Returns Policy

What Qualifies for a Return

A return is available when either of the following is true:

• Damaged in transit — the piece arrived broken, cracked, torn, or otherwise damaged during shipping.
• Materially misrepresented — the piece is materially different from its listing: the wrong item, or a substantial mismatch in size, materials, or condition that a reasonable buyer would not expect from the photos and description. Small, expected variation in a handmade object — slight differences in tone, texture, or finish that make each piece unique — is not a misrepresentation.

Returns are not available because you changed your mind, or because a handmade piece shows the natural, listed characteristics of the material it is made from.

Reporting Window

When your piece is marked as delivered, we email you a delivery confirmation link. That link lets you confirm the piece arrived in good condition, or report a problem — that it arrived damaged or wrong, or that it never arrived at all.

• Report within 7 days of delivery to open a claim. This is the standard window and the simplest path to resolution.
• Between 8 and 30 days, contact our support team directly — later reports are reviewed case by case and may be harder to resolve once time has passed.
• After 30 days, an order is considered closed and is generally no longer eligible for a return.

If a piece never arrives, report it through the same delivery confirmation link so we can hold the order and look into it before anything is finalized.

Condition and Evidence

To review a damage or misrepresentation claim, we ask for clear photos. Please include:

• Photos of the piece showing the damage or the discrepancy you are reporting
• A photo of the shipping box and packing materials if the piece arrived damaged
• Any shipping label or packing slip that came with the order

Please keep the piece and its original packaging until your claim is resolved. If a return shipment is needed, the piece should be sent back in the same condition it arrived, packed as it was received.

Return Shipping

When a claim for damage or material misrepresentation is upheld, you are not responsible for return shipping costs — the platform covers return shipping for a valid claim, and you will not be asked to pay to send a damaged or misdescribed piece back. In many damage cases a physical return is not required at all; we will tell you whether to return the piece or keep it as part of resolving the claim.

For a return that does not qualify under this policy, any return shipping would be the buyer’s responsibility — but as noted above, we do not accept change-of-mind returns on handmade, one-of-a-kind work.

How a Return Affects the Artist Payout

Surfaced Art holds an artist’s share of a sale until delivery is confirmed. The artist is not paid out at the moment of purchase — the platform holds the funds and releases the artist’s share only after the piece is confirmed delivered in good condition.

When you report a problem, that payout is placed on hold and stays with the platform while the claim is open. Because the money has not left the platform, resolving a claim in your favor is straightforward — there is no payment to reclaim from the artist first. Once a claim is resolved, the artist’s payout is either released (if the claim does not stand) or the money is returned to you as a refund (if it does), as described in the Refund Policy.

Questions

If your piece arrived damaged or is not what was described, or you are unsure whether a situation qualifies, contact our support team at support@surfaced.art. We would rather hear from you early than have you sit with a piece you are not happy with.

This policy is subject to change. Material changes will be posted here.