Refund & return policy.
Buyers are protected by escrow and a 14-day return window. Here's exactly how refunds work.
Your payment is held in escrow
When you buy a piece, Stripe charges your card immediately, but the funds are held on the platform, not released to the seller until the order is confirmed delivered and you're satisfied, or the confirmation window passes without a problem report. The seller is the artist, or the gallery that represents them; either way the money stays with us until then. This means a refund before that point is always possible if something goes wrong.
Pieces sold by a gallery
Some pieces are sold by a verified gallery on behalf of an artist it represents. The listing names both: the painter first, then the gallery. Your sale is with the gallery, so returns, disputes and refunds run through them rather than the painter, and the money comes back from the same escrow to the same card. Nothing about your protection changes. If a gallery's verification is withdrawn while your order is open, the order completes as normal.
14-day returns
You may return artwork within 14 days of delivery, in its original condition and packaging. Contact the seller named on your order, the artist or the gallery representing them, or PaintedByUs support, to start a return. Once we receive and inspect the returned piece, we refund the full purchase price to your original payment method (allow 5–10 business days for the refund to appear).
Who pays return shipping
If you're returning a piece simply because it wasn't what you expected, you cover return shipping. If the piece arrived damaged, significantly not as described, or was never delivered, PaintedByUs covers the cost and arranges the remedy at no charge to you. This is the same whether the piece came from an artist or a gallery.
Damaged or not as described
Photograph the artwork and packaging as soon as you notice an issue, and open a dispute from your order in the dashboard within 14 days of delivery. We review the evidence (including carrier proof-of-delivery and condition photos) and resolve in good faith: a full refund, a partial refund, or release of funds to the seller if the evidence doesn't support the claim.
Cancelling before shipment
If an order hasn't shipped yet, either the buyer or the seller can cancel it: the artist, or the gallery shipping on their behalf. Cancelled orders are refunded in full automatically, and the piece is relisted.
How refunds are issued
All refunds are issued by Stripe back to the original payment method used at checkout. We don't issue store credit or cash refunds. Refunds typically post within 5–10 business days, depending on your bank or card issuer.
Need help with a return?
Open the order from your dashboard and use Report a problem, or email [email protected] with your order ID and a description of the issue. A human reviews every case, whether the piece came from an artist or a gallery.
Last updated: 2026-09-22.