THE PROCESS
Our diary is almost always busy and we have a slot system with limited space to make sure all clients are equally receiving Cathy-Ann’s full attention.
When you are booked in, you will be placed in a schedule for your order to be made and finished by. In the busiest period (April through to September) this can be up to week before your deadline. Cathy-Ann will discuss these dates with you to make sure you are aware of her work plan.
To avoid any unnecessary stress, please let us know if you require your order on a particular date.
RUSH ORDERS
Any order required in under 4 weeks is classed as a rush-order due to the bespoke nature of the products. If your order falls under this category, there will be an additional 20% fee. Rush orders are only booked if we feel it’s possible to turn around in time.
Rush orders will only be allowed 2 revisions due to the limited time we will have to complete the order.
Due to the short turnaround time, we may be unable to meet certain requirements if our stock suppliers are unable to send them soon enough. For example - you may have to choose a particular size tambourine that we already have in stock or you may have a limited choice on ribbon colours.
Shipping prices will increase with rush orders in order to get them to you in time. Cathy-Ann will quote all of this during the consultation.
REVISIONS
You will be allowed 5 revisions for instrument designs before the final painting begins.
Once final painting begins, any changes after that cannot be made without further payment.
You will be allowed 3 major revisions for stationery (please note we realise there will be lots of back and forth for colour decisions, illustration placement etc and this does not fall under major revisions). If major changes are requested after painting has begun - further payment will be requested.
PAYMENTS
Deposits for instruments are non-refundable after a 3 day cooling off period due to being used to order in the stock, so please be 100% sure before placing an order.
Deposits for stationery are non-refundable after a 7 day cooling off period.
Rush order payments are non-refundable after a 1 day cooling off period.
Final payments are expected on completion of the order. Orders cannot leave our studio until the invoice is settled.
SHIPPING
As we need final weight and measurements of a parcel to book it in for shipment, shipping quotes are only estimations and will not be charged until completion of the order. We try to make sure the estimate quote is as close to the final price as possible.
UK Shipping
We will stay in touch until the parcel has been successfully delivered. If there are any delays or problems during the shipping process, we will chase the relevant courier to find out details needed to get the parcel safely to you.
Outside of UK Shipping
Once the parcel has left the UK we will be unable to directly contact the local courier in the destination country. We will however keep tracking the parcel and will update you if we see any changes to delivery dates or requirements needed from you. We encourage any client who is having a destination wedding to be sure they have a contact who can speak the language of the country to help liaise with the courier should this be needed.
Please note - we are currently unable to send to Mexico due to the strict rules going through customs on instruments and the long delays it causes. Our previous clients have chosen to take the items themselves to Mexico with no problems.
CUSTOMS AND DUTY FEES
Shipping to destination countries from the UK will require going through customs. Thistle Paper Co will have filled out the relevant forms when shipping to make sure this is as smooth a process as possible, however, the customs officials will also need to make contact with the receiver of the parcel.
They will first ask for photo ID. This must match the name of the receiver of the parcel and be spelt the same way. Any differences between the name on the parcel versus the name on your ID will cause significant delays.
After ID checks have been accepted, they will send you the duty fee payment link. This must be paid in order to release the parcel from customs. The total cost of this fee will vary depending on how much the parcel’s value is declared at. Cathy-Ann will talk to you about options here during the final stages of the order.
Once the fee is paid, the parcel will be released and delivered.
Please note - if the address you have chosen to deliver to has restrictions or limited opening times, we cannot guarantee the courier will deliver within those hours. We would strongly advise choosing an address where there is someone to receive your parcel anywhere between the times of 8am - 7pm.
We use a range of couriers depending on the country, these include: DHL Express, UPS and Fedex. If there is a courier you know works better in your area, please let us know.
ARTWORK RIGHTS
In the initial stages, Cathy-Ann will create mock-up work to make sure you’re happy with the designs you’re deciding on. These are protected by watermarks and we trust you will not use these draft copies as means to create products with.
If you would like access to the any part of your stationery artwork for other sources, please email at: [email protected] to request permission and we will be happy to provide the necessary files.
STOCK INFORMATION
Our tambourines are made with real sheep/goat skin tops and are not suitable for vegans. The skin is held with metal studs. They have a wooden base and metal cymbals.
Our maracas are made of wood with a varnish finish.
Our castanets are made of wood with a varnish finish and elastic holding the two pieces together.
All stock is sourced from suppliers in the UK and made in China.