astropuke

for obvious reasons, professionally-made bulk-order items (such as enamel pins, patches, stickers, and tote bags) cannot be customized to your liking, but please don’t hesitate to make suggestions or ask —knowing which designs & formats buyers are interested in is always helpful when trying to figure out what to do next!

however, i do accept custom requests on garlands and buttons. in any case, feel free to send a message and I’ll see what I can do!

[temporary edit:] because chronic autistic burnout is leaving me with severely limited capacities + difficulty managing time/energy, i’ve temporarily taken down my garlands and am turning down most custom button requests. in any case, feel free to ask!

PATCHES & STICKERS: small envelope

ENAMEL PINS: bubble envelope

BUTTONS: bubble-wrapped baggies in a medium-sized envelope. for larger orders, i skip the bubble wrap and use medium-sized bubble envelopes.

PRINTS & GARLANDS: thick cardboard envelope

SHIRTS & TOTES: paper-sized envelope

admittedly, my packaging isn’t as attractive as some sellers, but using mostly basic supplies ensures that i can keep shipping costs low :)

i don’t offer gift-wrapping at this time, but i can include a card/message in your order; let me know if you have any special requests!

(sadly, i’m legally obligated to list the cost of all items on all US & international orders that include any button or enamel pin, as ‘oversized’ mail requires a special label)

*UNLESS A SHIPPING UPGRADE + TRACKING IS PURCHASED, ALL ORDERS ARE SENT VIA ‘STANDARD MAIL’*

the 𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 arrival date is listed on your receipt, but given that etsy’s calculations are automatic and fail to factor in saturdays & holidays, they aren’t 100% accurate

nevertheless, mail delays do sometimes occur (other-wise, they‘d be called “guaranteed times of arrival”!), but this is something i can neither control nor predict

you‘re more than welcome to inform me of your order’s non-arrival, but know that it is (quite literally) out of my hands once it has been mailed, and i have no way of knowing what’s causing delays or its current location

sadly, i am but a mere maker & seller, but not an all-seeing wizard (…𝘺𝘦𝘵)

**TRACKING IS ONLY AVAILABLE WHEN A SHIPPING UPGRADE IS PURCHASED**

shipping upgrade options do not factor in the amount of time* it takes to prepare your order; if you’d like to have your order mailed the following business day, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬

* the “send by” date is included in your receipt, but it is automatically calculated based on “preparation time”

note that etsy does not alert me when an orders has priority shipping, and since very few buyers opt for this expense, i am not in the habit of checking + there’s a big chance i won’t notice until i’ve worked my way down the list of orders i received before yours. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU PURCHASE AN UPGRADE, so that i can have it ready to mail out ASAP!

on unsent orders? no prob!
however, i only do refunds or returns on sent orders if i’ve personally made an error

i offer multiple shipping upgrades with tracking — not to mention, i document and keep a record of all ‘standard mail’ (i.e., un-tracked) orders i send as evidence that i’ve fulfilled my duties as a seller

if 𝘺𝘰𝘶 choose ‘standard shipping’ during checkout, keep in mind it doesn’t include tracking, and i have no way of knowing what happens to your order once it’s (literally) out of my hands

i can’t afford to take responsibility for postal services’ issues outside of my control, so pick your shipping option wisely, and thoroughly read product descriptions & provide the right address

(that being said, you’re welcome to ask!)

note that the time it may take me to prepare an order is viewable in listings, and the “send by” date in your receipt is automatically calculated based on the LONGEST of said estimates; however, because it is automatic, it does not take into account the amount or size of my existing orders (…not to mention, any issues i may be personally experiencing)

i do my absolutely best to honour these deadline (or update them when i can’t meet them), but being multi-disabled means i often have to be very selective with how i spend my time & energy, thus i’ve opted to provide pre/post-purchase disclaimers so i can prioritize catching up with order instead of messaging multiple buyers

i apologize for any inconvenience, but i promise i’m working hard!

➊ estimated time of arrival =/= guaranteed time of arrival

➋ while most orders arrive within the ETA, delays & returns can happen, sometimes without obvious reason (trust me, i’m annoyed about this too!)

sadly, returns can take an especially long time, but the good news is orders rarely ever fully disappear

➌ if your order is returned to me, i’ll ask how you would like to proceed if i’m able to; if my capacity is limited, however, i’ll resend it with an “apology freebie” rather than make you wait until i’m able to contact you (BUT i will definitely let you know ASAP!)

—

i genuinely empathize with your frustration, but please refrain from sending hostile messages. patience & understanding is not only appreciated, but will be rewarded!

so, full disclosure — this is my only FAQ entry that ISN’T a “frequently” asked question, as i usually double-check orders before i seal them

admittedly, it does sometimes happen that i get too many orders at once and end up falling behind, and the influx of messages in my inbox from customers who are growing impatient leaves me feeling pressured to pull consecutive all-nighters, and that is when i’m most likely to make mistakes

THAT BEING SAID, 𝘪 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 for my mistakes and i am eager to make it up to you; should this occur, in please get in touch with me, and i will send you the correct items right away

i apologize for the inconvenience & thank you for your patience/understanding in advance

communication is what i struggle with most as a chronically ill & multi-disabled person experiencing autistic-burnout; like, it can take me HOURS to formulate customer service-toned replies, even on a “good day”

i’m not asking you to believe or pity me, but i do ask for patience & civility; i take my duties as a seller seriously and believe you are fully entitled to a reply, but demanding 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙩 labour is not reasonable

i’ve put a lot of time/effort into writing an extensive FAQ & confirmation email so buyers could know what to expect + gain answers without having to contact me, so i tend not to prioritize messages whose answers are already provided

if your issue is time-sensitive, however, please don’t hesitate to message again!!

🦠🚨higher mail volumes/reduced hours & staff/safety precautions are causing big delays!🚨🦠

[additionally]: having lost my disability resources & support while dealing chronic pain, post-traumatic autistic burnout, and long-term isolation has done few favours for my health & worsening cognitive functioning (ie, reduced capacities with speed, time-management, problem-solving, regulating stress, short-term memory, processing, focus, ETC.), and i’m ESPECIALLY struggling w/ messages at present; before i can get to non-urgent emails & queries addressed in your receipt/dispatch notice or my FAQ, i must first prioritize my health & orders; i apologize for inconveniences this may cause, but thank you for understanding❣️take care & be safe!!