How do I know my order is secure?
We use the same state of the art encryption (SSL) that is used by some of the largest retailers to ensure your safety, and our website is hosted by a respected, professional company that also uses the latest technology for their servers. UniteU hosts many large retailers with revenues many times the size of ours and has had no problems in the past. In addition, most credit card companies limit your liability for online purchases (generally to $50).
When will my order ship?
Most in-stock orders are shipped within 48 hours, and often the same day! On engraved purchases, we ask that you add one business day. But please call us toll-free at 1-888-851-9088 if you need something shipped even more quickly, and we'll do anything we possibly can to rush your order at no charge. Also call if you would like your order shipped air and we'd be happy to give you a guaranteed delivery date.
Will I be notified when my order ships?
If you have supplied us with a valid email (and your spam filter does not block us) you should get an emailed tracking number when your order ships. If you do not receive this tracking number within 3 business days, feel free to contact us. Earthlink subscribers or other email programs that require us to fill out a form will not get the email unless they set up their program to accept mail from asimplertime@asimplertime.com. Sorry, but we're a well oiled machine and filling out all those forms would require skipping meals!
Will there be an invoice in the box?
Because many of our products are gifts, we do not put an invoice in the box showing price, only a packing slip and (if you choose) a gift card. The emailed order acknowledgement you receive after ordering has the total cost of the order on it and can be printed if you need a receipt. If you forget, please email us and we'd be happy to send you one!
Why do personalized signs take two to three weeks?
While our personalized wood signs are works of art, the people who make them are not actually working on your sign for three weeks. At any time of the year, and particularly as the holiday season nears, we have a "backlog" of orders for these popular gifts. Otherwise if our trained sign makers completely caught up on orders, we would be paying them to be idle or worse yet, having to give them unpaid time off. Our trained workers would leave if their hours were cut (leaving us to train new workers constantly), and prices would have to be raised without a guaranteed flow of orders each day.
Can these signs be used outdoors?
This is a question we get all the time, and the answer is not a simple yes or no. While all our personalized custom signs are painted with fade resistant inks and will hold up very well under a covered porch, they will eventually---over a period of years---fade slightly and perhaps develop slight cracks if exposed to severe weather. Coating with polyurethane over the entire surface (including sides and back), will inhibit that process, but will not stop it entirely. Just like the paint on your deck or your house, there are no coatings that will last forever. Fortunately, as our graphics and design on these signs are vintage style, a little weathering makes them look even more authentic! Less expensive tin, metal and wood signs are more likely to show signs of fading, and we recommend not hanging them in direct sunlight and also using a UV inhibiting spray lacquer (found at hardware stores).
What if my engraving is wrong?
While we make every effort to minimize mistakes, humans (and unfortunately we are) have a nasty habit of occasionally screwing up! Please call or add special instructions in the comment box of your order if necessary and we'll call or email you if we're unsure of your personalization order. If we make the mistake, we will rush you a correct replacement at no charge to you. If the mistake is yours, we will either significantly discount the replacement or in some instances (nameplates) will give you the correct replacement free of charge! On many bells, we can re-engrave the other side of the bell and "flip" the bell so that the incorrect engraving faces the wall and is not noticeable. We'll do the correction for free if you elect this method and you will only pay to ship to us (we'll get the return shipping)!
Can I engrave more than two lines?
You might notice that some of our items show more than two lines of personalization, but have boxes only showing two lines. At this time all of our online engraving boxes are set up to accept two lines of personalization, but if you see more than that on the sample we can probably do that for the same price. You can either make a note in the customer comment section when placing your order, or phone your order to 1-888-851-9088. If we have any questions, we will call or email you.
Can I Fax in My Order?
If you prefer to fax in your order, please fill out this form and fax it to 1-919-336-3157.
Do you ship to APO boxes?
Yes, we gladly ship via the U.S. Postal Service to our military customers with APO boxes and at the same prices we quote for U.S. shipping.
Can you ship to foreign countries?
We have shipped our product to many different countries, and often take orders from our neighbor to the north, Canada. As these orders are not a large percentage of our total orders, setting up separate shipping charts for each country would be cost prohibitive at this time. Most (not all) items can be shipped, but if you would like a shipping quote you can call us (1-919-336-3154) or email us (contact@asimplertime.com) for a quote. Orders can be phoned in or you can print and fax your order. We highly discourage sending us credit card information through emails, as that information is not secure.
What is your return policy?
Order with confidence, as we offer a 30-day money back guarantee on most items we sell. If you're not happy with your purchase for any reason, just call 1-888-851-9088 (toll-free), and we'll give you instructions on how to return your item for a full refund (minus shipping). Unfortunately, on personalized items such as engraved bells and personalized signs, we cannot offer a refund if the mistake was made by the customer, so please double check when ordering! We will replace, at no charge, items that are personalized incorrectly by us.
What if my product arrives damaged?
While we package well and consider ourselves dang near perfect, unfortunately the gremlins at UPS or the postal service occasionally manage to trip us up. If that happens, please keep the item in its original packaging and contact us. If you want a replacement, we will send one out immediately at our cost, or we will refund your total purchase price (including shipping) if you prefer.
What is your privacy policy?
A Simpler Time does not share your information with ANY third parties! The only email or mail special offerings you will receive will be from us and only if you opt-in to receive these offerings. If at any time you receive an unwanted email from us, just reply to that email with "unsubscribe" in the subject box, and we will remove your name from future mailings.