SHOP/SHIP/RETURN FAQ

Of course, we understand that some of our customers would rather not order through the Internet. Therefore, you may call (301) 468-5710 during our normal business hours listed below and order by phone. We are also always happy to discuss by phone or email special requests that you may have. Our phone hours are seven days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. We provide our customers with superior quality, dependability and courteous, knowledgeable customer service. Please do not hesitate to call during the hours listed above if you have any questions, if you prefer to place your order by phone, or if you would like assistance in placing your order online.


4. What are your SHIPPING CHARGES and SHIPPING POLICIES?

SHIPPING COSTS

As mentioned above, standard shipping is FREE to ONE address within the Continental U.S. for all orders which total at least $150. Orders which total less than $150 will have a shipping charge of $7.95, no matter what the item, as long as everything in the order is shipped to one address.


Orders $1-$149.99: $7.95
Orders $150 or more: FREE


Anytime an order is divided and shipped to MORE than one address, INCLUDING ORDERS OVER $150, there will be an additional $5.95 charge for each additional shipping address. Please note that this charge will not show on the shopping cart but WILL be added to your credit card charge when it is processed.

SHIPPING COSTS FOR RETURNED ORDERS

If any order has received free shipping and any part of that order is then returned, we will deduct OUR ACTUAL COST of shipping that order from your refund. (This will include OUR ACTUAL COST to insure the order for shipping.) You will also be responsible for the cost of returning the item to us insured with a tracking number since we cannot be responsible if the item does not reach us or is received back broken.

SHIPPING TIMES

Items listed as IN STOCK are usually shipped within 4 days. Items shipped to you by the artist usually ship within 7 days. However, sometimes we are not able to ship within that time period due to holidays or to necessary business travel. Also, since some of our items are made to order, if, after receiving your order for an item that does not already specify a shipping time in the description, we are advised that the shipping date will be longer than 7 days from the date of your order, we will advise you, and you will have the option of canceling the order. This does not apply if an extended shipping time is already listed in the description of the item.

"Usually ships in" is the artist's current estimate of when items will leave the studio after you place an order. Actual shipping time to you via ground transportation requires an additional 3-7 business days depending on where you are in relation to the artist. Selecting Next Day or 2nd Day transportation at extra cost shortens actual shipping time only: it does not affect the date the item leaves the studio. Therefore, if you use those specialized services, we will contact you by phone or email to let you know the actual shipping time of the item.

METHODS OF SHIPPING, INCLUDING PREMIUM SERVICES

We usually ship using Fed Ex Ground or U.S. Priority Mail, at our discretion. However if requested, we can also ship faster or use special services such as Fed Ex Home Delivery Premium Services at an additional cost to you. This cost will be added manually to your order as our software cannot calculate special costs. The cost to you of any premium services would be the actual Fed Ex, UPS or USPS mail charges for this service at the time of the order. In the case of items qualifying for free shipping, our standard $7.95 shipping charge will be deducted from your specialized shipping charge.

Please Note:
Premium services and Saturday service not available to all areas.

If you request faster service such as two day or overnight, we will notify you of the charge and get your approval before we finalize your order.

WHERE WE SHIP TO

We do not ship to addresses outside of the United States. .

SHIPPING TO GIFT RECIPIENTS

At our discretion, we will only ship items charged on a credit card to the same address as the billing address of that credit card unless the item costs $100 or less. We occasionally make an exception to that rule on a case by case basis.

5. Do you charge sales tax?

6% Sales tax is charged for all shipments sent
to addresses WITHIN the state of MARYLAND.
We do not charge sales tax if the order is shipped to any location outside of the state of Maryland.

6. Are there exceptions to strictly online purchasing?

Yes, for any credit card purchase over $500, we must have your signature via fax, snail mail, or sometimes email. You may still PLACE your order using our SECURE SHOPPING CART. However, your order will not be fulfilled until we have your signature as stated. We are also willing to use an escrow service for these more expensive items upon request. The buyer will be responsible for the escrow fees. The escrow service must be one of our choosing. In the event that we special order an item for you that is valued over $500, full payment must be made first before the article will be custom made. There is no refund on custom made orders.

8. Will you gift wrap?

We will gift wrap in stock jewelry free of charge upon request. We will also gift wrap Dazzlers Trinket boxes upon request. We cannot gift wrap other items. Also, items sent directly from an artist's studio cannot be gift wrapped.



9. What is your return policy?

We want you to be happy with any purchase made at www.Ci-Gallery.com, so we do accept returns as described below. We do not charge a restocking fee unless that is mentioned in the description of the item (which is very rare). However, if the item received free shipping, we will deduct OUR ACTUAL COST of shipping the item to you. Also, if you paid for shipping, that cost of shipping will not be refunded. The only exceptions to being able to return an item are Customized orders (as in personalized jewelry or specially sized rings for example) or special orders (such as items which we do not have on our website or items in colors which we do not usually offer and which you request us to order especially for you). These items are not returnable or refundable once the order is submitted to the artist unless the item is defective or not as ordered.) In rare instances, a few of our artists have told us they will not accept returns even for work that is not customized. The work of these artists is clearly marked in the description that returns will not be accepted.

If in the unlikely event the item was received damaged in shipment, you must notify us within 24 hours, and you must keep all packaging materials in order for us to be able to file a claim with the shipping company. Depending on the situation, we will notify you what to do next. If the item can be replaced, we will replace it. If not, we will refund your money. It will be your responsibility to have the item available for the shipping company to examine if they request it.

If for any reason, you simply decide to return a purchase, just follow the procedure outlined in Question 10 below.


10. WHAT IS THE RETURN PROCEDURE I SHOULD FOLLOW?

1) Call us at (301) 468-5710 or e-mail us at CustomerService@Ci-Gallery.com within 7 days of your having received your purchase to notify us that the purchase needs to be returned and to get an assigned return authorization number. Mark in the subject line of your email: Return Authorization Needed. We prefer to be notified by email. Be sure to tell us your name, a description of the item, your order number if applicable, your email address and a daytime and evening phone number where you can be reached. We will contact you with a return authorization number and the address where you should send the item. Depending on the item, it may go to the artist or it may be sent to us. You must wait for us to tell you which place to send it to.

2) Repack the item in the original box, using the same packing materials or similar packing materials. Be sure to use an inside box and an outside box if both were originally used. (This is very important if you are returning art glass items such as stained glass, art glass including blown glass, fused glass, cast glass, bronze sculptures or ceramic or pottery pieces.) If you have any questions about repacking, please call us at (301) 468-5710.

3) Print the RA number (return authorization number) which we will give to you clearly on the front of the box near or on the return address label like this example: RA#_____.

4) Ship your package prepaid and insured using a shipper such as UPS, FED EX, tracked US Mail or some other method which uses a tracking number. It is your responsibility to send and insure your package for its full value at your expense.

All items to be returned must be received back within 14 days of the date we give you an RA number. We will credit your return after we , or the artist if applicable, have received the item and have verified that it is still in its original, new and unused, undamaged condition. You will receive a full refund minus our original shipping costs. We will refund shipping and handling charges only if the return is the result of your receiving an item different from the one you ordered. All refunds for credit cards will be issued by Creative Inspirations (the owner of this website) only to the credit card account to which the item was originally charged.

Please allow 2-4 weeks from the time you return the item for credit to be issued.

5) You must E-mail us at CustomerService@Ci-Gallery.com or call us at (301) 468-5710 with the name of the shipping company, the tracking number, and the date of return shipment.

11. DO YOU OFFER A GUARANTEE THAT AN ITEM IDENTIFIED AS BEING THE WORK OR DESIGN OF A CERTAIN ARTIST HAS IN FACT BEEN MADE OR DESIGNED BY THAT ARTIST?

We offer a lifetime guarantee to that effect.