Frequently Asked Questions about Personalized Ornaments
Personalization Tips / Personalization FAQs / Ordering FAQs / Shipping FAQs / Cancelation & Return FAQs
Personalization Tips
ALL ORNAMENTS SHOWN ON THIS WEBSITE ARE EXAMPLES OF HOW AN ITEM CAN BE PERSONALIZED. ALL ORNAMENTS ARE HAND PERSONALIZED NOT COMPUTER-GENERATED. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU SEE AN ORNAMENT WITH A HEART, BUT WOULD PREFER A PAW PRINT; THERE IS NO EXTRA CHARGE TO MAKE A CHANGE. WE PROMISE THERE ARE NEVER ANY HIDDEN CHARGES WHEN SELECTING PERSONALIZATION OPTIONS ON THIS WEBSITE.
- We use upper and lower case lettering or all caps on our personalized ornaments , depending on the size of the writing area. If we cannot fit the names or words you have requested into a space, we will contact you via e-mail.
- Please, when in doubt, double check spelling of names that have multiple spellings; such as Aiden or Aidan; Caitlyn, Katelyn or Kaitlyn.
- Many of our couple and family personalized ornaments do not have specific male or female characters; rather they look gender neutral until they are personalized. On these personalized ornaments , please be sure to put the names in the order in which you would like them written. For example: Lisa & Scott or Scott & Lisa. For default purposes on this site, we will always place the woman’s name first if not otherwise specified.
- When writing in the family name, there is no apostrophe! It is the PLURAL form of the name (The Taylors), not the possessive (The Taylor’s). The correct plural form of a name ending in “s”; such as Jones, is Joneses. Since this looks awkward, we recommend “The Jones Family”, NOT “The Jones’s”, “The Jones” or “The Jone’s” since none of these are correct.
- Many couples and families have different last names. On personalized ornaments where a space is designated for a last name, we suggest you write “Merry Christmas”, “Happy Holidays”, Christmas 2009 (or appropriate year), or just the year.
- We typically add a paw print when writing a dog or cat’s name on an ornament.
- On a family ornament, if the mother is pregnant, writing “Baby-to-be” or “?” on one of the little kid’s faces looks cute!
- If requested, we can use orange, red, green or certain shades of blue, brown or purple ink for school or team colors on a white shirt, white skirt, white ball or megaphone.
Personalization FAQs
Q) How many letters can fit on a personalized ornament ?
A) With so many years of experience, we are pretty good at fitting most names and wording in designated spaces. We have given you additional personalizing ideas for many of the ornaments which will help you determine if the space will accommodate your name, sentiment or message. If we cannot fit your request in the space provided, we will contact you.
Q) What will the lettering look like on my personalized ornament ?
A) MOST of the personalized ornaments shown on our site are examples of the quality of writing you can expect from us. A select group of ornaments have received computer generated writing to give you an idea as to where the writing might look the best. Our hand written ornaments come from a team of experienced professionals. Since we have many writers on staff, we cannot guarantee that the lettering you receive will be exactly like the samples shown. We will guarantee you that it will be attractively lettered and properly centered. Our motto is “If we wouldn’t like to receive this ornament as a gift, then we will not send it to you!”
Q) Will you write on the back of the ornaments or tell the gift recipient who the item is from?
A) Unfortunately, due to the varied surfaces, we are not able to personalize the backs of the ornaments. Each ornament (other than glass keepsakes) comes with a gift tag so that you may add your own "personal" touch for your family and friends.
Q) Can I add a paw print or a red heart like I see on so many of your examples?
A) Yes, whenever you use a dog or cat’s name on a personalized ornament , you can add a paw print as well. As a matter of fact, you can order a family ornament with extra heads and write your pets’ names on them. For example, if you are a family of five, you can order a fireplace with seven stockings and put your dog’s name on the 6th stocking and your cat’s name on the 7th stocking, each with a paw print.
Q) Is there an extra charge for the paw print or red heart?
A) No, there is not an extra charge for this personalization. Complimentary HAND PERSONALIZING is provided on each personalized Christmas ornament.
Q) I’d like to give a personalized ornament to someone special in my child’s life, but I am unsure of how to sign it, any suggestions?
A) We usually sign our ornaments given by children to teachers, grandparents, aunts, etc. with a heart in front of the child’s name. If this is not appropriate for your child’s situation, or you would like to use a word instead of a heart, please let us know in the box marked “other” when filling out the information for the ornament.
Q) A friend of mine is pregnant and I would like to give her a personalized ornament , but I don’t know the gender of the child. How is this handled?
A) Some customers like a “Baby-to-Be” or “?” to denote a baby on the way in a space on a family ornament or a grandparent ornament so that when they look back years later, they will see what the family complexion was in that given year.
Q) Which name should go first, the man or the woman?
A) That’s totally a personal preference. Most samples on this site have the woman’s name first and will be sent to you this way unless otherwise specified.
Q) Can I use colored lettering on my personalized ornaments ?
A) From our many years of experience, we have found that most lettering looks best when written in black ink. However, certain ink colors work fine on sports ornaments to denote a team or school color. We have found that orange, red, green, shades of blue, brown and purple look nice when written on a white shirt, white skirt, white ball or white megaphone. If you have questions regarding the use of colored ink on your personalized ornament , send your question to AskAnElf@gmail.com and will respond as quickly as possible.
Q) Can I change the spelling of a name once my personalized ornament order has been placed?
A) Yes, if we are notified quickly and can catch your personalized ornament order before it goes into production, we will be happy to accommodate you. AskAnElf@gmail.com If, however, your personalized ornament has already been completed, we have “magic potions” that many times can remove a mistake. If it hasn’t left our shipping department, we will do our very best to correct it. Happy and satisfied customers are our #1 goal! If we cannot make the correction, you will hear from us via e-mail.
If you receive your personalized ornament and realize you have misspelled a name, please contact us at AskAnElf@gmail.com . Please be sure to include the order number, which ornament has the problem, as well as the incorrect and correct spellings. A photo of the affected ornament is suggested. If it’s at all possible, we will work out an arrangement to make the necessary corrections. Unfortunately, due to certain finishes and glazes, a few of our ornaments are unable to be “fixed”. Ornaments and More is not liable for a customer’s error and will not make a refund.
Q) Does a family’s last name have an apostrophe?
A) There is no apostrophe needed when writing the family name. You are writing the plural form of the name “The Andersons”, not the possessive “The Anderson’s”. If the name ends in “S” such as Jones, the correct plural form is “The Joneses”. Since this looks awkward, we suggest “The Jones Family”, but not “The Jones’s”. Names that end in “Z” look better when written “The Martinez Family” or “The Gomez Family”, not “The Gomezes”.
Q) What are your ornaments made from?
A) We carry a lot of products on our site. Many of our items are made from resin, clay, claydough or salt dough. Many of our items are HANDMADE. Since they are not factory produced, there are variations from year to year and ornament to ornament production. For example, hat colors may changes. Bows might be added to ornaments. Color variants will be used in figures; however, the overall ornament appearance should not be affected.
Personalized Ornament Ordering FAQs
Q) I logged into my Ornaments and More account on a previous shopping trip and created a shopping list / wish list. I would like to get back to that list, but can not seem to log in. What now?
A) Anytime you wish to log into your account, you copy and paste this address into your browser: http://www.ornamentsandmore.com/login.aspx. Please remember, you must have created an account with us after July 1, 2009 in order to access our site by using this link.
Q) I would like to order a personalized ornament for my son’s teacher, but I am on a strict budget. I would like to add the optional text; such as a heart or a phrase like “World’s Best Teacher”, but I am afraid of the hidden charges that will appear at check-out.
A) There are NO hidden charges on this site! If you would like to add a paw print or a heart to any personalized ornament , you may do so free of charge. As well, we have provided creative options to complete your ornament and in most cases allowed you to supply us with a special sentiment. The price you see when personalizing the ornament will be the price you see at the check-out.
Q) How do I know if you have the personalized ornament that I want?
A) Ellen, the owner of this site, spends her time in the off season attending various trade shows to bring you the latest trends in personalized ornaments. As well, we value the feedback received from our loyal customers on the kinds of ornaments they wish to see in the future. At present, we boast the largest selection of hand personalized ornaments on the Internet.
To ease your shopping experience, try using our SEARCH feature to find the ornament(s) you would like to view. We have worked diligently to organize this site into logical categories and break larger groups down into smaller subcategories for easier browsing. If the “themed” ornament you are seeking still does not appear on our site, you may contact us at the following e-mail address AskAnElf@gmail.com with your request.
Q) I am not very creative and cannot figure out which personalized ornaments would work for the people on my list?
A) Directly above our listing of categories on the home page, you will see our SEARCH button. When you click the SEARCH function, you are able to quickly sort the personalized ornaments by categories. Examples of these categories might be Family Size, Job or Occasion; such as Baby’s 1st Christmas.
Q) I would like to give a personalized ornament to my friend who has a Collie dog; however, I only saw one ornament on your site with a Collie and it didn’t have her dog’s name on it. What do I do?
A) All personalized ornaments shown on this site are examples of how an item can be personalized. For example, the Collie ornament may show the name “Lassie”, but we can personalize your ornament with “Chancey” or “Mabel”.
Q) I would like to use PayPal to check out to pay for my personalized ornaments , but the process seems confusing. What do I do?
A) Please select and personalize the ornament you wish to personalize. Proceed to check-out. Please click on the Paypal payment button and complete their payment information. You will need to come back to our site to SUBMIT your transaction. Once you submit this transaction you will receive a confirmation notice at the e-mail address on file with OrnamentsAndMore.com.
Q) I am trying to place an order for personalized ornaments , but my credit card keeps getting DECLINED. What's going on?
A) First, please be sure that you are entering both the credit card number correctly as well as the 3 digit CVV code on the back of the card. Next, be sure you are not over your credit limit. As well, OrnamentsAndMore.com requires the BILLING ADDRESS entered be the same as the mailing address for credit card statements. This measure is to help protect against credit card fraud. Finally, please contact your bank for more information regarding your account. All credit card processing is completed off-site and our representatives do not have access to credit card numbers.
Shipping FAQs
Q) How do your ship your personalized ornaments ?
A) During our busy season, we ship most of our packages via USPS Priority Mail. We ship most orders within 2-3 days of receipt except during our off-season which is January through August when it may take a few days longer. Priority Mail generally arrives to its’ destination within 2-3 business days (continental United States) under NORMAL weather conditions. Please be aware that we may send your package FIRST CLASS mail in a secure bubble mailer in our off-season or when shipping extremely light items.
Q) What are your shipping charges for personalized ornaments?
A) We sincerely appreciate your business and our way of saying “thank you” is to offer you very reasonable shipping costs. New for 2012, our shipping rates are as follows: Orders totaling $0 - $9.99 = $4.95 shipping, Orders totaling $10.00 - $400.00 = $6.95 shipping, $400.01 - $600.00 = $40.00 shipping. Large/Bulk/Corporate orders may be subject to higher shipping and handling fees and will be discussed on case by case basis. Frequently, we offer FREE shipping promotions when a minimum order amount is received. (Large / Bulk orders are not able to use the free shipping discount unless discussed with management.) Be sure to sign up on our mailing list or LIKE us on Facebook for group sales! to ensure advance notice of sales and special offers.
Q) Do you charge sales tax on personalized ornaments?
A) OrnamentsAndMore.com is owned and operated in the state of Maryland. Items sold and shipped to Maryland are subject to sales tax. The law requires that we charge sales tax on the total amount of the order, excluding shipping charges.
Q) What is your last shipping date?
A) OrnamentsAndMore.com is available to serve you 365 days a year. All packages are shipped from Owings Mills, Maryland (north of Baltimore) zipcode 21117. OrnamentsAndMore.com is not responsible for late or misdirected packages. Please be aware of the weather conditions in the SHIP TO area as well.
Q) How long will it take for my personalized ornament order to reach its destination?
A) During our busy season from October 1st through December 21st when we are fully staffed, your personalized ornament order will be processed and shipped from our Owings Mills, Maryland location (a suburb of Baltimore, Maryland) mostly within 2-3 days of receipt unless we have a question about your order . (Please watch your e-mail closely after placing your order in case we have questions.) At other times of the year, it might take a day or two longer at most. Your order will be shipped by United States Postal Service (USPS) Priority Mail (in-season) and should arrive within 2 -3 business days.
Q) I would like to send my purchase as a gift. Do you offer gift services?
A) If your personalized ornament is a gift, you may enter an 8 - 10 word message in the "Customer Notes" section during the check-out process. Your sentiments will be hand-written on the packing slip (contains no pricing information) and enclosed with your gift. Your name will also appear on the gift slip as the gift giver, so they can send a proper thank you upon receipt. We reserve the right to shorten a longer than allowed message.
Q) What if I receive my personalized ornament and it is cracked or broken?
A) Your satisfaction is our #1 goal. We take every precaution when handling and packing our merchandise. However, if your item arrives damaged in any way, please contact us immediately. AskAnElf@gmail.com Your satisfaction is our #1 goal and we promise to replace your item or provide a refund promptly.
We prefer to handle requests via e-mail; however, we may also be contacted here: Ornaments & More, 11438 Cronridge Drive, Suite Z, Owings Mills, MD 21117. Please be sure to include your order number, name of the personalizer (found on the bottom of the invoice) and a photo of the affected item.
Q) I entered the wrong SHIPPING address for my personalized ornaments when ordering. My package was returned to Ornaments and More. What happens now?
A) It is very important that you, the customer, when filling out the order form information, carefully enter the accurate address to which to SHIP the order. OrnamentsAndMore.com is NOT responsible for lost, stolen or misdirected packages. Ornaments and More cannot be responsible for the cost of reshipping and/or replacing an order if the order is returned or not delivered due to an inaccurate address having been supplied by the customer. In such an event all costs associated with reshipping and/or replacing the order to the customer to the corrected address must be paid for by the customer before the order is replaced and/or reshipped.
Q) Its been 5 days and my personalized ornament shipment has not arrived, what do I do?
A) Under NORMAL circumstances, your personalized ornament shipment should, according to the United States Postal Service, arrive to you within 2-3 business days via USPS Priority Mail. Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays and bad weather may delay your package. If you have any questions or concerns about your package, please contact customer service AskAnElf@gmail.com and a representative will contact you within 24 hours with tracking information. OrnamentsAndMore.com is NOT responsible for lost, stolen or misdirected packages.
Q) Can I send personalized ornaments to more than one address?
A) Yes, of course you can. As discussed in the section regarding shipping charges, you may ship to more than one address, but will need to place a separate charge for each order.
Q) How do I change an incorrect “ship to” address?
A) Since our turnaround time is mostly within 24 hours, you need to contact us as soon as possible using this e-mail AskAnElf@gmail.com, so that we can catch you order before it leaves our shipping department. OrnamentsAndMore.com is NOT responsible for lost, stolen or misdirected packages.
Q) Do you ship personalized ornaments to Hawaii, Alaska & P.O. Boxes?
A) Yes, we do ship to these locations, but we cannot guarantee the timeliness of your package. Some rural locations can expect up to two weeks for deliveries. We ship all of our packages using USPS Mail service.
Q) Do you ship personalized ornaments to Canada?
A) **Updated as of 5.6.13** Due to the increased postage cost & customs requirements, we are not able to ship to Canada other than large orders that may be discussed with customer service. If you would like to place an order totaling $100 or more USD in merchandise only, does not include shipping, please contact customer service at AskAnElf@gmail.com to arrange payment. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Q) Do you ship personalized ornaments anywhere other than USA & Canada?
A) **Updated as of 5.6.13** Due to the increased postage cost & customs issues, we are not able to ship outside of the USA & its territories. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Q) Do you ship personalized ornaments to APO / FPO / DPO - Military Mail?
A) **Updated as of 5.6.13** We have previously shipped to our troops, but due to recent postal changes, we have ceased our shipping efforts. Our team is reviewing our policy and will update this site by June 1, 2013 with a decision about shipping going forward. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Cancellation & Return FAQs
Q) I found another gift for my friend and would like to cancel my order. What should I do?
A) Due to our quick turnaround time, we begin processing your order immediately. Once you give your consent to purchase, it is not likely we will be able to cancel your personalized ornament order.
Q) How long do you accept returns for misspellings, cracks or defects?
A) Please open your items upon receipt and inspect them. If there is an error, contact us promptly via e-mail @ AskAnElf@gmail.com. We can only accept returns for 30 days from purchase. Please be prepared to supply the name of the personalizer as well as a photo of this item.
Q) What if I receive my personalized ornament and it is cracked or broken or misspelled?
A) Your satisfaction is our #1 goal. We are extremely careful when handling and packing our merchandise. Fortunately, we have had very little breakage in the past; however, if your item arrives damaged in any way, please contact us immediately. AskAnElf@gmail.com Your satisfaction is our #1 goal and we promise to replace your item or provide a refund promptly.
We prefer to handle requests via e-mail; however, we may also be contacted here: Ornaments & More, 11438 Cronridge Drive, Suite Z, Owings Mills, MD 21117. Please be sure to include your order number, name of the personalizer (found on the bottom of the invoice) and a photo of the affected item.
Q) What if I receive my personalized ornament and I realize I have made a spelling error?
A) Unfortunately, these items are hand personalized and can not be canceled or refunded. Some of our items can be erased and re-used or fixed, but since they are unique keepsakes, we can not make returns. If you need to send it back to us, please carefully wrap it and mail it to: Ornaments & More, 11438 Cronridge Drive, Suite Z, Owings Mills, MD 21117. We will fix the error and mail it back to you.