recently I recieved an inquiry from a prospective collector in Australia. This person ordered 3 very expensive pieces. They were in a hurry, the command of the english language was spotty, wanted to use a credit card. I responded that the shipping costs could be prohibitive and that did not seem to phase the customer. Indeed they offered to arrange for pickup of the pieces. They said they would handle it, implying they would handle the costs but it did not feel right. They would not respond to my request for a cashiers check(reccomended by my bank).I offered some information about the work and there did not seem to be any curiosity or interest about the work which is unlike the normal customer. I discovered that this is a common scam put upon international used book sellers.I recieved another inquiry from a different australian , much the same but sent to a large number of on line merchants, only some of whom were artists.Beware international orders. insist that your arrange the shipping and have the costs covered by the customer. I found that UPS to Australia was in the range of $450 for a medium size box containing an $600- 800 sculpture. insist on a cashiers check and check with your bank before you let the merchandise go. Dangers include the customer charging back the credit card and shipping companies that bill you the shipper later. Go with your gut.
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