Shipping policy

Shipping Policy

Last updated: Jan 3, 2026

At Vowtail, every portrait and keepsake is made with care. Because many of our products are custom-made, personalized, or made to order, please allow time for order review, photo review, artwork creation, proofing, revisions if applicable, final approval, production, fulfillment preparation, and shipping.

This Shipping Policy does not limit any rights you may have under applicable consumer protection laws.

Order Review and Processing

After you place your order, we may review your pet photo, personalization details, product selections, and shipping information before artwork creation or production begins.

If we need a clearer photo, missing personalization details, approval confirmation, or additional information, we will contact you by email. Delays in customer response, missing details, unclear photos, or requested revisions may delay the order timeline.

Order processing begins after payment is completed and we have received the information reasonably needed to begin your order.

Estimated Timeline

Because our products are custom and often require customer review or approval, timelines may vary by product type, order volume, revision requests, artist availability, production schedule, destination, and shipping carrier.

Estimated timeline:

• Photo and order review: [1–3 business days]
• Artwork preview or proof, if applicable: [1–3 business days]
• Revisions, if requested and eligible: [1–3 business days per revision round]
• Production after final approval: [7–20 business days]
• Fulfillment preparation: [1–2 business days]
• Standard shipping after shipment: [2–30 business days depending on distances]

Business days do not include weekends, public holidays, carrier holidays, or customs processing days.

Shipping estimates begin after your order has shipped. Production time and shipping time are separate.

Any timeline shown on our website, product page, order page, or email is an estimate unless we expressly state that it is guaranteed.

Custom Product Timing

Custom portraits, Moment Sets, and personalized keepsakes may take longer during holidays, high-volume periods, supply chain delays, artist scheduling delays, production delays, or if revisions, replacement photos, or additional customer approval are required.

If your order includes multiple items, they may be produced or shipped separately depending on product type, production partner, availability, or fulfillment location.

Final Approval and Production

For products that include an artwork proof, preview, or approval step, production may not begin until the required approval is received.

Once you approve or finalize the artwork, proof, personalization details, or design, the order may enter production and the item becomes final sale as described in our Return & Refund Policy and Terms of Service.

After final approval or production begins, shipping address changes, product changes, personalization changes, cancellations, returns, refunds, or exchanges may no longer be possible, except where required by applicable law or where the item arrives damaged, defective, or incorrect.

Shipping Rates

Shipping rates are calculated at checkout based on your shipping destination, shipping method, product type, package size, package weight, and available carrier options.

Any available shipping options and estimated shipping charges will be shown before you complete your order.

Free shipping promotions, if available, apply only to eligible orders and destinations as stated at the time of purchase.

Order Tracking

Once your order ships, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking information when available.

Please allow up to 48 hours for tracking updates to appear after the carrier receives or scans the package.

Tracking updates may be delayed during weekends, holidays, high-volume carrier periods, customs processing, or international transit.

Shipping Address

Please make sure your shipping address is complete and accurate before placing your order. This includes your full name, street address, apartment or unit number if applicable, city, state or region, postal code, country, phone number if required, and any delivery instructions.

If you need to update your shipping address, contact us as soon as possible at contact@vowtail.com.

We will do our best to help, but we cannot guarantee address changes after artwork creation, production, fulfillment preparation, or shipment has begun.

Once a package has shipped, we may not be able to change the shipping address. You may need to contact the carrier directly to request delivery changes if the carrier allows them.

Incorrect or Incomplete Addresses

Vowtail is not responsible for delays, failed deliveries, returned packages, lost packages, or misdelivered packages caused by an incorrect or incomplete shipping address provided by the customer.

If a package is returned to us because of an incorrect address, incomplete address, failed delivery attempt, refusal of delivery, or failure to collect the package, we may contact you to arrange reshipment.

Additional shipping fees may apply for reshipment.

Custom and personalized items returned due to an incorrect or incomplete address remain final sale and are not eligible for refund unless required by applicable law.

Returned-to-Sender Packages

If a package is returned to us, we will review the reason for return.

If the return was caused by a customer-provided address issue, failed delivery attempt, refusal of delivery, failure to collect the package, or unpaid customs charges, the customer may be responsible for any reshipping fees, return shipping fees, customs fees, carrier fees, or additional handling costs.

If the package was returned because of our error, we will work with you to provide an appropriate remedy.

If we contact you about a returned package and do not receive a response within 30 days, the order may be considered abandoned and may not be eligible for refund, replacement, or reshipment, except where required by applicable law.

Lost, Delayed, or Stalled Packages

Once an order has shipped, transit times are controlled by the shipping carrier and may be affected by weather, holidays, customs, carrier delays, regional disruptions, incorrect addresses, failed delivery attempts, or other events outside our reasonable control.

If your tracking has not updated for an unusual amount of time or your package appears lost, please contact us at contact@vowtail.com with your order number and tracking number.

We may ask you to contact the carrier, confirm your shipping address, check with household members or neighbors, or provide additional information while the carrier investigates.

If a package is confirmed lost in transit and your claim is approved, we may offer a replacement, remake, store credit, partial refund, or refund depending on the situation, product type, carrier result, and applicable law.

Packages Marked as Delivered

If tracking shows that your package was delivered but you have not received it, please check your mailbox, front door, porch, building mailroom, reception desk, parcel locker, neighbors, household members, and any safe-place delivery location.

Please contact the carrier as soon as possible using the tracking number, as the carrier may have delivery details that are not visible in the tracking page.

Please also contact us at contact@vowtail.com within 7 days of the delivery scan so we can review the situation.

When a package is marked delivered to the shipping address provided at checkout, replacement or refund is not guaranteed. We will review each case based on the tracking information, carrier response, delivery location, customer-provided address, product type, and applicable law.

Damaged Packages

Please inspect your order when it arrives. If your item arrives damaged, please contact us at contact@vowtailstudio.com within 7 days of delivery.

Please include:

• Your order number
• A clear photo of the damaged item
• A photo of the outer packaging
• A photo of any damaged packaging, protective material, or shipping label
• A brief description of the issue

Please keep the damaged item and packaging until your claim has been reviewed.

If your damage claim is approved, we will provide an appropriate remedy based on the situation and applicable law. This may include a repair, remake, replacement, store credit, partial refund, or refund.

International Orders

International orders may be subject to customs duties, import taxes, VAT, brokerage fees, carrier fees, or other charges required by the destination country or region.

These charges are the customer’s responsibility and are not included in the product price or shipping cost unless expressly stated at checkout.

Vowtail does not control customs processing times, customs inspections, import rules, duties, taxes, or local delivery procedures.

We are not responsible for delays caused by customs processing, customs inspections, local postal services, import restrictions, unpaid customs fees, or a customer’s failure to provide required import information.

If a package is refused, returned, delayed, or abandoned because of unpaid customs duties, import taxes, local fees, or failure to complete customs requirements, the order may not be eligible for refund, replacement, or free reshipment unless required by applicable law.

Delivery Estimates and Legal Requirements

We make reasonable efforts to provide accurate production and shipping estimates. However, custom products may require additional time due to artwork creation, personalization, approval, production, revisions, and fulfillment.

If we are unable to ship an order within the stated or expected shipping timeframe, we will handle the delay in accordance with applicable law. This may include notifying you of the delay and, where required, giving you the option to accept the delay or cancel the unshipped order.

Order Changes After Shipment

Once an order has shipped, we cannot guarantee changes to the shipping address, shipping method, delivery date, delivery location, or recipient information.

Any delivery change requests after shipment must be handled through the carrier if available.

Split Shipments

Some orders may ship in multiple packages. If your order includes a hand-painted portrait, Moment Set, keepsakes, or add-on products, items may arrive separately depending on production time, product type, fulfillment location, carrier availability, or packaging requirements.

If your order ships in multiple packages, you may receive more than one tracking number.

If you have questions about your order, shipping status, tracking, delivery issue, or damaged package, please contact us at:

Vowtail
contact@vowtail.com