNS, REPLACEMENT & CANCELLATION POLICY

Art-Switch Exchange Limited understands that you may not be fully satisfied with our artist's artworks, whether you take it home for a 'switch' or purchase it. For the sake of clarity, this policy relates to the purchase of artworks ONLY, not the return of a 'switch.' For more information on returning artworks for another as part of the 'switching' mechanism, please refer to our client contract in Terms & Conditions.

General Returns

Should our artist's artworks not meet your expectations, we want you to feel free to return them to us, as long as it is within 7 days of receipt of the purchase. We will be happy to provide you with an alternative work of art, should you choose one. We will also give you a full refund if you cannot find a replacement artwork of your choice. This returns policy is only valid if you have never seen the artwork before at your primary registered address. If you have seen the artwork before as part of the 'switching mechanism' and you purchase the artwork, refunds will not be granted and returns cannot be accepted.

Damage

We will of course, also accept returns if the artwork was damaged during delivery. Should this occur, it will be indicated in the condition report upon arrival to The Site. We will repackage the artwork for you within its original materials. If you choose a replacement artwork, we will we will not charge you delivery on it. That wouldn't be fair!

Shipping & Insurance

You will be responsible for attaining insurance on shipment (if applicable) of any returned artwork. Shipping, delivery and insurance costs will not be reimbursed.

Notification

You will be notified of your refund through e-mail once the returned artwork is received safely and the request for refund has been processed.   Any change in this policy or information not contemplated in this policy will be at the absolute discretion of The Company.

SECURITY AND PRIVACY STATEMENT

Art-Switch Exchange Limited is committed to protecting your online privacy when visiting our site. The objective of this policy is to inform you about the types of information we gather about you when you visit http://www.art-switch.com and it's related sites, how we use that information, whether we disclose it to anyone, and the choices you have in relation to that. We do not require personal information from visitors in order to access any part of non-member areas of the website. Any personal information you may provide will be on a voluntary basis. Therefore, it is important that you know exactly how any information you give us is used, and also that all information is collected lawfully.

The personal information we collect

We may ask you to voluntarily provide us with personal information including your name, e-mail address, shipping address and phone numbers so that we may contact you to fulfill orders, reply to your comments, questions and requests, or to manage membership accounts. We might also ask for some information in order to provide better services, like assess your location for delivery of artwork or the possibility of us providing other services.

By providing us with your personal data

1. You agree that the information we hold about you can be held on computer and/or paper files.

2. You agree that any information you give us, including sensitive personal data such as mobile phone numbers, may only be used for the purpose of processing your application, internal client analysis and for the ongoing administration of your membership. We would like to reassure you that any information received from you will never be accessed by any third party, other than for the purpose of website development, maintenance and administration. The Company shall not use, sell, trade, rent or disclose your personal information to any third parties without your express permission. We keep all the emails we receive and send, so that we can follow each order history.

3. You agree that we may use the information we hold about you to contact you from time to time by post, fax, e-mail or telephone to inform you about special promotions, or to bring to your attention additional products, services or offers which may be of benefit to you. If you do not wish us to do that, all you have to do is tick the appropriate box when registering, or write to us at either:

cancelemailpromotions@art-switch.com

or at:

Art-Switch Exchange Limited
Studio 354 Stratford Workshops
Burford Road
London
E15 2SP
United Kingdom

This privacy policy is part of the agreement between you and The Company and, by dealing with us, you automatically agree to the way we handle your personal data.

This part is just for artists

Artist membership and listing of artworks is free. Every time a client chooses your work to hang on his/her wall, you will receive a percentage of their membership fee. This is detailed in your artist contract.

Artist policy

The editing of your profile, listing of your artwork and marketing it are all free services. But you can only advertise your own artwork and you must be in possession of the original piece. As soon as your artwork is chosen by a client of Art-Switch, it is automatically marked "Chosen" and blocked from further choices on our site. This mark will be taken out in the event of the return of the artwork. The same way, it will be marked "Purchased" on our site, when acquired by one of our members. Please do understand that we do not require the exclusive right of marketing your artwork, but if your artwork is sold through any other galleries, please advise us immediately so that we can remove it from the site, otherwise you might be charged credit card refund fees if a delivery/purchase order from one of our members is received and cannot be met. As soon as we receive an order for a "switch" or a "purchase" of an artwork, we will notify you. You should insure and ship the artwork immediately and, if that is not possible, please get in touch with us.

DELIVERY POLICY

Our Acknowledgement of Order will state the date and time of delivery, and we will endeavour to keep our schedule, but please understand that we cannot accept liability for any negative effects caused by delays.

If you have selected to 'switch' an artwork, your delivery day and time will be the one you chose during the 'schedule delivery' process. Delivery time may vary dependent on the location of the artwork requested and whether or not the artwork is currently being borrowed. If you wish to purchase an artwork, delivery day and time may vary depending on whether the artwork is already on someone else's wall. Please see Terms & Conditions for more information if you are purchasing an artwork.

All items are very well packaged and insured during transit to cover damages or non-delivery. Charges for additional insurance and delivery outside of our supported area is calculated according to the destination. Please note that we do not deliver to P.O. Boxes.

After the artwork arrives at your primary delivery address, and a condition check is completed and accepted, you shall be responsible for it, including insurance, if applicable. If delivery is not taken at the address stated on your order, Art-Switch reserves the right to charge for delivery. If any damage on the artwork is created after we leave the premises of your address, please notify us via email at art@art-switch.com as soon as possible and not later than 48 hours, indicating the precise nature of the damage.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

Click Here to access the Terms & Conditions.

LEGAL NOTICE

Website agreement for Art-Switch Exchange Limited

We hope you find our website fun, useful and informative. We also hope that you enjoy it and tell your friends about us. Please read our Terms & Conditions carefully, because when you visit our site you automatically agree to them.
Thanks for your visit!

Introduction

Everyone tries to avoid it, but our legal consultants told us we could not be in business without setting out the terms of this Agreement which is, yes, a legal document where your rights and obligations are set out, and also those of Art-Switch Exchange Limited (The Company) in relation to the services we offer through this site. The Company may revise these terms and conditions from time to time by updating this posting, which shall then take immediate effect.

Registration

In order to register for The Company's services, you must be legally able to enter into contracts, which generally means you need to be at least 18 years old. In case any member of The Company is in breach of any of the provisions of this agreement, The Company, at its own discretion, may forthwith by summary notice terminate his/her membership without prejudice to any claim it may have against you for damages and/or otherwise.

Copyright

The images, artworks and text used on The Company's website are the property of The Company or their respective copyright owners. All copyright, trademarks, logos, designs, product names, whether or not appearing in large print or with trademark symbols, are trademarks of The Company and its partners and may not be used, downloaded, edited, reposted, reproduced, reused, transmitted, modified, displayed, distributed or otherwise used by any mechanical or electronic means without the express written permission of The Company.   The use, downloading, editing, reposting, reproduction, reuse, transmission, modification, display, distribution or other uses of these trademarks or any other materials is expressly prohibited and may be in violation of the laws of copyright, trademark, privacy and publicity.   Neither The Company, nor any party involved in creating, producing or delivering artworks shall be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages arising out of your access, use or inability to use our website, or any errors or omissions in the content thereof.

Website content

To the best of our knowledge, the description of artworks and services included in The Company's site are accurate and we do our best to correct errors or omissions as soon as we are aware of them. Nevertheless, we are sure you understand that colours and appearance of original images may be slightly different from the way they appear on screen.

Loss & liability

The Company shall not be liable to any third party for any direct or indirect, consequential or compensatory loss or damage to data, profit, revenue, property, business or management time, howsoever arising. The Company liability under this agreement, howsoever otherwise arising, shall not exceed the amount paid or payable by you. This does not affect your statutory rights as a consumer.

Use of cookies

Cookies are designed to help a website recognise a user's browser as a visitor, saving and remembering any preferences that might have been previously set. Our site uses this standard technology to collect information about how our site is used. Cookies could save your password, so that you do not have to re-type it every time you check your account. The cookies we use cannot retrieve any other data from your computer or contaminate it with computer viruses. We only use cookies to get the information indicated in this policy and do not use them to gather identifying information without your consent.

Reasonable control

The Company shall not be liable for any failure to perform its obligations under this agreement if caused by matters beyond its reasonable control or by acts of God.

Fees and shipping costs

Fees charged by The Company are subject to change without notice.

Severance and waiver

If any of these Terms and Conditions becomes ineffective for any reason, the remainder of them shall still be valid and binding upon you and The Company.

Terms and conditions of sale

After you have browsed our artworks, changed your mind and switched the first work for another one, and repeated the experience again and again, you might be interested in acquiring one of the works you tried on your wall. If so, all you have to do is access www.art-switch.com (The Website). If the artwork is being borrowed, please see 'Terms & Conditions.' The sale will be effective only after we send you our acknowledgement of order and your payment by credit card (or other mechanism) has been accepted by us or your credit card company.

Delivery of your order

Our Acknowledgement of Order will state the date of delivery, and we will endeavour to keep our schedule, but please understand that we cannot accept liability for any negative effects caused by delays. After the artwork arrives at your primary delivery address (The Site), and a condition check is completed and accepted, you shall be responsible for it, including insurance, if applicable. If delivery is not taken at the address stated on your order, The Company reserves the right to charge for delivery. If any damage on the artwork is created after we leave the premises of The Site, please notify us via email at ouchart@art-switch.com as soon as possible and not later than 48 hours, indicating the precise nature of the damage.

Prices

All prices published in our website are in pound sterling and that is the amount we will charge you, plus any applicable taxes and shipment costs. This will all be detailed during the purchase process.

Payments

Paying for any of our services, membership or acquisition of artworks, for example, can be done by credit card or by cheque made payable to Art-Switch Exchange Limited, in GB pounds sterling only. Any payment will be deemed to have been made as soon as it is available in The Company's bank account.

Applicable law

The Company is an English company, registered in England and Wales, and every deal shall be deemed to have been completed in England. Therefore each transaction and all contracts shall be construed and interpreted according with English law.