Refunds & Returns

Last updated: 4 August 2026

The short version: if you are not happy with your portrait, tell us within 30 days and we will put it right — a free repaint, a replacement, or your money back. We would rather you loved it than kept it out of politeness.

The 30-day happiness guarantee

You have 30 days from the day your portrait is delivered to tell us something is not right. Write to [email protected] with your order number and a photo of the piece as it arrived, and tell us in your own words what is bothering you. There is no form to fill in and no hoops to jump through.

Depending on what is wrong, we will offer one of these:

• A free repaint. If the likeness is not right, or the colours or the mood are not what you hoped, our studio will do it again, guided by your notes, and print and ship the new piece at no cost to you.
• A free replacement. If the piece arrived damaged or the print itself has a flaw.
• A refund. If we cannot get it right for you, we refund what you paid.

Repaints are free. We do not limit them to one, but we do ask that you tell us what to change — specific notes ("her muzzle is greyer than that", "the eyes should be amber") get a much better result than "it does not look like her".

Made to order, and what that means

Every portrait is made from your photo, for you. Under US practice, personalised and made-to-order goods are normally exempt from ordinary change-of-mind returns, because there is nobody else on earth who wants a painting of your dog. That is the legal position, and we want to be straight with you about it: strictly speaking, we do not have to take a personalised piece back simply because you changed your mind.

We choose to go further anyway. The 30-day guarantee above is offered voluntarily, and it covers being unhappy with the artwork — not only faults. It sits on top of your legal rights and takes nothing away from them. If an item is faulty, damaged, or not what was described, your rights under US consumer law apply in full regardless of anything on this page.

Because pieces are made to order, we cannot resell a returned portrait, so returned items are recycled or destroyed responsibly rather than restocked.

Damaged or defective items

If your piece arrives damaged or has a printing or framing fault, email [email protected] within 30 days of delivery and include:

• your order number,
• a clear photo of the damage or fault,
• a photo of the outer packaging, including any crushing or tears.

The packaging photo matters — it is what our print partner and the carrier need to see. With those two photos we can usually approve a free replacement the same day. We do not normally ask you to send the damaged item back; if we do need it, we pay the postage and send you a prepaid label.

Things we cannot fix

A few honest limits, so nothing comes as a surprise:

• Photo quality. A blurry, dark or very low-resolution photo limits how much detail our artists' process can recover. We will always tell you if we think a photo is too weak, and you can send a better one.
• Screen versus print. Colours on a phone or laptop are lit from behind and always look brighter than ink on canvas. A small difference in tone is normal and is not a fault — though if it looks genuinely wrong to you, tell us and we will look at it.
• The wrong size or frame chosen at checkout. That is not a fault, but talk to us anyway; we will usually find a way to help.
• Accidental damage after delivery. Sun fading, spills and knocks are not covered, though we are happy to quote for a reprint.

How to start a return

1. Email [email protected] within 30 days of delivery with your order number and photos.
2. We reply, usually within one business day, with what we suggest — repaint, replacement or refund.
3. If a physical return is needed, we send you a return address and a prepaid label. Please do not send anything back before we have confirmed it, or we may not be able to trace it.

Who pays return shipping

We do, in every case where the item is damaged, defective, not what was described, or where we sent the wrong thing. You will never be out of pocket for our mistake.

Where you are simply returning a correct, undamaged personalised item under our voluntary guarantee, we will tell you clearly at the time whether we are covering the return postage. In most cases we will not need the item back at all.

Cancelling before it ships

Production starts soon after your order is confirmed. If you need to cancel, email [email protected] as soon as possible. If we have not started, we cancel and refund in full. If the piece is already in production, we cannot cancel it — but the 30-day guarantee still applies once it arrives.

When you get your money back

Approved refunds go back to the original payment method. We send the refund within 3–5 business days of approving it; your bank or card issuer then usually takes a further 5–10 business days to show it on your statement. That last part is out of our hands.

Refunds cover what you paid for the item. Shipping was free, so there is nothing to refund there.

Gifts

If you received a portrait as a gift, you can still use the guarantee — email [email protected] with whatever order details you have. Any refund goes back to whoever paid, but replacements and repaints come straight to you.

Still not sure? Just email [email protected]. Barksmith Studio is operated by Che, MB, Juknaičių g. 29, Slengių k., LT-92343 Klaipėdos r., Lithuania, company registration number 307744104.