Frequent Asked Questions

General

  • Q: Who can buy in your e-store and are there particular parties to whom the store is directed?
  • A: Any person above the age of 18 who has access to the payment methods used in our e-store (PayPal account, credit card charge by 2CO or other mentioned methods) can buy in our e-store. The e-store was designed to supply small and medium size businesses which operate as resellers, but we repeat that any person can buy in our e-store.
     
  • Q: What is the minimum order quantity (MOQ) I need to purchase?
  • A: The MOQ per an item is always one bag. The quantity of units that comes per bag is usually 25 pieces but can also be different. Please check in the item description for this data.
    There is no other minimum order or any restriction that apply, there is no minimum order as per value amount order either, and any value amount is accepted to be ordered.
     
  • Q: What is the country of origin of your beads and the other items sold in your electronic store?
  • A: All the beads and other items sold in our electronic store are MADE IN PERU. This is our pride and the reason why we have created this e-store, in order to promote and to strength the production of beads (and other related items) in Peru. Under the unlike possibility in which an item was not made in Peru, the item description will let you know about that. If there is no data of this nature, it is because the item was 100% manufactured in Peru.
     
  • Q: I am a big buyer and my purchase needs are much bigger than small to medium size purchases that are supported in your web site, what can be done?
  • A: Our e-store is designed for small and medium size businesses, if you are a big buyer who would purchase big quantities, then, our e-store is definitely not how you should buy from us. Please contact us to discuss your needs (sales@inkabeads.com).
     
  • Q: What do I need to do so I can make a purchase?
  • A: You just need to create an account in our e-store by filling up an electronic form, this form includes important data such as your address and contact details so we can contact you if needed and of course so we can issue the invoice of your purchase and that we have the address to which we need to ship you your order. Creating an account is simple and should not take more than 5 minutes. You can create your account at any time during navigation in our e-store, in case you try to check-out while not have created an account yet, you will first be asked to create one and once created you will be able to check out.
     

    Shipping, Handling and Delivery
     
  • Q: How will you ship me my order?
  • A: All orders are shipped with Serpost which is the Peruvian postal company: www.serpost.com.pe; you will be asked to choose between two postal shipment services: EMS (Express Mail Service) or Common postal shipment- International Economy shipment. Some countries do not have EMS shipment service so the shipping option is reduced to only one- the common postal shipment which is a service available worldwide.
     
  • Q: When can I expect my order to arrive?
  • A: The arrival time of your order depends on a few factors, such as:

    • Type of service you have chosen to ship your order by: EMS is faster in delivery than the common postal shipment also called International Economy service.
    • Geographical distance from our country, if your country is located far from Peru (like in Asia or Oceania) then delivery takes longer than other regions (like North America, Europe, etc.).
    • The operator company in destination, in some countries their service is faster than others.
    • How fast customs will process your package; in some countries custom clearance is normally fast (like in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia among others) and in some countries custom clearance is very slow (like in Italy, Poland); so the delivery time frame very much depend on custom clearance too.

      *** We make full tracing for each package we ship and we will update you if needed about its location.

       
  • Q: Will I pay duties for my order?
  • A: Different countries have different customs rules and regulations; you need to check with authorities in your country. Duties are to be fully paid by the buyer. You can contact us to see if we have specific info about your country as some countries do not have duties on goods from Peru.
     
  • Q: What is the express shipping service and what are its advantages?
  • A: The express shipping service is called EMS: Express Mail Service. The advantages of this service are that it is a fast shipment and it is traceable on the web site, so you can know when it left Peru, when it arrived to your country, when it has inbounded to customs etc.
    EMS is not available to all countries in the world. So, wherever this service is not reachable, we can only ship with one service which is the International Economy service (common postal service) which is available worldwide.
    The official delivery time frame for EMS is 7 to 10 working days.
     
  • Q: What is the International Economy shipping service?
  • A: The International Economy service is a common international postal shipment for small packages, this service is usually not traceable in the web (with an exception for a few countries), and it is only being registered when it leaves Peru.
    The average delivery time frame for this service is 4 weeks.
     
  • Q: Who will deliver my package and how will I get it?
  • A: The package will be delivered by the local postal company or local operator of the service, for example, in the U.S. it will be delivered by the USPS, in the U.K. it will be delivered by Parcel Force. Your order should be delivered to your door, according to the given address; unless it is retained by customs and you will need to cooperate with customs in the clearance process. Please contact your local postal operator for more info. If you need details about your local operator – please contact us, we might be able to help providing you this info.
     
  • Q: How fast will you ship me my order?
  • A: We work on a stock base shipment; so, your order will be shipped within three business days counting the next day to your order date.
    If you have ordered a quantity which is above the quantity that we have in stock at the moment you will be advised about that in the Shopping Cart before check out, Normally we ship every order in one shipment, so if you have purchased quantity that exceeds our stock, we will first finish production for the missing quantities and then we will ship you your order. This can take about 4 weeks so please be aware of that and you are always advised to contact us first (before making the purchase) for more info.
     
  • Q: My order is not arriving despite the long time that has passed, what should I do?
  • A: Please contact us, we are here to help and solve any case. Please note that delay and failure in delivery are not our fault but it is our problem too and we will make arrangements for your full satisfaction. 
     
  • Q: What is the cost I am charged for the shipping?
  • A: You are charged by what the service costs us here being converted to United States Dollar with the exchange rate of the day. The shipping rates can change from time to time due to changes in the exchange rate or because of changing in the rates that the postal office charges.
     
     
    Prices & Payments
     
  • Q: How can I pay?
  • A: You can pay with PayPal service or with your credit card through a secured gateway of the company 2CO; if you wish not to use PayPal or your credit card then we offer the next options: Telegraphic Transfer from bank to bank, Western Union or Money Gram. When paying by one of these three options, the transaction is off-line; you can make your order on-line and complete the payment as required by these services and you are then asked to submit us the confirmation that the payment has been done. Please contact us for further info about these options for instructions and restrictions info if apply.
     
  • Q: I do not have a credit card or I wish not to pay with it, can I still purchase?
  • A: Yes, you can still purchase but the purchase process is different. In this case you will place your order on-line and then you will complete payment in one of the three ways that we accept which are:

    • Telegraphic Transfer from Bank to Bank (T/T)
    • Western Union
    • Money Gram

      Once you have taken care of payment please send us by e-mail a copy of the document that credits your payment and then we will proceed with shipping you your order.
       
  • Q: Is the on-line payment made in a secure environment?
  • A: Yes, the payment on-line is made in a secure environment provided by a third party service: PayPal or 2CO. When you give your credit or debit card details, you are actually doing it when you are not in our site but in a secure gateway of a well-known company who provides professional service of this type to thousands and thousands of internet e-stores.  We do not have access to details about your credit card or debit card.
     
  • Q: How does the price range system work?
  • A: The price per range is a discount system where the more you buy from a specific item, the less the price you are charged per a unit becomes. In order for you to qualify to a better price range, please check what the next quantity is where a new discounted price range is applied. Please note that the price range is not accumulative between more than one item, you must purchase the whole quantity of the same item in order to obtain the discounted price range, discounted price system do not apply if you buy several items of the same sub-category or category, it must be from the same item.
     
  • Q: Is the price per range applied to several items in the way that it is accumulative?
  • A: No, the price per range is only applied for the same item, if you buy several items, even if they are from the same category or sub-category, your purchase is not qualify for a discounted price per quantity range, only when you purchase from the same item, only then you can obtain the discounted price per range as long as your quantity does reach a higher range discounted price.
     
  • Q: My purchase is pretty big and already weigh more than 20 KG (44 lbs.) (so it is more than one box), is there a way to reduce the shipping cost ?
  • A: Yes, your order can be shipped with an airline cargo service to an available airport close enough to your location. This option can be done starting with 45 KG but it becomes cost effective for sure if the order is at least 100 KG. If it is less than 100 KG then it needs to be evaluated which shipment form is more cost effective. If you wish to examine this option please contact us.
     
     
  • Q: What does the price include?
  • A: The price except from the direct cost of the goods you buy also includes the handling. The price does not include the shipping cost which is charged once you finalize your order and go to check out to pay.
     
  • Q: What is the cost I am charged for the shipping?
  • A: We charge the exact cost we are charged for by the local postal company to ship your order. The shipping price is influenced by three factors:

    • The zone of which your country is subject to, there are six zones and they all cost differently.
    • The weight of your order.
    • The exchange rate of the USD with the local Peruvian currency as the payment to the postal company is done in local currency.

      *** We encourage you to contact us in order to get some tips on how to minimize shipping costs in our electronic store, there are a few tricks you can use and benefit from. 
  • Q: What are the shipment zones mentioned in the previous question and what do they mean?
  • A: The postal company divides all destinations to which we can ship to, into six zones according to its distance from the origin - Peru. The closest zone is the one that costs less (Zone 1) and the most distanced zone is the one that costs the most (Zone 6) for a determine weight. The zones are:

    • Zone 1: South America
    • Zone 2: North and Central America including the Caribbean
    • Zone 3: Europe
    • Zone 4: Africa and the Middle East
    • Zone 5: Asia
    • Zone 6: Oceania
       
  • Q: In what currency are the prices in your e-store?
  • A: All the prices and costs are in United States Dollar. Payment can only be made in this currency.
     

    Return Policy
     
  • Q: Do you accept returns?
  • A: Yes, you can return the goods to us under the following restrictions and conditions:

    • Goods must be in good conditions, not damaged or broken. Original packaging must not be altered.
    • Goods must be shipped back in the original boxes and in the same packages and carry along the same documents that they were shipped with.
    • Buyer pays the shipping back fee.
    • You must contact us before shipping it back letting us know you will ship it back and advise the reason for that.

      Once the return package has arrived and was processed we will contact you to see what would you like to do next, the options are:

    • Refund
    • Exchange with different goods
    • Credit you for a future purchase
       
      *** We preserve the right to decide to use the refund option even if the client would like to use a different option.
       
  • Q: How long does it take to process a return?
  • A: Take under consideration the shipping time back (ask the local operator for estimated shipping time) and also the custom clearance process can be up to 3 or 4 weeks, yes, customs here are not too efficient. We cannot do any compensation or credit you before getting the package and process it. Once we have your package in hands, we will process it within two working days; we will contact you once we have finished processing.
     
  • Q: I got my package but some items are damaged or broken, what should I do?
  • A: Due to the nature of the products we sell being fragile, although we pack the goods in a safe manner and have achieved a very small rate of damages to our customers, still this is something that can happen, so we apologize for that and ask you to contact us to find best solution to compensate you… please be kind enough to provide us with images (the more, the better) of the broken pieces and give us full details of how it arrived, in what conditions, so we can learn from it and try to avoid it from happening again.
     

    Product Safety
     
  • Q: What is the recommended age for your beads and pendants?
  • A: Our beads and pendants are not recommended for children under 12 years old. The Beads and Pendants are not toys; they are components to create jewelry and handcrafted works.
     
  • Q: Are the beads Lead (Pb) safe?
  • A: Yes, our ceramic items are all being manufactured with safe pigments, glazes and over glaze paints that are free of lead. The lead level in our pieces is less than 100 ppm.
     
  • Q: Are the beads Cadmium (Cd) safe?
  • A: Yes, our ceramic items are all being manufactured with safe pigments, glazes and over glaze paints that are free of cadmium. The Cadmium level in our pieces is less than 100 ppm. There are two exceptions for that and it is for the items that are glazed in red and orange colors. These glazes color use pigments that do have a certain amount of Cadmium in it by the manufacturer definition of the raw material used in production, to our best knowledge there are no such pigments in the industry to be found that do not contain Cadmium. The Cadmium amount in these items does not exceed the 600 ppm.
     
  • Q: How do you guarantee product safety requirements are fulfilled?
  • A: We conduct periodical laboratory tests on our ceramic pieces to ensure the lead and cadmium levels in it are controlled and are less than the maximum allowed level by foreign laws that guide us. For our best knowledge the maximum allowed level for Lead (Pb) in the state of California (which has the most restrict law in the U.S. for that) is now 300 ppm. Our beads are less than 100 ppm. Cadmium is the same (always less than 100 ppm) with the exception of two colors products as explained in the previous Q&A.
       
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