Cancellations and Returns
1. If an order is cancelled prior to shipment, payment will be fully refunded minus a 5% bank credit charge. This is necessary to cover our costs incurred by the credit card processing agencies, which are non-reversible. Orders cancelled that were paid by cash or check will not incur this charge. Note that we consider your product to be "shipped" when it has been picked up from our warehouse by the freight carrier. After products are considered “shipped”, cancellations are treated as returns as described below.
2. All returns require a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) from our Customer Service Department. Please call 1-909-510-7732 to obtain an RMA. No returns will be accepted or any credit granted without an RMA. To provide any credit or replacement units we must first have a chance to receive and completely inspect your return.
3. All claims for returns under the No Risk 30 Day Return Policy must be made within 30 calendar days of receipt of merchandise. Shipping charges on returns shall be the responsibility of the customer and all returned items must be returned in "new" or "like new" condition, in undamaged original manufacturer's packaging and crating materials when applicable and with all original product manuals and instructions. After the product is received, inspected and verified to be in "like new" condition, a full refund will be provided on the product purchase price minus any original shipping charges and minus a 10% restocking/re-handling charge. For products sold with "Free Shipping" or "Flat Rate Shipping" the actual freight cost to originally ship the product will be deducted from your refund.
4. Shipping charges on returns due to no fault of the customer shall be the responsibility of Design Element. All returned items must be returned in the condition in which they were received, in undamaged original manufacturer's packaging, and crating materials when applicable, and with all original product manuals and instructions. After the product is received, inspected and verified to be in "as claimed" condition, a full refund will be provided on the product purchase.
5. If you refuse an item delivered by a commercial freight company for any reason other than damaged merchandise or a shipping error by us, the item shall be treated as a return and charges described in Section 3 above shall be applied. Any additional freight carrier charges shall be billed to you.
6. Please note that custom orders may not be returned. If such products are damaged in shipment, we will assist you with freight claims, or if a product is found to have a manufacturing defect – it will be repaired or replaced based on manufacturer's warranty policies.
7. Items returned must ALWAYS be sent via ground transportation, insured by the sender. Shipping charges for items that are sent back by any means other than ground transportation (cheapest available) will be the responsibility of the sender minus the cost of the ground freight charge. This includes when the item is being returned at our expense – it must be sent cheapest method possible. Design Element will pay the freight and insurance for items returned due to manufacturer error, damages or any other reason that is not caused by the purchaser. Receiving Your Shipment
When receiving your shipment it is important to do the following:
1. We use either DHL, FedEx or other freight carrier for our deliveries. In some cases (larger orders) your shipment may consist of a number of individual boxes placed on a single pallet. The pallet may need to be separated to be unloaded. Unless specifically requested, no truck lift-gate service is ordered for delivery. Please note that you may need to have at least one other person to help the driver with unloading. If you do require additional unloading help or lift-gate services from the carrier, you may contact the freight carrier directly to request such service, however any additional charges for custom unloading are to be your responsibility.
2. Count all pieces of your freight. Ensure that all pieces are accounted for.
3. Check shipment for any visible damage to containers. If the boxes are dented, crushed, scratched, punctured, or cut it is very important to mark this on the bill of lading. If there is a possibility of damage it may be necessary to open the box and mark the actual damage on the bill of lading. It is important to be specific.
4. Due to the nature of the products we sell, boxes that have been dropped may not show obvious signs of external damage. This is very unusual, but could happen. You may want to open these specific boxes before the driver leaves to ensure that the contents do not have concealed damage. The driver may refuse to allow you the time to open specific boxes - if this is the case, open the boxes as soon as possible, but not later than 3 business days after the delivery, to inspect for damage. If we need to replace a damaged item it is in your best interest to contact us immediately, so we don’t sell out of this item during the time you waited to report the issue. If the item is no longer available, customer service will assist you to make alternative arrangements, or arrange a refund.
Refusing a Freight Shipment & Freight Carrier Fees
If the shipment is damaged and unusable, it may be necessary to refuse part or all of the order. Call our shipping department at (909)-510-7732 before refusing any shipment. Design Element will assist in filing a freight claim for damaged freight if the carrier is our normal in-house carrier. If the carrier was chosen by the consignee then it will be the responsibility of the consignee to file such a claim.
Should a shipment arrive with damages caused by the carrier, the carrier will return the merchandise "Dead Head" at no cost to either party. Do not attempt to return any shipment back to Design Element or the originating factory without prior authorization from Design Element. Please review the Design Element Return Policy for additional information.
Please note that any additional freight carrier's fees such as re-delivery, and inside delivery are the responsibility of the customer (unless otherwise noted on your order). If such services are requested by you and billed to Design Element, all such fees shall then be re-billed to your credit card. If the freight carrier is unable to deliver the freight due to problems with contacting you or setting up delivery appointments, storage fees may be assessed by the carrier – in such case all storage fees are the responsibility of the customer and shall be billed to your credit card.