Q: How long until my order is shipped/ what shipping service do you use?
A: I kindly ask that all customers give me at LEAST 7 business days to ship an order. ALL packages are sent via USPS. We also do not ship orders the day you receive a shipment email - labels are printed, and then orders are sent to be packaged! We ask for 3 - 5 business days to package orders and get them dropped off to USPS! We do not package or ship on the weekends.
Please remember we run this shop with a small team of 5 people! We will typically print orders either Monday or Tuesday and ship them either later that week or early the following week. If you are not okay with this processing time, please do not order from my store. I will always attempt to get orders out sooner than this, of course; It just isn't always possible.
You will always receive a shipment email with tracking details once the label for the order has been printed!!
If you ever need an order for a specific date, please feel free to send an email! Please keep in mind that we require some time to answer emails & we can't always accommodate every deadline, but we will do our best!
Q: What is the "Processing Delay" / "Emergency Delay" / "Emergency Exception" status on my tracking page?
If you notice this status on your package, don't be alarmed! You may see this notification often around the holiday season.
This is a status that USPS is giving to EVERY package, regardless of it's place in the mail system. The above alert was taken from a shipping label that was printed only 4 hours ago - without any movement from the package at all, the tracking updated to show this status. So the package in this particular screenshot is from hasn't even been packaged or dropped off at USPS. This is just one instance where we can see that this "Processing Exception" (Also sometimes labeled "Emergency Delay") is basically just a fancy way of USPS letting you know that the tracking hasn't been scanned or updated.
Though it does look alarming, please rest assured that any package with this status WILL make it's way through the mail system and home to you! This may take awhile, but ultimately packages with this status are making their way through the shipping process & mail stream.
The best thing to do if you see this status is:
1. Look at the date the label was made. This is also the date you received the shipping email from NattyCat!
2. See the number of business days (Mon-Fri, no weekends) that have passed since the date of the label creation. If the number of days is less than 5, it's likely that we're still preparing your item for shipment! It will be dropped off ASAP to USPS once we've packaged it up. In this case, you can rest assured that your item will update once USPS scans in the package.
3. Once your item is dropped off at USPS, they will need to scan it for the tracking to update. This can sometimes take a few days too, since they are all scanned one-by-one by workers in USPS!
3. If it's been more than 10 business days (Mon-Fri, no weekends) you can shoot us an email at CustomerService@NattyCat.net. From there I can let you know personally if your particular shipment batch is experiencing any delays or other issues that may have caused any delays on my end.
It is very likely that these delays may be caused by the increased holiday package load (and decreased staff force) USPS experiences throughout the holiday season, in this case we will likely just need to wait for the tracking to update.
If there is any new information or updates, they will be added here for more context and transparency!
You may also want to check out the various resources I've made explaining this odd tracking status
- A post with customer testimonies about their packages arriving after this status has been applied: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVf2xHuJJPf/
- Also please see the "!! SHIPPING !!" story highlight on my Instagram, which contains some videos and information from me (Natty) about this status.
Q: What is a pre-order?
A: When you pre-order a design, that means that you're helping to fund the production of the item! This is beneficial to both me and you, because pre-orders will ALWAYS be steeply discounted!
Pre-orders can take up to 10 weeks to arrive - though typically they arrive much sooner, and the typical wait time is about 3-6 weeks. Each pre-order listing will clearly state in the title if it is a pre-order item!
Pre-order wait times will ALWAYS be laid out in the listing description! It will say something akin to " This item is expected to arrive around mid (enter month here) to late (enter month here)"
If you want an update on your pre-order status, please see the item listing first! We do not offer individual updates on pre-orders - to get a specific update about a wait time, just send us an email. NattyCat is happy to give you an update about your specific pre-order if you reach out.
Please note that pre-order pricing is NOT available after pre-orders are held!
Important note: not ALL pre-orders will reach the necessary funding to be produced. It's possible that if not enough people pre-order, designs will be archived and/or reworked! This has only happened to a few designs and is not frequent, but it is a possibility to be aware of! If you really want to see a design get made, make sure you share it around!
Please read my store polices for return/exchange info on pre-orders!
Q: How do I take care of my new bag?
A: Check out our Bag Care Instructions!
Q: Is there a limit on how many pieces I can order?
A: Typically, I ask that you keep your order to 5 of each design. This is because designs are typically ordered in small batches... some designs are also limited edition and will only be sold once - because of this I have decided to create an order limit of 5 of each design per customer. It's only fair to allow everyone to have a chance to own one.
If you're ordering for multiple people or have a reason to order more items outside of the 5 piece limit, please reach out via the contact form!
Q: Can I resell a pin i previously purchased?
A: Sure! If you’re cutting down on a collection or just don’t want it anymore, the item you purchased is yours to do what you’d like with - I just ask that credit is given to the shop and artist.
YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO SELL MY DESIGNS UNDER ANOTHER BUSINESS NAME. If I find another business selling my work as their own, appropriate action will be taken.
Q: I have two SEPARATE orders! Can I combine my shipping?
A: Yes, of course! Please EMAIL ME (customerservice@nattycat.net) to have this done!
In some cases, it won't be possible to combine shipping - this is typically because one order is a pre-order and is shipping from a different location. These cases are rare though, and typically we can combine orders just fine! We'll also refund any extra shipping charges.
Q: The design I want is out of stock! Will it be restocked?
A: Some designs I may possibly choose to restock based on demand. I always want my customers to be able to get the designs they want! Please keep in mind, however, that most of my designs likely won't come back once they're sold out.
There are some designs that will not come back, no matter what. Please check the item description to see if this is the case! If the item says LE or Limited Edition, it will not be restocked. If there is a design you really want to see come back, let me know using the contact form or on social media!
