Refund policy

The short version

Every piece is cut, engraved, and finished by hand after you order it. Because almost everything here carries a badge number, a name, or an agency that belongs to one person, personalized and made-to-order items are final sale.

That said — if I got it wrong, I fix it. Free. Damaged, defective, engraved incorrectly on my end, or not what you ordered: tell me and I’ll make it right.

Personalized and made-to-order items

Badges, shields, flags, and coasters are produced to order and personalized to you. Once production begins they can’t be restocked or resold, so they are not eligible for return or exchange because of a change of mind, a wrong size choice, or an incorrect detail you supplied.

Please check your spelling, badge number, rank, dates, and agency carefully before ordering. On custom agency work I send a proof for your approval before anything is cut — once you approve a proof, the artwork shown is what gets made.

If you spot a mistake in what you submitted, email or text me right away.

Before production has commenced — generally within 24 hours of ordering — I’ll correct it at no charge.
Once production has commenced, correcting a customer error incurs a fee of up to $50, depending on how far along the piece is and how much has to be rebuilt. I’ll quote you the exact amount before I start, and it will never exceed $50.

If I make the mistake — it arrives and doesn’t match what you entered or approved — that’s on me. I’ll remake it and cover shipping both ways, at no cost to you.

One thing I can’t control: grain pattern and natural variation in wood and stone. I select the best material I can and reject what isn’t good enough, but no two pieces are identical — that’s what makes yours yours. Natural variation isn’t grounds for a return.

Cancellations

Orders can be cancelled for a full refund within 24 hours of purchase, provided production hasn’t started.

If you purchased Rush Production, work may begin immediately — in that case a 50% refund applies once material has been cut.

My guarantee — for life

If a piece I built ever fails, I’ll correct it at no charge, for as long as you own it. That covers:

Layers separating or coming unglued
Acrylic lifting or releasing from the wood
Engraving fading, peeling, or failing
Cracking or splitting that isn’t from impact or misuse
A material defect of any kind
Coasters that crack or lose their engraving

Email me a photo at chris@birddogwoodworks585.com and I’ll repair or replace it. No receipt hunting, no time limit, no argument. If the piece needs to come back to me, I’ll send you a prepaid shipping label — a warranty claim never costs you anything.

What the guarantee doesn’t cover: damage from dropping or impact, outdoor exposure, moisture damage, or normal wear. These are built for indoor display and are not weatherproof.

Damaged in transit

Inspect your order as soon as it arrives. If it shows up damaged, email me within 14 days with:

Photos of the item
Photos of the shipping box and packing material

I’ll file the carrier claim and get a replacement moving. You won’t pay anything and you won’t deal with the carrier — that’s my job.

Wrong item, or my engraving error

If I sent the wrong item, or the engraving doesn’t match what you ordered or approved, email me within 30 days. I’ll remake it and cover shipping both ways. I’ll tell you whether the original needs to come back — usually it doesn’t.

Items with no personalization

A small number of items carry no personalization at all. Those, unused and in original condition, may be returned within 30 days of delivery for a refund of the item price.

Email me first to start the return — items sent back without prior contact can’t be accepted
Return shipping on a change-of-mind return is the customer’s responsibility
Original shipping charges are non-refundable
No restocking fee

This does not apply to anything personalized, engraved to order, or built to your specifications.

Exchanges

Email me first. If the error is mine, I’ll simply remake the correct piece. For anything else, the cleanest path is a refund on the returned item (where eligible) followed by a new order.

Refunds

Once I receive and inspect a returned item, I’ll email you whether the refund is approved.

Approved refunds go back to your original payment method within 5 business days. Your bank or card issuer may take a few days beyond that to post it. If more than 10 business days have passed since I told you a refund was approved and you still don’t see it, email me — something went wrong and I’ll chase it.

Shipping costs

Shipping is calculated at checkout and is free on orders over $150. Shipping charges are non-refundable except where the return is the result of my error or a damaged delivery.

How to reach me

Chris Mahoney
Bird Dog Woodworks & Laser Engraving
Ontario, New York 14519

Email: chris@birddogwoodworks585.com
Phone: 716-228-1463 — text preferred, texts get the fastest reply
Web: birddogwoodworks585.com

I’m a one-person shop and I answer my own email. If something isn’t right, tell me — I’d rather fix it than have you disappointed with something that has a badge on it.