Policy Changes and Aired Grievances

Okay, as an artist/crafter/creator/whatever the name for a geeky nerd like myself may be...  I dedicate myself to each piece.  I work hard on them.  When someone calls me for a special order, I put my whole heart into it and work to make sure it is something they will enjoy, while still being something that reflects my own artistry and will be a creation that I can be proud to point to and say, "Yes!  That's mine, I MADE that!"

That being said, when I am halfway through a custom order, and a customer flakes out on me, it's devastating.  Especially when I have already laid out the money for the materials, and they total almost $100.  (By the way- that much money is almost 3/4 of my car registration this year.  Someone please remind me to put the tags on my car, I keep forgetting!)  Of course, this being the third time in a row that a previously very reliable customer has completely backed out and left me holding the bag, I'm pretty ticked off.  Unfortunately, it seems like one person is always ruining it for everyone else, and because this one customer flaked out on their purchase, this means that there are going to be some changes in the way I operate from here on out.


Starting today, the Dead Pleasures Design custom order policy is as follows:

I will continue to accept special orders on jewelry and artwork.  However, I am not going to do any custom orders without a deposit.  This deposit is non-refundable and helps to cover materials.  If you are going to cancel an order with me, notify me.  See the scale below for specifics.

Custom Jewelry:

• All custom jewelry now requires a non-refundable deposit of 50% of the total cost of the item up front before work will begin.  This will partially cover the cost of materials that need to be purchased.  Work will not begin on your piece until the deposit is paid.
• Any cancellation of a custom jewelry piece requires notification.  If I do not receive notification that you are cancelling your order, I will follow the item completion process detailed in the next bulleted item. 
• Pieces will not be shipped until the item is paid for in full.  I will send an invoice notification email to you when the piece is complete; you have 90 days from that date to complete payment for your item.  Once the item is paid for, it will be shipped by me; shipping comes at no cost to the client.  If the piece is not paid for within 90 days of completion notification, it will be put up for sale to the public.  No exceptions will be made; I will not hold custom stock for you for more than 90 days.  If, after 90 days, I have not sold your custom piece to another buyer and I receive payment in full from you, I will ship your item to you.
• If the product is proven defective within 30 days or receiving, ship it back to me for full repairs at no cost.  This does not cover damage caused by: abnormal use; excessive stress on a piece; failure to follow the enclosed care instructions.  Examples of defects are: structually weak eye pins that I did not notice in construction of the piece snapping; factory defects in materials used that cause damage in some form to the piece; resin, glass, or natural stone beads breaking off due to too-thin walls; tiger tail or other cordage used snapping.  Please include the full information from your purchase (date, name, order number, and phone number), any broken pieces and beads, and a detailed explanation of the damage done because of the defect.  I photograph every piece and assign it a number, and with your complete information I can look up the correct photo to ensure the repair looks as much like the original as possible.  In the event that I must replace more than 20% of the beads, there will be a $5 service charge to cover the materials used (this does not apply to earrings).
• If the product is not what you were expecting, contact me and let me know what the problem is.  In most cases, it is only small changes that must be made.  If this is the case, we will work out an arrangement so you get exactly the piece you were hoping for.  In the event that a major recreation of the piece must occur- as in the piece is completely not to your liking and I must re-make at least 50% of it- you must ship back the original along with all changes you wish to see made.  I will create another piece for you one time only according to these changes.  Due to time constraints and the fact that I have other orders, I cannot recreate a custom piece more than once.  Any leftovers from pieces returned to me for recreation are afterwards my property to dispose of as I see fit- you will not get back any parts removed and replaced in the recreation process.  This also helps me keep costs down and allows me to recoup any losses from remaking a particular piece for you.

Custom Artwork:

• Custom artwork will not be started without a deposit. The deposit is $10 for a digital piece of any size, $15 for work done on 9 x 11 paper, and $25 for work done on 18 x 24 paper.
• The total cost of any piece will be the hourly rate of $5 multiplied by the number of hours logged on the piece, minus the amount of the deposit.  There will be an hour log included in your purchase.  If you want the piece framed, I will have it framed for you at what it costs me, plus another $5 to cover any transportation-related expenses; an itemized invoice of any such charges will be included with your receipt.
• Any damage caused to physical artworks during shipping is the responsibility of the shipper, not me.  Please see the shipper's policy in the case damages do occur.
• Digital artwork will arrive on a disk with several sizes of the image, as well as multiple formats. The disk will include a copyright policy.
• All artwork is copyrighted to myself and Dead Pleasures Design, no exceptions.

Custom Logos:

• Contact me for more information about custom company logos.  The base cost for a logo is $250, plus $10 per hour logged in creation.  There are three free revisions, each revision after the third will be $15 in addition to the hourly fee.  Once the logo is completed to your satisfaction, it will be mailed to you in the original PSD format, along with several different sizes and file formats in both print resolution (300-600 dpi, depending on your specifications) and web resolution (72 ppi standard).  You will receive my release of copyright on the disk and information detailing my limited legally allowed usage of your logo.  You must copyright and trademark the logo in the name of the company on your own, I cannot complete that particular process for you as I am not legally a member of your company or an appointed legal proxy.  Logos cost more than decorative art for a reason- once I am finished with the logo, I am releasing my copyright to you and can only use the artwork in a limited manner.