Legal
Terms of service
The terms on which we sell and ship, and what you can expect from us when something goes wrong.
This page is a working draft. Items marked [TO CONFIRM] — the selling entity, the governing law, payment methods and the point at which risk passes — still have to be completed and reviewed before orders are accepted on these terms.
These terms
These terms apply to every order placed on the Qi House store. By placing an order you accept them; if you do not accept them, please do not order. We may update them (section 15), but the version that applies to your order is the one published when you placed it. [TO CONFIRM: whether any mandatory consumer-law provision of your country overrides a clause here]
Who we are
The store is operated by [TO CONFIRM: registered company name], registered at [TO CONFIRM: registered address]. “Qi House”, “we”, “us” and “our” mean that company.
Eligibility and your account
You must be at least 18 years old, and able to enter into a binding contract, to place an order. You are responsible for keeping your sign-in code and password confidential, and for activity on your account. We may suspend an account we reasonably believe is being used for fraud or abuse, and we will tell you why.
Products, materials and natural variation
Everything we sell is made by hand from natural materials — stone, wood, clay, silk, silver, tea and resin. Colour, grain, weight and dimensions vary from piece to piece and from the photographs. Unless a listing says otherwise, the photographs show the type of piece rather than the individual unit you will receive. Hand-made and natural variation is not a defect.
Prices, currency and taxes
Prices are shown in US dollars. They are the final amount: duties and import taxes are settled by us, not by you (section 8). We may change prices at any time, but not after you have placed an order. Where a price was plainly wrong — for example a misplaced decimal point — we may cancel the order and refund you in full rather than honour it.
Placing an order
An order is an offer to buy. We accept it when we confirm it to you by email. Nothing is charged at the moment you place an order: at present we confirm the payment method with you directly before anything is taken. We may decline an order — for example if a piece has sold, if we cannot ship to the address, or if the order looks fraudulent — and if we do, we will tell you and take no money.
Payment
At present no card is processed on this site. After you place an order we contact you to agree how to pay. [TO CONFIRM: payment methods and provider, and whether payment moves to online card processing] Nothing is charged until we confirm the order with you.
Shipping, duties and delivery
- Where it ships from — each piece ships from the maker’s city in China.
- Transit time — usually 5–12 business days in transit once the order is confirmed, with tracking.
- Cost — free on orders over $150, and a flat $18 below that.
- Duties and import taxes — already included in the total you see at checkout. What you pay at checkout is the final amount. Courier staff should never ask you for money. If anyone does, write to us before paying anything.
- Late or lost parcels — if tracking has not moved, write to us with your order number and we will chase the courier or replace the piece.
Returns and refunds
- 30 days — change your mind within 30 days of delivery and send it back. Everything must be unused and in its original packaging.
- Exceptions — incense and tea cannot be returned once opened, for hygiene reasons. Pieces made to your specification cannot be returned.
- Who pays return shipping — we cover it when the fault is ours, such as a wrong or damaged piece; otherwise you do.
- Refunds — issued to the original payment method within [TO CONFIRM: refund processing period] of the returned piece arriving and passing inspection.
- Damaged or wrong on arrival — write to us within 30 days of delivery with your order number and photographs; we will replace the piece or refund you.
This does not affect any statutory rights you have under the consumer law of your country, which may be stronger than what is written here.
Authenticity, materials and care
Every piece is sourced from a named maker or studio, and the listing states the materials, the place of origin and any treatment applied as accurately as we can. Care instructions are given on each listing and in the care guide; damage caused by ignoring them is not covered.
Intellectual property
The site, its photographs, its text and the Qi House name and marks belong to us or to our licensors. You may not reproduce them commercially without our written permission. Photographs of pieces you have bought are yours to use as you wish.
Acceptable use
Do not use the site to break the law, to scrape it at volume, to probe or disrupt its security, to place fraudulent orders, or to post unlawful or abusive content in reviews and messages.
Our liability
We are liable for loss you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breaking these terms or failing to use reasonable care — for example, the price you paid and the shipping cost. We are not liable for loss that was not foreseeable, for business losses, or for delay outside our control.
Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law, including for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for fraud.
Governing law and disputes
These terms are governed by the laws of [TO CONFIRM: jurisdiction]. If you are a consumer resident in the EU or UK, this does not deprive you of the protection of the mandatory rules of your country of residence, and you may bring proceedings in your local courts.
Before starting proceedings, please write to us — most problems are settled in one email.
Changes to these terms
We may change these terms. The version that applies to your order is the one published when you placed it, and the current version and date are shown at the top of this page.
Contact
Questions about an order, a return, or these terms: write to us. We aim to reply within one business day.
This document is provided in English and Chinese. If the two versions differ, the English version prevails.