POLICIEs
PLACING AN ORDER
We strongly request contacting us prior to placing an order to discuss details about placing a custom order with us, and reviewing our entire policies page. We rarely have stock items and it's important to understand that there can be additional costs associated such as finish upgrades and shipping or delivery costs that need to be addressed before placing an order, as well as potential cancellation fees.
Prompt payment is crucial in securing your reservation in our project schedule. Projects are scheduled in the order received according to date/time of payment. After we outline the details of your project, we can send an invoice to place an order. Project details can be modified even after the deposit has already been placed at any point up to starting the actual build. Payment by check is preferred, while we also offer other payment options such as payment via bank transfer in which a 1% fee will be added to the transaction amount, or via credit card in which a 2.9% fee will be added to the transaction amount. All payment methods are completely secure. Bank transfers and credit card transactions are facilitated through Wave Accounting.
Orders placed through Etsy or any other online marketplace are also subject to the fees outlined above depending on preferred payment method. Our company custom order policies are consistent on Etsy with our website, with the exception of the cancellation period. Etsy has different policies regarding how long you have to cancel an order, which restricts the cancellation timeframe to 90 days. After the 90-day period Etsy will not allow a cancellation and funds cannot be refunded. All Etsy transactions or other online marketplace orders must be paid up front in-full.
All payments must be made prior to shipping, including any balances or shipping/delivery costs. If the delivery is within California, we can collect the balance upon the delivery in most cases unless final payment will not be available at delivery, which we would instead need to invoice and collect the balance prior to the delivery. For deliveries in California that require a professional delivery crew that is outsourced/outside of our company (for larger/heavier items or remote/challenging delivery locations), balances must be paid in full prior to setting up the delivery.
If your ship-to address is within the state of CA, the state requires a local sales tax based off the rate in your area to be added to your final payment amount.
If our schedule is booked out further than 8 weeks and if the price of the item in which you wish to purchase exceeds $1500, than we may offer payment options with an initial deposit to secure your spot in our schedule. The balance will then be due upon completion (pre-shipment). In some cases, we will allow or require split payments of up to 3 transactions, allowing for an initial deposit, half of the remainder due just prior to the start of your project, and the remainder due upon completion (pre-shipment for all out-of-area orders, upon delivery if within Northern CA, or pre-delivery if a professional delivery service is outsourced) which will be invoiced accordingly. Rush orders must be paid in full, up front. Each situation will be evaluated and payment options will be decided at our discretion.
Once the project is in production and/or complete, if the client needs to postpone delivery for any reason, the final balance will be invoiced and will need to be paid promptly. If the client is not ready for shipping/delivery for more than 1 week after their project has been finished, a storage fee may be applicable. We have a very small workshop and there is very little room for long-term storage, which can pose issues with our production. Storage fees may amount to up to $20/day per piece stored (depending on the item size) so as to be able to outsource additional storage space if needed.
DEPOSIT PAYMENTS: All orders will require a 70% deposit for a 2-split payment option and the remainder due upon completion prior to shipping (or upon delivery if the delivery location is within our delivery area).
If you would like to temporarily reserve a spot in our schedule but are uncertain if you will proceed with an order, we can accept a $50 non-refundable deposit to hold your spot in our queue for 10 days. If you decide to place an order, that amount will be applied to the total deposit amount in which the remainder would be due within that 10 day period. If you decide not to proceed with an order after that 10 day timeframe, the $50 fee is non-refundable.
BALANCE PAYMENTS ON PROJECTS WITHIN OUR DELIVERY AREA: If a balance cannot be paid at the time of delivery for any reason, a $15 per day late fee will be added to the balance owed until payment is received.
A $25 fee will be charged for returned/bounced checks.
MEZ WORKS BUYBACK PROGRAM - NEW IN 2022!
Read about our buyback program in the following link:
REFUNDS AND EXchANGEs
It’s important that customers understand why we have cancellation policies. Most often our schedule is booked out weeks and months in advance, and when a project is booked it requires that we set aside a specific time in our schedule for that project which prevents us from being able to reserve that timeline for another project. When booking a project, it essentially prevents us from booking another in that same timeframe. When a project is cancelled, we not only lose that time booked for the project but we lose out from other potential opportunities that could have been booked with other clients for that particular timeframe.
Lead times communicated in any email or conversation are only estimates, and our cancellation policy still applies to cancelled orders even if we are running behind in our schedule. However, if we are more than 8 weeks behind our original committed lead times, we may offer to reduce our cancellation fee (exclusions apply, see below).
After you place your order, you have up to 10 days to cancel your order. A $25 processing fee will be subtracted from the total amount refunded, and any additional non-refundable processing fees or material costs already purchased may be withheld if applicable.
After 10 days and up to 4 weeks from the purchase date (deposit received) you can cancel your order with a 2.5% cancellation fee associated with the FULL PRICE OF THE CANCELLED ITEM (excludes walnut slabs or other slabs in which entire cost of slab will be withheld unless we deem the material to be usable for a future project in which a portion of the slab cost will be withheld). If the deposit placed is less than the 2.5% fee, the entire deposit will be withheld. A $25 processing fee will also be subtracted from the total amount refunded, and any additional non-refundable processing fees or material costs already purchased may be withheld if applicable.
Cancelling after 4 weeks and up to 8 weeks will incur a 5% cancellation fee associated with the deposit amount, or a 3% cancellation fee if the entire amount was placed up front. If the deposit placed is less than the the cancellation fee, the entire deposit will be withheld. A $25 processing fee will also be subtracted from the total amount refunded, and any additional non-refundable processing fees or material costs already purchased may be withheld if applicable.
Cancelling after 8 weeks and up to 12 weeks will incur a 10% cancellation fee associated with the deposit amount, or a 5% cancellation fee if the entire amount was placed up front. If the deposit placed is less than the the cancellation fee, the entire deposit will be withheld. A $25 processing fee will also be subtracted from the total amount refunded, and any additional non-refundable processing fees or material costs already purchased may be withheld if applicable.
Cancelling after 12 weeks will incur a 15% cancellation fee associated with the deposit amount, or a 10% cancellation fee if the entire amount was placed up front. If the deposit placed is less than the the cancellation fee, the entire deposit will be withheld. A $25 processing fee will also be subtracted from the total amount refunded, and any additional non-refundable processing fees or material costs already purchased may be withheld if applicable.
Cancelling within 4 weeks of your project’s start date will incur a 20% cancellation fee associated with the full item amount. A $25 processing fee will also be subtracted from the total amount refunded, and any additional non-refundable processing fees or material costs already purchased may be withheld if applicable.
Cancelling a rushed/expedited order will incur a 25% cancellation fee associated with the full item price which includes the rush order fee. A $25 processing fee will also be subtracted from the total amount refunded, and any additional non-refundable processing fees or material costs already purchased may be withheld if applicable.
We are unable to refund costs associated with time already spent on a project and cannot accept cancellations if a project has already been started. For example, but not limited to: If we spend time searching for material or have already purchased materials, or spent time designing the project (drawing/sketch time included) our fee of $50/hour will be added to the amount deducted from the deposit and the costs of any materials purchased will be with withheld from the amount refunded. If we have been reserving specific material for your project or already purchased material (such as live edge slabs) we may withhold the entire costs of the material from the refund, or a partial amount if we deem the material to be usable for a future project.
Cancellations and order changes will be assessed and accommodated at Mez Works’s discretion. Most slab projects specifically cannot be changed or cancelled/refunded due to the material costs and unique intent per project that the material is hand-picked by the customer.
CANCELLATIONS
REFUNDS
Refunds will only be considered if your piece is damaged and/or lost during shipping. A photo of the damaged crate prior to opening is required, as well as photos of the damage done to the item itself. Photos documenting damage are essential, as these are needed for us to submit a claim. Phots must be sent immediately (within 12 hours of receipt of delivery) and details must be noted on the shipper’s waybill. Refunds will be issued pending reimbursement from the carrier, which can take 30-90+ days.
We cannot issue refunds on items mishandled by consignees/recipients. Each piece comes with detailed instructions for assembly. Please use caution when assembling and moving your piece. Please see included care sheet for proper care/handling of item.
Under special circumstances (and must be assessed and pre-approved by us for an official return authorization), if your piece arrives and you change your mind and do not want it, we will accept the piece back under these conditions:
Contact us within 7 days of receiving the item.
A minimum 20% re-stock fee will be withheld from your refund amount (amount will be determined per project). For items that have been gently used, the restock percentage may be higher if repairs need to be made (up to 40%). For rushed orders, the 20% restock fee would apply and the rush/expedite fee will not be refunded on top of the restock fee. For custom slab projects specifically, the entire value/cost of the slab will be withheld.
Shipping or delivery costs are client's expense / we are unable to refund the initial shipping amount (includes crate & packaging fee).
Client is responsible for costs associated with shipping the item back to us (client will pay all shipping costs) or costs associated with picking the item back up. We can help arrange setting up the return shipment through our preferred carrier with no additional expenses incurred, but the client is liable for the item until it arrives safely (undamaged) back to our workshop.
The item must be carefully crated as it was sent, and if the piece is damaged during shipping back to us, client will be responsible for filing a claim with shipping carrier to receive their refund. Our preferred carrier will assist with repackaging upon request at an additional fee.
If the item is damaged during shipment back and the carrier is not responsible for damages, the client will incur costs.
ITEMS EXCLUDED FROM RETURN ELIGIBILITY:
Fixed pieces: Vanities, countertops, built-ins, banquettes, bars, floating shelves, etc: Due to the custom specifications involved with fixed pieces, we are unable to offer returns for these items because of the resale liability. Be sure that your project details are accurate prior to placing an order to avoid any issues with these items.
If you simply change your mind after your item has been delivered, please understand that we make everything custom and returning such item has a considerable affect on our business. So please be sure that you are confident in placing a custom order before committing to a project. Variances can occur with each and every piece.
We generally only build custom made-to-order pieces, but on occasion we will build prototypes or have misc. stock pieces that we sell at a discount. Purchasing these clearance items or stock items voids our warranty policy, so please be absolutely certain that you'd like to purchase the piece "as-is" before placing an order.
SHIPPING & delivery
We outsource shipping services through a 3rd party representative. Additional costs of +$45-$150+ is required for out of area orders that need to be crated for shipping (amount dependent on crate size required). Crates are carefully constructed to ensure your piece arrives in the exact condition in which it left. Each item is wrapped in shipping blanket, 1” bubble wrap, and then cushioned with layers of cardboard. Freight shipping is required for crates weighing over 150 lbs, and has a delivery time of 2-14 business days. If the piece is less than 150 lbs, we may choose to use UPS ground if it's more cost-effective on the client's behalf, which generally takes 2-10 business days, depending on location. Our carriers have several options of service, including a more basic budget-saving option, to premiere services that provide top-of-the-line assistance such as room of choice delivery, assembly and discarding the crate and packing materials for your convenience. We will provide these options along with costs when quoting your project.
Some deliveries require that we outsource a professional moving company to do the delivery for safest handling. Quotes are based off the delivery company’s rates, and additional costs may apply if we need to transport the item to the delivery companies warehouse.
Shipping/delivery quotes are only estimates based off of the information provided to our shipping representative at time of inquiry. Shipping charges may differ from the initial quote estimates based on actual shipment characteristics, services requested and date of shipment. If delivery zip code is different than original inquiry, costs may be effected. It’s important for us to have the exact delivery zip code in order to be most accurate with initial shipping estimate. Clients are liable to pay difference in cost from the initial quote in which an invoice will be sent. Invoices must be paid within 3 business days upon receipt.
It is important that you understand how shipping/delivery companies and the claims process works so that, in the unlikely case your piece gets damaged during shipping, you can avoid any issues or complications when filing a claim against the shipper.
Inspect the crate/package prior to letting the driver leave. When possible, try to open the crate to inspect your piece while the driver is present. If there are any damages to the item, you can refuse it on the spot or reach us to file a damage claim. If it is not possible to open the crate right away, you have up to 24 hours from the time of receipt to notify the shipper if the piece has been damaged during shipping.
Claims can be drawn out if inspection guidelines and precautions are not taken, and can take up to 90 days (+/-) for the shipper/insurance company to process them. At times, the shipper may only offer to refund a partial amount, or the amount entirely. An appeal can be filed, which further adds to the long process. If actions were not taken as suggested in our guidelines, Mez Works will not be held responsible for amounts withheld/not refunded by the shipper.
We are happy to assist with the claims process. Our participation will require the majority of communication between the claims representative and shipper, and often requires continuous follow up. Our fee for the additional involvement will vary per circumstance, on average $35/hour, which will be withheld from the payout, unless our involvement is minimal in which we will waive our fee. We will also be happy and willing to get you in contact with the claims department and you can work on the process directly if you prefer.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Please note that we are experiencing a high volume in sales, and that wait times can be longer than usual. Each piece is made to order, so wait times can be several weeks depending on existing orders. All builds are scheduled in the order in which they are received. The start date and delivery date we provide is only an estimate, and the actual time frame can be longer by several weeks. Though rare, there can be extenuating circumstances that push our timeline back further, including high moisture content in wood not allowing Mez Works to safely work with material without risking future issues, unexpected weather that limits Mez Works from re-stocking our materials/supplies, tree infestations (such as dry rot) which requires Mez Works to dispose of the raw material inventory and source new material, or other unexpected occurrences. Mez Works works/operates in a relatively remote area in the mountains of Lake Tahoe CA, and often supplies are not readily available. Mez Works generally has to seek our preferred materials/supplies in larger cities (in both directions about 2 - 4 hours away), or order online and have them shipped. Mez Works hopes that our limitations are understood by all of our clients when considering working with us on a custom project.
With regard to any custom order, please be aware that Mez Works cannot control the exact color or size of many of the woods we use. Colors and characters can vary tremendously from what they appear to look like in raw form to a finished piece. In some cases, specifically with slab wood, Mez Works involves clients in the decision process when picking out the wood to use, and the client will be responsible for the material they choose. Often the true color and character of a piece is not revealed until sanded and a finish is applied.
The desired/specified dimensions (length, width and thickness) of a custom furniture item are subject to change dependent on the condition of the natural materials used for each project. Our goal is to meet the specified dimensions, however on rare occasion certain parameters limit us to less usable material.
Mez Works will not be responsible for damages done to table post-installation. Due to the nature of materials, they may change in appearance slightly over time. All wood is prone to wood movement, expansion and contraction with temperature and seasonal changes, and can develop small cracks/inclusions or change in color slightly (particularly slab wood). These are all common occurrences that are out of Mez Works control and can not be completely prevented during production. Regulated temperatures in the home are recommended, and we also suggest keeping our pieces out of direct sunlight. To assist in preventing these occurrences from happening, we recommend the following:
Recommended temperatures are 60-75F and 20-60% humidity
Avoid using harmful chemicals or cleaners with bleach on tabletop when cleaning. Instead, try using a mild soapy water and non-abrasive cloth/paper towel, or try a diluted solution of a non-toxic cleaner such as Simple Green or Mrs. Meyers Products.
Additional care information here: http://www.mezworks.com/care-maintenance/
REPAIRS ON OTHER MAKER’S/MANUFACTURER’S PRODUCTS: Mez Works will occasionally agree to repairing or refinishing damaged items that were originally made/produced by another maker. After repairs are completed, Mez Works will not be responsible for any future damages or defects caused by the original maker’s manufacturing practices such as excessive moisture content (MC%) caused by improper drying that can lead to future warping, future cracks caused by standard wood movement, or other defects. All other standard Mez Works warranty guidelines will apply to Mez Work’s workmanship on repairs or refinishing standards only.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
All work shall be performed in a professionally reasonable manner and there will be no defects in workmanship, as defined by Mez Works. Materials or hardware used by Mez Works shall be warrantied only to the extent that the suppliers or manufacturers of those products provide a warranty. In the event that a defect is discovered in one of these products, Mez Works will assist the customer in securing a replacement or repairing the products for the duration of the product manufacturer's warranty. Warranty on the workmanship and material shall be for a period of 12 months from the date of the contract (in most cases, the date that the item has been delivered); unless otherwise specified in the material or supplier's warranty. Mez Works will perform all necessary labor to repair or replace all defective work at no cost to the customer, and will expeditiously act in good faith to secure replacement products or materials under warranty of products or services.
Any warranty work performed during the warranty period does not extend the warranty any further than was previously stated in terms of the time from the date of the contract. All aspects of this warranty are void if a person or company other than Mez Works performs or re-performs any work within the scope of the warranty.
If any alterations are made to a Mez Works product after delivery, i.e pairing a Mez Works tabletop with a different base made by a different manufacturer requiring new holes to be implemented to the base for attachment (or vice versa), our warranty policy would be voided if any damages are caused. Any repairwork done by an outside party voids our warranty.
The following are not considered to be covered under manufacturer defects and are excluded from warranty terms and conditions by Mez Works:
Natural movement or misalignment of furniture due to settling or movement of foundation floors, walls or ceilings.
Damage to woodwork, finish, or any defect including but not limited to: wood movement, raising of grain, cracks, twists, bowing due to exposure to excessive moisture, heat, cold, humidity, or blunt force.
Changes in coloring or standard wood movement (natural wood expansion/contraction/shrinking/swelling) due to seasonal changes or direct sunlight exposure
You can read about natural wood movement here: https://www.mezworks.com/slab-wood-info
PLEASE EMAIL ANY QUESTIONS TO: CONTACT@MEZWORKS.COM