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The Stick ManFrequently Asked Questions Please read these as they might just save us both a lot of wasted time! Some questions are quite common so I've tried to answer them here. Each web site page contains "Add to Cart" buttons that allow you to add one or more items to our Shopping Cart. When you do this, the item will appear on your shopping cart order form. Follow the onscreen instructions to either continue shopping or go to the checkout. You can use the cart to calculate the total cost including postage, packing and handling (without any obligation). You can edit the amounts of items or delete them from your cart before finally ordering. You can choose to pay by Visa/Mastercard - we no longer accept cheques. There's a text box on the online order page where you can leave a message regarding specific sizes, colours etc. 2) Can't I just send you an email or order by phone? We can't accept orders by email, firstly because not all emails reach their intended destinations and secondly it takes much longer for us to type out and add up items, quantities and prices this way (the online ordering system does it all for us and you). We obviously can't take credit/debit card details by email as they are simply not secure - anyone can hack into them! If there's a real reason why you
can't order online yourself then there will be a minimum
£10 charge for me to do the ordering for you. I
don't have secretarial staff and so have to stop work to
take phone calls. Giving card details on the phone is far
from safe - far less safe than ordering on a secure website,
in fact! I was the victim of card fraud myself and have
never used the particular card online!
3) How do I delete an item from the cart? Simply change its quantity to zero and click the "Recalculate" button. To change the quantity, click on the number or 'swipe' the cursor across it. It should then be highlighted and then just put in the number you want. 4) How do I leave special instructions or specifications? As soon as you add any item to the "shopping cart" you are taken to your Order Form. This shows what you have ordered along with the price. There is a box marked "Type any instructions/requests here" where you can leave requests for specific requirements. It is better to use this than send an Email about it because the order form is printed out with the instructions on it - the Email is separate and may not get passed on with the order or may not even arrive! 5) What if I want something below your minimum charge? I'm afraid we no longer accept orders for tiny amounts - try adding something to the order (glue, ferrules etc - something useful for the future maybe?). 6) What if I want something not listed on your website? It's probably something I can't make or can't obtain. I'm no longer taking on cat & horse commissions etc as they take up far too much time - if it's not on my web pages (or very similar to something you've seen here) then it's unlikely that I can make/get it for you, sorry. However - I'm in touch with lots of very competent stickmakers eager for work so can often pass commissions on to one of them for you. 7) What if I change my mind about ordering? We will not receive your order unless you complete your address and payment details. You can simply abandon your shopping cart. We have no way of seeing its contents, ever. If you return to the website within a few minutes your order is often still held there for you - in case you were accidentally disconnected - but if you return much later all record of it will have been deleted. If you complete the ordering system and then feel you don't want to continue with it use the "Cancel my order" email form on the website. Please note that if we have started to process your order but not dispatched it there may still be a cancellation fee - so if you change your mind please tell us immediately! 8) I sent you an email a few days ago but have not had a reply - why not? I probably tried to reply but unfortunately you may have given an incorrect e mail address or your spam filter or ISPs spam filter may have blocked it. Please e mail me again as I probably did not receive the original - I never deliberately ignore e mails (unless they are stupid or abusive!). Take a look at the Index page as well - just in case there's a holiday message at the top. If there is then I may not be able to reply until I get back! 9) Why do you use an email address that doesn't accept replies? It might be a benefit to a few
customers who can't be bothered to use the email form (a
standard contact method for businesses) but it leads to
massive problems if I give out an email address! I still give an email address to
people who really need one - like when sending a photo of a
dog they want me to carve - but even then it leads to
trouble and the people who appear to be most trustworthy are
always the ones who let me down! There's not a month goes by
without me having to ask someone to stop sending me
unsolicited items - or they have their email accounts hacked
and the spammers use all the addresses saved in their
inboxes or address books. We no longer send any items outside of the UK, sorry. 11) Do you accept credit/debit cards, UK cheques, cash, UK postal orders? ONLY CARDS OR CASH NOW, SORRY. Please refer to our Terms.
12) How much will the postage be to my address? Simply add the item(s) you want to the shopping cart. Select the destination for shipping then click "recalculate". The cost of shipping will be calculated for you without any obligation to buy. In some cases (particularly destinations outside the UK) the calculation may not be quite accurate, in which case we will let you know the correct cost (if it's higher than you were quoted) after you place your order. You can then decide to accept the cost or cancel your order. If the true cost is significantly lower than that calculated we will normally just use the lower rate without contacting you for approval. The minimum cost to ship small items is £3.60 per order but this only applies to small items that will fit in a normal "large letter" envelope within the UK. The minimum cost to post a stick is £12. These prices include postage, packing materials and our time to pack your order and drive to the Post Office or have it collected by courier. If you still think you've been overcharged, ask me politely and I will consider your individual case. 13) I asked for my package to be left behing the gate but I had a card through the door saying I had to phone the delivery company! Why didn't they leave it? If you ask us to "leave in shed" or similar it cancels any guarantees and makes claiming for loss impossible! You can tell your own postman/lady where to leave items or leave your own note at the delivery address instructing someone to leave a package somewhere without a signature. If possible give us a neighbour's address or your work address (in the delivery address section) for large packages. No, not anymore. We've reduced our working hours and dropped the turnover to below the VAT threshold. 15) How do I know that my credit card details are safe? Firstly, your details are taken by a secure server and it's a LOT safer than phoning, texting or emailing your details. Also, your card details NEVER get sent by email to or by us. They are safely encrypted on the server so it's actually far safer than giving me details over the telephone - anyone can hack into a normal phone line if they know how to! Secondly, I'm not going to run off with your card details or deliberately overcharge you. I live in a small town where just about everybody knows me. 16) How long do I have to wait for an order of materials? Most items on the D.I.Y. pages are in stock or can be made in a few days. If they are likely to be out of stock for more than a few days I try to indicate it on the particular page. If you order something and it doesn't arrive within three weeks PLEASE CONTACT US (check for holiday notices on the home page first though). December is always a bad month for postage but we can at least tell you if something has been dispatched. If you don't tell us something hasn't arrived then we will assume it has - trying to locate items lost in the post becomes a nightmare if we leave it too long! ALL STICKS will be sent by courier and will need signing for - that includes DIY shanks. 17) How long do I have to wait for a stick order and can you guarantee delivery on a certain date? The carved heads and horn sticks take the longest time. It takes up to three weeks to make each stick but at present I have lots of back orders which will take many months to clear and it would be unfair to allow anyone to "jump the queue" so please don't ask. If you really need a present in a hurry I might have an alternative in stock or can send you a "Gift Certificate" that you can give to your friend which tells them their stick is being specially handmade and will be sent as soon as it's ready. Standard sticks (such as wooden walkers, hikers and thumb sticks - not animal/bird heads or horn sticks) are sometimes in stock. You may have to wait a while if we have to make them but I've given an idea of average waiting time for each stick on the relavant page. If you choose to have an engraved collar fitted it will take time to have the engraving done and is usually fitted when the stick is being made. In the run up to Christmas the demand obviously increases and it is unlikely that we can make anything for you without quite a lot of notice. If a stick is in stock - you can usually have it posted by the following week. It might be wise for you to email before you order to check on availability (please don't ask me to list everything in stock!) if you need something in a rush. Where possible we try to indicate what is in stock but if we only have one or two left they may be gone before I get chance to change the website. IF YOU NEED A STICK BY A CERTAIN DATE YOU MUST TELL US so we can let you know if we can do it in time! 18) What if I don't like the stick I have bought? See our Terms page. Generally, you have 28 days to return anything bought by internet or telephone. However - sticks or other items that are made to your specifications are NON-RETURNABLE. By pre-ordering such an item you agree to this condition. Such an order may be cancelled at any time before work on the order has begun, but a cancellation fee of £20 may be charged if we've lost other work because of it. Once work has begun, you must pay in full for the work. Please understand that each custom-made stick is made by hand - we can not press a button to make another one appear at once! If we make a stick for you then you must pay for it and no refund will be given! 19) How durable is a painted stick? Acrylic paints are used because they are totally waterproof once dry. In addition, they are given several coats of clear varnish to give extra protection. Having said that, you cannot expect paint to last forever if it is constantly rubbed by grubby hands. If the stick is to be used frequently then I suggest you wipe it clean of dirt after each trip out - it will only take a few seconds but it is the dirt which is abrasive. Most of my painted sticks are designed to be held under the painted head, so limiting the amount of hand contact. 20) If the paint becomes worn, will you retouch it for me? Yes, if it really needs it, but most paint will "age" rather than simply wear out, so it may actually look quite good with a bit of natural wear and tear. 21) Will my stick break if I use it to beat my dog/wife/pig? I sincerely hope so! 22) If my stick breaks can it be repaired? If anything breaks it is usually the shank about half way down. This is normally caused by misuse - as in the cases above (beating the wife etc.). In normal walking it is possible for the stick to drop down a hole or between rocks and for the user to continue walking for a step or two. Result - the shank will crack and may snap in two. Hazel is very strong and tends to split lengthways rather than straight across. If this happens try to bind the cracked area with sticky tape or string - this emergency repair will often last quite a long time. When you can, bring or send the stick to me for a new shank to be fitted. If your shank does break you can simply cut off the head or handle with a small saw and post it to me - this is much cheaper than posting the whole stick. Cut it at least 50 mm - 2" - below the joint, having first measured the full length! I can fit a new shank and, in most cases you won't be able to tell it's been repaired. I often re-shank handles made by other stick makers so if you have any old broken sticks it may be a cheaper way of getting a new one! Repair/refubishment jobs are charged at £18 per hour, plus the cost of any materials used. Postage back to you is obviously not included and will be charged extra. 23) Does a screw-joint weaken a stick? In simple terms, yes! By cutting the stick and fitting a joint it obviously causes it to behave differently. Downward pressure - as in normal use for walking - appears to make little difference. Sideways pressure, such as hitting something, swiping down nettles, or leaning on the stick at an angle, puts 'unnatural' strains on the joint which can result in the joint itself breaking or the stick around the joint splitting. Putting the stick in the car and piling luggage on it is also very bad - but then you should have unscrewed the parts to make the stick easier to put in the car anyway! Basically you have to weigh up the options - do you want a stick that is long and difficult to take on a journey but is slightly stronger than a jointed stick - or would the joint make the stick far more 'user friendly' and so outweigh the slight weakness? 24) Can I buy at trade price? There is no "trade price" apart from some items on the DIY pages. You'll find any discounted prices when you try to order multiples of items (often ten or more). We can't make sticks for the trade, sorry. 25) I want to make my own sticks - when should I cut natural shanks? What type of wood should I use? These and lots of other questions are answered on my stickmakers page |
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