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Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.
-William James
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Prayer: Don't give God instructions -- just report for duty!
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The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.
-- Give God the Power --
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Business
Policies
APPOINTMENTS:
- Appointments for
personal Custom/Alteration work: Please call ahead to schedule an
appointment. When coming in for a personal fitting, please wear appropriate
undergarments and shoes. I live and work from a small home, so if you have
children coming in for personal fittings, I ask that you remind them of
proper behavior. If you know the hem-length and prefer to have it
pinned ahead of time, that will save you the cost involved for fitting.
- Appointments for
personal inventory pick-up: Since I work out of my small home, it is
recommended that you do not bring your family of children if they are at the age or activity level where they need constant supervision. If you have a
daughter/son who is interested in selecting out their own doll clothing,
they are more than welcome to shop with you, all I ask is that you would
remind them of proper behavior. I have in stock what I show available on the web-site, one suggestion would be to share the site with your
child at home, then come in to pick up your selections. You can call ahead
to confirm availability if there is a specific item you are looking for. Feel free to bring your doll along to try an outfit or shoe set on.
Cancellations/Returns/Exchanges:
- On-line returns - only accepted when the item is not what was ordered. The item MUST be returned in the SAME condition it was sent in, must be returned clean and not smelling like cigarettes or other offensive odors. This will create a situation where the product cannot be re-sold. Also, every item that is
made, is made with TLC, and inspected to be sure that there are no imperfections. The outfit will be checked again, prior to shipment.
- Upon canceling an on-line
order that has not yet shipped, there
will be a 20% cancellation fee, with a minimum of $20. With special
requests/custom orders where a down payment is made to start the job, there
will be no refund.
- Cancellation of a special
order forfeits the return of your 50% deposit
- Rush Order cancellations of a special order - customer forfeits their complete payment - If customer decides to cancel, any materials the customer provided will be returned.
- Once order is shipped, there
is no cancellation available.
- No Returns for special orders,
any doll accessories (ex: please be sure of your doll shoe size), or sales
items.
- There are NO returns for items
purchased during the heavy holiday seasons.
- No refunds for expedited and
shipping fees.
- Exchanges will be considered
for inventory on hand only if the item you received is not what you
ordered. I will not be responsible for customer error in
ordering. All items are custom made by Laura (except where noted), created with quality and care, and
packed by Laura. Extra attention is given in the shipping process, to
be sure the customer receives exactly what they have purchased.
- Custom Doll Clothing: It
is recommended that you submit your doll for a personal fitting as it
guarantees a better fit. I do have a variety of dolls on hand, so depending on the doll you need a specific outfit for, it is possible you will not need to send your doll for the personal fitting. If you opt to supply doll measurements, due to the
value of your doll or personal choice, I will provide you a list of
measurements needed. If you have an older garment you are trying to replace,
please send this garment along with your measurements. Working from measurements
cannot guarantee the same personal fit, but I will do my best to provide the
fit you are looking for, based on the measurements you provide. If it
does not fit, there will be additional labor costs for reworking the
garment.
- Custom
Clothing/Children's clothing: Local customers are encouraged to schedule necessary
appointments for desired fit. For customers who are ordering from out of
town, I will be working from measurements that you provide. A custom fit
cannot be guaranteed, but I will keep in communication with you, to do what
I can to provide a quality garment with a fit that matches the measurements
you provide.
- Process for Special
Orders (Including Miniature Wedding Dress Replica's):
Please keep
in mind, this process can take a few e-mails, until we have finalized the
details of your request.
- E-mail your inquiry,
photo's if available, or links to photo's.
- I will e-mail any
questions I might have, and continue to further communicate, until the
final plans are set.
- Once communications are
complete, I will give you an estimated start time of your project along
with an estimate cost of your order. At this point, I will then request you to
submit your non-refundable 50% deposit, along with any other requested
items.
- Once deposit (50% is
required, yet some customers opt to send a full payment) is received, I
will e-mail you a confirmation of its receipt and confirm the start
date. Please keep in mind, I place my special orders, in the order in
which deposits are received. I also limit the amount of specials orders in my schedule, to be sure I have time to create other items for the web-site, have available time for alterations, as well as meet family needs.
- Rush Orders - 100% payment is required up-front, and is not refundable.
- Once your project is ready
to start I will confirm, via e-mail, that your order has been started. I
will continue to e-mail with questions and the status of your
order. I will also provide pictures during the process where
needed. You are free to ask, via e-mail or phone call, any
questions you feel are important.
- Once your project is
complete, I will scan or take digital photo's for your viewing. I will
notify you of its completion and any balance due.
- While waiting for final
payment, I will add photo's to my website, in which I may request a
personal note that you might like to include (in the case of special
gifts, such as wedding dress replica's, christening outfits and first
communion dresses).
- I will e-mail you once
your payment balance has arrived, and give you the ship date. You
may make payment with the preferred method of a USPS money order,
non-credit card paypal payment, or personal check (needs to wait for
check clearing)
- Once your payment has
cleared I will ship your order.
- The day your order is
shipped you will receive a shipping confirmation from USPS or myself if
shipped via UPS.
Patterns, Fabrics and
Notions for your custom work:
- Preference is for the customer
to provide all materials as I have learned over the past years that many
customers have a specific idea in mind. If I purchase fabric based on
your description, and you decide it is not what you want, you will be
charged along with the next purchase. Please keep in mind, the
customer is responsible for shipping fees for fabric purchased on line,
and/or travel expenses for materials purchased locally.
- For custom made clothing for a
child, it is best that you provide the pattern, notions and fabric
selection. Please make sure you measure your child accurately, and
purchase the proper pattern and yardage for their size. Pattern sizes
are not the same as you would purchase in a store.
- I do carry a variety of
different fabrics and trims, and will shop for particular fabrics needed for
your project that I do not have on hand, but you are welcome to provide your
own fabric of choice. I do reserve the right, however, to decline from
working with materials of poor quality or fabrics that are unsuitable for
the garment being made, although this has been rare.
- I do not
carry a supply of vintage fabrics for those looking to reproduce vintage
doll clothing. This is a very time consuming process, to research and
purchase (if found), that it could be quite costly. You are welcome to
provide the vintage fabric you are seeking to have your vintage doll dressed
in. This material will need to be in quality condition.
- Custom orders, for specialty
replica doll clothing, are made from patterns, designed by Laura, from the
details provided by the customer. These patterns are just drafts and
are NOT mailed to the customer. The labor cost involved is charged
upfront to the customer.
- You are welcome to supply the
pattern of choice. When providing your personal pattern, please mark which
garment you are seeking to have made, along with any details you are seeking
to obtain. Although some customers do not want their purchased patterns returned; so, unless instructed to do otherwise, I will return their purchased pattern when their order is shipped.
Fees for Custom Orders:
- Miniature wedding dress replica's and
large special orders now need a $25, non-credit card paypal deposit or USPS
money order, prior to providing an estimate. This covers the time
involved in putting a quote together for your specific need. This is
not an expense I like to charge, but due to the time involved in preparing
these type of quotes, I would like to be sure you are serious about this
venture. This is not refundable, but if you choose to follow through
with your order, I will put this expense towards your final bill, reducing your final cost.
- I require a 50% deposit on all
special orders prior to your order being started. The balance will be due upon
completion of the project. This is NOT refundable.
- An "Estimate" is
provided for your custom order. This is NOT a contracted price, but
rather a guideline to what your costs will be. Please read below what
is considered an "Estimate".
- Your final bill will include
the cost of the following services and materials that are used: Fabrics,
trims, notions, appointment time, shopping time, pattern cost or pattern
draft costs, pattern preparation, layout, cutting, sewing, fitting,
finishing, pressing of your garment, etc.
- Orders will be shipped USPS
Insured Priority Mail. I will provide UPS delivery upon
request. If you live locally, you may schedule to pick-up your
order. I will provide limited local delivery, at a rate of
$20.00/hour, plus mileage, within a time frame that works well within my
business hours and family needs.
What is an
"Estimate"?
An estimate provides you a basic
guideline to what your costs will be. Following are some things that could
cause an estimate to change:
- The actual labor time is slightly
longer than planned in the estimate. I will try to keep you notified of this, but when
I am in the middle of beading, etc, this can be an inconvenience due to the
turn-around time a customer may take to respond. If I feel that the
time will be more than 2 hours, I will email and let you know. In the event
it does take extra time, you will be charged my hourly hourly rate.
- The material costs are higher
than estimated - this can be caused by the cost of materials having gone up
since I was last shopping. Material costs include notions, trims as
well as fabrics. Currently I am strongly recommending that customers
provide their own materials, as it makes the customer know for certain that
they are getting the proper fabric that they desire. Please keep in
mind that your doll is a smaller scale than a human, and the size of the
pattern design in the fabric as well as trims, need to be taken into consideration, as well
as the thickness of the fabric.
- The weight of the end product
is heavier than normal, causing a higher shipping cost.
- The customer makes changes to
the design, the trim, etc. Everything that is done, is done based on
the time involved. I want to be sure you are getting the desired
finished product, and will adjust to your needs, but will have to charge for
that time. This is generally the reason a job will cost more than the estimate provided.
Will
it Arrive in Time?
-
An approximate
time frame for completion will be provided with your estimate. The actual
time it will be completed will be dependent upon when your deposit is
received and the orders that are already in the schedule ahead of you.
This is an approximation and not a guaranteed time frame. Items can
be completed earlier or later than your requested delivery
date. Everything is done, within my power to meet or exceed your request
but unexpected delays can happen so please do not wait until the last
possible moment to order. Allow yourself breathing room - and time to alter if
necessary.
-
Include your
requested delivery date on your order. If it is a rush
order, there will be rush order fee and expedited shipping charges with your
order. I cannot guarantee delivery dates, so again, plan accordingly
so that your order arrives in a timely manner for your needs.
-
Watch your
email in case we need to contact you.
Is
it Returnable?
-
A custom order is made specifically for you.
It is not returnable or exchangeable. If you provide accurate
measurements, you should be very happy with the results.
-
I will provide
digital pictures throughout the process. Please watch your email to
see the work-in-process. If you do not respond, I will continue with
the work as I understand your expectations to be.
Will it Fit?
For custom doll
clothing - it is strongly recommended that you send your doll. If you
can't possibly send it due to its value or delicate stage due to age, you will
need to provide measurements. Doll clothing that is made from measurements
do not have the same guarantee of fit, and time involved to adjust will be
charged.
A size chart for custom
clothing, is on any pattern you purchase. Please measure carefully and
use the size chart shown with the pattern you are ordering. Each manufacturer
of patterns can have a different standard - some even vary by style!
Adult fashions
- these custom orders are taken into consideration, but I don't necessarily do
many, as I prefer to work with the doll fashions and the fashion needs of the
young person (infant, toddler, etc.)
Success
depends on your accuracy of your measurements. Use those measurements to select a size from the size
charts provided with your pattern choice. The
garment you receive will fit the measurements on the pattern size chart. Understand
that formal items may require alterations for a perfect fit and if you are ordering from out-of-state, you might have to hire a seamstress for alterations.
It is highly
recommended that you take your own measurements - it's quite simple and you will be
in control of the final size selection. Serious problems in the past have almost
always been traced to having some one else (who would make money on
alterations) take the measurements.
The final decision will be based on pattern selected and time available in my sewing schedule.
Delivery
Dates
While every attempt is made to meet or exceed your requested delivery date, it
is not a guaranteed delivery date. Please allow proper time for
processing your payment, ample time to create your custom order, along with
necessary time it will take to ship from NH, USA.
Upon
Delivery
Please open your delivery and check it thoroughly upon arrival, before
removing any tags or packaging. If there is any problem, please contact me
by email within
three (3) days. Contact should be made by the purchaser only.
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