Terms and Conditions

Market Tours

Market tours in Paris

The half-day tour lasts four hours: 10.00am- 02.00pm or 02.00pm-06.00pm.

The full-day tour lasts eight hours. 10.00am-06.00pm.

If Societe INSTANTIQUES PARIS (the company) 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. For questions about larger groups, please contact us.

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: 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.

PAYMENT and cancellation policies

All fees for private tours must be paid two months 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. In the case of last-minute requests, clients must pay at least 24 hours before their arrival in France, or the reservation will be nullified. This holds true even in cases in which both parties have confirmed the tour reservation via email or over the phone. The reservation is only secured upon receipt of payment.

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.

If a client wishes to cancel a tour, he or she will be reimbursed, in full, up to two weeks before the date of the tour. The client will however be responsible for the wire transfer fees. If a client cancels a tour within this two-week window, he or she will not be reimbursed but can choose to change the scheduled date of the market visit based on the company’s availability.

At the end of the project, all outstanding bills of fees or services (including Consulting, Services, Antiques and Interior design) absolutely must be paid before the customer’s purchases are shipped and (or) delivered. We reserve the right to block the customer’s purchases as a guarantee of payment until all invoices are paid. As soon as we receive the payment in full, the goods will immediately be shipped and delivered with insurance, at the customer’s expense, to the specified address.

Purchasing and Shipping

Facilitation of purchases

When clients retrospectively choose to purchase items seen on the market, the company 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 the company 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 custom

Overseeing and Quality Control of Shipping

The company will 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.

Shipping* and receipt of items at your home

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.

Payment for transportation (paid directly to the shipping company) includes insurance.

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. Complaints must be reported within two weeks of delivery. After two weeks, no claims of damages may be made.

Please note: it is important that clients play an equal part in inspecting pieces prior to purchase so that they are familiar and comfortable with the condition of each piece. As most items at the market are decades or centuries old, they may have unique signs of use from their rich histories. Clients are expected to note any such idiosyncrasies, seen in person and through photos after the shopping trip, prior to purchase in order to ensure their satisfaction when their purchases arrive at their home.

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

Compensation

As noted above, the company’s tailored and thorough process includes advising, sourcing, negotiating, organization of purchasing and shipping to clients’ doorsteps, and customs formalities. The company conducts quality control checks every step of the way, from the invoices to shipping crates, in order to ensure that all goes as smoothy as possible. The company charges 10% of the total cost of purchases and 20% of the total cost of purchases for a interior design project.

Additional Services, Subject to an Additional Fee

Private web pages and/or additional research

As an additional service requested by the client, the company 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 the company’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 the company 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.

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.