1. How long does it take to get my order?
Please know all of our products are CUSTOM MADE TO ORDER.
PRINTED AND FRAMED
ITEMS are completed within 4-10 business days (two calendar weeks).
However, in busier times such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or Christmas and in
the event that stock is unavailable it can take up to 4-6 weeks for product
completion. If any component of your order happens to be on backorder please
know that we will contact you with suggestions or alternatives for speedier
service. Please keep this in mind if your order is intended for gift giving.
Please carefully make your selections and be assured that
the proper funds are in place before making your selections as ALL SALES ARE
FINAL!!!
If you have any questions we ask that you contact us prior
to placing your order.
SPECIALITY ITEMS
such as jewelry, embroidery, flags, wood carving, glassware or engraving cannot be changed once
order has been submitted to the artisan outside of our staff. Again, please
make sure of your selections before placing your order. These specialty items can take 4-8 weeks for
completion and up to 12 weeks in higher order volume times such as the holidays
aforementioned.
RESEARCH AND FAMILY
TREE CHARTS can take 4-8 weeks for completion and up to 12 weeks depending
upon the complexity, i.e. number of names, coats of arms and/or surname
histories being included and current workload.
RUSH SHIPPING AND
RUSH PROCESSING are available for most but not all products. Please check
the order process for more information with each product. Adding these paid services
to your order only secures you at the top of order processing and does not
guarantee any specific speed of service though it is generally 2-5 business
days when adding Rush Processing. Rush Shipping secures the fastest means of
shipping excluding Overnight and Saturday Delivery. Most of our shipments are
made by United States Postal Service (USPS) unless otherwise stated by the
tracking information provided upon shipment notification via email to the
client.
SHIPPING Please
be sure to include a valid United States Postal Service (USPS) valid address for
shipping. If your address does not have a mail receptacle at given address we
will place your order on hold until a proper delivery address can be obtained. If you would like to ship your order to a separate
address for secure delivery please be sure to include the C/O information (such
as an employer, family member or neighbor name) and notify them of the expected
delivery so that it can be accepted and not refused. The Tree Maker will not
accept responsibility for any returned packages from the delivering carrier. If
a second shipment is required and incurs a second fee it will be the
responsibility of the client to afford such a fee.
Occasionally we will ship by UPS or FED EX if a package is
oversized and requires it. However, please note that we strive to keep all
costs to a minimum for our clients for a more affordable yet pleasant
experience overall therefore this is not standard. Again, if you have any
questions regarding your order we ask that you make those questions known prior
to placing your order.
All standard shipping times apply to carriers used unless
rush shipping is added to your order. These times can vary depending upon
mailing location.
INTERNATIONAL ORDERS
All shipments made outside of the United States take approximately 7-10
business days for delivery. These
packages will be handled by the United States Postal Service (USPS) but will be
transferred to contracted carriers in the country of delivery according to
federal contracts. If your package takes longer than suggested please keep in
mind that Customs Departments can hold a package for up to 30 days past the
suggested 7-10 days. This is out of our hands and once it is passed to the
connecting carrier we cannot assume responsibility. Please make sure your
international mailing address is compliant with the USPS standards. Additional importation fees may apply and are
also not within our control. Please make yourself familiar with any potential importation
fees in your home country as orders will not be refunded or reshipped if
returned to The Tree Maker. Please also be aware that packages may be inspected
upon arrival to your country by your local Customs Department. This also is out
of our control and we cannot be held liable for any damage or failure in
delivery. This must be handled between each client and their Customs
Department. Tracking is only offered
with International Deliveries upon request. This request must be made by phone
with order placement as there is no option for this service on the website in
the ordering process.
2. What is Your Replacement or Return Policy?
In the unlikely event a product is damaged in shipping or for some reason a customer needs to return a product to us, we have created a webpage discussing that procedure and is called our Merchant Policy.
3. How do I know this is the right coat of arms for my surname?
The coat of arms will normally show the surname at the top and the country of origin at the bottom. Many people are of the mistaken belief that a particular family coat of arms is theirs just because their surname is the same or they come from the same country. For example the surname “SMITH” has over 100 different coat of arms for that surname. There can be multiple coats of arms for a particular surname from the same country or from different countries. The makeup of a coat of arms depends on many other factors as well. It depends on which country and what year the coat of arms was made, along with who had it made, and how boastful they were. Always keep in mind that surnames are normally derived from what a person did for a living, but can be derived from the place that the family was from or a description of a person. We use the oldest coat of arms that is in our records. This does not mean it is the only coat of arms out there. The only way to be certain of your family heritage is to have your family line researched by a professional genealogist, and this service can be read about at the following link: Family Genealogy Research. Some coat of arms is actually owned by the family with that surname and you must have permission to use it. If you have a particular coat or arms that you would like to match, or to create your own, then email us your ideas to us and we’ll make it for you. The fonts used for the country and surname on our coat of arms are normally in “Old English”. You can see some samples of what that font looks like by clicking here.
4. How do I know this is the right surname origin for my family?
We use a database that has the listing of most surname histories. Many people are of the mistaken belief that a particular family history is theirs, just because their surname is the same or they come from the same country. There can be multiple surname histories of a particular surname from the same country or from different countries. For example your family line may come from Germany and before that England, and before that Ireland. Also, surnames are normally derived from what a person did for a living, but can be derived from the place that the family was from or a description of a person. A good example of this is the surname “SMITH”, which has many different surname histories depending on a person’s occupation like: “Tin Smith”, “Silver Smith”, or “Black Smith”. Each of these origins can also have many countries that claim to be the origin for that surname. The histories of those surnames may or may not be in line with your family heritage. The only way to be certain of your family genealogy is to have your family line researched by a professional genealogist and this service can be read about at the following link: Family Genealogy Research. The fonts used for the surname histories and on our coat of arms are normally in “Old English”. You can see some samples of what that font looks like by clicking here.
5. Can I preview a coat of arms before buying a product?
Yes, we do offer a preview for coat of arms to our visitors before they buy a product. We do this for several reasons. For example; some customers may have an existing coat of arms that is an old heirloom, which has been handed down over the years and the customer wants to make sure that we have the same one as they have. Another reason is some surnames have more than one coat of arms like the surname Smith, as it has many countries of origin that the name can be from and the total number of different coat of arms for Smith is over100. For these reasons and several others we offer a Preview for a small charge to help cover some of the cost of the artist’s time in creating the artwork for the coat of arms. You can search for your name here.
6. Can a coat of arms be emailed to us?
Yes, we can email a coat of arms to clients that purchase that service. The coat of arms will be emailed in a JPEG format and the size will be between 700k and 900k. These coats of arms look great on letterheads, envelopes, and other types of paper products that are printed. The coat of arms can also be printed larger, but is limited to the quality of paper, program, and equipment that you will use to print with. These JPEG’s are set to a certain size of about 7.75 X 9.5. The resolution of the coat of arms is around 300.
Processing time in typically 2-3 business days as all emails/emailed products are manually sent by a member of our staff. In busier times, i.e. Christmas, the month of June due to Father's Day & Wedding Season it may take a few more days for processing.
7. Can you use special characters with the letters like German or Chinese letters, or some of the other languages have?
No, we only use the letters in the English language that are used in the United States. We use two different types of fonts in our programs. The first is an “Old English” font in our coat of arms and surname histories. The second font is use on our family tree charts, so we are able to write customers family names in an elegant calligraphy. Using special letters or characters for each language would be very difficult. If we used special letters from one country then we would have to do this for all countries, and that is an area we do not want to get into. No Special letters or characters.
8. Will you research where my cousins or grandparents came from?
Yes!! The Tree Maker has strived for the last year, looking for a company that has the reputation of being able to deliver family names, birth and death records, and personal history about the ancestors that our visitors are looking for along with many other treasures about their family genealogy. This research company’s name is “ProGenealogists” and we feel it has the reputation that is warranted in order to be listed on our website as a “Family Genealogy Research Company”. This service can be read about at the following link: Family Genealogy Research
9. Is there a guarantee for the Surname Origin Research?
Yes, If the research team cannot find anything on the surname they are researching for you, than a full refund will be given. The research team that The Tree Maker uses has about a 98% success rate with the research orders that we have placed with them. This is a GREAT Average, but that does mean about 2% of research will turn up no results. There are multiple ways you can spell most surnames and it is possible that the spelling for your surname is very unique or from an area in the world that has very little data recorded from ancient times for the spelling of your name that you supplied. The charge of the research service is very small in comparison to how much work the research team will do in searching for the origin of your surname. To improve your chances of having the results you are seeking then don’t mention the country that you think your last name is from when placing your order. This way the research team will not be handicapped by only searching in one country, but will search the whole world for information on the spelling of your surname. This does increase the chances of finding information on your surname. Keep in mind questions 2 and 3 above as they also pertain to the results that the research team finds.
10. Is a cousin's chart and a normal customized chart the same?
The cousin's chart and customized chart are different in several areas. The cousin's charts show the first 4 or 5 generations in a family including cousins, siblings, aunts, and uncles. One important difference is that you can change the appearance of your chart. The black lines that are normally on a fan chart that separate the names can also be changed. You can cross out or shorten the black lines that may not look like they belong. You can also add a line here or there if necessary. Remember that you can change almost anything. Extra cousin's charts are $19.95, if ordered within 30 days.
11. What names does a customized chart show?
A family tree chart starts with someone like you. It then shows your Mother and Father, then their parents and each of their parents, and so on. The charts do not show cousins, aunts, uncles or siblings. Just your direct lines.
12. Can I have other information added to my tree fan?
Yes. Customization of your chart is offered. Normally the customization is to install the names of your direct lines, add a coat of arms, or surname history. If you have something else in mind, than just e-mail us your ideas to see if we can accommodate. Your questions will be answered as soon as possible to let you know if the work can be done, and the price for the additional custom work. Our company is willing to listen to any ideas you may have.
13. Is there a way I can keep the cost down on a customized chart?
Yes, by ordering extra charts for your brothers and sisters when you order yours. If you are all from the same parents, order the same chart style, and order them at the same time. Then you will be charged full price for the first one, and $19.95 for each additional chart. You can then split the cost equally. That would reduce your price. The more brothers and sisters you order for, the more money you save. We will start each brother and sister's chart with their name at the beginning just as we would with yours.
14. What does the calligraphy font style look like on the family tree charts?
The Tree Maker reserves the right to edit names, dates, and other information as we see fit, to enhance the appearance of each genealogy chart.
and we will reply back to you as soon as possible.
