Purebeads: Shipping & Payment Terms

Terms of Sale

Return Policy:	Beads (and other items) can be returned for a full refund within 30 days of the original shipment (if you are a little late, that's okay). There is no restocking fee. However, shipping costs will not be refunded unless you feel that the beads don't match my pictures or are defective or somehow inferior. *Some necessary restrictions:* (1) Beads which are returned for a refund must be in original condition; if they are damaged or partially missing, the refund will be pro-rated accordingly. (2) If you qualify for a shipping refund, you will be paid for your actual return shipping cost up to, but not exceeding, the shipping fee that I charged you. Lost packages: (A) My policy is to re-ship beads that are lost in transit rather than to give a refund. If I gave refunds for lost shipments, then all a customer would have to do to get free beads would be to claim that her package didn't arrive. (B) I do not guarantee a refund on lost packages if the tracking information indicates that the package was delivered; I handle such claims on a case-by-case basis. As of December, 2005, I use tracking for all packages valued over about $25.
Return Procedure:	Put the beads you are returning in the bubble mailer they came in, tape the end, apply a new label, and mail the package at the post office (or apply your own postage if you know how much it should be).
Frequent Returns:	The purpose of the return policy is to give you the peace of mind of knowing that you will not be stuck with beads that are defective or which look substantially different from the pictures on my site. It is not meant to give you an opportunity to see the beads in person and then return the ones you don't want. I understand that ending up with beads you don't want is an unpleasant risk of buying on the internet, and that's why I try to have the best possible pictures so that you can know exactly what the beads look like. You are welcome to return beads you don't like. However, I run my business on small profit margins and cannot afford to process a large number of returns, so it is important that you not abuse the return privilege.
Picture Accuracy:	If the beads you buy look substantially different from my pictures, the problem may be with your monitor. You may have the brightness and/or contrast set too high or too low, which would make the beads look brighter or darker than they are. As for the accuracy of the colors, there is no camera or monitor on the market which reproduces colors perfectly. Whatever you may be buying on the internet, there will always be a small discrepancy between the color you see on your monitor and the color of the actual item.
Bead Defects:	Beads are small, non-critical items which are not made to a high standard of perfection. I always make an assessment of defects with new beads that I post. If I estimate that, say, 10% of a bead is defective, I will lower the price by 10%. I feel that 5% is an acceptable level of defects, so if the defects are under 5%, I may not lower the price (although I often do). Sometimes, instead of lowering the price I will include extra beads in the package. With polished table-cut beads, I examine each bead and eliminate defective beads before shipping. Imperfections which are very minor (e.g., very small pits in the glass) are not counted as defects, however. If you receive any polished table-cut beads which, in your opinion, are seriously defective (malformations, cracks, partially polished windows), please contact me for a refund. Please note that my near vision is not as good as it used to be, so sometimes I don't notice defects. Also, my estimate of the percentage of defects may be off. These are honest mistakes. Please don't hesitate to let me know if I have overlooked defects in the beads you bought.
Sample Beads:	I don't send out sample beads. Sending out a few beads as a sample means that an entire lot of the beads will be shorted and can't be sold except as part of an inexpensive mix. Also, I feel that the pictures are good enough that you should be able to get a good idea of what the beads look like.
Not for Children:	The beads that I sell are intended for use by adults, not by children. Beads pose a choking risk to small children. If you allow children to use the beads, you must be certain that they are old enough to use the beads safely. If there are small children in your house, please store the beads securely so that the children cannot get to them.
Shipping:	Carrier: I ship all packages via the U.S. Postal Service (First Class, Priority, International First Class, Global Priority). I do not have a UPS or Fed Ex account and cannot ship via those carriers. I rarely agree to ship via Express Mail because it is an inconvenience for me. Small packages (13 ounces or less): The shopping cart will calculate approximate First Class postage plus the cost of insurance and the cost of the bubble mailer. Large packages (14 oz. to about 3 lbs.): I use flat-rate Priority envelopes with a bubble sleeve for padding. The current shipping cost is $6.10 for domestic orders valued up to $100. Free-shipping thresholds: Domestic orders: $100 after discount Canadian and Mexican orders: $125 after discount Other countries: $175 after discount Shipping insurance: All packages valued at more than $20 are insured. However, I use private shipping insurance, so the cost of insurance is not included in the postage amount that you see on the package. Shipping overcharges: If the cart overcharges you by a dollar or more, I will give you a store credit or partial refund, or I will include extra beads in the package (usually I give a refund). Shipping schedule: Because Purebeads is a sole-proprietorship (meaning that one person is doing all the work), packages generally ship 2 to 4 business days after the order is received. During a sale, or after a mailing announcing new beads, the delay may be longer. There is a great deal of work to be done and I have to pace myself. Saturday shipments: Orders which are shipped on Saturday are usually put in a mailbox and may be picked up by the post office either Saturday or the following Monday. Sunday/holiday shipments: When I have a large load of orders, I often date the postage on the day that I pack the order, even if that is a Sunday or holiday. In such cases, the package will be picked up by the post office on the next business day.
Combined Shipments:	Occasionally a customer places more than one order and asks me to combine shipment. I will do that if I remember; if I don't remember, then you will have to pay the shipping cost for both orders. I don't have a procedure for remembering such things; and since it causes me extra work to combine shipments anyway, I don't feel that I should have to pay the shipping on the second order if I forget.
Payment Options:	1. PayPal – my preferred payment method.* 2. Credit card via PayPal – all major cards accepted (PayPal accepts my credit-card payments for me; if you have a problem paying, try Google Checkout; you cannot use your PayPal debit card). 3. Google Checkout – Google Checkout is a method whereby you can pay sellers without giving them your credit card number. It is similar to PayPal but easier (though it also has fewer features). 4. Money order – I stopped accepting personal checks when a customer sent me a bad check. * PayPal requires me to say this in order to get cash back on my PayPal debit card.

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Outer background by Barracuda
Inner background by Amreta