Practical information for fur farmers
Saga Furs is the leading full-service fur auction house, selling high quality farmed furs from certified and traceable fur farms around the world. We organize 3-4 international auctions each year. Saga is the best choice for farmers to sell their furs against best market prices.
When a fur breeder or other skin supplier wants to sell skins through our company, they firstly need to open an account with us. For this, the fur breeder should send us all relevant information from their company. Please contact your local Saga representative if you would like to do so.
Saga Furs then delivers to the supplier: 1) bar code tickets to be attached to each individual skin and 2) all other packing materials needed.
We have fur collection points throughout many European countries as well as in North America and local representatives covering all fur producing countries. Our representatives will contact the supplier to inform him or her about the dates and methods of fur collection. We pay for the shipping costs from the collection points to our auction house in Vantaa, Finland.
For more information about shipping skins, opening an account, or forwarding agents, please send an e-mail to finance@sagafurs.com and you will be contacted by our local representative.
Bonus Program
For each fur skins you well via Saga’s auctions we will charge a sales commission which is deducted from the hammer price. Our Bonus Program supports the production of top-quality skins from responsible sources. Bonuses are credited in a single installment at the end of the season. We will provide you with updated information about our commission and bonus for each selling season.
Financing
Financing solutions, when available, are always subject to individual and case-by-case evaluations. They are intended to bring financial solutions for the fur breeders to help them finance the production of high-quality furs. Financing solutions include Kit advances (paid for live kits against a delivery contract) or Pelt advances which can be paid on request against skins that have already been delivered to us. The interest on the advances is based on international money market rates. Please contact you local representative for more information.
Insurance
To protect you and your business, Saga insures all skins we receive into our warehouse and collection points. Skins are insured against damage or loss resulting from fire, vandalims and theft until they are sold.
Terms and Conditions
Saga Furs Oyj Terms and conditions vary from country to country. For more detailed information about the terms & conditions in your country, please contact our marketing department
General Terms and Conditions:
1. Offering of Skins
Saga Furs Oyj (below also ‘the Company’) collects fur skins for sale. The fur skins are sold in a way and on times regarded suitable for the purpose by the Company. The fur skins will be offered for sale at the relevant auctions of the Company or of a third party nominated by the Company at its sole discretion, or by private treaty by either of the aforementioned parties, or in such other way that is regarded suitable for the purpose by the Company.
The Company will use its best endeavours to ensure that the skins are offered for sale at the first available auction in which similar skins are offered. The Company has the right to set a minimum sales price for the skins.
The Company shall have no liability to the Consignor for the adequacy of the price obtained for any Consignment or (as the case may be) for any loss or damage that the Consignor may suffer by reason of the Company’s decision to withdraw the Consignment from the relevant auction. No liability shall be vested with the Company for its choice of sale, whether the skins be sold through auction or by private treaty.
2. Identification of Skins
It is the responsibility of the Consignor of skins to ensure that the skins delivered by him/her are correctly identifiable by attaching bar-code tickets indicating the Consignor number. The bar-code tickets and instructions are supplied by the Company to all Consignors. Non-marked fur skins will as far as reasonably possible be marked in the auction warehouse, which may cause such skins to be offered for sale later than planned.
3. Consignment of Skins
The delivery conditions are free at the Company’s warehouse in Vantaa, or to the collection point designated by the Company. The Consignor shall bear the transportation cost and any other costs connected with the delivery of the skins to the Company’s warehouse in Vantaa or to the collection points designated by the Company.
4. Insurance
All skins received into the Company’s warehouses or collecting points will be automatically insured against damage or loss resulting from fire, traffic accident, burglary or malicious damage until the skins are sold.
5. Advance Payments
The Company may, subject to having been able to obtain corresponding financing through banking institutions at its discretion, and subject to separate agreement, advance payments against skins to be delivered to, or skins consigned and received into the Company’s warehouse. The skins against which such payments are made, shall be deemed to have been pledged by the Consignor to the Company. The skins, the receivables and proceeds from their sale as well as compensations paid out on the base of insurances taken out by the Company in favour of the Consignor, shall be held by the Company as security for any and all advance payments the farmer has received or later receives from the Company, including interest thereon, for costs and charges arising from the sale and/or collecting, as well as for possible liquidated damages.
6. Information relating to Skins
The accounting for skins set forth in section 9 below includes for each skin information on the type, sex, size, colour, clarity and other relevant quality factors of the skin.
7. Sorting of the Skins
The skins are sorted in accordance with the internordic quality criterias, as the Company finds best, in order to enable an effective presentation and sale.
Unless otherwise provided by specific agreement between the Company and the Consignor, the Company may intersort any Consignment with one or more Consignments.
8. Skins of Poor Quality
In the case of skins which are worthless or have not reached the minimum selling price (as determined from time to time by the Company), the Company reserves the right to destroy or dispose of them at its absolute discretion, and to charge a fixed price per unit as set forth in section 12 for each skin destroyed or disposed of. The Consignor will be informed of the number of skins deemed by the Company to be unsaleable.
9. Accounting
The Company will account for the sale of skins on the basis of the hammer price to the Consignor within approximately one month after the last day of the relevant auction in one or more instalments, or when sold by private treaty within approximately one month after the date of sale, on the basis of the price obtained by the Company. When accounting the Company may first deduct from the price its Selling Commission together with all the Company’s receivables from the Consignor, interests thereon per date of accounting, and any other charges or moneys due by the Consignor to the Company, and Consignors member fees.
If the skins have been sold through a third party nominated by the Company, this party always accounts to the Company, deducting its commission. The Company then, after receiving the first account, accounts to the Consignor, deducting the Consignor’s member fees and any charges and monyes, or part thereof, due by the Consignor to the Company.
The Company shall have no liability to the Consignor (in negligence or otherwise) for, or in respect of, the rate of exchange at which any payment is converted, or for ensuring that any payment is made in accordance with any laws in force in the country of the Consignor.
10. Dressing Damages
The Consignor is liable for all damage occurring in the dressing process which is due to unprofessional handling of the raw skins. The Company’s decision on claims for compensation is binding on the Consignor.
11. Handling of the Skins
All skins consigned for sale must be adequately and professionally prepared. The Company may reject, without any liability on its part, any Consignment which is considered by the Company, in its sole and absolute discretion, to be unacceptable. The rejected skins will be returned at the Consignor’s expense.
12. Selling Commission
The company will deduct a selling commission. The commission depends, among others things, on type of skin, origin and currency. For further details on commissions charged please contact our local representative.
13. Return of Skins
As a result of the pledge arrangement set forth in section 5 above possession of the skins is transferred to the Company. The Consignor is not entitled to take repossession of the skins before all the liabilities pursuant to the said section are settled in full. As it is the Consignors explicit intention to have the skins sold through the Company, and the selling requires intersorting, the Consignor shall also cover all costs incurred as a result of a possible returning of the skins. The skins are pledged also for the security of such costs. (It should be noted that costs incurred for returning the skins may exceed the value of such skins).
14. Animal welfare and breeding conditions
The Company requires that all fur farms conform to the Recommendations of the Council of Europe’s Standing Committee on fur farming or corresponding national or local regulations/standards.
The Company reserves the right to refuse offering or intersorting skins originating from farms
– which are situated in a country or an area lacking valid legislation on fur farming or other corresponding standards set forth above,
– which (the Consignor or the owner(s)) are engaged in activities which support fur farming in any country/area lacking legislation or standards as set forth above (i.e. by selling breeding animals to or for delivery to such country).
The Company may at its own discretion remove skins originating from such farms from the offering/sorting. Upon the Company’s request the Consignor shall at his/her expense arrange for the skins to be collected from the Company’s warehouse. If the skins have not been collected within a reasonable term set forth by the Company, the Company reserves the right to destroy said skins at the Consignor’s expense.
15. Financing Company
The Company shall have the right to transfer its rights and obligations hereunder, entirely or in part, to a financing company controlled by the Company or a third party. In the event of the transfer, references to the Company hereunder shall apply, where the context so requires, to such transferee.
16. Variations of Conditions
These conditions are valid for the present and may be altered from time to time by the Company by serving the Consignor notice of such alteration by mail.
17. Exemption
The Company is not liable for a failure to perform any of its obligations, if such failure was due to circumstances beyond its control, and which the Company was not able to take into account at the time of agreeing to perform its obligations under these Conditions, or could not avoid or overcome together with any consequences arising thereof by taking reasonable measures.
18. Applicable Law and Jurisdiction
These Conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of Finland. All disputes arising in connection with these Conditions shall be settled at the District Court of Vantaa in Finland or at the competent court of the district in which the de-fendant has its residence as elected by the Company.