MADE-TO-ORDER RETURNS · BEFORE A DEPOSIT
A custom order still needs a written return promise.
“Made to order” describes how work is produced. It does not, by itself, explain cancellation, seller errors, return shipping, or what happens to the deposit. State those choices before money moves.
6 made-to-order terms to state in writing
Separate a change of mind from a seller error.
1. What is being made to order
Describe the item, service, or project and the custom choices that distinguish it from a standard order. Include the agreed dimensions, materials, colour, personalisation, quantity, or approved scope that can be checked later.
2. When committed work starts
Name the observable trigger: deposit received, proof approved, measurements supplied, materials ordered, or a fixed public date. This makes later cancellation wording understandable.
3. The cancellation window and deposit treatment
State the deadline for cancellation and what happens to the amount due now before and after production starts. A zero-hour window is still an explicit choice; silence is not.
4. Change-of-mind returns
State whether a correctly made custom item can be returned, the time limit, and any condition requirements. Do not make the buyer infer the policy from the phrase “made to order.”
5. Damage, defects, and mismatch with the written scope
Keep seller-error handling separate from change-of-mind terms. Write how the buyer reports damage, a defect, or a mismatch, what evidence is reasonably needed, and whether the stated outcome is repair, remake, replacement, refund, or another reviewed remedy.
6. Return shipping, inspection, and refund timing
State who arranges and pays for return shipping in each applicable situation, where the item goes, whether inspection occurs, and when any promised refund is issued.
PRIVATE HANDOFF · NOTHING IS SENT
Ask for only the missing promises.
The checker runs in your browser and creates no receipt. It drafts a private-to-send request and opens a deposit-form layout with item, price, payment, delivery, return, and cancellation judgments all blank for the seller to review.
Open the made-to-order promise check Open the blank seller formPRACTICAL BOUNDARIES
Preserve the chosen wording without overstating what it proves.
Does made to order always mean no returns?
Not by itself. The seller should state the actual return terms for the order and separately explain what happens when the supplied item is damaged, defective, or does not match the written scope.
When should cancellation stop being available?
The seller chooses the commercial promise. A useful record names an observable point, such as production starting after approval, and states how the deposit is treated before and after it.
Should return shipping be written down for a custom order?
Yes. State who arranges and pays for return shipping in each applicable situation, plus any inspection and refund timing.
Does this checklist decide whether a policy is legally enforceable?
No. It helps make the seller's public commercial wording explicit. It does not prove identity, agreement, fairness, performance, or legal enforceability.