Shipping FAQ & Returns

Please read & consider the following when purchasing:

*****ALL ORDERS ARE HANDMADE WHICH MEANS IT TAKE US 5-7 DAYS TO MAKE AND SHIP ALL ORDERS RECEIVED EACH WEEK*****

 

Shipping FAQs:

 

Q: When will I receive my order?

A:  ***RIGHT NOW WE ARE AT 5-7 DAYS APPROX PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IF YOU NEED IT SHIPPED OUT ANY SOONER THAN THIS AS WE ARE NOT ABLE TO SHIP EARLIER AT THIS TIME (this goes for priority express as well)****

Processing time can increase during summer months and the holidays!

 Sometimes I may be able to get them out faster than the above processing time frame, but most of the times I cannot unless you personally email or text me about needing your order out faster. Though I wish I could work like amazon, I do not. This is what works for me with my limited time and resources!

Here at Gopi Henna it is basically a one-woman show! I occasionally get help from my husband, but for the most part it is only me hand-making, packaging, and shipping! Therefore I dedicate all of Monday-Wednesday (and sometimes saturdays) to shipping out your orders (this does not include the weekend where I am prepping all the orders as well). Therefore, I very much appreciate your patience! I try to put as much love into the process as I can!

With that being said, once orders have been shipped, they generally take 2-3 days with regular priority mail. USPS is generally very good at this time frame however regular priority is not guaranteed 100%. The only service that is 100% guaranteed is Priority EXPRESS. If you choose this option it is guaranteed 1-2 day shipping or your shipping money back.

First class generally takes anywhere from 2-5 business days. Therefore we highly suggest ordering priority or priority express if at all possible. Because first class is the most basic economy shipping method it does tend to experience more instances of delays and is not insured. However, we know many of our customers can only afford this option which is why we continue to have it. USPS is usually pretty good but I just very much want you to know our strongest recommendation is always going to be priority rather than first class for henna cones.

Q: Can I get my order faster?

A: As I mentioned above I generally ship orders as I receive them, this goes for orders made with priority express as well. Though I will try to prioritize express orders, I don't always see if an order is made via express until I am ready to print shipping labels. So just send a quick message or text with your order saying you need it shipped ASAP. Depending when you order I may not be able to get it out that day but may be able to the next day in the morning!  Please do not order express if you need your order to be shipped out Same Day UNLESS you message me to make sure I can FIRST. I have the express option for those who want to make sure they get the most FRESH cones possible, since they are perishable items. But I will try to accommodate rush orders as best as I can!

Q: Where's my tracking info

A: When you place an order you should receive a confirmation email confirming your order as well as giving you an order number. You will not receive a tracking number UNTIL I print out your shipping label which automatically generates this number and sends you an email or SMS textPLEASE keep an eye on your spam folder as well since sometimes they get sent there.

If you made an order before Sunday 9 PM PST and for some reason you do not have your tracking number email by the following Saturday please email me and I will check for you.

Also, the estimated delivery day will update on your tracking page once your package has been scanned by the USPS. Please note, it can sometimes take up to 24 hours for the first scan to process and show up.

Please use the USPS tracking page to put in your instructions for the delivery personnel. Writing them in the notes section when you order on my website does not reach them. You can leave instructions for delivery personnel on the USPS website only.

Q: My order says delivered but I don't see it, what do I do?

A: Before we get into addressing this issue I must urge you to please enter your contact info into the USPS tracking page to receive an email or text when your package is delivered. This will make correcting any errors much more fruitful, as time is of the essence in this scenario. Please go through all these steps listed below FIRST before contacting me. I do not have any control over the packages once they leave my hands at the postal drop off.

There are a few reasons this can happen:

 

You may have incorrectly entered your address.

Please check your order confirmation email and see if the address was written correctly. I cannot be held responsible for shipping your order to an incorrect address which you provided at checkout. Please go to that address and collect your package there. In some cases you may need to contact your local USPS facility to assist you in recovering your parcel.

Someone stole your package.

This is why I highly urge people to receive their package the same day it arrives, postal theft is a HUGE issue! Since I use USPS it is considered a federal crime and therefore you must report it to your local USPS facility. Please contact them ASAP if you think your package was stolen. When you file a report with them you can also receive the cost of the package back up to $50 If you purchased priority mail (NOT first class which is an uninsured shipping option hence why it is so cheap). Once you've received the money back (if you purchased priority mail) I will be more than happy to re-send your order out to you. In addition to postal theft being a huge issue, so is postal FRAUD.  There are too many cases where individuals say their package is missing in order to get refunded and basically get their items for free. Therefore, in order to protect my small business, I require customers to file a missing package claim with their local USPS facility FIRST before I will consider re-shipping an entire order or refund. We handle each situation on a case by case basis.

Your package was pre-maturely scanned as delivered.

In some cases the delivery person scans the item as delivered too soon accidentally and it may show up few hours later or in some cases the next day. Please contact your local USPS as they have GPS trackers for your items and can locate it for you if this is that case.  

 

Refund/Return Policy:

Q: USPS says they lost my package what can I do?

A: If you ordered using priority mail or priority express then the packages are insured to up to $100 and you can file a claim and get reimbursed from USPS. To do this you must file a missing package claim from their website with your tracking number. If you cannot find your tracking number please email us.

However, if you chose first class shipping, this method is not insured and is why it is a cheaper option. In this case, if you have filed a missing package claim and USPS indeed says they lost it, I cannot give a full refund. I can offer you either store credit for the items purchased (not the shipping cost included) or a replacement package. If you choose the replacement package then we will require the cost of postage again. Please email us your order confirmation number and/or the full name on the order and we will send you an invoice for that cost.

Since we process a lot of orders every week, we cannot always guarantee a quick turn around of a replacement package. It may be several or more days until we can get to it so we appreciate your patience. We know it can be super frustrating when USPS loses a package!

Q: My package was severely delayed by USPS and my henna has perished, what can I do?

A: Again similar to the above question, you can either get refunded from USPS if you used priority or priority express shipping. For regular priority it has to have been delayed for at least 7 business days, and for express it has to have been delayed for longer than 3 business days. Just know you may not always get refunded if it was just regular priority since they are not 100% guaranteed like express shipping, but it is always worth trying and explaining your situation. File a claim with USPS with your tracking number via their website to start the process of getting refunded. If you cannot then read the following paragraph:

If you used first class shipping, again, this is an uninsured shipping option therefore that is why in the product descriptions we encourage priority and express shipping options  as the best means to receive perishable items. Similar to the above question we can offer you store credit or a replacement package sent out when we can! We will also need photos of the items to verify they are indeed perished. Please note that we do not provide refunds for minor leaking cones due to choosing a slower option like first class. We have a troubleshooting section on our aftercare card that instructs you how to remedy minor leaks.

Q: Can I cancel my order?

A: Cancellations can totally be made within 24 hours of ordering!

Q: What happens if I got my order but decide I don't want it?

A: We do not accept returns for henna cones because they are perishable items! The only case we will refund for henna cones is if they somehow got damaged in the process of shipping. In which case we will need picture evidence of the damage.

In cases where there is leakages please refer to the trouble shooting section on the aftercare card that comes with every henna cone order. It is actually quite simple to fix leaks, which is a result of longer shipping transits which is why we highly suggest express shipping for henna cones so it arrives faster!

In the case of henna kits or henna powder, if you want to return, you will need to pay the postage and we charge a 20% restocking fee which is based on the amount of the order being returned.

 

Q: What happens if I entered the wrong address and my package gets sent back?

 

A: When we print out shipping labels it automatically prints out whatever address the customer puts in. If the address has any errors, USPS cannot deliver and therefore it will be returned to us.

In this case we will require the customer to pay for shipping again since there were no errors made on our or USPS's part. 

In most cases we will gladly re-ship or send a replacement out once shipping has been paid for. Do note that henna cones are perishable and therefore cannot be restocked so most orders cannot be refunded. In some cases we may refund the order, but we cannot refund the shipping in a case like this since it was paid for and used already.

REMINDER:

 

Always make sure to freeze your henna cones the SAME day they arrive to preserve them. Do NOT leave them in room temperature unless you plan to use them that same day. Henna cones are perishable items and therefore must be stored properly! We include many reminders of this on packaging and on the aftercare card. 

 

It is very simple: to use, just take the cone out 10 minutes before you defrost and then you are good to go! When finished for the day, place back in the freezer. Place the pin back in the tip of the cone and keep them in the box they arrive in for protection and easy storage.