1. Overview
At The Golden Souls, every piece of apparel we create carries our mission of giving back to golden retriever rescue foundations. We take pride in the quality of our garments and the care that goes into each custom order. Because many of our products are made-to-order or customized, our policy is designed to ensure clarity, fairness, and respect for both our customers and our craft.

2. Custom & Personalized Items
All custom or personalized apparel — including items featuring custom artwork, embroidery, logos, names, or specialty printing — are final sale and not eligible for return or exchange, except in the following cases:
- The item arrives damaged, defective, or not as described
- A production error occurred during printing or embroidery

If this happens, please contact us within 7 days of delivery with your order number, a brief description, and clear photos of the issue so we can make it right.

We will either:
- Reproduce and ship a corrected replacement at no cost, or
- Issue a full refund to your original payment method

3. Defective or Damaged Items
If your order arrives damaged or defective, please notify us within 7 days of receipt by emailing: thegoldensouls@proton.me

Please include:
- Your order number
- Photos of the defect or damage
- A brief description of the issue

Our team will respond within 2 business days with next steps for a replacement or refund.

4. Refund Processing
Approved refunds are typically processed within 5–7 business days after your return is received and inspected.
Refunds are issued to your original form of payment.
Please note: shipping fees are non-refundable unless the return is due to our error.

5. Exchanges
To ensure the fastest service possible, we recommend placing a new order for the correct item and returning the original for a refund. This helps reduce delays and ensures your preferred size or design remains in stock.

6. Sale Items
All sale, discounted, or clearance items are final sale and not eligible for return or exchange.

7. Shipping & Return Instructions
To initiate a return:
1. Email us at thegoldensouls@proton.me
2. Include your order number, item(s), and reason for return
3. We’ll provide a Return Authorization Number (RA#) and instructions
4. Once your return is received and approved, we’ll notify you via email

8. Policy Abuse
We reserve the right to deny returns or exchanges that do not meet these conditions, appear worn or washed, or show evidence of repeated policy abuse. This helps us keep pricing fair and quality consistent for all customers.