The Historama
Alex Ben-Arieh
P.O.Box 32128
Tel Aviv, Israel 61321
Tel/Fax: +972-3-546-1971
Mobile:  +972-547-680-086
e-mail:   alex@historama.com


Terms of Sale

More on This Page:

Ordering Instructions

Authenticity

Handling Times

Payment Options

Postage & Shipping

Layaway Requests

Terms of Metals Used

Buy Backs & Trades

Want Lists

Professional Services

Consignments/Purchases


 This is the main reference page for the terms and conditions of all our services, ordering procedures and participation.

All terms and conditions published on this page and elsewhere online at our site are the most updated, and supersede and replace those published elsewhere before.

Written just below is the standard order information that you should be aware of if you're planning on placing an order with us. However, if you're interested in special ordering requests (layaway, payment by installment), participation in our mailbid sales or in consigning items for sale, please click on the appropriate links on the left. Our terms and conditions are both viewable online and downloadable for your keeping.

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Ordering Instructions: To place an order, please contact us first by phone, fax, e-mail, post or the e-form on this website.
  1. Your satisfaction is guaranteed. If you are not pleased with any item, you may return it to us within 14 days of your receipt of the order for a full refund (minus the postage and deposit charges). The item must be returned in the same condition as it was sold (in its original holder/packaging and condition); any tampering with the item may invalidate the refund.

    NOTE: most photos of the merchandise on this site are not to scale; in most cases they have been enlarged to enable you to see more detail of them. Contact us if you would like actual measurement-size of the items.
  2. All prices in our sales-lists and on this website are quoted in U.S. Dollars for the purpose of making them understood universally on the internet, but our charges will be in the New Israeli Shekel (NIS/ILS) equivalent per the exchange rate on the day of the transaction (exchange rates and amounts can be calculated here). Also note that the published prices do not include Value Added Tax or relevant deposit charges. Only Israeli orders will be charged 16.5% VAT in addition to the published prices. The customer is responsible for unincluded incidental deposit charges associated with his purchase.
  3. We accept direct payment by cheque, wire transfer, postal orders or international money orders (a $3 service charge is added on orders under $50); and indirectly from American Express, Visa, Mastercard and various debit cards through the secure online services of Moneybookers. For your piece of mind and our security, we do not currently accept direct deposits with credit cards. Please refer to our section on payment options for more information.
  4. Postage and packaging is an extra charge (minimum $4) on all orders and will include VAT. Click here for more information.
  5. Orders are usually shipped within 24 hours of clearance of payment unless we are away from the office. Click here for a comment about handling times.
  6. We reserve the right to alter, adjust or change our terms of sale.
  7. All matters arising on account of a sale shall be decided under the laws of the State of Israel. The exclusive jurisdiction of Tel Aviv Courts is agreed upon.
Authenticity: Historama is committed to deal strictly and only with authentic and genuine merchandise (original pieces dating to the period they belong to, manufactured by the sources that are known to have produced them, etc.); we do not deal with or present articles which we know or suspect to be reproductions, fakes, altered or otherwise 'problematic' pieces. In the rare event that we present a piece which we know or suspect to inauthentic, we will state so directly in the item description: in the absence of such a comment, the item we describe is being presented as a piece we believe to be genuine.

As a business operating under a VAT number (and not under the protections of a limited liability company), we cannot explicity promise to "guarantee originality" of all our merchandise as this would potentially leave us open to legal action for up to seven years from the date of a sale in the event that our promise is either exploited by others or a genuine mistake on our part is made.

Handling Times and Payment Charges A word about banking in Israel: our banks here are probably the most profitable concerns going, even at the height of unrest (i.e. an Intifada). Over the course of generations of shortage and stife our banks have developed a unique skill for skinning out profits even when the bankrupt public has no money left to give, ensuring that money only enters their system - and never leaves it. With that, it follows that the hapless customer gets charged for everything (ref. the Les Miserables hit, 'Master of the House': "...here a little slice, there a little cut - 3% for sleeping with the window shut..."); banking hours fit within a tiny sliver of the day during which most of us are busy working (mark that); and the clearance time of payments can take a lifetime (roughly 3 weeks both for all types of checks and for all kinds of money orders, though some banks will say it can take up to 2 and even 7 years for checks to truly be "cleared").

We therefore suggest making credit/debit card payments to us through Moneybookers (see the section below) or wire transfer as opposed to checks (of any kind) - especially in non-Shekel currency - as it will take the banks around 3 weeks to clear them. We also have to share part of the cost - $3, on orders under $50 - with our customers in receiving checks: our banks charge about $3.50 per foreign check, with a minimum transaction charge of at least $6; should the funds then enter the bank, the bank charges a fee for receiving those coveted greenbacks - and pays no interest to their depositors for them; and upon withdrawing the foreign currency there is also a charge - either a flat fee (around $8 and up) or a charge based on the difference in the exchange rate at which your bank accepted your dollars to the exchange rate when it 'sells' them back to you (against your enemies this is a diabolical concoction, but against yourself this is ghoulish). And those who good-naturedly instead convert the Dollars to Shekels at the bank (instead of outside) will end up getting reposessed by the bank altogether.

Therefore, instead of raising our prices, we'd rather be up-front about the disadvantages in making payment by check - clearance time and a possible $3 charge.

Payment Options: Our approach to accepting payments is somewhat novel in the community of online dealers in that we don't accept direct payments through credit and debit cards: on the one hand we want to earn your trust, that you will receive what you expected and not feel cheated - and on the other hand, we want to ensure that our merchandise won't go missing or unpaid.

I. CREDIT & DEBIT CARD PAYMENTS:
For these reasons, as regards payment methods with little or no online documentation like credit cards, we currently insist on accepting them through an established online, 3rd-party transaction service. This service protects both your privacy and consumer rights (including item returns) and ensures that we receive payment for the shipment of items while adhering to stringent regulations.

Moneybookers: The online service we use - Moneybookers - is extremely cheap and therefore affords us lower costs and prices. Through this service we are able to receive payment from these credit/debit cards and sources: American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Visa Electron, Delta, Diners Club, JCB, Switch, Solo, Maestro, Giropay, Netpay, Nordea, Laser, eNets, Netelis, and certain other debit cards (according to the country the account is from) and bank transfer or cheque.

For deposits by Moneybookers, please e-mail your payment to us at alex@historama.com. For our brief introduction to what Moneybookers is, click here. For those familiar with PayPal and wondering why we don't use them, the reason is that they do not currently allow funds to be withdrawn back to an Israeli bank account.

II. NON-CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS:
We also accept payment by cheque, bank draft, postal orders and money orders (however with a $3 service charge on orders under $50 - see section above). Please make these deposits out to Alex Ben Arieh, and mail them to P.O.Box 32128, Tel Aviv 61321, Israel. If currency is being sent, please mail it by 1st Class Registered letter post only.

Money Orders: For overseas customers (i.e. not in Israel), please ensure that if you use money orders from your national post service, that the order is cashable here in Israel. For money orders from the US Postal Service, please use the International Money Order and not the standard postal money order as it cannot be cashed outside of the US and its territories.

Wire Transfers: For those interested in transferring funds directly to our account, please contact us for the bank routing details.

Postage & Shipping: The customer is responsible for postage and packaging fees (minimum $4), the exact amount of which will be determined (with VAT included) and communicated to the customer prior to billing and shipment. Unless otherwise requested, we will ship via the Israeli Postal Service, and in any case all shipments will be sent by registered mail. We are not liable for loss of merchandise during shipping and although not required, we do recommend that purchasers of high-value items arrange for insured shipping.

A close estimate (in U.S. Dollars) of the general postage prices is offered here (with prices subject to change by the Post Office or exchange rates): for North America and most of Europe and Russia, airmail and shipping charges for packages of 20-250g - up to $3.50; for 250g-1kg - up to $12.00; registered mail is an additional $1.25.

Layaway Requests: Acquire the items you want and pay conveniently by installment: layaway plans are available, but they cannot be cancelled. We will make every effort to accomodate you, to formulate a plan that is mutually agreeable and sustainable. Please contact us to arrange this service.

Terms of Metals Used: The terms "gold", "silver", "bronze" and others in item descriptions are used to define the coloration, finish or grade of a certain award or badge and do not imply, unless otherwise stated, that the item is manufactured from pure gold, silver or bronze, etc.

Buy Backs & Trades: We are always happy to make you an offer or to help you sell your merchandise through us for free with no obligations, or to arrange for trades and swaps. Please contact us first to make arrangements.

Want Lists: We actively solicit want-lists, and these are free of obligation. Contact us with your lists and be as precise as possible regarding what you want.

Professional Services: If you are interested in appraisals, item identification or research services within our areas of specialty, please contact us and we will endeavor to arrange the provision of these services to you.