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FAQsAbout HOI1) Where is HandsOfIndia based out of? HandsOfIndia is a proprietorship firm based out of New Delhi, India. Though the company is incorporated in Delhi, we work with artisans from all over India. 2) Who are the promoters of the outfit? HOI is promoted by two sisters - Malyada Goverdhan and Ramya Rangacharya. You can read more about us here. 3) What is the mission of HOI? Our mission is - "To become synonymous with fairly traded, eco-friendly and genuine handcrafted products, of the very highest quality, from all over India.'. 4) What is the legal nature of the company? HOI is incorporated in New Delhi as a proprietorship, for-profit firm owned by Ramya. The company is based out of Delhi, and has a branch office in Bangalore which is headed by Malyada. Its audits are submitted every year certified by a Chartered Accountant, and the company has an export and import license from the Govt Of India. 5) Why is HOI not a member of the fair trade organisations? We are currently starting up, and it will take us about a year or so to get ourselves certified. We are currently undergoing the process of getting recommendations for the membership, and hope to achieve it soon. We understand its a fair expectation of the customers from us. 6) Are HOI products certified as eco-friendly? All, but a few, products on HOI are hand made without the use of a powered machinery. We use handloom extensively, but in rare cases, where linen is required, we use power loom cloth. In terms of the dyes that are used, we are currently in the process of getting natural dyeing certifications. The cotton that is used in the process is grown organically as well as otherwise. Any 100% organic or natural product will be listed as such. If they are not listed specifically, then it means that either the colour used in dyeing or the fabric constituent has chemical properties in it. All the products on the website are completely handmade from only natural items though. 7) Are all products designed by HOI? A lot of products on HOI are traditional pieces, the design for which has been the handed down over generations. In a lot of categories though, we are designing products along with the artisans , usually making them more contemporary. We are also enhancing the functional aspects of traditional products, and moulding them to fit into today's lifestyle. 8) Is HOI a not-for-profit firm? HOI is a for-profit organization, and the handsofindia.com website is part of it. We are in the process of incorporating a not-for-profit wing, which will work closely with artisans of a region in developing their skills, and educating them to develop quality systems and new designs. Once a group is developed, it will be handed over to the for-profit wing, which will then help market the products directly to the consumers. Order Delivery - Shipping1) What shipping options do I have at HOI? You can choose normal shipping, or get your packet delivered in quick time by express shipping. Normal Shipping, is the cheaper option, but it will take anywhere between 7-10 days for your packet to arrive (outside India). Within India, the delivery is done in 2-3 days' time. Normal shipping is handled through India Post, and is available for more than 97 international destinations and 1000 domestic destinations. Insurance is also available at minimal rates, and the parcel can be tracked online.
Only for international buyers, express shipping is available with Fed Ex, though its an expensive option, and in some cases, the shipping charges might exceed the product cost itself. The delivery is guaranteed to be done in 5 days' time. 2) How can I Track My Order? Once your item has been shipped, your tracking number will be available on your "My Purchase History" page, against the order. The status of the item will also correspondingly change to 'Shipped'. Depending on the carrier chosen for delivery, you can then track the packet on the website of the carrier. Your order confirmation email will mention the web-page where you will be able to track your order. Privacy and Security1) How is my transaction on the site secure? All the transactions involving your credit are done outside the handsofindia.com domain, on the Payal website, which is a completely secured environment to transact in. We neither store your details, nor we ever get to see them. We just store your email details, and will never share them with anyone. In addition to this, we are a secure certified site, and just as a safety precaution, all the pages on the website which require you to log-in will be secure pages - which means that your conversation with us through those pages will be encrypted, and any third party will not be able to eaves-drop. You can make out the secure pages by the URL in your browser address bar. All the secure pages will start with https instead of the usual http. You can read our complete privacy and security policy here . 2) Does HOI store my credit card/billing address details? No, HOI does not store any of these details in its own database. Please read the response to the question above. Always remember that we will never ask for your credit card/billing details ever, either on our website or through any email. In case you receive any such requests, please do not reply to the email, and forward the email to us at . Exchange and Return1) What if I want to return the items I have purchased? Please read our Exchange&Return policy here. In case it still doesnt answer your question, please write to us at . 2) My item has been delivered in a damaged condition, what do I do? If possible, please click some pictures of the packet the way it was delivered to you. In case the damage only showed once you opened the packet, please click photos of the item, if possible. Write to us asap, at mentioning your order number. You will have to ship back the damaged item to us, and we will replace it with another piece, completely free of cost. Please read our policy here for complete details. 3) I am not satisfied with the quality of the product delivered, what do i do? Please do write into us with details at . Remember to mention the order number in your email. We will try our best to help you out, and in case of any real issue, we will replace the item. Please remember that handcrafted items are one of their kind. The inconsistency in the warp and weft, and colours is the essential quality of a handcrafted item. The colour might not match the exact shade you thought it to be, but inspite of our efforts, the colour display varies as per the monitor you are using, and the camera used to taken the photograph. We try to keep the colour on the website as close to the actual item as possible, but sometimes minute variations do occur. in the rare case your recieve a defective item, we will replace it with either the same item, if it is in stock, or offer you a refund. Products1) Can I have an item custom made? Yes, you can, but we cannot guarantee the availability of some of the items throughout the year. The handicraft business is dependant a lot on the seasons, and we will try our best to get what you want. Please fill our enquiry form here. Select Custom Order as the option, and try to give as much detail as possible. We will get back to you within 3 business days. 2) How can I order items in bulk? Please fill our enquiry form here, and select Bulk Order as the option. We cannot guarantee bulk supplies immediately, as hand made items by nature need time to get made, but we will try our best to meet your needs. India Customers1) What if I want to buy in India and pay with Indian Rupees? You can still buy on the website and get items shipped to an indian address, but the payment will be done in dollars, and you will be charged the INR equivalent of the dollar amount as per current conversion rates. We instead suggest that you note down the product id of the item that you want to purchase and write to us directly at . This way we will be able to charge you the correct price in INR. 2) Why is INR payment not supported on the website? Currently, our India site is under construction and we are hoping to launch it sometimes soon. You will then be able to use your debit cards/indian bank accounts/credit cards to make the payment in INR.
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