General Questions

Why do some items say "Sold out"? All items at Loving Africa are handmade, and some are limited edition items. Because the items are not mass produced and come from Southern Africa, it is not always possible for us to keep up with demand. If you are interested in an item that says “sold out”, please email us and we will notify you as to how soon it will be available.

Will the item I order look exactly like in the picture? In most instances, the item will look very similar to the pictured image. However, all items are handcrafted, not machine-made. Therefore, there may be variations in color and detail. Even so, we make every effort to make sure that the product shown is as similar as the one you will receive as possible. Again, if you are not satisfied, simply return it and we can exchange it for another item, or issue a refund.

Can I place a custom order? If you have in mind a special image, animal or gift idea that you would like to have custom designed, please notify us by email. Many artists take custom orders, so don’t hesitate to ask if your idea can be fashioned into a one-of-a-kind work of art.

Shipping and Delivery

What are my shipping options? We use FedEx, UPS or the US Postal Service.  FedEx and UPS require a street mailing address. However, we will ship orders to a PO Box, APO, FPO or international address via the US Postal Service (Priority Mail).

What are the shipping charges? Shipping charges within the US are shown in the table below. These are flat value based rates and include insurance for your security. 

Charges for optional services

Multiple Address Fee :  $4.99 per additional address
Expedited Shipping :  $9.99 and up, depending on weight

I placed an order! When will I get it? We process most in-stock orders within 48 hours, and ship them within 72 hours of processing. However, you should allow up to two weeks after the shipment date to receive your order, as we generally use ground shipping services to keep rates low. Transit time depends on your distance from our location in California. For items that are on back-order, we will notify you of the expected date of arrival.

If you need your shipment to arrive by a specific date, please notify us and we will reply regarding the likelihood of timely arrival and the necessary shipping method. We may suggest expedited service, which carries an additional charge.

How will I know when my order has been shipped? Once your order has shipped, you will receive a Shipping Confirmation email with a link to track your order.  By following this link, you can see what method of shipment was used and where your package is located.

How can I track my shipment? If FedEx is used to ship your order, an email will be sent with a tracking number and a link to track your package. This tracking number can also be entered manually at one of the following web addresses for U.S. shipments: 

FedEx: http://www.fedex.com/us/tracking/

UPS: http://www.ups.com/WebTracking/track?loc=en_US

If the US Postal Service is used, you will receive a delivery confirmation number which can be used to confirm the delivery of your shipment.
USPS: http://www.usps.com/shipping/trackandconfirm.htm

Do you ship outside of the United States? Loving Africa ships to all of the 50 United States as well as all APO/FPO addresses and Puerto Rico with the shipping costs listed in the table above.

Residents of the UK, Ireland, France, Japan and Canada may also place an order for delivery via Global Priority Mail via the US Post.  If your country is not listed here, please send us an email to inquire about shipping options. Please note that the shipping charges listed above will not apply to international shipments, but will be calculated according to your location.  You may place an inquiry via email to receive a shipping quote.   Otherwise, you will receive an email with the estimated shipping charges after placing your order.

Can I request that an item be sent to someone as a gift? Yes!  Any item from Loving Africa can be sent to a gift recipient.  Simply insert the recipient’s details in the Shipping Address form, and indicate if you want a brief personalized message included.

Do you offer gift wrapping services? Yes!  Many of our items can be gift wrapped for $3.99. Gift wrapping can be requested by selecting it in the shopping cart just before checkout. Note that we do not provide gift wrap option for specific items in the cart (i.e. only some items get gift wrapped and not others). You can also include a personalized message to be included with the gift.

Can you guarantee that my holiday order will arrive before December 25? For guaranteed arrival before December 25:
Orders must be placed by December 13 for standard shipping.
Orders must be placed by December 18 for expedited shipping.

Wholesale and Bulk Orders

I own a store and I would love to sell your products in it. We are particularly excited to work with Boutiques, Fair Trade shops, Museum Stores and any other retail stores. We have a formal wholesale line. Please email us at info@artaidsart.org to request a catalog and price list. Please include your business name, address, phone contact and resale number.  We look forward to working with you. 

Donations

Can I submit a request for a donation? You can! Please visit here for more details.