How long does a refund actually take?

How long does a refund actually take? It's one of the most common questions new buyers ask before their first purchase, and the honest answer is usually more reassuring than the worry behind the question.

The short answer

Provenance matters more the further a work travels from its original studio — a documented chain of ownership is what turns 'I was told this is authentic' into something a future buyer, insurer or appraiser can actually verify.

Insuring a home collection is worth doing before, not after, the first piece worth insuring arrives — most standard homeowner policies cap fine-art coverage well below what a modest collection is actually worth within a couple of years of active buying.

The longer answer

Unpacking a painting that's just arrived is the moment most first-time buyers get needlessly anxious — checking corners and edges first, rather than the center of the canvas, catches the vast majority of real transit damage without requiring any expertise.

Customs delays are almost always paperwork problems, not enforcement problems — an accurate, itemized declaration with a clear description of the work as fine art rather than 'decorative item' clears faster than anything else a shipper can do.

If you're weighing this on a specific piece — say, Sigrid Lunde's "Tow" — the same policy applies regardless of price.