Making a Purchase


Here is everything you need to know about how to go about purchasing items from us here at   What a Character!   If you read through the following instructions carefully, everything should proceed smoothly.  We like happy, satisfied customers who are thrilled with their new goodies.  We do our best to represent all of our merchandise accurately and to provide solid service to our buyers.  In order to do that, your help is essential. 


 

 

 

       Since many people have asked us about it, please note our policy regarding the use of PayPal to pay for your merchandise.  

 

 

 

How we ship:  Almost all of   What a Character! 's  merchandise is shipped via United States Postal Service.  Ordinarily, we mail packages via priority (2-3 day) mail.  Sometimes, very lightweight packages can be sent via first-class mail, in order to save the buyer a bit of money.  We're also willing to send your merchandise by third-class mail, if you wish, and if you don't mind the extra wait to get your stuff.  (NOTE:  The difference in cost between priority mail and third-class postage is usually very small--typically less than 25 cents--but the difference in delivery time can be considerable.  We're happy to send items via third-class mail upon request, but do not recommend it due to the slowness of the third-class delivery service.)  Likewise, if you are willing to pay the extra shipping costs necessary, we will also use express mail to send your items to you.  If you want your item(s) sent any way other than by priority mail, that needs to be indicated on your order form.

We will gladly ship multiple items together in a single box, in order to save you money on shipping costs.  The shipping fees listed along with each item's listing are based on individual item costs.  If you are planning to purchase more than one item at a time, please indicate that in your inquiry-about-availability email so that we may quote you the lowest and fairest possible shipping rate.

 

Shipping Charges:   Our shipping charges are based on the current Priority Mail fees charged by the United States Postal Service.  The exact costs of shipping are based on the weight of the package and the zones/distance between the shipping origin and shipping destination.  Merchandise purchased from  What a Character!   is shipped from postal ZIP code 20910.

 

About insurance:   At  What a Character!, we make every effort to wrap our items carefully and to package them securely, so that they arrive at their new owner's destination safely.   Once merchandise leaves our possession, though, we cannot be held responsible for what happens to it.  Therefore, we strongly recommend that buyers purchase insurance for any/all items bought from  What a Character!.  We retain all insurance receipts for insured packages, and will provide them upon request for buyers who receive damaged merchandise, so that claims may be processed with the shipping agency (usually the U.S. Postal Service or FedEx).  Insurance rates (which are the precise amounts that the U.S. Postal Service charges us to insure packages) are as follows:

insurance cost amount of insurance coverage provided
free $1 up to $50
$2.60 $51 up to $100
$3.30 $101 up to $200
$5.50 $201 up to $300
$6.65 $301 up to $400
$8.00 $401 up to $500
$9.25 $501 up to $600
$10.50 $601 up to $701
$1.25 more for every $100 of additional insurance coverage

We always believe that it is the buyer's choice as to whether or not to purchase insurance.  Buyers who decline to purchase insurance for their merchandise assume ALL responsibility for loss or damage to the items they have bought from us.

 

Refunds/Returns:  Our policy about refunds is pretty straightforward.  We will accept returns of items that were not described accurately on our website.  If you find that to be the case with an item you have purchased, you must email the person with whom you completed the transaction either within 24 hours of receiving it (if delivery confirmation was chosen) or within seven days of the date we shipped your item (if there was no postal delivery confirmation service requested with your purchase).  In that email, explain what is wrong with your item that we failed to disclose in our website's description of it when you decided to buy it, and ask to return it.  In our response email, we will let you know how to proceed from there.  If we agree to take your item back, we will refund your purchase price for the item.  In order to receive a refund, we must be notified in a timely fashion, as outlined above and the item must be returned in the exact condition it was in when shipped to you and it must be returned within the specified time restrictions in the return email you get from us.  (Sorry for all of the harsh-sounding rules there, but we have had a few dishonest people try "bait and switch" tactics with us over the years.)  To date, out of more than 8,700 transactions we have made, we have only had five items returned due to faulty descriptions on our part.  (Pretty good track record, eh?!)  So you can rest assured that we always do our very best to provide you with complete, comprehensive, and accurate information about any/every item you buy from us.  To us, happy customers are repeat customers, and they're the kind we like to have the most!

 

         

                   

         

09/20/14 04:26 PM