If something has gone wrong with your order, this guide explains what to do next, what we may ask you for, and how we work out the right way to put things right.
If you’re reading this, there’s a chance you’ve just opened your box of promotional calendars or fundraising calendars. You were looking forward to seeing them. You’ve cut through the tape, pulled out the first one and... hang on a minute.
Something isn’t right.
Maybe some of the calendars are damaged. Maybe you’ve been sent the wrong ones. Perhaps something’s missing, or the print just isn’t quite what you expected.
Whatever the problem, you’re probably pretty annoyed.
So, in this article, we explain what actually happens when there’s a problem with an order. How we deal with it, what we might need from you, and how we go about putting things right.
Need help now?
If you have already placed your order, you will have been given a specific point of contact. That person is there to help you.
You can read on if you wish, but the fastest way to get help is to contact them straight away, either by replying to their email or getting in touch through our website.
Short disclaimer
This guide explains our usual process for handling order issues and our approach to each type. That said, for legal disputes, it should be read alongside the . If there is any conflict, those terms and conditions apply.
Support topics
Quick links for getting help with an order.
Need a hand?
Send us your question and we’ll help with artwork, delivery or choosing the right product.
For business and organisational orders, obvious issues under I2, I3, I4 and I5 should be reported within 2 working days of delivery or collection, and hidden manufacturing problems within 14 calendar days. These periods do not limit consumers’ statutory rights.
I1 - My order is late
If your order is marked as late on Track My Order, or the latest dispatch date has been missed, then yes, your order is probably late.
Before going any further, please double check a few things:
the turnaround option you chose: Standard, Fast Track, or Rush Service
when you approved your proof
whether the right number of working days has passed since proof approval
whether your proof had to be revised because of a change you requested
This matters because your production timeline does not start when you request a quote, place the order, or send artwork. It starts when you approve your proof.
If your order has gone out late, we are sorry. If you paid for a faster turnaround, we will refund or credit the full extra charge for the affected job if the delay was caused by us.
If you did not pay for a faster turnaround and your order is still late, we do not usually offer a partial refund unless the order is more than 7 working days late.
I2 - My goods arrived damaged
If your products arrive battered, wet, crushed, or otherwise not fit for purpose, please contact us as soon as possible and send clear photos of the damage.
Where possible, do not fully unpack everything or try to fix the issue yourself before speaking to us. Photos of the outer packaging, box labels, damaged products, and any visible courier damage are all helpful.
If we agree the products are significantly damaged, we will usually arrange a courier collection so the goods can be brought back to our factory and assessed properly. Customers are usually not wrong about this sort of thing (and we try to be fair with our interpretation and err on the side of caution).
What happens next depends on the damage. Sometimes part of the stock can still be used and only the damaged quantity needs to be replaced. Sometimes the whole job needs to be reprinted. If the damage was not caused by you, we will handle the resolution at no extra cost and as quickly as we reasonably can.
Goods do not leave our factory knowingly damaged, so this kind of issue is often linked to transit, storage, weather exposure, or handling after dispatch (cardboard and rain, for example, are not famous friends).
If the damage appears to have been caused after delivery, such as boxes being dropped, stored somewhere unsuitable, or opened in a way that damages the contents, we will still listen and review it case by case.
I3 - My goods are defective or not correct
There are two broad types of issue here.
Objectively defective
Sometimes the issue is obvious. For example:
calendars missing wire
notebooks with pages falling out
a branded diary with no branding on it
products that clearly do not match the basic order specification
any other obvious production fault
If something like this has happened to a material amount of items in an order, we are likely to be embarrassed and very keen to sort it quickly.
As with damaged goods, we may ask for clear photos and we may arrange a courier collection so the goods can be brought back to our factory. Reprints or replacements may depend on us being able to inspect the goods properly.
Subjectively defective
Other issues are more difficult because they depend on interpretation. For example:
a colour that does not look how you expected
wire quality that feels different from what you had in mind
print quality that you do not think is good enough
a finish, material, or detail that feels different from what you imagined
These cases are trickier. Sometimes the customer is right. Sometimes the product is within normal production tolerance, even if it is not what the customer pictured.
The first question we ask is this: was the issue visible in the proof you approved?
If the answer is yes, then our ability to put things right at our cost is limited. The proof is the version we were authorised to produce. If the issue was visible there and the proof was approved, we are usually not responsible for remaking the order for free. That said, we will still look at the issue and see what can be done. There may be a practical way to help.
If the answer is no, then we may be at fault. In that case, we will compare the finished goods with the approved proof, your order details, and our production records. Our responsibility is to supply products that match what was ordered and approved. If we have failed to do that, we will explain the options available and work towards a fair resolution. In many cases, that means a reprint, subject to the goods being returned to us for assessment.
I4 - My order contains the wrong product or quantity
If you’ve been sent the wrong product
This is normally fairly black and white. We will ask you to send clear photos showing what has arrived, including any labels or packaging where relevant.
If it looks like the wrong product has been sent, we will usually arrange a courier collection so the goods can be brought back to our factory and assessed properly.
If you are right, we will send the correct products. In this situation, customers usually are right. Second time’s the charm, though we would obviously rather have got it right the first time.
If you’ve been sent the wrong quantity
If you think your order is short, let us know as soon as possible.
The first thing we will check is whether we have any overs at the factory. Overs are extra units produced during manufacturing. We often include these with the order for free, but if any remain with us, we may be able to send them out to make up the difference.
If there are no overs available, we then need to check whether the shortage sits outside the allowed production variance. This is set out in the terms and conditions agreed when the order was placed. For calendars and diaries, this is typically 5%. For other products, it is typically 10%.
So, if you ordered 100 units of a product with a 5% variance, the final quantity may fall between 95 and 105 units (you’d of course be credited the difference in price, see the Trade Terms for more information). That said, if we know we have sent less than we should have, we will try to put it right.
If the shortage is outside the allowed variance, we will work quickly to resolve it. This is a serious issue and may require an inspection, so we may ask for photos, box counts, delivery notes, or arrange a courier collection so the goods can be checked properly.
I5 - My order is missing something
This could include:
missing envelopes
missing inserts
missing samples
missing fittings, such as the buckle on a shipping calendar
a partial delivery, such as one box not arriving
This type of issue can vary a lot, so general advice is difficult. Sometimes something has been missed. Sometimes part of the order is still in transit. Sometimes it is a packing or dispatch issue that needs checking against the factory records.
The best thing to do is contact your order representative as soon as possible. They have direct communication lines with the factory and can usually get answers quickly.
That said, you can rest easy knowing that if you bought something from us and it has not arrived when it should have, and there is no evidence to suggest it was delivered, such as a signed delivery record, we will treat it seriously and move quickly to put it right.
I6 - My issue is not listed
Please get in touch with your order representative. That is usually the person who sent your order acknowledgement.
They are best placed to advise you because they can look at your actual order, check the details, and speak directly with the factory if needed.
We are not angry at customers with genuine problems. We try to help where we can, even when the issue is not our fault. And if it is our fault, we want to know about it and put it right even more.
Learn how to track your Think Promote order online, view production updates, check dispatch status, and find courier tracking details after your order leaves the factory.
