Policies & Serviceat The Artful Soul®
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Our satisfaction and return policyWhen: You may return any item for refund or exchange within 10 days* of receiving it. You can return for any reason. See Exceptions belowWhat may be returned: Items must be in perfect, unused, unworn, resaleable condition for a full refund. Products that arrive to you with tags attached, must be returned with tags attached. Components or accessories that are part of the item package must be returned intact. Borrowing for a night out is considered used, and will be denied a refund! Sale-priced items can also be returned...See Exceptions below. Outlet Store items cannot be returned, these are Final Sale. Special Order products may not be returned...this would be explained prior to your placing the order. Defects in items, which are found immediately or occur within a reasonable (warranty) period of time after purchase, are always returnable for repair or exchange as suits the situation. See more about repairs and warranties below. How to make your return to the shop: If you are bringing the item back in person, you MUST have your sales receipt. See the La Jolla Shop page for hours and directions. Your store Sales slip has the return policy printed on it, bring it in within 10 days of purchase (if we are closed on the 10th day, then the next business day will apply). How to ship us your return: Instructions are included with the paperwork in your package. You must email in advance to obtain a Return Authorization Number (RA#), and you must put this on the outside of the package or on the label. Packages we receive of unknown origin are likely to be returned unopened to sender, and all return rights voided! Returns should be shipped to The Artful Soul, 7660-A Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA 92037. You are responsible for getting the item back to us in same-as-received shape, so proper packaging and carrier insurance is recommended. How refund is made: Your refund is made promptly in the same form of payment you were originally charged. See Exceptions below. What is refunded: The price you paid for merchandise is refunded. Discounts that are affected by the return will be adjusted accordingly. On all website orders, a Return Processing Fee (RPF) is deducted from the refund or merchandise credit. For all jewelry, and all orders shipped by UPS Ground, the RPF is calculated at 5% of net price paid, plus additional $3.00 if the entire shipped order is returned. For all larger non-jewelry items (that require a package larger than 8x6x4 inches), shipped by any method other than UPS Ground, the RPF is calculated at 10% of net price paid, plus additional $3.00 if the entire shipped order is returned.** There is no Return Processing Fee on in-store purchases that are returned. Shipping charges paid are not refundable. See Exceptions below. Gifts and Time Extensions: Since some purchases are gifts, the 10 day* policy may be too restrictive, so we welcome your request, upon ordering, that the policy be modified under your particular circumstances. This is also true for Christmas gifts (purchased after Thanksgiving), which may be returned through December 31st. Please ask for return time extensions upon ordering, providing us with the date you will give the gift. Prior approval for late returns is required, and is for store merchandise credit only! If you are ordering the gift to be shipped directly to the recipient, we include Return Instructions in the package for exchange only (but no price information). If you received a gift that you think was purchased from us, but do not have any receipts, we cannot accept a return. Talk with the nice person who bought your gift for you...perhaps it is still within the 10 days, and they can arrange for exchange credit with us. Exceptions to Return Policy: There may be some Special Orders, Coupons, or Sale Events where there will be refund or return restrictions, but those terms will be outlined before you make your purchase. In some sale events, and in our Outlet Store, Final Sale terms may apply. If the special event calls for Store Merchandise Credit instead of a refund, this would be in the form of a Coupon code sent to you by email (valid for one year), which you can enter in the Shopping Cart on a future order. Any exceptions will be clearly explained in advance of your purchase. Failure to follow policy: Uh-oh. If your return arrives broken, or sent out late, or without an RA#...it could be returned unopened, subject to a late or restocking fee, or refund rejected. Please don't let that happen! The fine print footnotes... |
| Print a copy of our Return Policy! |
About OrderingProduct Availability: When a product has an button, then it is IN STOCK, available for immediate shipment. We change this to an [Out of Stock] or [SOLD] message when that changes...sometimes there is a short delay in that process, BUT if you try to order an out-of-stock item through our Shopping Cart, you will get an Error Message at the top to let you know that it is not available. The products shown on our website are stocked in our La Jolla shop, so you can preview with our website before visiting us too!Ordering with Shopping Cart (the BEST way): ALL items on our website have the button when they are available for purchase, so you can add them directly and easily into the Shopping Cart Order Form. When you are done shopping, you may view your Shopping Cart by clicking on the [ View Shopping Cart ] link found in the large black box with shopping cart symbol at the top of left-side navigation bar on most pages, or in navigation links of enlarged image views. You can select shipping methods and get your total automatically (instructions in the box at top of Shopping Cart page). Your payment and shipping information is gathered in an encrypted form over a Secure Server for data transmission protection.Ordering with Basic Order Form: You may alternatively place an order with our simple one-page Secure Order Form that we used for years before installing the Shopping Cart! This form does not calculate totals or shipping...we will confirm all charges by email before shipping. Links to Secure Order Form are found here, on the Shopping Cart, Contact Us, and Site Map pages. As you browse the website, note artist name, item #, and price with your selections. Then manually fill-out the one-page Secure Order Form for on-line ordering. Ordering by Phone: You may also use the Telephone to place your orders during our shop hours, our apologies if we are busy with in-store customers at the moment you call (we are a real store!). See the Contact Us page for phone number. There is a small service charge for phone orders that will be included in shipping charges. Minimum Order: There is a $10.00 minimum order. This is the subtotal in your Shopping Cart, before adding shipping or deducting Gift Certificates. If you are using a Coupon, this is deducted before reaching the subtotal, so you will need to order at least $10.00 more than your Coupon value. In order to place an order below the minimum, you may add a Shipping Surcharge. Processing your Order: No matter how you order, your personal sensitive data is retrieved and used only by us, our bank and yours. A person reviews and processes your order, and a person sends you a detailed confirmation email. If your order includes special instructions in the "Comments" section of the order form, a person will read carefully and follow through on all the details. You have the opportunity to change or cancel your order before it is shipped. We charge your credit card when we are packing your order for shipment (see see payment processing below), we may pack the day of, or prior to, actual shipment out. A person is available by email or telephone to assist you during business hours and beyond (we are not quite a 24/7 operation). Important: We require a verified billing address and CVV2 security code on all payments made by credit card. Verified means that the information you provide us matches EXACTLY the information used by your credit card company. We also require a valid shipping address. If you provide inaccurate information, this will delay or cancel your order, or cause additional charges for correction. |
Forms of payment acceptedVisa, MasterCard, Discover, Novus, Diners Club, Carte Blanche, American Express cards are accepted.Debit cards that have any of the Visa/MasterCard logos on them are also accepted, be sure and note Processing steps below. PayPal is also a payment option, with a CONFIRMED ADDRESS and coming from a source of funds within the US/Canada/UK. Please note...your order does not reach us until PayPal gives us the "all clear", we do not even know what you ordered until then. If you have immediate funds available in your PayPal account, then PayPal's notice reaches us right away. If you are not using an immediate funds method in your PayPal account, this will delay your order reaching us for up to 4 business days, and there is a risk that the items you ordered could be sold before then. We do not hold merchandise for pending payments. Also note that we will not ship if information in your PayPal account is inconsistent with information in your order, or if PayPal declines to guarantee payment due to account status...so make sure your account information is current, verified and confirmed! INTERNATIONAL ORDERS (customers with billing addresses outside the US) See International Shipping below. Checks or money orders are not accepted for on-line purchases (we had one too many orders whose checks never arrived), but we do accept checks for in-store purchases. Processing of Credit/Debit Cards: The first step we perform is authorization where we submit the Billing Address, CVV2 and amount to be charged to your Debit/Credit Card. If approved, your Bank may put a temporary hold on your account funds for the pending charge, but it is not a true charge/debit YET. In the event that the Billing Address/CVV2 information you provided does not match the bank records, we may need to perform the authorization step a second time with corrected information. This may result in a second temporary hold by your Bank. But we will only submit One Charge/Debit, or No Charge if address verification fails, at the end of the business day, and the temporary holds put on your account by your bank should be released. Please call your bank about their policy. We require a verified billing address and CVV2 security code on all payments made by credit card. Verified means that the Billing Address you provide us matches EXACTLY the address used by your credit card company to mail your statements, and the CVV2 code you give us matches according to your credit card company. We also require a valid shipping address. If you provide inaccurate information, this will delay or cancel your order, or cause additional charges for correction. If you are unsure what your credit card's Billing Address is, look at your most recent statement, or call the phone number on the back of your card and ask for the address used by merchants to verify. |
Personal Information SecurityOur on-line Secure Order Form and Shopping Cart are encrypted so that data transmission cannot be interpreted or intercepted. On the Shopping Cart pages, you can view our SSL Security Certificate, issued by GeoTrust Certificate Authority, that verifies encrypted service, 128-bit protection, or 256-bit if your browser/computer is capable!Your sensitive information is held temporarily on a database server, is never emailed, and is deleted regularly. The CVV2 security code is deleted immediately. Paperwork that contains any credit card data is cross-shredded. Your credit card details are not included in your shipment, so personal information is not at risk with shipping. We do not sell or share your data with any other entities. We add you to our email list only if you request it (on the order form). Orders require a phone number, which is required in case of delivery problems...we do not put you on a phone list for solicitation. You will see the "HACKER SAFE" logo on the Shopping pages of our website, that indicates we are having our website scanned daily by ScanAlert®. So long as they are unable to access protected areas of our website database, you can be assured that the evil-doer hackers out there will not be able to see your sensitive information provided in an Order. So enjoy your shopping with us in confidence! We require a verified billing address and CVV2 security code on all payments made by credit card. Verified means that the Billing Address you provide us matches EXACTLY the address used by your credit card company to mail your statements, and the CVV2 code you give us matches according to your credit card company. We also require a valid shipping address. Credit cards are not charged, and orders not shipped, without verification. |
Customer RegistrationWhen you place an order through our Shopping Cart, you have the option of signing in with a password. This is for your convenience in placing future orders, that you may save desired information. All information is submitted and saved in a Secure/Encrypted environment (you will see the little lock and "https:" in your browser). You may pick and choose which information you would like to save, such as prior orders, shipping address, billing address and/or payment information. We do NOT access Registered Customers for our mailing list; our mailing list is maintained separately for customers who indicate they wish to be on our email list. We also do NOT have access to your sensitive information you save, until you submit an order. Registration is purely optional for your convenience, and you may place orders with or without registration sign-in (but only orders placed when Signed-In will be saved in your account for future reference).You may review your Registered Customer account at any time, to check past orders for instance, by clicking on the [View Shopping Cart] link and Sign-In (you do not need to be placing an order to view your account). Signing up requires your email address and selecting a password. If you forget your password, there is an automated email you can request to select a new one. If you have trouble remembering your registered email, you can Contact Us for assistance. Being a Registered Customer is not the same as your Collectors Club membership. Your purchases qualifiy toward Collectors Club Credit no matter how you buy from us! Read more about Collectors Club if you are not familiar with it! |
Wish ListIn June 2007 we added a Wish List feature to our website! Items with the [ ] button beside them can easily be added to your personal Wish List, so you can take your time considering them for purchase, or send your list to friends to purchase for you! Use the [ View Wish List ] links provided in upper left corner navigation of most web pages (under "View Shopping Cart") to look at your list anytime.Friends and family can also look at your Wish List using the [ View Wish List ] button, just give them your User Name and make it "public" for viewing. If you wish to remain "private", then friends and family can only see your list if you email it to them. See also Wish List Help page. We hope you like this new feature! |
Domestic (U.S.) Shipping Policy and Charges
Our Shopping Cart offers several options for shipping service: UPS-Air Services are available for RUSH DELIVERY SERVICE in the US 48 contiguous states. Days are counted in business days, excluding weekends and holidays. We can offer 3-day, 2-day, or overnight services, depending on the day/ time of day you place your order. We are offering this at a LOW RATE, BELOW OUR COST! Insurance is included. The rates are basically $12.00 plus $1.50-$3.00 per item for 3-Day Select; $16.00 plus $3.00-$4.50 per item for 2-Day Air; and $38.00 plus $6.00-$7.50 per item for Next Day Air Saver (if available, some destinations do not have Saver rates, so there will be an additional $5.00 charge for Next Day 10am service). If you are ordering larger items, such as handbags, we will be charging more than the estimated rate because it will become an oversized package (dimensional weight significantly higher than actual weight)...so expect us to quote a higher rate (approximately the base rate times # of items) in your Shipping Confirmation email (but it will still be below our cost). We cannot ship to a Post Office box with these services. We also offer Priority Mail by US Postal Service, available for all US states and territories. Insurance and delivery confirmation are included in our LOW RATE, BELOW OUR COST! The rate is basically $5.25 plus $0.85-$2.35 per item, depending on size/wieght. There is some package tracking available, though not as thorough as UPS. In the rare event of an insured loss claim, postal service claims may be delayed up to 30 days after shipment. Phone orders are subject to $2.00 additional processing fee that will be added to shipping charge. Exceptions, Changes, Estimated Quote: Our Shopping Cart provides an estimated shipping charge for your convenience, based on the formulas outlined above. Select your preference. We may substitute the service you selected...such as swap UPS Ground with Priority Mail, or UPS Ground for UPS 3-Day if Ground will only take 3 or less days...but you will be charged for the service rendered. The charges quoted are based on a single package shipping...if your order is for especially large items or high quantity, we may need to split it into two packages for additional base charge per package. Shipping Confirmation: We ship weekdays during Shop Hours. We will let you know in our Shipping Confirmation email to you what day your order is to be shipped. This email will also provide tracking links, which we rely on YOU to monitor. If the delivery date is critical, please feel free to contact us before placing your order! If the confirmation email did not reach you, check your Junk/Bulk mail files, or Contact Us via email for another copy. Tracking: The Shipping Confirmation email you get will include links to tracking information, when available. We rely on YOU to monitor the progress of your package. If it starts to go missing, or is not delivered as scheduled, email us. A common problem with the post office is they attempt delivery when you are not home, and then send your package to your local post office for pick up, but forget to leave you a pick-up notice...it will only be held a couple weeks there before coming back to us...don't let that happen! Claims for loss: We package things very well, and have a terrific record of no breakage in shipment, but guarantee nothing, and rely on the insurance and guarantee programs of well-recognized shippers. Any claims for loss must be made using the shipper's program and procedures. Please notify us IMMEDIATELY if your package is damaged, lost, or contents are missing, because delay will reduce your rights to recovery. Damage may require that you save the packaging materials for pick-up, and the shipper may require information from you directly. We will pass along claim proceeds to you as soon as they are available to us from the shipper. UPS is reasonably prompt with claims processing, will pick up damaged packages from your door. USPS may require 30 days before processing, and you must visit your post office yourself for rifling/damage claims. We will ship to non-billing address: Our Shopping Cart provides you with separate shipping and billing address areas, as well as gift-card option, so we can certainly send your order to a work or gift recipient address. Use the Comment Boxes if you need them for additional instructions! Address Corrections: We try to verify the shipping address before we send a package, but sometimes we get an undeliverable address. If the mistake is ours, then we will make every effort to correct the problem at our expense. If the mistake is yours, then any shipper redelivery or return charges incurred will be passed along to you. We require a verified billing address and CVV2 security code on all payments made by credit card. Verified means that the Billing Address you provide us matches EXACTLY the address used by your credit card company to mail your statements, and the CVV2 code you give us matches according to your credit card company. We also require a valid shipping address. If you provide inaccurate information, this will delay or cancel your order, or cause additional charges for correction. |
Delivery Date GuaranteesUPS: UPS services come with a Delivery Date guarantee. Please use the Tracking links provided in your Shipping Confirmation to monitor the package progress, but if your package is not delivered on time, please contact us. We will follow up on the problem with UPS. All packages are INSURED and may require a signature, though you may have an arrangement with your UPS local delivery to leave packages at the door. The first-attempt at delivery is the date used for delivery guarantees. We rely on UPS refund policies, so if UPS denies the claim for late delivery, for a justifiable reason such as severe weather or bad address/re-routing, then there is no refund. If a refund is made to us, we will pass along to you a refund of all but insurance and handling charges.USPS: There are no delivery date guarantees on Priority Mail with USPS. USPS quotes 2-3 days transit time, but allow up to 30 days for receipt before declaring a lost package. |
International Shipping (Outside US)Where: At this time, we are only shipping to US, US territorites and military overseas, plus Canada. We reserve the right to refuse orders placed from certain countries or under questionable circumstances.If you live outside our shipping countries, we suggest that you enlist the help of friends and family in the US to place the order for you, with their US billing and shipping information. Our shipping charges within the US are nominal, so even if the package is forwarded to you from there, it will not add too much to your expense. You can reimburse your friends/family easily with PayPal! How, and how much: In the Shopping Cart, select your country (US or Canada) from the pull-down list. We offer UPS Standard or Priority Mail to Canada at a LOW RATE, BELOW OUR COST! It is calculated at $10.00 plus $1.00-$2.50 per item depending on size/weight. This is for a single package, if your order is for larger items or high quantity, and we need to ship in more than one package, there will be an additional $10.00 per extra package. Customs, duties and fees: All shipments are subject to additional local duties, customs and brokerage fees, charged to you on delivery. Please check your country's regulations before placing your order, because some of these fees can get quite costly. Military Overseas & US Territories: APO/US Military and US Territories, places that have overseas US Zip codes, shipping is available by Priority Mail service, see Domestic Shipping above. AMERICAN EXPRESS or PayPal (with confirmed Billing Address in the US/Canada/UK) are the only forms of payment accepted on International Orders (when your Billing Address is outside the US) in order to verify the billing address. Our apologies if you place an order with another credit card, or an Unconfirmed PayPal account, or a PayPal account that is funded by sources outside the US/Canada/UK, we will request the payment change after you place the order. |
Sales TaxOrders shipped to a California address will be charged a 7.75% sales tax on merchandise, excluding shipping. No tax is added on orders shipped anywhere else...well, that's the California law, and they need the money... |
Layaway PurchasesWe offer layaway terms for in-store purchases. Layaway is really not suitable for on-line purchases, because of the non-returnable terms, as outlined below. Layaway is really not suitable if a person is unsure about the purchase or ability to pay. If you wish to pay over time for your purchase, using a credit card is the best option.The minimum purchase for layaway is $150. The initial deposit is 25% of the total. The deposit is refundable within 10 days, but becomes non-refundable after that, and cannot be applied toward another purchase. Payments may be made in installments, or once at the end, but must be completed within 45 days. Failure to complete the transaction with full payment in the 45 days, will result in all payments being forfeited. Forfeited payments cannot be applied toward another purchase. There is an initial non-refundable $10.00 paperwork fee for Layaway, but there are no finance charges. We will hold the products aside until payments are completed, but it is a FINAL sale. Items purchased on layaway cannot be later returned for refund or exchange. Our normal 10-day return policy applies, but only to the initial deposit (excluding paperwork fee) when the items are taken out of inventory and held aside for the customer. |
Special OrdersIf you wish to order something shown on our website that is [ Out of Stock ] or [ SOLD ] , you may inquire about future availability. We do reorder some continuing styles. However, sometimes we replace SOLD items with new selections, so will not be restocking the item you wish. Contact Us via email about the possibility for a Special Order. Special orders require a 50% non-refundable deposit on order, balance when item is shipped to you...these terms will be clearly outlined to you upon order.We also offer Pre-Ordering for some Out of Stock items to ship automatically. Custom orders, for items not specifically shown on our website, are not generally available. The Internet is really not suited to custom work, as compared to working face-to-face with your local gallery or jeweler. We may be able to help you with items that only require simple modification, and only in the case of artists who are available for custom work (some cannot, due to existing workloads). Special Orders, custom orders, or items modified at your request, are not returnable or refundable. |
Pre-Ordering Out of Stock ItemsItems marked [ SOLD ] on our website will NOT be restocked. But items marked [ Out of Stock ] may be returning sometime soon. This is not always the case, and we invite you to Contact Us via email about any particular item.If it will be restocked, you may request an email informing you when it is again available for on-line ordering. Or you can Pre-Order so that it will ship as soon as it arrives, ahead of any email requests! For a Pre-Order, make note of our Item #, full item name, and price...you will need to supply this through the Shopping Cart along with your payment and delivery information. More about Pre-Order terms on the Pre-Order page. We also offer Special Orders for SOLD items, out-of-stock items we will not be restocking, or items not on our website, on a case-by-case basis. |
Warranty and RepairsRepairs and replacements (beyond initial receipt of item) are available on a case-by-case basis, relying on the particular artist's warranty. The Artful Soul does not do the repairs, we send the item back to the artist who created the piece. We are only able to help with repair/replacement of items originally purchased from us, and evidence of that may be required. Some repairs may be at no-charge, some may be available for a charge. Repairs we handle by mail require a shipping/handling charge. Even if the item cannot be replaced or repaired after evaluation by us or the artist, shipping/handling charges will still apply.If you need something fixed or replaced, Contact Us via email with your name*, where you are from*, artist name, item description, where & when purchased, and the nature of the problem. You must obtain a Return Authorization Number (RA#) prior to sending us a package...this is so we can match your item to our notes regarding the action promised. Packages that arrive without the RA# written on the label are likely to be returned unopened to sender! |
Website function problemsHave you experienced any problems navigating our website? Many times, we are not aware of the problem you may be experiencing! Browsers can operate differently, especially a newly released upgraded version. Please Contact Us via email, and if you can tell us the page(s) you were viewing, describe the problem, the browser you are using (Netscape or Internet Explorer and version, for example), it would be very much appreciated, and may help us to improve our service for you. Emailing us about these problems will not result in your being placed on any kind of list for unsolicited mail...we promise! |
| Thank you for shopping at The Artful Soul! . . . Marcea Reid, owner |
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