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FAQ and Additional Policies

Hi and welcome to Puddle Bears FAQ

Below you will hopefully find answers to our most common and sometimes complicated questions. However, complete transparency without becoming a book long corporate lawyer-like terms of service style page. It is impossible for us to foresee every type of question, scenario and/or issue. So if you have a question, issue or concern regarding your order, or potential order. But you don't see your particular question answered. Then please feel free to email us at support@puddlebear.com or you can call us directly at 203-255-5550 and we will do our best to help you.

 

What is Puddle Bear's turnaround time or processing time?

Our turnaround time is usually 5-7 business days from January to November. Business days are Monday to Friday and not including Saturdays and Sundays. Due to the holidays and the higher volume of orders our turnaround time is moved up to 7-10 business days in December. Usually starting right after Black Friday. In some cases we do offer "Rush Processing" as an alternative to get your apparel made within 1-2 business days. But you will need to contact us directly for that option.

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It's been 7 days and I have not received my order yet, why?

This is a very common misconception especially in the fast paced Amazon Prime world we all live in nowadays. Part of the answer is related to our turnaround time (see last question). 7 business days of turnaround time is the production time we need to fulfill and produce your order. That does not include ship time. Ship time is additional.

Also, please keep in mind that there are logistics involved in creating and making custom apparel. Unfortunately Puddle Bear is not Amazon (wish we were!), we don't have the space or capital to keep all possible apparel styles, brands, colors, sizes, etc... on hand. It's impossible. Simply said, we don't have a warehouse full of apparel we can pick from. We have some apparel we do try to keep on-hand, but most definitely not all. Our shop space is less than 2000 sq/ft and more than half of it is used for equipment and VERY large tables.

Majority of the time we need to order from our suppliers the apparel you order. This requires having it shipped to us and that could take up to 5 business days depending where in the country the apparel is shipping out of. Most of the time it's only 1-2 business days for us but not all the time. Also, our business location does not have access to schedule deliveries or even pick-ups over the weekends from USPS, UPS or FedEx. So our schedule is really based around their business schedule.

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I would like to get one of the products you offer customized from an idea I have, can you do this?

Yes, we will absolutely do our best to help so please feel free to email us at support@puddlebear.com

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How do I get the shirt I want to order customized or personalized?

All of our listed products should have fields or text boxes for you to enter any and all information necessary to complete your order. However, if you have a specific request for your order, please contact us at support@puddlebear.com

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I paid for the optional name. So where exactly do you place the name on the back of the shirt?

Standard practice we place the names and or text centered in-between the shoulder blades. That placement can be anywhere from 2" down (infant size) to around 5-6"down (adult size non-hooded) from the neck collar or the seam of the neck collar. These measurements are all approximate and truly depends on the style and size of the shirt. For hoodies we go a little further down so that the name and/or text will show when the hood is down.

So to be absolutely clear, unless we're clearly instructed otherwise placement will always be centered in-between the shoulder blades.

Now if you do opt for something different, you're also more than welcome to note that on your order. ie - If you want your name placed near the bottom of the back of the hoodie instead then please make that request and feel free to be specific

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How can I get a price quote for my order and how much will it cost to ship my order to me?

We are more than happy to give quotes for orders. In order to best give a quote we will need to know what type and style of apparel you want, how many and their sizes as well as your zip code to properly calculate an approximate cost for everything including the shipping cost. But also keep in mind that for shipping we're indefinitely running a promotion of just $5.95 for standard ground and at the time of you reading this, this will be an endeavour of ours for as long as we can afford to.

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Where will my order ship from?

All orders are made to order and shipped from our shop in Connecticut

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How do I order more than one product?

Our online shop has a cart system so every time you select a product and click the "Add to Cart" button the product you selected will be added to your shopping cart. A window will pop up that will prompt you to either "Proceed to checkout" or "Continue Shopping". So if you're not done shopping please click continue shopping. Once you have added all the products you would like to purchase into the cart. Then you can click on the "Proceed to checkout" button. 

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Can I change the text? I like one of your designs but I would prefer it to have no text or personalization is that possible?

All of our designs are created with customization in mind which allows us to to be able to customize all of our products however you would like them to look. When placing your order please contact us or leave us a message in the "Optional Notes" box explaining how you would like it to look or with a simple note like "design only, no text", Then we will do our best meet your needs and may even contact you for more information when necessary.

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I need to modify my order, can I?

Yes, but you MUST contact us right away before we start processing your order and usually under normal circumstances there's around a 2-3 business day grace period before any printing starts. But if your order has gone into print production already then unfortunately it'll be very difficult to modify any orders at that time. Any issues regarding this will be handled on a case by case basis

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How are the Grow With Me, Class of shirts sized?

All of our basic "Class of" and Graduation Cap shirts are meant to be in adult sizes. But we also do offer youth size shirts. We understand that the concept of these shirts can be confusing but these adult size shirts are intended for children to grow into over the years.

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Do your couples shirt sets come in pairs or do I need to order them separately?

Our shirt products are listed individually by style, size and color. When ordering a shirt set you will need to add each individual shirt in the sizes and colors you want into your cart in order to complete your couples shirt set. This allows you to choose the correct size and style for each person and allows for making shirt sets with two different colored shirts.

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Is my custom order refundable?

We try to do everything we can to ensure your order is processed correctly. We ask that you double check all spelling and sizes when placing your order. We are not responsible for items that are requested in an incorrect size or personalization that is spelled incorrectly.

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Can I cancel my order at anytime?

If you request to cancel your order before material processing has begun we can cancel your order and issue you a full refund. However, if print production has begun or the products in your order has already been pressed we cannot issue a refund. These matters may be taken up on a case by case basis.

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I found a mistake made by Puddle Bear what is your return and exchange policy?

We are all human and we sometimes make mistakes. If you find a mistake that we made please contact us with an accurate explanation of the issue that depicts what is wrong and include clear pictures of the mistake. (Examples of mistakes: misspelled name, wrong size shirt, etc...) Then, we will replace your shirt free of charge. Just contact us, show us a picture of the mistake, and we'll send you another shirt as soon as we can.

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I purchased one of your products with no customization can I return it?  

If you are not satisfied with your non personalized merchandise, please contact us within 20 business days of receiving your order. All issues are usually handled on a case-by-case basis. But depending on the issue we can either offer an exchanged item or a partial to full refund of the purchase price not including shipping. When an item is returned, we ask that you deliver it in the exact same condition as when it was first received (unwashed, with tag on).

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One of the products arrived damaged due to shipping what do I do?

If your merchandise arrives completely damaged please inform us as soon as possible or within maximum 3 business days of delivery.  Any damage due to shipping we require clear pictures of any tears, rips, stains, punctures, etc... showing the actual damage to both the packaging and merchandise due to improper handling. With this information regarding your damaged merchandise, we will then start a claim process with USPS or UPS. USPS or UPS will most likely contact both you and us regarding the claim.

DO NOT throw away any of the packaging because USPS or UPS may ask and send an agent to inspect or claim the packaging. After this process is complete and depending on the result of either USPS or UPS findings we will be able to determine if we replace the damaged merchandise at no cost to you.

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I'm interested in getting some shirts made but I would like to see a sample first so what do I do?

We want you to have the shirt that matches your ideas and our proofs are offered as a free service for up to three design changes. After 3 digital proofs have been sent for the same design idea, additional digital proofs will be subject to a design fee starting at $10.00 per digital proof.

Digital proofs will only be made upon request and must be created for your custom and personalized order prior to production. Keep in mind that your order will not be produced until you have approved your digital proof. Please be advised that Puddle Bear is not responsible for errors on merchandise that are approved in your digital proof. Please make sure the layout, color choices, all text including name(s) and number(s), are correct before approving your digital proof. Please allow up to 2-3 business days for a digital proof; timing depends on the complexity or if there are multiple digital proofs needed for multiple items. If new graphics need to be created, we may need more additional time. But we will do our best to work with you if you have a particular due date in mind.

Digital proofs are not to be used for the purpose of color matching. Our monitor(s) including your monitor, phone display, tablet display, etc... are calibrated differently compared to each other and color hues will look different. Also an electronic display of any sort is pure light and is only a close representation of the color not the exact color of the graphic pressed onto the merchandise.

No refunds are available for approved digital proof(s).

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I have an issue with my custom order what can you do to help me?

All other possible unforeseen issues with customized and personalized items will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Just please email us at support@puddlebear.com and clearly explain the issue(s).

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When will I get my refund for a product(s) we returned?

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (2 to 3 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).