FAQ's and Shipping

POLICIES

SHIPPING

We aim to process and ship all Domestic and International orders within 1-2 business days of purchase for standard shipping and next business day for priority shipping. During high volume times such as sales or new releases, please allow up to 3-4 business days. 

The customer is responsible for ensuring we have the correct address prior to shipping. GLKA always ships to the shipping address supplied at the time of checkout and is not responsible for packages delivered to an incorrect address. Reshipment on packages returned to GLKA due to incorrect address reship at the customer's cost. 

We always offer carrier calculated rates for first class, expedited, or international shipping. We also offer UPS ground shipping as an option as well. Orders shipped outside the continental United States may experience longer transit times.

Please know that we do occasionally experience oversold items as we reach end of available inventory, particularly on Clearance or Sale items. Please note that due to our warehouse processes, you may receive a shipping notice prior to being contacted, but we will contact you within the next business day in that event.

We are unable to make adjustments to your order's contents after an order is placed -- our warehouse often processes orders within a few hours of them being placed so you must contact us IMMEDIATELY if you notice any discrepancies on your order notification. We are not able to cancel orders once processing begins, so recommend emailing within 30 minutes of placing your order if you find the information is not correct. 

AFTERPAY

We have recently partnered with AfterPay you allow our customers in the continental United States the option to split their transaction total into four easy installments. Your order will process as normal with no shipment delays and will be subject to our standard Customer Service Policies as well as being eligible to earn into our new points program. For more information, please refer to AfterPay's help section on their site!

Please note that gift card purchases are not eligible for AfterPay. AfterPay accepts Visa and Mastercard cards and collects the first installment at checkout and then charges your payment method every 2 weeks, for four equal installments. You can pay off early or change your payment method by logging into your AfterPay dashboard and selecting the “Pay Now” Button.

Please note that if you use Shopify Pay, it will override your payment selection options; to select AfterPay, simply bypass the code prompt, or select checkout as guest. 

MISSING PACKAGES

Packages that are marked as delivered, but are “not received” are your responsibility to track down. Please check with your neighbors, next to your porch, or your back door -- sometimes they’re tricky. Your local post office can check the geotag of the delivery scan and escalate an investigation on your behalf, but we are not able to track down on our end.

GLKA is not responsible for stolen packages, your best course of action is typically to file a police report and submit a claim via your home or rental insurance. 

Packages that are LOST by USPS will be replaced after 21 days of non-movement for domestic packages and 8 weeks for international. We do not issue refunds on lost packages.

If you have any concerns once your package has been received by USPS, you may wish to open an investigation either through your local post office, or by calling the main USPS support number at 1 (800) 275-8777 (select carrier to speak to a representative.) We have found that recipient-initiated investigations are a smoother process in terms of routing the inquiry through the correct channels, so unfortunately we are not able to offer to open the investigation on your behalf.

INTERNATIONAL ORDERS

International orders shipping costs are carrier calculated rates based on order weight. These orders may be subject to duties and/or taxes on full retail value, these fees are the responsibility of the recipient. International orders may take up to 6 to 8 weeks for delivery depending on country.

TAXES

We are required to charge sales tax to the following states where we have physical or economic nexus.

RETURNS

Returns are accepted on all unwashed and unworn stock items within 30 days of receipt of your order if you are unhappy with your item, or damage was caused to the item through no fault of your own.

Shipping costs are non-refundable on all orders.
For Domestic Returns, you can send the item(s) back to the address below. We will issue a refund for your items when we receive the package. Please include a note with your name, order number and reason for return. Returns with no note or information may result in no reimbursement or delay in processing the return.
In the meantime, you can purchase any item(s) you want, and we will get them shipped to you ASAP.

For International Returns, GLKA will charge a flat $15 return fee for all international returns to be deducted from all returns upon receipt for both Refund and Shop Credit.

Returns for defective items or shipping errors must be shipped within 14 days of label receipt.

To initiate a return on eligible items, please email us at [email protected]We want to make it right, so please let us know if there is something you are unhappy with.

MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR ORDER NUMBER INSIDE YOUR RETURN!

Return Address is:
Great Lakes Kids Apparel
Attn: Returns (Order #)
7575 Tyler Blvd #4A
Mentor OH 44060



PRODUCT VARIANCE

Please note that as with any retailer, there may be variance in production on dye lots as well as very minor improvements in fits and finishes from season to season.

Every garment/style will have variance of measurements that makes up what we call tolerances. Tolerances are a plus or minus measurement used on a tech pack ("how to" for making a garment) to determine whether a product meets a specified quality standard. For example, one point of measure (POM) for a chest width may say the tolerance is plus or minus 1/2" from original measurement. Tolerances are put on garments to include human and machine variance that occurs at the cutting and sewing stages. Each measurement both length and width of a single garment will have its own tolerance to help keep each size within the perimeters of the tolerances.

Standard variance is up to 1" in length and .5" in width from piece to piece. Variance that falls within this threshold is not considered defective. We suggest referring to our sizing charts pictured in our apparel listings before making purchases but also ask you to keep in mind these tolerances when comparing one garment to another.

DAMAGES OR DEFECTS

A full refund, store credit or exchange will be offered to you in the event that an item you received was damaged or defective in any way. You MUST contact us within 30 days of receipt to initiate a claim. Please inspect your items carefully upon receipt. Defective items must be returned to us to initiate your claim. GLKA assumes return shipping responsibility on all damaged or defective items. We do not offer exchange, refund, credit or otherwise on purchases over 30 days, or items that have been washed or worn, for any reason.

Please be aware that smartphone screens, tablet screens, and computer screens do not always depict colors exactly as they will appear in real life.

FAQS

PRODUCTS & OUR WEBSITE

Q: Will my items shrink?
A: Our items are NOT pre-washed, so we cut generously to allow for a bit of expected shrinking.

Q: How do I wash them?
A: Our items say to hand wash, however, almost all of our customers (including ourselves), wash them in cold water and then just throw them in the dryer!

Q: How does GLKA apparel fit?
A: For the best fit, please reference our sizing charts (link at very bottom on webpage).  We normally find however, that they run very true to size.

Q: Where is Great Lakes Kids Apparel Made made?
A: We currently use a manufacturer overseas and are very active in the day-to-day practices.

Q: Do you offer coupon codes or discounts?
A: We sure do! Make sure to follow our Facebook and Instagram pages for our current sales and updates. We also have a Texting alert program with discounts. Most importantly our GLK Bucks program - join to earn points towards future purchases! Also, you will receive a special thank you code after your first order! 


Q: Can I use more than one discount/coupon code on my order? Can I use a coupon code on a purchase of sale or discounted items?
A: We apologize but discount codes cannot be stacked and are not applicable to discounted items!

Q: When will you be restocking the product I'm interested in?
A: When we have a date for restocking popular items, we will definitely be sharing to our social media accounts as we do any shop announcements. The best thing to do is sign up for our restock notifications. You will be emailed when its available.

 

AFTERPAY 

Q: What is AfterPay?
A: AfterPay is a payment method that allows you to split your transaction total into 4 installments for NO FEE; the first is paid at checkout and your order processes like a standard order and ships with no delays. Your order will be subject to our standard Customer Service policies and will accrue Loyalty Points like any other order.

Q: How long does it take to pay off my AfterPay charge?
A: AfterPay collects the first installment at checkout and then charges your payment method every 2 weeks, for four equal installments. You can pay off early or change your payment method by logging into your AfterPay dashboard and selecting the “Pay Now” Button.

Q: Can I use my Discover or American Express card?
A: I am so sorry, but at this time, AfterPay only supports Visa and Mastercard.

Q: Why don't I see AfterPay as an option with my qualifying cart?
A: If you use Shopify Pay, this tends to override all other payment methods. To use AfterPay, you can either select to bypass the confirmation code prompt, or you can select "checkout as guest."

Q: Where can I get more information on AfterPay?
A: You can consult AfterPay's help section on their site for more information!