During the lockdown, many public auction houses in France organized online art sales. Both online and live formulas have been very successful.According to Artprice's Art Market 2020 report, "Christie's saw its online sales increase by +262%".

At the same time, other sites or "Marketplace" are increasing their offer of Internet sales. From now on, we know that more and more people will buy online. This is an opportunity to look at the subtle differences between online and live sales. It is necessary to distinguish two guarantees, as Aude Ceysson, auctioneer, explains to us in detail.

The sale of art on line

Firstly, there are public auctions governed by auctioneers. However, other operators also organize online art sales.

• Live auctions: the auctioneer conducts a live public sale. He follows the bids in the room and online via a control screen.
• Online auctions: this is an automatic system that manages the sale only on the Internet. This sale can last several days. In this case, the auctioneer still controls the sale catalog. This is called a dematerialized sale.
• Direct online sales. Here, it is different because it is a sale by mutual agreement with a fixed or negotiated price. However, the buyers benefit from the same guarantees.
• The confusion comes from the fact that the auction houses organize all three types of sales. At the same time, other market operators also offer online sales.

In reality, the general public is not familiar with the different rights rules that may apply. So is it the same to buy on a sales platform or in a public auction house? Well no, Ebay or Amazon do not always offer the same guarantees to the buyer.

What are the buyer's guarantees for an online purchase?

• If you buy on a commercial site, the law of the consumption applies. That is to say that you will not be covered in particular in the event of forgery, or imitation. In addition, if the work is damaged or stolen, the buyer will not have the same guarantee. Moreover, the information on the artist's coast is not mandatory.

• On the other hand, public auction platforms such as Drouot Live, Interenchères, Auction, where French auctioneers officiate, provide guarantees. The main guarantees of a purchase of a work of art are first of all its authenticity but also its state of conservation, its traceability.

• While the terms used seem very similar between "online" and "online", the consumer protections are not the same.

• The professional practices and legal obligations that govern public auctions allow auctioneers to offer buyers and sellers a level of guarantees that is far superior to other forms of transactions. For example, over-the-counter transactions on the Internet do not provide sufficient assurance in transactions.

The art market professional must verify the legality of the seller's ownership and the authenticity of the objects sold.

Do not hesitate to ask for information when purchasing a work of art, as recommended by the Conseil des ventes volontaires .