1. Where does it begin?
i) Whether you’re looking to purchase an item that’s listed as ‘ready to ship’ or a custom made item, you will need to contact me through the site’s contact page to make a purchase. You’re encouraged to review the site’s terms and conditions, and review questions on this page relevant to your order prior to writing to me through www.easternwindstudio.com/contact
Customs orders begin in a very simple manner. If you're looking into requesting an already listed or a variation of an already listed product in the shop, please be sure to review its listing details prior to getting in touch with me. Once you've reviewed the details, please send me an email describing what you have in mind.
About 35% of my job is in-depth communication with interested individuals irrespective of whether the end result is a purchase or not. My job, first and foremost, is more that of a consultant, mediator and curator than a seller. Write down whatever you have in mind with as much relevant detail as you can (in words, drawings, doodles, references, collages, etc…) and I’ll do my best to give you a transparent and objective breakdown of what is doable, what options are available, and what the associated costs may be temporally and monetarily.
I normally respond in less than 24 hours unless I'm away from the studio. In this 24 hour time frame please avoid reputedly emailing or messaging me on social media to bump your email. I will get back to you. I will respond to you with perhaps a few questions and clarification and once we're on the same page I will let you know what’s in the realm of possibility, the potential time it will take, and a price estimate in USD.
Often on items that haven't been previously made and/ or are not offered in the shop, I will also offer a rough sketch of what the possible design will look like in the end.
I pride myself in taking the time to discuss orders thoroughly with anyone that's considering a project. Just because you ask, will not mean you'll be obligated to purchase. So please feel free to approach me. Although there is no commitment on your part to make a purchase, you do have a commitment to review the information you have been provided and that we have spent the time to provide you with. There is no other commitment on your part till an order is placed! Anything before that is simply looking into possibilities and doing your part in following along.
there's no way to possibly give blanket answers to general questions since 90% of the work I do is custom made one way or another. I urge you to get in touch with me regarding your specific order.
Disclaimer: We do not sell to minors. All minors are expected to communicate through an adult guardian after having reviewed the site’s Terms and Conditions as well as the item listing in question. Our products are also not specifically made to fit small children. Items like mask combos will have peep holes made for general adult sizing. The head size taken into account for all pieces is that of an adult. though minor changes to the size can be made, it will be important for guardians to be mindful of this and be very clear in their communication if they are placing an order for a younger child.
ii) I’ve emailed you but I haven’t received a reply and it’s been more than 48 hours.
It’s highly unlikely for me to not reply to an email within 24 hours. We work 6 days a week and take orders and inquiries 7 days a week. If you haven’t received an answer please check the following.
1. Make sure the email address you provided was correct. It’s not uncommon for people to get their email address wrong, or get the domain wrong.
2. Make sure to check your spam/ junk folder. When you write to me through my website, you will receive a reply from my private business account which will be a Yahoo account email address.
3. A rare circumstance is that I’m out of the studio and off the grid. This happens once or twice a year for a very short duration. If this is the case, I will have a notice in the ‘Announcements’ section here on my website, and very likely on my social media. Please be patient. If I am away from the studio, I don’t stay off the grid more than 3 or 4 days at a time.
4. If you aren’t sure whether you fall into #1 or #3, you’re welcome to email again. Making sure the domain is correct and giving it a couple of days.
2. What Can I ask for?
You have no limitations aside from the disclaimer at the bottom of this section! Ask for anything and allow me to tell you what is or is not within my skill set. For example; if you ask for wings, I will likely redirect you to another artist. What I can't do, I will be upfront about as it’s just as much a risk to me as it is to my clients. I'd like to think I have a well-rounded understanding of my own skills, potentials, and limitations as well as a good ability to predict the possible limitations of a design; so I will do my very best to be as honest and transparent with my clients as possible and include all disclaimers prior to an official order.
Naturally, if you're emailing to ask for a variation of pieces offered in the shop already, or one you may have seen on social media, simply let me know which item it is and what additions and modifications you'd like to make to it.
Some of the things I make include, but are by no means limited to, headdresses, masks, sashes, stoles and mantles, pauldrons, bags, rugs, busts and display pieces, 3D frame wall art, shoulder or table mounts, partial or full body mounts, soft mounts, etc.
If you’re not ready to place an order and you’re just getting in touch to discuss the possibility of a design and get a quote, that is absolutely fine. I’m happy to help you gather those information.
The only thing that I do ask, and that is very important to me, is that you try to keep my time in mind as well. It’s of the utmost importance to me that you pay attention to the information I provide, ask for clarification where needed but always read what I have already sent you. If I’m repeating myself and it becomes clear that the inquirer is simply blatantly disregarding the information or demanding their own terms override our policies, the inquirer will be informed of this foul. If they press on, I will refuse to take the order. I’m absolutely happy to clarify anything that doesn’t make sense after you have read what’s been given of course!
Consultation Is integral to an order, however, it should not turn into an indefinite platform for Q&A. Gather you ideas, references if you have any, and as may of your questions into each email as possible. Of course discussing new ideas requires time and discussion but please make sure to be reasonable with time and use email like email, rather than like text messaging.
I highly encourage clients to have as much of their design planned as possible. Please keep in mind this shop is entirely run by one person. I am committed to helping my clients with their design ideas but I do expect that you kindly keep emails relevant to your order, have as much of your thoughts collected as possible, and come forward with a general idea as to what you’d like. As an example, if we’re 10 emails into a wolf headdress order inquiry and the client is still not sure what color they’d like to purchase, then I may have to respectfully ask a client to step back, think about it on their own time, and return to the conversation when they have a more clear vision. Naturally more complicated designs will require more communication and that is absolutely fine, but please keep my time in mind as well. I will not rush anyone into making a decision, but if a correspondence is simply taking longer than what is reasonable for that order, I will ask a client to step back and think about the details a little more and then reach out again.
Disclaimer: We will not except satanic or controversial cult subject matter such as a Baphomet in any form.
3. where’s the buy button?
There isn’t one. All sales are made via email. you must slow down, you must read, we must agree..
I used to operate primarily off sale sites like Etsy. The problem is we’re dealing with hand made work at a relatively high price point. It’s in both of our interests if clients slow down and read what it is they’re purchasing. Since reading did not seem to be too popular, the buy button allows for too many impulse purchasers. The items are not real fur, and they are not always in stock and ready to ship. most orders are custom made and require time. Once an order is placed, it can’t be cancelled. These details often escaped the attention of the quick-fingered buyers. I respect my work beyond their sale value, so now, I require people to write to me, to communicate, to understand their purchase and agree to the contract before making a payment. This is hand made art, every single piece is meticulously and lovingly constructed and ought to be respected as such even in the sale process. Part of my responsibility is to slow people down, not to speed them up into making a purchase. I walk my clients through their orders. every experience is a personal one. I care about my work, but I also care about my clients. Years of experience has led to this system; this is in both of our interests. If you’d like to purchase something, write to me :)
There is no expectation to purchase associated with inquires and brainstorming. However, once you ask to commit to a purchase and have a sale contract sent to you, you are expected to stay committed to your order.
Once we reach an agreement on the design and overall details of the order, and you are ready to place your order, I will email you a PDF file of your sale contract which you will need to confirm via email. You will be sent an invoice on PayPal. once you’ve agreed to your sale contract, you will be able to pay your invoice. your production time begins with this payment. A copy of the terms and conditions of your sale contract are outlined here on the website under Information > Terms & Conditions. Your obligation towards an order begins with you requesting the sale contract (at the end of all discussions regarding the order). Prior to this, you have no obligations and thus there is no consequence. Once you request a contract and a contract is formulated for you, you have 24 hours to confirm and pay. Clients that are not able to meet the 24 hour requirement must indicate this prior to asking for a contract as we do not reserve commission slots. Clients that fail to address their contract and invoice within 24 hours or fail to communicate limitations and disappear without confirmation and payment or communication will be allowed a second chance. however, if this happens a 3rd time, the client will be barred from any future order opportunities and I will respectfully have to turn down the order permanently.
4. What are the costs of custom orders and are there extra associated fees?
If the item you're inquiring about happens to be an animal I haven't worked on yet but one that I will likely happily add to the shop's collection, then there are no extra fees associated with the production. For example, I've been much too busy with commissions to work on a common leopard at this point in time. Although one is in production, it is not yet on display in the shop. if you come to me asking for a leopard headdress or other leopard props, I will not be charging you additional fees for your custom order. Items like this are commissions and given priority over my own projects and thus are completed within the agreed time span. Once the item is completed it will take on its own listing and be available to order in the shop.
However, if you come to me asking for a design that is unlikely to be offered widely in the shop, then there's a chance I will charge you an additional fee. This is because the sculpt I must produce for your order will likely not be used again or much. Depending on the complexity of the sculpt I will charge differently. If a sculpt is particularly difficult or requires a ground-up approach (starting from absolute scratch), your fees will be higher than if your sculpt can be created with a simple modification of an existing sculpt.
5. I need an item in short notice, does this cost more?
Yes!
Please note that orders that are required to be prepared on short notice will be charged rushed order fees. Most items have a waiting time of between 10 to 15 weeks. These timelines are not arbitrary. I stick to a strict work schedule to be able to get through the commission load that I go through. When a client approaches me for a rushed order, I not only have to work longer hours to prepare that project but I also have to accommodate lost time on other projects. The more rushed orders I take on in 1 month, the longer hours I will be working for the following 3 months. Rushed orders can be very stressful. This is why the less time I have to work on a project, the higher the rushed order fees will be. The rushed order fees associated with each item are included in their respective listings. Please note, when calculating rushed order fees, you are looking at the production time only, do not include the shipping days as part of your overall time. Please note, weekends do not count as part of your shipping days; count business days only. When in doubt, get in touch with me; I’ll be happy to help.
As an aside, if you're getting in touch for a rushed order and you're located in a country with a stringent customs clearance system (the majority of European countries, many South American countries, the Middle East and Asia) then I urge you to be aware that customs is a sovereign entity. Once they have the parcel, neither I nor any postal service involved has any power over them. They may delay the parcel for as little or as long as they please. Please plan accordingly. Generally in my experience, most custom delays are not longer than 2 weeks and no shorter than 2 days (though miracles do happen).
6. Does it get very hot in a headdress?
To some degree, it can. You’re adding a layer of clothing so it’s inevitable that it’ll be at least a little warmer with the headdress than without it; but because there’s space and ventilation around the neck, it’s not too bad in my opinion. We’ve definitely used our headdresses in mid summer with no major complaint with regards to heat. It’s very reasonable and tolerable.
7. I need a custom order on short notice, can it be provided?
This depends on what your design is. if it's something I can realistically complete for you in time, then naturally I will not turn you down. I encourage you to email me with a detailed description of what you’re looking to order, what your deadline is, where you’re located, and any reference photos you may have. It goes without saying these correspondences are time-sensitive and will require quick replies. When the clock starts ticking, a quote I gave you a week ago will no longer be valid as we will be recalculating rushed order fees and what is within the realm of possibility based on how much time is left to complete a piece.
8. How do I pay for a custom order?
Once you and I have decided on the design, time frame, cost and potential payment plan, and are ready to place your order and pay, you will let me know. I will send you a document outlining your order details, terms and conditions. This will be our contract and will be treated as such. You will be asked to confirm your full agreement with what’s listed in this document. Upon receiving this confirmation, I will make you a custom invoice via PayPal or you will be asked to make a payment through Wise for orders over $3000 USD. If you do not wish to use wise, a 4% fee will be applicable to your total and you may use PayPal. If you’re located in Canada you may be offered to pay directly via your bank. We strictly do not accept International Credit or Debit payments outside of PayPal or Wise.
If you choose to take on a Payment plan, Please note payment plans are subject to their own terms and conditions, so kindly review the section on payment plans prior to committing. Production always starts After payment completion.
Your contract should not contain any surprises. I will have already spoken to you about all the details of your order in the correspondence we've had prior to your payment. This means you must work out the details of your order before payment. You will be asked to read the contract including the section on "general information" prior to paying for the order and tell me if you have any further questions or concerns. If you have questions or concerns regarding the contract, you must let me know before paying for the order. once the payment is made, you are committed to the contract stated in your listing; as am I of course.
**Please only ask for a contract and invoice to be made for you once you are ready to place your order and are sure about your purchase.**
Writing up contracts and making Invoices take time to prepare on my part so, please, if you aren’t ready to pay or are not certain, do not ask for one until you have decided. Invoices do not remain available indefinitely. clients that ask for invoices multiple times but do not pay will be refused service on the 3rd time. normally clients are given 24 to 48 hours to complete an order after asking for an invoice to be sent.
All clients that are interested in purchasing are encouraged to review the section on Specific Q&A
https://www.easternwindstudio.com/q7a
As well as the sites terms and conditions
https://www.easternwindstudio.com/terms-and-conditions
The information in the above links will be included in your sale contract as well which you will be asked to review and sign prior to paying for your order. I welcome any questions or concerns with regards to this.
9 Can I ask for a one of a kind piece and ask the item not be reproduced in the future for other clients?
Generally speaking; no. I do not limit my designs to one client unless it's something extraordinarily unique. If it's important to you that you be the only owner of a particular design, make sure to clearly state this in your correspondence well before placing an order. I may or may not agree depending on the design. Please keep in mind an item I do agree to make limited to only one client will have a price that reflects its limited-edition status.
10. Can I rent a piece?
I do not offer rentals. My apologies. The logistics of a rental are simply much too time-consuming and risky. Furthermore, our pieces are not washable which makes renting them out distasteful. In the very very rare instance that I allow a loan, I charge the full price of the item plus shipping upfront (via family and friends option on Paypal). The client asking to rent the piece must agree to all terms of the rental including but not limited to the return of the item within the strictly agreed deadline, in pristine condition. Once the item is returned and inspected to damage and soiling, a partial refund of the payment will be processed. The fees for such agreements vary based on the item but are generally 30% to 50% of the item cost over a 2 week period, calculated from its arrival to the client and the day it is shipped back with proof of a tracking number and update. If the item has any damage, the payment will not be refunded. This means any sort of damage, such as, but not limited to, soiling, breakage, water damage, bad odor, creasing due to miss packaging and mishandling, etc.
The client is asked to report any damage due to shipping (from myself to them) within an hour of the item's arrival with photo proof. They will not be held liable for this damage but must report within an hour. Damage obtained during shipping from the client to me will void the refund if the item is not properly packaged and insured. Please know, the import fees on the piece will be deducted from the refund.
As you can see, this is a very risky agreement for a renter and is the sole reason a rental is not officially an option as circumstances are not always within one's control, yet as an artist, in order to protect my work, I must hold renters accountable for even those circumstances. It's not a position I want to be in.
In the rare event that I agree to a loan or rental, I do expect a written contract outlining the terms of use to be signed by the client. This will include appropriate and complete crediting of pieces in which my work appears in as well as equal rights to use pieces such as (but not limited to) videos or photos.
11. I'm getting in touch regarding a piece I've seen on your social media, can I ask for it to be made if it's no longer available?
Yes. All my social media pages will have a contact option. I always prefer email but if in doubt, contact me on whichever platform you find me and I will send you my business email for correspondence. Chances are the same platform will have also link you to my website; in which case you can you the “Contact” link here to email me as well. Please indicate which item you’re contacting about exactly, with a link, photo, or screenshot.
12. I'm getting in touch on behalf of a company or institution and want more than one of a design, do I get a discount?
This really depends on the specific case(s) and order(s). Always get in touch with me of course and ask.
Some items are easier to produce multiples of in a given time period. It’s likely that a small discount will be granted to these items depending on the quantity. An example of such animals would be the wolves. Orders over 4 pieces will likely be given a small discount.
Others are difficult pieces and highly unlikely to be discounted even at high quantities.
Another factor that will be of significant importance is how much time I’m being allowed to fulfill an order. Orders that don’t grant me enough time will naturally not qualify for a discount and those needed on short notice will be subject to rushed order fees. Ultimately each piece has to be handmade and will require the same time and effort per piece whether the client orders 1 or 10 pieces, so discounts are quite rare in general unless significant time has been granted for the order.
As a side note, if you are getting in touch on behalf of an institution or company that will be displaying or using the items in any form of production or publication, we would also be talking about crediting and references. I do not accept crediting as a wager and bargain to provide discounts. Proper crediting is a prerequisite to all orders alike.
13. I’m getting in touch with regarding collaboration, are you interested?
Whether you’re a musician, a photographer, a designer, etc. please know I strictly do not ship out free work in return for photos, promotion, etc. or any other service. You’re more than welcome to place a custom order. Though I’m flattered that this is not a rare request, please understand these pieces take a lot of resources, time and energy on my part and that I am usually booked several months ahead. You’re welcome to place a rushed order and I will accommodate you as best as I can. Please also note, I require all work to be accurately credited in a publicly accessible format when used in official or unofficial published or to-be-published pieces including social media. Thank you for your understanding.
On the very rare occasion I do agree to work with other artists, I require the other party to return the piece after use in its original condition as well as cover shipping and customs to and from me. I set very strict conditions and timelines for how long a work is allowed to be borrowed for. In Such cases a payment for the full price of the item is required to be paid via Wise for the duration of the rental. The item must be returned safely to me in the conditions stated in a rental agreement. If the rental agreement also states the use of photos, these photos and any edits must be provided within an agreed time frame as well; upon which a partial refund will be made as agreed upon in the rental agreement. Failure to abide by the rental agreement will void the partial refund. Partial refunds will be sent via PayPal. This is something I rarely agree to due to the risks it has for both sides of the agreement.
14. I’m getting in touch from a production company/ studio for a piece to be used in film and cinematic. Can you help? Will you fly out to work with us on the scene?
Never hesitate to write and describe what it is you have in mind, whether it’s a full piece or a partial piece if it’s meant to be used in combination with a different work, what kind of fluidity it requires, whether it’s in a close-up or clear shot or a background piece, etc.
I’m happy to work with other studios. Please know I do not offer tutorials or information regarding my production technique to maintain the integrity of my business and my work. I’m always happy to brainstorm ideas with any client so feel free to write.
Regarding travelling to work on a scene, it’s a matter of details. I can travel, but it would depend on the studio accommodations as well as on the specific piece. It would also be dependent on the commission load at the time of inquiry. I book anywhere from 3 to 6 months in advance so time spent outside of my own studio would need to be appropriately scheduled as I prioritize bookings based on the temporal nature of bookings, not their monetary value.
15. Can I make changes to my order after payment?
This depends on how far along we are and what kind of changes you have in mind. I highly encourage you to have all your order details worked out with me before making your payment. I spend quite a lot of time talking clients through orders. The price and production time clients are quoted are based on the details at the time of the order. The casts and patterns are prepared accordingly. Sometimes changes or inspirations come to mind after the fact and if possible I will try to accommodate it but please keep in mind, I retain the right to refuse further changes to an order after your payment as per every contract. accepted changes may be accompanied by additional charges and extended production times. i retain the right to charge rushed order fees on changes if a deadline is to be maintained.
16. What happens after I place an order?
Placing custom orders can be nerve-wracking for some, especially those that haven't placed custom orders before. Please know your order is safe and being tended to. Generally speaking, most clients will receive word or photos of their order within the first 6 to 8 weeks or 10 to 12 weeks of their order depending on the production time they are given prior to placing their order unless they are told otherwise. This information will always also be included in the Sale contract the client receives specific to their order. It’s very important that you be patient throughout your order. I ask clients to wait till I come to them with updates rather than send frequent emails asking for updates. Failing to follow protocolled and repeatedly sending update requests prior to stated update times may lead to the termination of the order without compensation as it will be seen as obstruction and a breach of the sale contract . All clients get at least one or 2 updates before the item is completed. Some more complicated custom orders will receive more photos. Please know I do work on a schedule and do take my job very seriously so I will not leave you in the dark. I need you to trust me with that . You will receive a photo of your completed work before it is shipped so you will never get a surprise parcel at your doorsteps.
It is superbly important you keep an eye on your email throughout the duration of your order. Correspondence in a timely fashion is very important to custom pieces. Please see the "general information" section in any life-size listing for details.
If you place a rushed order, please know, as photos and updates do take extra time, you may not have the advantage of update photos or frequent ones. This is only applicable to rushed orders that have allowed less than 4 weeks’ time for production. Otherwise, clients will receive updates.
As a very important side note, you will be expected to confirm each email and/ or photo containing an update or question regarding your order. If anything needs changing, it needs to be pointed out as the photos are received, not after the fact. this is because often what’s put in place can’t be tweaked or removed. I kindly ask you to stay communicative. Delays in correspondence will have consequences such as but not limited to delays in production deadline. I ask that you respond to all emails within 48 hours. If you are unable to communicate in a timely fashion, please give me a heads up in advance.
17. I need an item on x day but I will not be able to pay until later. Can you accommodate?
if we have already discussed a payment plan for you, then naturally we will have already talked about your financing before you place your order.
if your payment date falls after the shipping date, I can't help you I’m afraid.
if your payment date falls very very close to your shipping date, you will still be charged appropriate rushed order fees which are calculated on your payment completion date.
There are times I will agree on more lenient terms with returning clients but generally speaking, please know I can't work on unpaid projects as I have obligations towards other clients in waiting.
18. Can I request discounted or free items in return to promote and/ or advertise your work?
Unfortunately, I can’t agree with this. The reasons are primarily 2 folds.
1. Production cost and time for my work are high. I simply can’t afford to hand out free work.
2. My previous experience with “promotional” opportunities has not ever brought more buyers to me. My work has been displayed on stages (national and international, big and small), worn by athletes on broadcasted events, been displayed in museums as part of historical costumes, etc. By far the only time my products have brought in more sales have been through clients that regularly wear my work for their hobbies and events. Although I appreciate the offer, please know I’m no stranger to it and I’m making a conscious choice to decline it. Thank you for understanding. Please be advised that proper crediting is not something one can ask an artist to ‘trade’ or ‘bargain’ for. All work must be accurately credited in any published or to-be-published piece. Thus I do not find this as a leveraging point in an offer as it borders on an insult when used in exchange for free or discounted work.
19. Do you offer tutorials? what material do you use for x?
I do not offer tutorials. First and foremost because we are not an educational enterprise. Secondly because the best way to prevent our ongoing problem with counterfeit, copied, and stolen concepts is to adopt a total silence policy. As such, all such information is proprietary.
I kindly ask that you refrain from asking questions regarding details such as information about the material I use, my suppliers, my techniques, etc.
Unfortunately, in the past, I’ve found this to be detrimental as some saw it as an invitation for counterfeit our work. I take protecting my work seriously so I apologize in advance for not entertaining such questions.
20. Do you make fur suits and masks?
This is a bit of a complicated question. If you mean fursuits for theatre or commercial use, I can make them, yes. But if you mean fursuits for the furry hobby, I do not. I do occasionally accept orders of fursuit masks so long as the client is absolutely clear, understands, and is in full agreement as to my position stated below. The reason I do not make fursuits for the fursuit hobby is that I know nothing about the hobby or its expectations and have no way of knowing what the expected features of a fursuit are for the said hobby. simply put, I lack appreciation for it. I can certainly make a mask with an articulated jaw, but I am a costume maker, not a fursuit artist so my style, material choice, and techniques will absolutely differ. I do not share material information either so please take note of these factors before ordering. It will not compare to fursuit heads made by fursuit artists. My flow and flexibility May or may not vary from fursuit artists. I have no way of knowing. If you come in with expectations based primarily on fursuit makers you may have dealt with previously and expectations that are rooted in the hobby, and have very clear expectations with regards to the precise way the head is made, it is best if you do not place an order. We do not change our style, material, or technique unless it suits the growth of the business and benefits the predominant body of the business and chief works. This is not to be taken lightly if you are ordering as a furry. This is not a statement on quality or functionality, superiority or inferiority of one art form over the other, but rather a testimonial and clarification that I simply know nothing about the furry world.
Regarding suits, In theatre and production, I work with general sizes. These are costumes rather than frequently worn items of clothing and as such the demand put on such pieces is different from a frequently worn, long-term item of clothing. For these reasons, I avoid furry suit orders. That said I do have connections to artists that can help you so if I’ve agreed to make you a mask/ head, you could discuss ordering additional parts from them and I can connect you. If I accept a fursuit head order from you, it will need to be discussed in detail and I may suggest using and modifying other fellow artist’s cast instead as I generally do not sculpt full heads. If you wish to have a custom sculpt made by me, that’s an option but it will be substantially pricier. I also do not accept orders for stylized masks and tend to stick to the more realistic or surreal fantasy styles.
21. Can I call you to arrange for an order?
For legal reasons, I require all correspondence to be in writing and in an accessible format. I do not take phone calls or video conferences. I require all communication to be through email only. Although clients are welcome to reach out to me through social media initially, all clients will ultimately be directed to email. This is also to help me keep track of all order details and have everything in one place so that I can easily search through everything that’s been talked about. The studio handles a large volume of orders with 98% of them being custom orders. Each one varies in its specifications and details can easily be lost and left out if I don’t have the ability to go back into the archive and search for it. Communication and trust are the backbones of any business, as such, I require that all clients do their part in timely and clear communication to the best of their ability. Please keep emails organized, focused, and relevant to the order at hand to help keep everything moving along smoothly.
22. I have a real animal hide, would you be willing to mount it, repair it, or add to it?
My studio specializes in synthetic fur and is not adequately equipped to process and mount genuine hide. I have some knowledge of taxidermy but processing a hide should only be trusted to a professional and equipped taxidermist. If you approach me about a hide, I will direct you to a friend whom I trust and who has years of experience working as a professional taxidermist both on ethically sourced fur and otherwise. As a side note, as a practicing vegan, she also has a great knowledge base of ethical taxidermy which may be of interest as well. She’s well connected and knowledgeable so I will point you her way.
The same goes for repairs of already mounted pieces. It’s all better trusted to a professional taxidermist.
Additions to pre-mounted pieces will have to be approached on a case by case basis.
23. Can I cancel and order and ask for a refund?
This is a 2 part question, the first part regarding cancellations and the second, regarding refunds. Once an order is placed, you are in a binding contract. You can cancel the order but this will not be followed by a refund. An order is considered placed/ active once payment is made.
This means, an order is considered active and placed when…
The full payment is made
A portion of the payment has been made as part of a payment plan
All sales are final and breaking the contract will not be possible. There are no exceptions.
I expect my clients to shop and correspond responsibly, understand and assess their finances, discuss what needs to be discussed with other parties involved, be aware of the seasons and holidays as well as their own deadlines, and do their part in reading their contracts. There is some reading involved in placing an order but nothing is ever fine print.
Examples:
A client places an order for an item for his wedding, the next day he says his to-be wife does not like the idea and he would like to cancel the order and asks for a refund.
A client places an order, emails the next day to say he was drunk when he ordered and would like a refund.
A client places an order, then realizes they had missed details in correspondence prior to placing an order or had not indeed read the contract as instructed and are in disagreement with a part of it. For example, they have not read that preparation time for a particular piece is 12 weeks and they need the item in 4 weeks. The client will be asked to pay the appropriate rushed order fees with a second contract, Pay for additional changes, or be refused changes and/ or refunds.
A client has made an impulse purchase. They decide they don’t need the item and have more pressing expenses.
A client begins a 3 part payment plan and pays down the first $600 of the order. A while later the client emails back to say they have vet bills to cover and it is close to Christmas and they need the money. This client has their order cancelled, which means they will not be expected to pay outstanding fees; but they will not be refunded the paid amount. This is explained more under “Payment Plans”.
None of the above cases are subject to a refund.
These are real-life examples and they do happen so kindly understand, that under no circumstances will an order ever be refunded unless for some reason I’m not able to meet my part of the contract and deliver the piece within the terms of the contract, say for example due to an unforeseeable health issue. This hasn’t happened to date.
24. Can I reserve an In-stock piece or put a hold on it?
No. in-stock pieces are sold based on a first to confirm and sell basis. An inquiry or email discussing the piece does not mean I will take that work off sales platforms and/or hold it for someone. The process of purchasing an item is as such. Using the contact page, write me an email, making sure to fill out all relevant fields (email, Paypal email, country, etc.), tell me which item you’re interested in and if you’re planning on adding any parts to it.
if the information from this page is missing, it slows down the sale process because I can’t formulate your sale contract without that information. Once your email is in, I will discuss the item with you if you’re making additions, or send you your contract if there are no additions. You will be asked to first confirm your contract, and then go ahead and pay your invoice. An item is only considered sold when the client has paid for it. It is not removed from sale nor considered reserved. Once an invoice is sent, you have 8 hours to complete your sale. This means in those 8 hours, if there are other inquiries about the item, I will refrain from replying to those specific emails. After this 8 hour period, the invoice will be cancelled and the item will be sold to the next interested client. If I feel like there are multiple serious inquiries regarding an item, I may offer a fair heads up to both parties. The expectation is that people shop responsibly and don’t lose their cool. This information is simply offered in the interest of transparency and so all parties understand that inquiries are not equal to holds.
Please note, the average sale time from when a client gets in touch regarding an in-stock item, to when that client pays, is around 5 hours. Unless I’m away from the studio, communication on my end is generally quite fast. Every item gets multiply inquires during its sale period. These policies are very much shaped by my sales experience. Time has proven that such conditions are required to ensure only the most serious buyers get to purchase an item. This system is not meant to be streamlined or fast, that is why there is no ‘buy’ button. It’s meant to filter out impulse buyers, slow or unsure inquisitors, or people that haven’t thought their commitment through. Communication makes up a very large portion of my workdays. That means if a client chooses to put in a request but disappears for 2 days, and in the interim, someone else comes along with more respect for communication timing and clear communication, then they will have the item.
A word on shipping, tracking, insurance, etc…
We ship internationally. There are only a very small number of countries we will not ship to. Always make sure the address you have listed on your PayPal upon paying is correct. I almost always ask clients to confirm their shipping address before a parcel is shipped out but if the order is placed under a time limitation, I will be shipping with the given shipping address. It is up to the buyer to ensure that their shipping address is correct at the time of purchase. If you are moving or need the item shipped to a different address, it's important that you state the new shipping address well before the order completion date. When in doubt, please ask me to wait till you have verified your address. I'm happy to do that so long as it is stated before the project is ready for shipment.
I will only ship to the address of the direct buyer.
It’s extremely important that clients pay attention to their contracts regarding shipping. All life-size pieces are shipped out with Canada Post international tracked parcel service. As its name suggests, this service allows you to track the progression of your parcel as it makes its way to you. It has proved itself to be the most reliable service to me and has rarely faltered. I will always use this service (unless it is disrupted for whatever reason). This service, as stated in every listing, *does not* include any insurance on the parcel. This means if the parcel is lost or arrives damaged, myself and my courier will not be responsible. Please choose wisely. It is phenomenally rare for an item to get lost or arrive damaged but I strongly urge clients to be aware the possibility is there.
The non-delivery instructions on all packages that leave my studio are that they ought to be returned to me. 99.99% of the time, this is exactly what happens if for whatever reason the parcel was not picked up by the owner. The item is re-shipped once it arrives back to me and the seller is naturally expected to pay the price of re-shipping. This only happens maybe once in 600 orders. Again, it's a very rare instance but please please understand that the system is not perfect. As an example, French and Spanish customs can be remarkably finicky and disruptive at times so I would encourage clients to be mindful of such things when choosing their shipping option. All French parcels will only be shipped with FedEx due to the unreliable nature of Chronopost. Feel free to get in touch with me if you're unsure about customs. I will not answer questions such as "how much are customs taxes in x country?" because I expect clients to do research on their own country's import laws, but I will talk you through some documentation and receipts.
Insurance does cost a little more and if you're interested in it for your order, please make sure to let me know in your email.
A word regarding communication…
Communication is superbly important to ensuring everything moves along smoothly. while discussing your order details with me be attentive to what I write for you. I spend a lot of time discussing details with clients. I expect potential clients to read and understand what is written. If they do not understand something, I expect them to ask for clarification. This is important because once a payment is made, there is no going back. Once your payments are complete, your production time begins. You will generally receive updates beginning 6 to 8 weeks or 10 to 12 weeks after payment completion depending on your order size and production time. I ask that throughout your order production time you keep a close eye on your emails. I will only communicate with clients via email and will only send update photos or questions via email. This means I kindly ask that you do not message me on multiple platforms. except in exceptional situations (for example if a video needs to be shared via Facebook messenger for clarification). Please know that if your reply to an inquiry and your confirmation of an update is more than 1 week late, this may mean your order due date shifts several weeks if not months. after 14 days, your order will be void without refund and will be auctioned off. I try to keep a smooth production line going. Orders that are delayed due to client's lack of communication get bumped out of line till the next opening. So I kindly ask you respect the order of operation and remain diligent with emails and confirmations. This includes emailing back after an update to confirm you have seen and approve of if even if it is a single sentence stating “I confirm I’ve received and reviewed these photos”.
please take the Terms and Conditions of a sale very very seriously as we will follow them quite strictly.
Please also take care to remain professional and polite in your communication. Customer care is our pride and I do my absolute best to be clear and approachable. Please keep communication relevant to your order. We enjoy hearing what your purchasing your item for, what brings you to Eastern Wind Studio, what about the work speaks to you, etc. but please be mindful not to share personal information that isn’t relevant to the order or is simply unprofessional or inappropriate. You may occasionally find certain questions in your email not pretraining to your order are also left unanswered. We apologize in advance and ask that you understand, information that isn’t shared with clients falls within business or personal confidentiality and will be protected as such.