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!

i honor all requests for exchanges, refunds, or cancellations on 𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩 orders, but sadly, i can only offer post-shipment refunds in the event that i made a mistake or your order is returned

i am multi-disabled, and this is my 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 (𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳) source of income; i can’t afford 𝘢𝘯𝘺 non-necessities, and i can’t afford to take responsibility for postal services’ mishaps

my survival depends on your support, so i feel 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝙖𝙬𝙛𝙪𝙡 when denying refunds, but granting one when i did my job + haven’t had the items returned to me is a soul-crushing waste of what little energy & resources i have

i sincerely apologize 😞

(out of respect for you, however, you are welcome to request evidence that i filled your order)

the time it may take me to prepare an order is viewable in every listing, and the “send-by” date in your receipt is automatically calculated based on the longest of those estimations; however, because it is automatic, it does not take into account the the size of that order or the amount of other orders i have (…not to mention, any health or personal issues i may be experiencing)

i do my best to honour these dates (or update them when i can’t meet deadlines), but etsy encourages us to provide to provide an explanation as to why; since communication is so difficult and energy/time-consuming for me, i tend to opt for devoting my energy/time to catching up on order instead

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

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

➋ while most orders do arrive on time, DELAYS & RETURNS HAPPEN (…sadly, this is especially true for U.S. orders; trust me, as a disabled seller who struggles to communicate & has limited energy, this is just as frustrating for me!)

the bad news? returns are not that uncommon, and can take over a month; the good news? lost orders are INCREDIBLY RARE

➌ if your order is ever returned to me, i will do my best to let you know ASAP

i 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙡𝙮 empathize with your frustration, but please don’t send me hostile and/or 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘪𝘴𝘵 messages for something largely outside of my control

💖 YOUR PATIENCE & UNDERSTANDING IS VERY APPRECIATED AND 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 following the severe regression of my disabilities & cognitive functioning; it can take hours to answer simple queries even on a “good” day, but usually, it takes longer — especially if my finances are threatened. of course, i’m not asking you to believe or pity me, but i do ask for patience; you‘re entitled to a reply, but prompt unpaid labour from any disabled person is not a fair demand — least of all during a global pandemic.

i made a big effort to write this FAQ & requested [in the receipt emailed to buyers] that it be looked over before messaging for this exact reason; trust that i care about/take seriously my duties as a seller, am doing my very best, and will reply first chance i get 🖤 TY

🦠🚨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!!