Shop Policies

Heartstrings is a quality handmade gift and organic photography prop shop, located in the USA. All items are hand knit (or sometimes crocheted or sewn) in a clean, smoke-free environment, using only the softest fibers. I lovingly create each piece by hand, paying close attention to detail. Heartstrings is a one-woman-owned small business. Please read through all policies, FAQs, product care, and production time informational tabs before placing your order, to help clear up any questions or concerns.

 

Production Time:
I feel this is one of the most important things. I have posted a disclaimer in each of my listings stating to check the posted production time (or sometimes the production time for that item is posted right in the listing). Due to high demand, my shop production time is longer than some others you may see. I do not want there to be any surprises. I try my best to very upfront about this. I cannot stress this enough: please, please, please check this BEFORE placing an order.
If you need an order by a specific date, please contact me prior to placing an order. I cannot accommodate all rush order requests. And I do charge a rush fee. It is at my discretion if I feel I can squeeze in a request, ahead of other orders, during my personal time.

Each Heartstrings piece is hand knit; a slow, tedious art. Please allow time for each and every item to be crafted. 

 

Payment Policy:

I currently only accept payments via Paypal or credit card. My apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
Orders will be shipped to the address that is linked to your Paypal account/credit card. *please* make sure that this address is current and the one that you need your order shipped to. I cannot be held responsible for shipping to the wrong address, if the one provided is not correct. If you need to change your shipping address, please do so prior to purchase. Changing your shipping address after your purchase has been made, may waive tracking.

I require full payment prior to making any custom order, and for all RTS orders. I do not accept or offer payment plans. 

Michigan customers will be charged a 6% sales tax.

Certain listings will be deleted from my site/archive after a certain time. These listings include (but are not limited to): RTS items, custom orders via message/email. If you need a copy of your receipt, please print or save your order receipt via email asap.

 

Shipping Policy:

DOMESTIC:

Items are shipped via USPS, unless other arrangements have been agreed upon by both parties. Orders are generally mailed via First Class (approximately 2-5 business days) with delivery confirmation. Unless your order is large - then it will be shipped via Priority (1-3 business days). However, depending on the size of your order, you may have the option to pick which shipping class you’d prefer for your order, at checkout (First Class, Priority, or Priority Express). Tracking numbers are usually available upon request, but are generally included in an order shipment confirmation email. 

INTERNATIONAL:

Shipping for International orders does not always include delivery confirmation, and may take several weeks. Some packages have taken as long as eight weeks. Long ship wait times do not automatically mean that your package is lost or stolen. So, unless your package is returned back to me, it’s usually just a matter of time until your package is delivered to you. Once the package is with the shipping carrier, it is beyond Heartstrings’ control. And I cannot get any further tracking updates beyond what it shows with using the tracking number (if one is provided) via usps.com. But, upon request, I will take the steps to try to locate it, if possible. Usually, the lower the shipping class, the less likely we will be able to get any updates beyond it leaving the USA - First Class does not include tracking. Usually all I can provide is the date I sent it out for shipment. 

Insurance is not included. I can not replace lost/stolen items, if the package was not insured. 

International customers are responsible for any and all customs fees, additional handling fees, taxes, duties, etc. Heartstrings is only responsible for handling the shipping fee, which you pay at the time of checkout/order purchase.

INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS:
*It is ILLEGAL to mark a package as a "gift" when it is not. Heartstrings will not mark your package as a gift. (Please see: U.S. Code: Title 13: Section 305) Heartstrings also will not lower the value of your order for customs.
**If your order total is over $400, your order automatically upgrades to Priority shipping, due to customs policy.
***If you place an additional order after already having one order in place, and want these shipped together: due to customs forms, I am not always able to ship them in the same package. If I am able to adjust the customs form to add the orders together, I will ship them together in the same package. If I am NOT able to adjust the form, I will ship the orders at the same time, but in separate packages. I apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.

RTS items cannot be shipped before receipt of payment. 

Insurance is the customer's responsibility (additional cost). Insurance is not provided or included with any Heartstrings shipments. I am not responsible for items that are lost, stolen, or damaged during transit, once the order has been shipped. If you would like insurance added, please let me know asap. I can get you a quote, and I can invoice you the additional fee for adding insurance to your shipping. Your order will not ship until the additional fee is paid.

 

Ready To Ship (RTS) items: 

I do not usually keep stock of RTS items (Ready To Ship). When there are RTS items in my shop, they will be marked as such - RTS. If you place an order for both an RTS item and a custom item, you can expect these to be shipped at the same time - which will be when your custom item is complete. If you want/need the RTS item sooner than the production time of the custom item, please purchase these items separately. RTS items generally ship within 1-5 business days after receipt of payment. High volume orders during RTS sales will typically take longer to process for shipment, and will ship out within 3-8 business days from the date of purchase. This will be noted during each sale. 

Custom items are completed and shipped within the current posted production time frame. 

 

Refund Policy: 
Due to the handmade, custom nature of my products, Heartstrings does not issue refunds, accept returns, or offer exchanges. This includes, but is not limited to, preorders, orders placed via email or Facebook messaging, custom orders, and/or RTS orders. Once payment is made, no refunds will be issued, no matter the circumstance.
However, customer service and experience is very important to me. Any issues that may arise will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. If you are not happy with a product you have purchased and received, please contact me as soon as possible - within 48 hours of receiving your package/order. 

Heartstrings is not responsible for your child, dog, etc. getting ahold of your items and destroying them. 

(NO exchanges or refunds on digital downloads (templates) due to the nature of the product. E.g., knit patterns, logo designs, etc.)

 

SIZING/FIT: please note that Heartstrings cannot guarantee that every item will fit every baby. Babies vary in size and shape. Due to the handmade nature of my products, while I try my best, no two items are exactly the same. And, no two babies are exactly the same.

Switching Colors After Your Order Is Placed:
If you change your mind on a color of one or more items that you placed an order for, there may be a restocking fee charged to change to a different color.
If I have not ordered the yarn/material for the order that you placed by the time you inquire about switching colors, the fee will be waived. If I have ordered the yarn/material for the order that you placed, by the time you request a color change, the restocking fee will be charged.
There are no guarantees that I will be able to resell the original colors that you ordered. 

 

Recommended Care:
Hand wash with cool water. Blot spots and stains. Do not wring or twist. Remove excess water by gently rolling your item in a clean, dry towel. Air dry - lay flat to dry.
***Improper care might result in damage/shrinkage. I am not responsible for damage due to improper care.

 

Discounts, Sales, & Promotions:

I do offer discounts. However, there are exceptions. I do not offer discounts for in-use images. My main customer base is the newborn photography industry. I also rarely run discounted sales and/or promotions. In order to run a viable business that pays for all business expenses, and that I can make enough for all of my hard worked time, I keep discounts and sales to a minimum. However, ALL orders receive a special discount. If you become a repeat customer, you will have a discount to use if you choose, for each new, future order. Heartstrings is my livelihood, and I cannot run a viable business on discounts. 

 

ANGORA: {07.01.16}

The angora that I use for all of my items that are made from angora, is humanely sourced. It is a luxuriously soft and very, very delicate fiber. It is so delicate, that the strands for your bonnet(s) may separate with very minimal use. This is beyond my control. And it is why I emphasize that you use extra care when using these strands.
The general consensus is that strands are preferred over braids. So, I offer my angora bonnets with strands - I send them to you with strands. I highly recommend braiding them, if you feel concern over how delicate they are. Braiding them will add some strength.
IF any additional strands are needed, there will be a fee charged. You can order extra ties through the shop, from the listing in the Preorder collection.

 

COLORS: please keep in mind that colors you see on your screen may vary in comparison to how you see them in person. Variances can be caused by monitor settings, calibration, lighting, yarn dye lots, etc. While Heartstrings does their best to either capture photos themselves, and/or use professional images of their products, it is still not guaranteed to be exact in showing the colors as true. Therefore, Heartstrings cannot be held liable for these variances. 

 

WARNING:
Please be aware that I am NOT responsible for any injuries, no matter how severe, incurred from using my products. It is YOUR responsibility, as the new owner of these pieces, to look after their use. Do NOT leave any baby/infant/child/adult unattended while using these products. Most of my items are meant to be used as props only. Most are made of special fibers, such as wool, that some people may have allergies to. Please keep all of this in mind. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me before placing an order.

 

DISCLAIMER: Please understand that it is at my discretion, and my right as the owner of Heartstrings, to make exceptions to any of my rules/policies. I cannot make exceptions, or special accommodations, every time. It is also at my discretion to make slight modifications to any designs, without announcement of doing so. This is done from time to time to improve the design, as seen fit. (If a design is modified significantly, there will be an announcement made.) Lastly, it is at my discretion to adjust my pricing from time to time, depending on demand, cost of materials, etc. 

Thank you so much for choosing Heartstrings. 

 

 

Your purchase is an agreement to the terms above.