Repair Policy for Jewelry under Warranty on items Purchased from the Ugly Otter
On any item purchased from us, we will have repaired, or replaced if possible, as needed, for a period of four months after the purchase provided the needed repair is not due to mis-use or abuse of the product. These repairs will be done at our expense. After four months, see the next paragraph.
For Repair of Items not Covered under Warranty, or items Purchased Elsewhere
We have no shop, and do no repairs ourselves. However, we recognize that in most areas of the country, even the most reputable jewelry shops do not, or can not, do acceptable repair work on Native American Jewelry, especially if the jewelry contains turquoise or coral stones as they are just not familiar with the technique.
We do, however, offer the following service to our customers, and to those who might become our customers one day:
If you send us the item(s) needing repair, we will take the item(s) to reputable Native American Silversmiths who work on/near the Navajo or Zuni Reservations. We will ask them to do the necessary repair, and if they accept the work, they will professionally perform the needed repair. This will include any needed silversmithing, welding, replacing lost stones, cutting stones to match if needed, and any and all other aspects of putting your jewelry back in it’s original condition to the best of their ability. They are professionals – after all, they make most of the jewelry shown on our web site.
Things you should know before sending the jewelry to us for repair:
A. We will not know the cost of this repair until after the work is done, and the jewelry is back in our possession. However, it is our experience that in the past these charges were very modest and reasonable. Sorry, no estimates are obtainable, but we can assure you it will be fair.
B. After we receive the item(s), we must physically take the items(s) to the Silversmiths, and we may make this trip only every month or so. (It’s several hundred miles over desert and mountains). Also, we must pick up the item(s) after repair, so it is possible the length of time for you to get the item(s) back could be as long as two to three months. Maybe longer, maybe shorter. If you cannot be without the item(s) this long, please don’t send them to us. It is no use to bug us about “when will you get the item(s) back”. We will send them to you as soon as we get them back.
C. If you have a photo of the jewelry before it was damaged, it will help if it is sent along with the jewelry. This is especially true in the case of lost stones. If you have the stones which may have fallen out, please send them along.
D. Do not send “junk” jewelry, non-Indian Jewelry, or imported jewelry. They will not work on it. They will only work on genuine American Indian Jewelry. And, yes, they can tell the difference!
E. If the item(s) are antique, or very old, and you do not want the “patina” removed, don’t send it to us. When you get repaired items back, it will be polished similar to when it was new.
F. If you are gonna bug us with e-mails and phone calls asking “when will I get my jewelry back”, please don’t send it. See paragraph “B”, above.
G. After sending the item(s) to us, please don’t keep asking “did we get it”. Of course we got it, if sent by U.S. Mail. We have found that U.S. Mail is very reliable, and is far different from third world countries where looting of mail is common. If you are really concerned with the mail system, send it “Delivery Confirmation” , or “Insured”, and you can track it on the web, if you like.
H. If the above terms are agreeable, please send the jewelry along with a note saying what is to be done (if it’s not obvious) with your name and address and e-mail address to the Ugly Otter himself at:
Ugly Otter Trading Post
1188 Court St. #50
Elko, Nevada 89801
Shipping and Handling for the return of the repaired items.
Our shipping and handling fee is $10 per shipment for First Class (or Priority) U.S. Mail shipment to any place in the United States. For UPS, or Fed Ex, or USPS Express shipments to United States destinations, the fee is $10 plus the actual charges made by the delivering carrier.
For USPS shipments to foreign destinations, the shipping and handling fee is also $10 per order and will not be insured. For UPS or Fed Ex shipments to foreign destinations which will be insured, the fee is $10 plus the actual charges made by the delivering carrier. We will use our judgment in shipping to foreign destinations.