This Policy explains how voluntary cancellations, studio nonperformance, production problems, and refunds are handled for commissions provided by Boardwok LLC d/b/a With A Trace.
1. Before acceptance
Submitting a commission request does not create a charge. If we decline the request, no design fee is charged.
You may withdraw your request before acceptance by emailing hello@withatrace.com.
2. Design fee before meaningful creative work begins
If we accept the commission and charge the design fee, but you cancel before meaningful creative work has begun, we will refund the design fee.
For this purpose, meaningful creative work generally begins when we start substantive story review, art direction, concept development, custom illustration, or other commission-specific creative production. Routine administrative setup alone is not meaningful creative work.
3. Design fee after creative work begins
Once meaningful creative work begins, the design fee is generally non-refundable for a voluntary cancellation, change of mind, wedding cancellation, or decision not to proceed with physical manufacturing, except where applicable law requires otherwise.
This reflects the custom creative work and reserved studio capacity that the design fee purchases.
If the wedding is postponed, we will generally work with you on a revised schedule. A postponement does not automatically create a refund. Materially changed scope or production costs may require a new quote.
4. Production payment before printer commitment
If you pay for production and cancel before we have made an irreversible or non-refundable commitment to the manufacturer, we will refund the production payment, less any separately disclosed nonrecoverable production cost already incurred if permitted by law.
We will not invent or retain a vague "sunk cost." Any deduction must relate to an actual, documented, nonrecoverable commitment.
5. Production payment after printer commitment
Once personalized manufacturing has entered an irreversible or non-refundable stage, voluntary cancellation is extremely limited because the goods are custom-made.
We will refund any portion of the production payment that we can actually recover and are legally required to return. We may be unable to refund amounts already committed to custom manufacturing, expedited freight, or other nonrecoverable customer-specific costs.
This section does not limit rights relating to defects, non-delivery, studio failure, or other remedies required by law.
6. If With A Trace cannot complete the design
If we cancel an accepted commission or become unable to complete the promised custom design through no fault of the customer, we will refund the design fee and any production payment for undelivered goods.
7. If the design is complete but With A Trace cannot provide acceptable manufacturing
Our first responsibility is to try to solve the manufacturing problem rather than pass it to you.
If completed artwork has been approved and production has been purchased, but our intended manufacturing path becomes unavailable, we will first use commercially reasonable efforts to arrange a materially comparable premium production solution and remain responsible for the finished result.
If we cannot provide a materially comparable product within a timeframe reasonably useful for the wedding, we will:
- refund the affected production payment; and
- if the artwork is complete and approved, provide the final production-ready files with a limited, non-commercial license solely to allow the customer to manufacture the approved deck elsewhere for personal wedding use.
The design fee remains earned when the promised design work was completed and approved, unless applicable law requires otherwise.
This emergency license does not transfer ownership of the artwork, permit commercial resale, or authorize new products or modified derivative designs.
8. Defects, loss, and damaged production
If finished goods are materially defective, materially different from the approved proof, lost in transit under circumstances for which we are responsible, or otherwise not delivered as agreed, the ordinary remedy is a timely replacement, reprint, repair where appropriate, or refund of the affected production amount.
We pay reasonable replacement shipping when the problem was caused by us, our production partner, or a carrier for which we are responsible.
A design-fee refund is not automatic when the design itself was properly completed and the problem is limited to physical manufacturing or delivery.
9. Missed wedding or late delivery
We intentionally require a production runway designed to create substantial buffer before the wedding.
If you met the agreed customer deadlines but a failure by With A Trace, our manufacturer, or our carrier makes the entire physical order unusable for the wedding, we will use commercially reasonable efforts to provide an expedited replacement or comparable solution.
If a useful replacement cannot be provided, we will refund the affected production payment. A partial shortfall may receive a proportionate replacement or refund.
We do not promise reimbursement of unrelated wedding expenses, consequential losses, or emotional-distress damages except where applicable law requires otherwise.
10. Delay notices and legally required refunds
If a physical order cannot be shipped within a stated or legally applicable shipment timeframe, we will provide any delay notice, cancellation option, and prompt refund required by applicable law.
A store credit will not be substituted where the law requires a monetary refund.
11. How refunds are issued
Approved refunds are generally returned to the original payment method. Processing time after we initiate a refund may depend on the payment processor and issuing bank.
12. Chargebacks
If you believe a charge is incorrect, please contact us first so we can investigate. A payment dispute or chargeback does not automatically erase payment obligations for properly authorized and completed custom work, but nothing in this Policy limits rights you may have under card-network rules or applicable law.
13. Contact
Questions or cancellation requests may be sent to hello@withatrace.com.