Sadly, there are scammers everywhere in the world of online marketplaces. However, as Affairs of the Harp is monitored very closely by its owner, adverts are carefully checked. Traffic to adverts is also checked.

If you are unsure about a buyer who has seen your harp advertised, you can always contact Affairs of the Harp by email or by phone and Geraldine will talk you through several steps that you can take to ensure that you are not in any danger of being scammed.

If a buyer wants to try your harp, make sure that all the strings are on the harp and that the harp is in tune. A buyer will probably want to try out the harp for sound quality, size, etc. So, it is better if the harp is ready to play when they come to view it.

If the buyer is happy with the harp and makes an offer on the price, that decision is yours. Many people will make offers, but it is down to you – the seller and owner of the harp – if you will accept the offer or not. Think carefully beforehand what sort of offer you will or will not accept. This applies especially if you have advertised your harp with a price with "or nearest offer" or "ono". Be prepared as to what price you are willing to accept.

Once a price is agreed, the buyer more often than not will do an online bank transfer. You need to check that the money is in your account before you let the harp out of your house. If you do not have online banking, you will need to agree a form of payment so that you are positive that you have the money in your bank account before you let your harp go.

Some people may present a cheque. Whilst this is rare nowadays, if offered a payment by cheque, the cheque must be cleared before the harp is collected/delivered. A genuine buyer will understand and be happy with this. The same with a buyer offering to pay a deposit and take the harp — no, the buyer can pay a deposit but they collect the harp when the rest of the agreed price is paid.

Like anything that you buy, the buyer pays the delivery charge and not the seller. In some instances, a seller will offer to deliver a harp, but this is stated on the advert and any cost, if there may be one, should be clarified and discussed before the harp is dispatched.

No, Affairs of the Harp does not see all the harps to examine them. The details of the harps are as the owner has described in their advert submission, so we have to go on a seller's integrity. We can see if a harp is genuinely mistakenly advertised by make, style, etc. and we will advise the seller on that. Some clients have harps for many years and are not sure of the model of the harp, or they may be selling a harp for a relative and have no idea of the make, model or value. We can advise on all of that.

The only harps that Affairs of the Harp will have seen and assessed personally are those marked with "c/o Geraldine" in the "owner" category and "Location – Leatherhead". These are harps that are being sold through the "agency" package.

Yes, most certainly. If you send on details of the harp such as make, model, age, condition of the harp, if it has been taken out much or only played at home, if it has accessories with it and if it has been serviced and regulated recently or at all, we can advise you on a realistic selling price at which to advertise your harp. This is based on the selling history of harps like yours and the current movement of the harp market.

Brand new harps will have VAT included the price. The minute you take the harp out of the showroom, you lose 20% - the vat you have paid. You do not pay vat on any harps sold on Affairs of the Harp (unless the harp is going abroad, in which case the destination country may charge their own duties and tariffs).

Not everyone can afford a new harp – the prices of these instruments have risen quite substantially in recent years. Yes, you get a warrantee with a new harp, but if a secondhand harp has been looked after and maintained correctly and if there are no structural faults with it, you can find the harp of your dreams at a realistic price.

If a parent is buying a harp for a young student, it is a good idea to buy (or rent – rental harps are also available on Affairs of the Harp) a secondhand instrument. Some children or teenagers will start lessons and then possibly down the line, decide that the harp is not for them. You can always then sell the harp on through Affairs of the Harp and you will not have lost a large of money.

Yes. If you contact Aardvark Art Services, they are an excellent company and we can thoroughly recommend them.

www.aardvarkartservices.com
Phone: 01253 794673