Shopping and Online Security

Security when you order online

We are highly confident of the quality and security of our e-commerce facility and recommend this method of payment and ordering. This allows us to offer the best level of speed, accuracy and security in our service to you.

Credit card numbers provided through our e-commerce facility are processed immediately in an encrypted form (using SSL encryption) over a secure link and are not stored permanently. This provides a high level of security protection for our customers. The secure link is provided by our e-commerce service provider eMatters and the transaction is processed by the National Australia Bank, one of Australia's largest and longest established banks. More information about the system is available from the eMatters Web site at www.ematters.com.au.

Internet browsers have built-in security mechanisms to ensure that users do not accidentally submit personal information over an insecure link. If a user tries to submit information to an unsecured site, the browsers will, by default, show a warning. In contrast, if a user submits credit card or other information to a site with a valid Server ID and an SSL connection, the warning does not appear and the secure connection is seamless.

Users of the Aboriginal Art Online Web site can be sure that online transactions with our site are secure by looking for the following signs:

Suppliers of goods

Aboriginal Art Online offers for sale over our Web site a selection of paintings and limited edition prints. Art works are held by the suppliers to Aboriginal Art Online and we act as their agents in selling the works on a commission basis. In this way we are able to keep our cost structure low and pass on the benefit to our customers in the form of competitive prices.

Some of the suppliers of art works are in distant areas and completing a sale may require contact with Aboriginal communities in very remote places. This remoteness can at times cause delay in shipping. If this occurs we will warn you of any delays. While the artworks will be shipped by suppliers, responsibility for successful completion of your order lies with Aboriginal Art Online.

Aboriginal Art Online also stocks and offers for sale a limited selection of books, maps and CD-ROMs. Responsibility for all aspects of sale and delivery of these items lies with Aboriginal Art Online.

Delivery of goods

Art works ordered through the Web site will be shipped whenever possible within three working days of receiving the order and completion of payment (there may sometimes be a delay if the work is being supplied from a remote location).

For limited edition prints, and for paintings that can be sent rolled in a tube, the method of shipment will be economy airmail through the Australian postal service. For paintings that cannot be rolled and must be shipped flat, the method of delivery will be by approved carrier such as Fed Ex or TNT. All shipments of art works are insured and the shipping charge includes the cost of this insurance.

Books, maps and disks supplied by Aboriginal Art Online will be shipped by economy airmail through Australia Post. They will be sent within 48 hours of receiving the order and completion of payment.

Orders should usually be received within two to three weeks from the date of placing the order. The time taken for goods to arrive will depend on the location of both the customer and the supplier of art works, the size and weight of the order and the method of shipping. Shipments from remote areas to destinations outside major population centres may take longer than three weeks.

Shipments may require confirmation by signature that the goods have been received by the person who placed the original order or their agent. Signature on receipt is an important part of our order tracking process and helps to maintain security for the delivery of orders. For valuable items, orders will only be shipped to a confirmed address and where the recipient is able to sign for the delivery of the artwork. Orders for valuable items can not be shipped to a Post Office box or other address where it is not possible to confirm receipt by the person placing the order.

Please notify us if your goods have not been received within twenty one days from the date of placement of the order. We will track the shipment and advise you by email or telephone when it is due to arrive.

Return of goods

If you are not satisfied with the quality of an art work or the accuracy of its presentation on our Web site, you may return the artwork to the Aboriginal Art Online supplier and we will refund your purchase price. You may do this provided you contact us and provided that the work is returned to the supplier in its original condition.

Please note that we can not refund the purchase price for a painting that you decide you do not like after it has been delivered, but which was accurately described and presented on the Web site. If you have any doubt about a work, please contact us before you buy it and we will try to satisfy any questions or concerns that you may have.

To return an artwork, you should first contact Aboriginal Art Online within seven days of receipt of your order to indicate that you wish to return the work. We ask that you contact us in writing (by email or letter) giving the reason for the return so that we can clearly understand your concern and to allow us to confirm the best way to return the work.

When you receive a reply from us confirming that we are aware that you wish to return the work, please wrap the package securely with its original packing invoice and send to the address of the Aboriginal Art Online supplier indicated on the packing slip. If you do not have the invoice, please write the number and date of the original order on a separate piece of paper.

As the artwork will be at your risk until it is received back by the Aboriginal Art Online supplier, we recommend that you insure the return shipment.

Any item supplied by Aboriginal Art Online (a book or map in its original condition or any unopened CD-ROM, specially packaged and sealed by the manufacturer) may be returned to us for a full refund of the purchase price. The cost of returning an unwanted item to Aboriginal Art Online, including insurance if chosen, is to be borne by the purchaser returning the goods.

Refunds

We will notify you by email of your refund, once the returned item has been received in good condition either by us or by the supplier. Please note that we can refund the shipping costs (original delivery plus return) only if the return is as a result of our error.

Warranty

We undertake that the goods ordered through the Web site from Aboriginal Art Online and supplied by us will be of merchantable quality and will fit the description on our Web site at the time of purchase. All other warranties, guarantees, representations or other assurances implied or imposed by law and statute are hereby negated and excluded to the fullest extent possible at law and under statute (for a more detailed statement see the section Disclaimer and limitation of liability in the Terms of Use for our Web site). In any event, our liability shall be limited to either replacing the goods in question or refunding the cost of those goods.

Currency Conversion

All prices shown in any currency other than Australian dollars are indicative only. If you purchase an item by credit card, the charge shown on your credit card statement will be determined by your bank or credit card company according to their rules.

The currency converter on our Web site gives you a close idea of the price in another currency but is not exact. Your card will be charged in Australian dollars regardless of the currency that you select to view the prices in and the charge may not be exactly the same as the indicative price shown on our Web site or sent to you by email.

Some banks and credit card companies charge a fee for currency conversion. Also, some banks and credit card companies do not process a currency transaction on the same day that the transaction takes place, so if the exchange rate changes in that time, the price charged to you may go up or down.

Customs charges or local taxes

Payment of any local taxes or duties outside of Australia is the responsibility of the customer receiving the goods ordered from our Web site For customers resident in Australia, GST will be charged where applicable on all items purchased. For customers resident outside Australia, customs charges may be levied when a package reaches your country. We are not responsible for these charges and cannot provide estimates as to what the charges may be. You may wish to contact your local customs office for further information.

Last significant updates:

Governing laws are from the Australian Capital Territory (January 2009) and Online Security - No retention of credit card details (November 2004).