SuperiorPOD will now be listing all of our policies and warnings related to orders as a reference for all of our customers in this policy database. These policies have always been in place here at SPOD, we are just consolidating them into one, easy to read and reference, place for our customers. These policies are current and up to date as of 2/15/21 when this page is officially going live on our website, and the locations where these policies have been previously listed are now being removed since everything is stated here. In case I am missing one of our policies I must state that this list may or may not cover every single policy in place at SPOD, and if you have any questions about something not shown here please reach out to us for clarification.
Copyrighted/Trademarked Material Policy
SuperiorPOD assumes no legal responsibility for the use or sale of any copyrighted or trademarked material. SuperiorPOD will print whatever artwork we receive for an order and it is on the customer to do any research of said copyrighted/trademarked material, and the customer is legally responsible for the resale and consequences of using said material. Material SuperiorPOD will vet would be something that has illegal content that we can see when working on the job, or something that deemed too abhorrent or hateful in our eyes. SPOD also upholds the right to turn away any job due to these reasons, where an order will be cancelled and refunded per our discretion, with or without explanation. In all of our years of being open we have yet to run into a situation where any of this is applicable and we thank our customers for that, and hope to uphold that record down the road.
*Fair/Personal Use Notice: If you are looking to print material that is copyrighted or trademarked SPOD has observed that you are fine to do so as long as you are not selling and profiting from someone else work on a larger scale. This is not legal advice and an okay from us to use copyrighted material, and we cannot be held responsible for stating this claim if consequences were to ensue, however we are saying that if you create a birthday card for your niece with her favorite cartoon character on it, you should be okay from a legal standpoint. SPOD also knows that copyrighted/trademarked material can be used from an educational, commentative, criticizing, and other perspectives, so we would encourage you to look more into this topic and see if that applies to your project. Material can also be used if it is altered by a certain percentage, so again this would be something to research yourself. Finally, there are many things that fall out of copyright and become public domain, or start out in the public domain, so this would be something to research for you as well.
To conclude: SPOD does not encourage the use of copyrighted/trademarked material. SPOD is not legally responsible for the printing or use of said material. SPOD is not legally responsible for the advice given regarding this material and more research is required by the customer. SPOD also does not know how these rules would apply in other countries outside the US, and we only have a beginners knowledge of the US. If you have further questions regarding this topic I would seek legal council/advice.
Colors Policy:
SuperiorPOD (SPOD) is not responsible for any color discrepancies that can occur with a printed order. Please note that the colors you are viewing on your monitor while designing your artwork may be slightly different from what appears once your artwork is printed. This is due to a whole number of reasons including: the color calibration and settings of your monitor, the color profile settings you are using to create your artwork, the color mode you are using to create your artwork (CMYK vs RGB), the color profiles we use in our design software if we have to make changes (like add bleed) to your files, and finally the color profile settings our press uses.
We use Xerox Digital Presses if you would like to research the color profiles of our machine, and it has built in capabilities to create as true of colors as possible, and convert from RGB to CMYK in the printing process. The color profile we use in Photoshop is "North American General Purpose 2" which has a CMYK setting of "US Web Coated". We are by no mean experts regarding colors and specific profiles and settings, and are still learning every day on how to perfect the trade. If you have any questions about your colors or settings just let us know and we are happy to help where we can, or at least point you in the right direction.
SPOD will not replace or refund any orders based on any color discrepancies. If there are any issues with your order or your colors please reach out to us and we can see about helping to make changes to prevent further discrepancies.
Return Policy:
Due to the nature of printing custom made goods on demand for our customers, SPOD has a zero return policy for all orders. If we have made a mistake with your order then we can look into remedies there, but in general there is a zero return policy for unwanted goods. If you are trying to return some of the very limited items that we do not produce in house like dice, a return is possible but the items but be in the same condition as when they left our hands originally. Please contact us for approval of returning goods.
Artwork For Marketing Purposes Policy:
SuperiorPOD upholds the right to use any and all material that we print for marketing purposes, product pictures, social media posts, etc. This includes but is not limited to, Facebook posts, Instagram posts, Twitter posts, TikTok videos, educational videos, Youtube videos, new product pictures on our website, etc. Customers can specifically request to not have their projects/goods showcased by us and SPOD will respect that request even without needing a reason, but this must be specifically stated to SPOD for us to know and acknowledge. Any use as mentioned above may come with our without credit to the creator. If we are posting on social media we always try to credit and share our customers works with the world when applicable, but we would likely not include that info on our website when creating new product pictures. Stating credit to a creator is never required, but if you want that information included we would be more than happy to look over that and do so where applicable.
Order Cancellation Policy:
In similarity to the the return policy, the order cancellation gets more complicated depending on where we are at status wise with your order. If your order is still in "Order Received", "Artwork Downloaded", or even "Prepress", in most situations you will be able to cancel your order without any fees taken out of that. If however we have taken steps to bring in additional supplies, have started the production, or even shipped some of your order there will be fees applied to cover our expenses put into your order. Please note that even because something is marked "Prepress" and not "Press: In Production" we may have started the production already and have just forgotten to mark that on the website. If you would like to cancel your order, as always please reach out to us to confirm the status of the order, and then we can move on from there to get things cancelled.
To break down the fees even further, an example would be as follows. If a customer order 100 card decks, and we have completed and shipped 51 of those card decks and then a cancellation is requested, we would change the pricing breakdown of those decks as if you ordered 50 decks instead of 100 (as there are quantity discounts worked into all of our pricing), and then a refund would be offered based on that with the cancellation. This would not equal out to be 50% of the total amount paid due to the quantity breakdowns, so please take that into account. To further this example and change the numbers around a bit, if that same 100 was ordered, and then 50 were shipped, with the next 50 completed and waiting to ship we would not be able to offer any refunds since the production is already completed.
Another example would be if you ordered 100 game boards from us. We ordered our blank game boards from another company as orders come in, so if we ordered the 100 game board blanks and then you wanted to cancel your order there would be additional fees taken into account to cover our expenses there. If you cancelled the order before those 100 blanks were ordered then no additional fees would be required.
There are too many specific situations to list, so if you have questions regarding cancelling an order please reach out to us and we can further elaborate on your specific situation. This post is more to provide a background in case there are any disputes for cancelation fees in the future. In all of our years of being open we really have only had to apply these cancellation fees a few times so it is not a common occurrence, but just in case we want to cover all angles of things.
Turn Around Times, Projected Ship Dates, and Hard In Hand Date Policy:
SuperiorPOD is not responsible for any missed "in hand dates", any delays with an order, etc. from a financial standpoint. There will be no refunds offered for any orders that take longer than projected turn around times, or even if a deadline for an order is missed, unless we personally decide to offer such compensation depending on a given situation. We will also not expedite shipping to reach delivery by a certain date on us from this point forward, and will not offer future discounts to make up for delays. Even if that compensation is offered, SuperiorPOD is not legally obligated to any compensations or refunds based on this mentioned topic. I would like to add in this section that as a company we always do everything in our power to deliver in time for any event such as a holiday or convention, there are just too many variables that can come up at any point in time that can effect turn around times and delivery dates.
To quickly list some of the variables that effect turn around times and these policies, all turn around times are based on current work loads at a given point in time, and where we sit in the production schedule with those orders. If we receive 20 more orders in a given week than what we normally get than the turn around times for those orders and ones placed after that will be negatively effected. If we receive more expedited orders (which cost a customer more money to supersede all other production) that can effect the turn around times for other current orders. If we are experiencing technical issues that delay all production all turn around times will be negatively impacted. During times with high order volumes like the Holiday season turn around times will be negatively impacted. The scale of current orders placed will effect turn around times as completing (5) 100 deck orders taken longer than (5) 5 deck orders. The specific products ordered can impact turn around times as it is much faster for us to complete a card deck order than it is to complete and counter sheet order for example.
I would now to like further elaborate on a few specific points here:
- The Projected Ship Date for your order is almost always inaccurate as it is automatically generated by our website platform and it is not something we can change. Even still any projected ship dates for an order are not guarantees for when the order will be completed and shipped and SPOD is not responsible to hold true to those dates as we have no guarantees for deliveries.
- Turn around times vary and are not guarantees. This is straight forward and explained in detail above, but to elaborate more even if projected turn around times are 14-21 business days, and your order takes 30 business days to be completed, there will be no refunds or compensation offered by SPOD to "make up" for said delays.
- Expedited Orders are still not guaranteed to be completed in a given timeframe. When paying for an expedited order you are paying to have your order looked at first and to have your order supersede all other production. These turn around times also vary as stated on the homepage of the website, and even still you are not guaranteed to have your order within that timeframe. No refunds or compensation will be offered by SPOD if your order is not completed within the expedited timeframe.
- Requested in hand dates with orders are not guarantees. We always ask that if a customer has a hard in hand date to please state that in the notes of your order, and email about that as well, so we can do everything possible to deliver by that date. It is important to us to deliver your products in a timely manner and in time for any specific event, but even if that is listed it is not a guarantee that your order will be completed and in hand by that date, and SPOD will offer no refunds or compensation if that is missed.
- Contacting SPOD via email about an in hand date is still not a guarantee. As mentioned before we are people and we make mistakes. For example it is possible that you email us about a certain in hand date, we say that should be no problem at all, but then forget to note on your order that you need it by that date thus missing that deadline. With that in mind, and any other situation along these lines we will never guarantee delivery, even if we say with 99% certainty that we can deliver in time. SPOD is not legally responsible to offer refunds or compensation in any of these situations, BUT if we feel as though we truly made a mistake with something we may still offer to do so depending on the situation. This could come in the form of a refund, partial refund, store credit, or future discount, but this is something we will personally decide upon on a case to case basis, and is not something we will be required to do.
- Varying listings of advertised turn around times on different locations on our website do not warrant any sort of refund or compensation even if confusion occurs with expectations. Simply put just because there is an impression of a specific date when something is completed does not mean that there is ever a guarantee for that, thus never warranting a refund or compensation. We are not perfect people here and understand confusion that may come from this, and are trying to keep the website as updated as possible, but this does not change the fact that there is never a guarantee for when an order will be completed.
I understand all of these turn around time warnings may be scary to potential or current customers, this is more so a place to cover SPODs place in a legal standpoint in regards to turn around times. I can assure you that we do everything in our power to deliver things as fast as possible, and always try to reach every customers in hand dates. We have offered up thousands of dollars in expedited shipping alone to help customers reach their in hand dates in time, we just to clarify that SPOD is not legally responsible to do so, and instead may offer to do so when we feel it is necessary. We also do need to state this as we do not want to spend thousands of dollars on shipping in the future, so it has to fall more on the customer understanding our turn around times and possible delays, and that you may need to expedite shipping on your end if you want to have something by a specific date. We gain nothing form making you pay for overnight shipping so please understand it has nothing to do with our personal gain, and is just an unfortunate side effect of current workloads, delays, or technical issues.
Artwork Issues/ Artwork Not Following Guidelines Policy:
SPOD is not responsible to inform any customer of an artwork issue. We personally always try to do this for all of our orders so that our customers can receive the products they have truly envisioned, however it is important to clarify that we are not legally responsible to do so. There is also no guarantee for when this contact will take place, as we try to look over artwork as the orders come through, but often fall short on that due to delays or other issues, so it is possible for you to be informed of this on the 12th business day for example. It is important that you follow all guidelines and requirements for artwork when submitting an order, and we are trying to constantly update our template database and help center to make this easier for our customers. If there are issues with your artwork and your order is completed with that "bad art" like low resolution files, then there will be no refunds or compensation offered as we are solely obligated to print the artwork we receive for an order. As I have mentioned we will always do our best to catch bad artwork and reach out to a customer for fixes, but if that slips through or is for a very small order actions may not be taken in that regard. To further this point if our specific guidelines are not followed, like something being sized incorrectly or missing bleed, we are not obligated to fix and change any of your artwork, and orders may be completed as they are submitted. When we can we are happy to make small fixes on us, like resizing something or adding bleed for you, but this is not a guaranteed service and we are not obligated to do so.
Registration Policy:
Due to the nature of digital printing and the many variables involved in creating perfect registration there is a margin of error that is allotted for all printed goods. With cards for example there is a margin of error set to less than 1/16" on the fronts and the backs on each side that something can be off while still being within specs thus sent to a customer. This is important to keep in mind and is why we recommend a safe zone of 1/8" from each edge of the card, as anything within that safe zone could risk running too close to the edge or even being cut off during production. Usually the safe zones and margins of error directly relate to the amount of bleed we require for a given product. The bleed required for cards is 1/16" as we will always keep the margin of error within that, and anything worse than that would not be approved and sent out. The bleed required for books is 1/4" so the margin of error would be less than that amount, and so on for each product. If you have questions about registrations please let us know. We pride ourselves on the levels of registration we can usually hold for all of our products, but not everything can always turn out perfectly which is why we are mentioning this policy here.
Overall Order Issues Policy:
There is a gray area for overall order issues and what SPOD will and will not offer refunds or compensation for. If you receive an order like a deck of cards and there are production issues like cards being mis-cut by half an inch (extreme example), SPOD will be responsible to replace those items until the order is completed as intended and to spec. If there an issue with registration that is outside of our 1/8" safe zone policy, that is not caused by any issues with the customers artwork, then SPOD will also be responsible to replace those items. If there are issues from our end where we complete the wrong number of the product order, your card decks are missing cards, you have fault boxes, etc. then SPOD would be more than happy to replace those products. If there is an issue with an order such as the customer ordering the wrong number of card decks, wrong number of cards in a deck, not submitting the most up to date files for their project, etc. then SPOD is not responsible to replace/refund those items. This is again a situation where there are too many unique situations to list and cover all bases, so if there is an issue with an order please reach out to us and inquire about possible reprinting or refunds, and then it is on us to explain whether an issue was our fault or something falling on the customer, and then compensation will follow. We are always more than happy to fix any mistakes we make, and mistakes do of course happen, so if you have any questions just let us know.
Cards In Order Policy:
Here at SuperiorPOD we want to do our very best to provide the exact products you envision. With that in mind we state the possibility to have your cards printed and received in a specific order, specifically if ordering more than 9 decks of cards if requested with the order. That being said there is never a guarantee of the cards being in an exact specific order, due to the number of issues that could occur and out a few cards out of place. SuperiorPOD holds no legal or financial commitment to making sure that cards are in an exact perfect order. We always do everything we can to create the perfect product for our customers, but in a case where a mistake is made and the cards are not in perfect order, SPOD is not required to replace or offer compensation due to that issue, since the printing of the order has still been completed as ordered. Communication is key, so if you want your cards in order don't hesitate to ask, and always remind us in the order notes for this request, so we can help create your perfect card deck.
Damaged Goods Policy With Shipping or in General:
If you receive any products from SPOD that have been damaged during the shipping process please reach out to us and provide photo evidence of said damage. The photos are for us to confirm the issues you mention, and then they are required for us to file a claim with the shipping provider to get a refund for the damages. Depending on the situation the customer or SPOD will file a claim with the provider, and then once the claim is filed SPOD will gladly reprint the damaged goods. If the customer is filing the claim then SPOD will need further payment to replace the damaged goods, and if SPOD is filing the claim for you then we have that end of things covered and nothing else will be required from the customer.
If you receive any products from us that you believe has been damaged on our end during the production process please reach out to us with pictures confirming the suspected damage, and then SPOD can confirm whether or not there are damage issues, and then go about reprinting or offering compensation based on the mistakes. This includes a tuck box coming with a fold that is breaking, miscut cards, poorly corner rounded cards, tears or marks on product, and many other possibilities. SPOD will always happily look into any damages and replace things where necessary so if there are any issues with the quality of your products please reach out to us for further assistance.
Shipping Policy:
Once a package leaves our hands at SPOD, we are not responsible for any further delays or turn around times related to the shipping and delivery of your item. This topic is unfortunately completely out of our hands, so if there are any issues or delays with your package please contact your local post office/ shipping provider for updates. This is especially true and important for international shipments. There are situations where tracking may be unavailable for international shipments and this is out of our control, and there are many situations where international shipping takes a great deal of time, and even where packages are held up in customs. We feel for your frustrations with these delays but there is nothing we can do on our end to even investigate these delays, let alone solve them. For the fastest and safest shipping with the best guarantees we would recommend using FEDEX, and if that is not showing as an option for your shipping method please reach out to us and let us look into this for you and give you that option for your order as it is our preferred (even though more expensive) shipping method.
In conclusion, if there are any suspected issues or concerns your best route would be to contact us at info@superiorpod.com for help. We are always more than willing to look into a situation and see what is best for you, and we want all of our customers walking away from us feeling satisfied and like they want to order again. Some of the policies mentioned may seem harsh or scary to a potential customer, but I can assure you they are in place to cover our end of things from some rare unfortunate situations. We want you, the customer, to have the perfect product that you have envisioned from us, so we will always do what we can to make that happen and deliver things when you need them. Our motto is high quality and low prices, and as our name states we want to provide that level of printing on demand when you need it. We value all of our customers equally here, and every order is equally important to us no matter how big or small. If you have any questions or concerns with anything please feel free to reach out and let us know, and thank you for taking the time to read through everything here.
- Written by: Anthony Valent, Vice President, 2/15/21
- Proofed and approved by: Jeff Valent, President, 2/15/21
- Updated on 3/1/21 by Anthony Valent, Vice President
- Updated on 8/11/21 by Anthony Valent, Vice President
