Thanks for visiting Hi-Strung Designs Jewelry!
At Hi-Strung Designs, we value you as a current or prospective customer. We want you to feel comfortable doing business with us, so we strive to keep our policies as simple as possible, with fair, appropriate protections for both you and us.
You can order from us with confidence, knowing that we will treat your information appropriately. You may register to become a preferred customer, knowing that we will not sell or trade your information with anyone else.
We want you to be delighted with everything you purchase from Hi-Strung Designs. We use great care in making our jewelry, and each piece is thoroughly inspected before we ship it to you. We guarantee that every piece of our jewelry is free from defects in materials and craftsmanship prior to leaving our studio.
Characteristics of Hi-Strung Designs Jewelry
All of our jewelry is made by hand, using high-quality materials. Please note that natural gemstones and pearls will vary in size, color and texture. Additionally, natural gemstones and pearls often contain slight inclusions. These slight variations should be expected and appreciated, because they give each gemstone and pearl its authenticity and beauty. Likewise, hand-formed silver, vermeil, and gold-filled elements will vary in shape.
All of these characteristics add to the beauty of Hi-Strung Designs jewelry. No two pieces are exactly alike, and many items are specifically designed to be Limited Edition or one of a kind.
Please also note that computer monitors vary widely in resolution and color. We do our best to accurately describe and display the specifications of each piece of jewelry we sell, so you know what you’re getting. But if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us before ordering. We'll respond as soon as possible, and generally within one business day.
Ordering
We use PayPal to process payments for orders. You do not need a PayPal account to purchase from the Hi-Strung Designs jewelry Web site.
We use PayPal’s shopping cart system, which has been integrated into our Web site to make your shopping experience with Hi-Strung Designs jewelry safe and easy.
PayPal handles the encryption of your financial information to help protect your identity, safeguard against hacking and prevent fraudulent activity. As a verified PayPal vendor, Hi-Strung Designs does not receive your confidential information from PayPal.
For information about PayPal policies to protect buyers and sellers, click here.
If you need to contact us about an order you have already placed, click here.
Sales Tax
By law, we must charge sales tax on all orders shipped to California.
Complimentary Custom Packaging!
Each piece of jewelry is beautifully packaged in a complimentary custom gift box, ready to give as a gift or enjoy yourself.
Orders are shipped with an itemized invoice, including prices.
All orders are packaged with care instructions to assist you or a gift recipient in carefully handling your jewelry and protecting it from coming in contact with products that could cause damage, in order that you can enjoy your jewelry for years to come.
Purchasing gifts:
To have one or more items shipped as a gift, please note this in the comments section of the order form. We will delete the prices from the shipping invoice and the jewelry tags. Each piece of jewelry will still include a tag or earring card with a detailed description of the piece, highlighting the unique materials used. We're happy to package items together or individually--just specify your preferences in the comments section of the order form.
We will gladly include a personalized gift card for one or more recipients at the same address. Please include your gift message(s) in the comments section of the order form, and note which item(s) the card should accompany.
Shipping and Handling
All Hi-Strung Designs jewelry orders are shipped from Northern California via U.S. Postal Service with delivery confirmation. Please note that we are unable to ship to P.O. Boxes or non-US addresses.
All items are shipped within two business days of confirmation that payment has cleared.
PRIORITY SHIPPING-USPS Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation
Shipping and Handling Charges:
Any 1-3 items $5.95
Any 4 or more items $9.80
Delivery generally takes 2-4 business days-but we cannot guarantee USPS delivery times.
Hi-Strung Designs accepts no responsibility for lost packages if USPS has confirmed delivery at the destination.
Returns & Exchanges
We hope you will be absolutely delighted with everything you purchase from Hi-Strung Designs.
We use great care in making our jewelry, and each piece is inspected before we ship it to you. We guarantee that every piece of our jewelry is free from defects in materials and craftsmanship prior to leaving our studio.
Should you wish to return a piece of jewelry for exchange or refund, you may do so within 14 days of the order date. We will be happy to exchange one item for another, or you may receive a refund for the original purchase price.
All items returned for exchange or refund must be in original, unworn condition, with the tags attached, secured inside the custom gift box--just as they were when you received them.
The original shipping and handling fees will not be refunded.
Holiday 2008 Return Policy
Items that have been ordered and shipped as Holiday gifts may be exchanged by the purchaser or recipient for another item. The request for exchange must be made by January 30th. Original shipping and handling fees are not refundable.
All gift items returned for exchange must be in original, unworn condition, with the tags attached, secured inside the custom gift box--just as they were when the order was delivered.
To Request an Exchange or Return:
All returns and exchanges must have a return authorization number (RA#).
To receive a return authorization number, call 650-207-3328 Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific time and be prepared to provide the following information:
Items eligible for a refund will receive a credit for the purchase price, however, as stated above, the original shipping and handling fees are not refundable. The credit will be issued to the original form of payment.
You will receive a return authorization number and address by e-mail. The item must then be received by us within 10 days.
Items shipped to us for return or exchange must be securely packaged in a shipping box with appropriate padding and shipped with tracking service and delivery signature required. We also recommend you insure the package; refunds will not be issued for packages lost in transit.
You are responsible for the cost of shipping your return or exchange to us and for any shipping and handling fees associated with an item you receive in exchange.
Refunds and exchanges will not be honored for items shipped to us without a return authorization number.
We realize there will be times when something is just not as you expected it, and we want you to love everything you purchase from Hi-Strung Designs. However, we reserve the right to refuse future orders from customers whom we deem to have made excessive returns or exchanges.
Repairs
Hi-Strung Designs jewelry features high-quality materials and expert workmanship. We guarantee that every piece of our jewelry is free from defects in materials and craftsmanship prior to leaving our studio. To assist you in enjoying your jewelry for years to come, your order was packaged with care instructions to assist you in carefully handling your jewelry and protecting it from coming in contact with products that could cause damage.
However, you may occasionally encounter a problem that needs fixing.
Repair Policy: Within 60 Days
Should a piece of jewelry need repair within 60 days of the order date, call 650-207-3328 Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific time and be prepared to provide the following information:
Your first and last name
Order number
Daytime phone number
E-mail address
Billing and shipping address(es)
Reason for requesting a repair
You will receive shipping instructions by e-mail.
You are responsible for the cost of shipping your item for repair, and as long as all original parts and components are present, there will be no charge for the repair and we will pay for shipping costs associated with returning the item back to you after repair. If a number of original parts or components are now missing, please provide specifics when you contact us, in order to discuss the options available to you.
Items must be securely packaged with appropriate padding and shipped with tracking service and delivery signature required. We also recommend you insure the package; we will not be responsible for packages lost in transit to Hi-Strung Designs.
If we are unable to repair the item for any reason, we will contact you to discuss next steps, which will be based on our determination of the cause of the breakage, and/or the circumstances surrounding the need for repair.
Repair Policy: After 60 Days
Should an item need repair more than 60 days after the order date, call 650-207-3328 Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific time to discuss the problem.
We are often able to repair older items, however, if some parts of the item are missing or beyond repair, sometimes we cannot obtain the same materials used in the original piece. We will certainly do everything we can so you may enjoy your jewelry again.
You are responsible for the cost of shipping your item for repair. Items must be securely packaged with appropriate padding and shipped with tracking service and delivery signature required. We also recommend you insure the package; we will not be responsible for packages lost in transit to Hi-Strung Designs.
We will inspect the item to determine whether it can be repaired, and will provide you with an estimate for the materials and labor charge via e-mail. We will need your acceptance of the repair charges before making any repairs.
You will be charged for the cost of materials and labor to repair the item, as well as shipping and handling to return the item to you after repair.
If we are unable to repair the item for any reason, we will contact you to discuss next steps. You will be responsible for the shipping and handling charges associated with us returning an item to you that we were unable to repair.
Terms of Use Policy
Use of this site constitutes your agreement with all policies of this site. This site and its contents are intended for personal use.
All content on this site, including, but not limited to, designs, text, graphics, pictures, video, information and other files, is the intellectual property of Hi-Strung Designs. All jewelry pieces described or depicted on this site are the original creations and intellectual property of Hi-Strung Designs.
No portion of this site nor the jewelry designs described or depicted herein may be reproduced in any fashion. Any reproduction, transmission, publication, distribution, modification or creative derivative is strictly prohibited.
We reserve the right to correct any errors, omissions or inaccuracies and to update the site content at any time without prior notice. All jewelry designs and prices are subject to change at any time. All jewelry pieces are subject to prior sale.
Privacy Policy
Welcome to www.hi-strungdesigns.com. This privacy policy is designed to tell you about our practices regarding collection, use and disclosure of information that you may provide via this site and certain related services. Please be sure to read this entire privacy policy before using, or submitting information to, this site. This site is intended for use by residents of the United States.
Your Consent
By using this site, you agree with the terms of this privacy policy. Whenever you submit information via this site, you consent to the collection, use and disclosure of that information in accordance with this privacy policy.
Active Information Collection
Like many Web sites, this site actively collects information from its visitors both by asking you specific questions and by permitting you to communicate directly with us via e-mail or inquiry/feedback forms. Some of the information you submit may be personally identifiable information (that is, information that can be uniquely identified with you, such as your full name, address, e-mail address, phone number, and so on).
Some areas of this site may require you to submit information in order for you to benefit from a specified feature (such as order processing) or to participate in a particular activity (such as being added to our preferred customer list to receive e-mail notification of special pricing or new items added to the site). You will be informed at each information collection point what information is required and what information is optional.
Passive Information Collection
As you navigate through a Web site, certain information can be passively collected (that is, gathered without you actively providing the information) using various technologies and means, such as Internet Protocol addresses, cookies, Internet tags and navigational data collection.
This site may use Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. An IP address is a number assigned to your computer by your Internet service provider (ISP) so you can access the Internet and is generally considered to be nonpersonally identifiable information, because in most cases an IP address is dynamic (changing each time you connect to the Internet), rather than static (unique to a particular user's computer). We use your IP address to diagnose problems that may occur with our ISP or host, report aggregate information, and administer and improve the site.
A “cookie” is a bit of information that a Web site sends to your Web browser that helps the site remember information about you and your preferences.
“Session” cookies are temporary bits of information that are erased once you exit your Web browser window or otherwise turn your computer off. Session cookies are used to improve navigation on Web sites and to collect aggregate statistical information. This site uses session cookies.
“Persistent” cookies are more permanent bits of information that are placed on the hard drive of your computer and stay there unless you delete the cookie. Persistent cookies store information on your computer for a number of purposes, such as retrieving certain information you have previously provided (e.g., passwords), helping to determine what areas of the Web site visitors find most valuable, and customizing the Web site based on your preferences. This site uses persistent cookies.
“Internet tags” (also known as single-pixel GIFs, clear GIFs, invisible GIFs, and 1-by-1 GIFs) are smaller than cookies and tell the Web site server information such as the IP address and browser type related to the visitor's computer. We do not use Internet tags at this site.
“Navigational data” (“log files,” “server logs”) are used for system management, to improve the content of the site and to communicate information to visitors. This site uses navigational data.
Use and Disclosure of Information
Except as otherwise stated, we may use your information to improve the content of our site, to communicate information to you (if you have requested it), for our marketing and research, and for the purposes specified in this privacy policy.
If you provide personally identifiable information to this site, we may combine such information with other actively collected information unless we specify otherwise at the point of collection. We will take reasonable measures to prevent personally identifiable information from being combined with passively collected information, unless you consent otherwise.
We may disclose your personally identifiable information to third parties, located in the United States but only:
(i) to contractors we use to support our business (e.g., technical support, delivery services and financial institutions), in which case we will require such third parties to agree to treat it in accordance with this privacy policy;
(ii) in connection with the sale, assignment or other transfer of the business of this site to which the information relates, in which case we will require any such buyer to agree to treat it in accordance with this privacy policy; or
(iii) where required by applicable laws, court orders or government regulations. In addition, we will make full use of all information acquired through this site that is not in personally identifiable form.
Access and Correction
To keep your personally identifiable information accurate, current and complete, please contact us as specified below. We will take reasonable steps to update or correct personally identifiable information in our possession that you have previously submitted via this site.
Security
We take reasonable steps to protect your personally identifiable information as you transmit your information from your computer to our site and to protect such information from loss, misuse and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration or destruction. You should keep in mind that no Internet transmission is ever 100 percent secure or error-free. In particular, e-mail sent to or from this site may not be secure, and you should therefore take special care in deciding what information you send to us via e-mail. Moreover, where you use passwords, or other special access features on this site, it is your responsibility to safeguard them.
Links to Other Web Sites
This site may contain links or references to other Web sites. Please be aware that we do not control other Web sites and that, in any case, this privacy policy does not apply to those Web sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of every Web site you visit.
How to Contact Us
If you have any questions, comments or concerns about this privacy policy or the information practices of this site, please contact us as follows:
Hi-Strung Designs
650-207-3328
or use our Customer Contact form.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
If this privacy policy changes, the revised policy will be posted on this site. Please check back periodically, and especially before you provide any personally identifiable information. This privacy policy was last updated on Nov. 11, 2007.