Refund policy

RETURNS & COMMISSION POLICY

Every piece Red Bear Pottery makes is designed and produced specifically for your project. For that reason, we do not accept returns, offer refunds, or issue store credit on completed commissions.

The policy below explains how that principle applies in practice — and how we handle the situations that come up in real projects, including firing losses, shipping damage, cancellations, and spec disputes. If a project is a fit for the studio, everything on this page is discussed and agreed to in writing before production begins.

THE SHORT VERSION

— All commissions are custom, handmade, and final.
— A 50% non-refundable deposit is due at project start; the 50% balance is due at completion, prior to delivery.
— Cancellations are permitted, but the deposit is retained. Once samples are approved and production has begun, the balance is owed as well.
— Kiln loss and glaze defects discovered in the studio are remade at no cost, with a proactive timeline update.
— Shipping damage is handled case by case; if the damage was not caused by the receiver, the piece will be remade.
— Spec disputes are measured against the approved sample. Visible deviation from the approved sample is remade at our cost. Small hand-variation is inherent to the medium and is not grounds for remake.

WHY WE DO NOT OFFER RETURNS

Every commission — tile, lighting, sink, or vessel — is designed, clay-bodied, glazed, and fired specifically for one project. There is no shelf to return a piece to, and no other client whose room it will fit. Custom work carries the natural variation of handmade production, which is discussed and approved at the sampling stage before we begin. That sampling round is where design intent is settled; production is where it is executed.

DEPOSITS & PAYMENT

— 50% non-refundable deposit is required to secure a project on the studio calendar and to fund clay, glaze development, and sampling.
— 50% balance is invoiced upon completion of the work, prior to delivery or release for pickup.
— Deposits are not held as escrow; they are earned against studio time, materials, and opportunity cost from the moment your project is scheduled.

CANCELLATIONS

Projects may be cancelled at any time, but the effect on your invoice depends on where the project is in our process:

Before samples are produced — the deposit is retained; no further balance is owed.

After samples are produced but before sign-off — the deposit is retained; sampling costs incurred beyond the deposit may be invoiced separately.

After samples are approved and production has begun — the deposit is retained and the balance is owed in full, because clay, glaze, and studio time have been committed to your specification.

STUDIO FAILURES (KILN LOSS, GLAZE DEFECT)

Ceramic production carries a known failure rate. Cracks, warping, and glaze defects occasionally appear in the kiln, and that risk is priced into every quote.

If a piece fails during production at our studio, we will:

1. Remake the piece at no additional cost to the project.

2. Notify you proactively with a revised delivery timeline as soon as the loss is discovered — never at the last minute.

3. Adjust downstream milestones together so your install date can be protected wherever possible.

We do not consider studio failures grounds for a refund; we consider them our responsibility to resolve in-kind.

SHIPPING & DELIVERY DAMAGE

Every piece leaves the studio inspected, documented, and packed for freight. Deliveries are insured through a licensed carrier appropriate to the piece's scale and value.

Damage in transit is handled on a case-by-case basis:

— Please inspect all shipments on arrival and photograph any damage to packaging and contents before unpacking is complete.
— Report damage in writing, with photographs, within 48 hours of delivery.
— If the damage was not caused by the receiver, the site, or post-delivery handling, we will remake the piece at our cost and coordinate the carrier claim.
— If the damage was caused after delivery — during storage, staging, installation, or handling by another trade — remake is quoted as new work.

SPEC DISPUTES

The approved sample is the definitive reference for every commission. Once samples are signed off, they are the standard the finished work is measured against.

— Visible deviation from the approved sample — in form, dimension, color, or finish — is remade at our cost.
— Small hand-variation is inherent to handmade ceramic and is not grounds for remake. Each piece is thrown, glazed, and fired by hand; slight differences in throw lines, glaze pooling, and surface tone are the medium doing what it does. This is discussed at sampling and is part of what designers are choosing when they specify handmade work.

If there is a question about whether a piece meets its spec, we will review it against the signed-off sample together and resolve it fairly.

RUSH TIMELINES & TIMELINE CHANGES

Rush timelines are available for an additional fee, quoted case by case. Once a project is on the calendar, changes to scope, dimensions, or finish requested after sample sign-off may affect both budget and delivery date; any material impact will be communicated and re-quoted in writing before the change proceeds.

INSTALLATION

Installation is not included in any commission unless specifically named in the quote. Tile setters, electricians, plumbers, and general contractors remain the responsibility of the project team. We are happy to advise on installation-critical dimensions, substrates, and hardware coordination during the sampling and specification phases.

WHAT THIS POLICY PROTECTS

This policy exists so that both of us — designer, architect, or builder on one side, and the studio on the other — can commit fully to a project without ambiguity. Custom ceramic is a slow, considered process. The clarity above lets us keep our attention on the work itself.

If you have a question about how this policy applies to a specific project, please raise it during inquiry or before signing off on samples. We will always tell you honestly how we handle a given situation before we begin, rather than after.

Red Bear Pottery · Hand crafted ceramics · Ruston, Louisiana