(read in a dry, policies and regulations voice)
We're a kink business, and a small business based on making things affordable within the lifestyle - but we *are* still a business. We appreciate our supporters, our patrons and our friends - but we still have to have guidelines in place in order to keep our business afloat.
Once a patron's order has shipped, we have little control over it. In the past, USPS' standard shipping has been an issue for us. 95% of the orders go through just fine - but some shipping routes just don't seem to work out or get delivered promptly.
We make every attempt to make it right with refunds and re-shipments when issues arise with packages not being delivered, being damaged when received, and so on. As fellow kinksters, we know the frustration of not getting the latest toy you were drooling over. If your order is lost or marked damaged, we'll make you a new piece and get it out as soon as we can. If never received - well, we've even gone as far as refunding AND re-shipping in some cases.
Shipping issues with USPS are part of why we do quarterly checks on prices with UPS, DHL, and Fedex. It's why we're moving almost entirely over to shipping with UPS (at our own expense) during elections and during holidays, and why we offer free upgrades to UPS on high "damageable" items such as paddles or wood burned art pieces. It's also why here on CreativeKink.com, the new site - you have the option of choosing your own shipping -- you are empowered with that choice yourself.
We will always accept returns within reason (sorry guys, sex toys just can't be returned! ^_^ ). If your order is damaged, we'll do whatever we can to make you whole. We ask that you send us a photo, or let us know you need a replacement, and we'll make a new piece for you and get it out as soon as possible. If you buy from us at an event, just let us know which one and we'll try to work with you to meet up at another event and get things fixed or to ship you a new toy.
With that being said, customers do have to work with us to resolve the issue.
If you report you didn't receive something after it was marked as delivered, or you state that we need to refund you and send new product without us seeing the damages, we just can't do that. If you want a refund, and want to keep the product, after complaining that it "doesn't meet your standards" - and won't send a photo -- well, that isn't gonna work, either.
We understand that this might anger some people in this, the Age of Amazon -- and we'll try to keep working with you even through that.
Over 10k sales and reviews on our first site over on Etsy, and an average perfect 5 stars, tells us -- We're Doing Something Right. And we're doing the best we can. We'll do the same over here.
Some of our best patrons and friends come from the most trying of circumstances - it's always important to try and make someone whole when things have gone wrong for their order.
But once threats start coming into the conversations, we stop communication. We don't accept threats to our business, or our employees. Physical threats, threats of outting, threats of swatting, threats of blackmail using "ratings" bombing... we don't interface with that. That's just not how we do business. Degradation isn't really our thing...sorry, that's not our business' kink. It doesn't consent.
So, we're sorry it has come to us having to post this. We are always attempting to make our business run smoother, be sexier, have affordable and lasting products. But sometimes, we just have to make things a little clearer so we can move forward.