Terms & Conditions - Venetian Masks Shop

Venetian Masks Shop (www.venetianmasksshop.com)

About Us

At Venetian Masks Shop, we offer a wide range of superior Venetian Masks to suit your individual requirements. With our many years of experience and extensive network of resources, we are able to sell our hand-made, genuine Venetian masks at highly competitive prices. Our Venetian mask makers (Italian: mascareri) are all based in Venice and provide us with the highest quality masks. Many of which follow a long history of excellence and skilled craftsmanship that has been passed on from generation to generation.

From our galleries, you are able to select and purchase an authentic Venetian mask and/or disguise that reflects your individual personality, changes it or even conceals it. After all, Masquerades, Carnivale and masked balls were originally events that were designed to allow the identity of the person to be hidden so that they could interact with other people while incognito, “Man is least himself when he talks in his person, give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth….”, (Oscar Wilde).

We have designed our website to be user-friendly and easy to use in the hope that it will be a pleasurable experience. We hope that you will enjoy choosing your Venetian masks and that they will invoke an atmosphere of Venetian Carnival that brings you joy and satisfaction.

Our Venetian Masks

Our Venetian masks come directly from the most skilled and experienced masks makers (mascareri) of Venice. The quality of our papier-mâché is superb and each mask is individually finished to the highest standard. The colours and designs follow patterns that are derived from Venetian carnival (carnevale) masks and disguises, whose origin can be traced as far back as the 13th century. Many of the characters origins can be traced back directly to a 16th century form of improvisational theatre known as the Commedia d’arte. These characters include the Harlequin, Puccinella, Scaramouch, La Bauta and many more.

Please read our History of Venetian Carnevale & Venetian Carnival Masks for a more detailed introduction.

For that special event, a wedding, or that beautiful new dress, we will also help you to choose a Venetian mask to match your outfit. Alternatively, we can make a custom designed one especially for you. All we would require is at least 10 days notice. Why not look at our selection of Vanity masks that contains and features some of our one off creations within its range.

All our masks are hand made from natural antique fabrics, silks and laces and covered in rich jewels. If required, our masks can also be finished with a beautifully crafted baton attached for a little extra cost. Please ask for details on your next purchase. For those who prefer to decorate their own masks, we have introduced a new range of blank (blanc) papier-mâché masks; these can be used for masked balls or simply to decorate a home with your own ideas and designs.

Masks are ideal for masquerade balls or a party, school project, a theatre play or as a gift for your favourite friend.

Capes and Accessories

To compliment our Venetian masks, we have a small range of capes and hats to wear in the style of traditional 18th century Venetian period costume. The capes come in two varieties: a full circle cape or a half circle cape, depending on your preference. They are made of pure lightweight wool or a heavy cotton velvet with or without a hood. In Italy, capes and cloaks (tabarro) are also worn to the theatre or to an evening out. Capes are available in the colour black and in the sizes, medium and large. Please check with us for your correct size before purchasing and note that capes are also available to order in other colours (such as burgundy, or deep green etc.) by request only.

All of our capes are unisex and so can be worn by either men or women. One type of cape that is particularly well suited to the feminine form is available in a heavy, high quality cotton velvet with a detachable hood. The colour currently held in stock is black but other colours (such as wine, or deep green etc.) can be ordered on request. We also hold a selection of three-cornered Venetian hats in black or red.

Our three-cornered hats are also unisex and are available in most sizes for men and for females; we also can supply the three-cornered hat with a small traditional veil attached on request. We will need to know your hat size so please don’t forget to include this information with your order. If you are unsure of these and any other facts regarding your order please contact us for help.

For made to measure capes, please enquire for details, and note that ordering time is 3 weeks.

Currency Conversion

XE Personal Assistant™

The international currency conversion on this website is provided by XE.com (http://www.xe.com) and is solely intended as a general guide to assist shoppers in the calculation of international currency exchange rates. Accordingly, we do not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, reliability or completeness of any of the information contained on, downloaded or accessed from their (XE.com) website. As a visitor to our website, you acknowledge and agree that any reliance on or use by you of any information provided by XE.com shall be entirely at your own risk. A full copy of of their (XE.com) terms and conditions of use can be found at http://www.xe.com/legal/

Terms & Conditions

Payment Policy

Orders can be made by filling out one of our Order Forms and sending it to our address which can provided on request. Alternatively, orders can also be made by sending an email to the following address;
sales@venetianmasksshop.com.

How Online Shopping Works

To make your online shopping experience more user-friendly, we have provided the facility for a secure shopping cart on each of our mask galleries. Simply select your preferred currency (US Dollars, Euro or GB Pounds) and method of payment via PayPal.

PayPal Payments

1. Please select the required finish of the product where applicable, (e.g. gold leaf, silver leaf or leather finish etc), then click the "add to basket" button, where you will be directed to the secure PayPal transactions shopping cart.

2. Once here, you may securely add further quantities of the selected item(s) by changing the number under the heading "Quantity" and pressing the "update" button, Likewise, you may remove any selected item(s) by ticking the remove box and pressing the update button, At any time you may continue shopping by clicking the “Continue Shopping” button and your previously selected items will be stored for later use. You may return to your shopping cart at any time by pressing the "View Cart" button located at the top of the page.

3. When you have finished shopping and are ready to purchase your items you may proceed to checkout by clicking the “Proceed to Checkout” button. Please check that all of your product information and billing information displayed is correct before continuing.

4. Those shoppers who don't wish to become a PayPal member should choose the option marked "Don't have a PayPal account? Continue". Shoppers who would like to use an existing PayPal account should enter their username and password and select the "Log In" button.

5. At the Billing Information area shoppers will be prompted to enter their Credit/Debit card details, Billing Address and Contact information. Shoppers are reminded that information with a red asterisks indicates a required field and must be entered. Please note that shoppers may inspect their shopping basket at any time by pressing the button marked "View Details". When you have entered all of your billing & delivery information you may conclude the transaction by pressing the button marked "Continue Checkout". Provided your payment is accepted and cleared, we will receive a transfer notification from PayPal that funds have successfully been transferred.

6. The full payment displayed in this shopping cart includes postage which is charged according to the value, weight and volume of the goods to be delivered. Goods will be shipped by the Royal Mail and are charged on the basis of estimated weights, Volume or sizes of packages, destinations and insurance. Please note that insurance values for each Royal Mail sent package/parcel are limited to GBP £500.

7. If you are encountering any problems while using any feature of our site, please contact us at the following address
sales@venetianmasksshop.com

We will not dispatch any goods until we have received a notification from either Nochex or PayPal that you have actually transferred payment through their secure sites. For further information regarding the services provided by Nochex, please go t o www.nochex.com. If you live in the US or any countries outside the UK, we accept forms of payment using PayPal, Western Union or MoneyGram. Please note that Shoppers are not required to be a member of PayPal to be able to purchase goods. For further information regarding the PayPal payments method, please go to www.paypal.com.

We can also accept payments by Western Union or MoneyGram International. For further details on how to use this facility, please go to www.westernunion.com or www.moneygram.com. Please note that all transfer and other ancillary charges have to be paid by the buyer. Goods will not be despatched until we have received clearance or confirmation of payment made online. All payments and transfers must be processed and cleared before masks can be shipped. We are not responsible for any faults, errors and/or omissions of the money transfer companies. Please read their terms and conditions especially on different charges imposed in transferring monies to us.

Shipping and Handling Policy

Postage and Packing

All masks are priced in British Pounds (£ GBP), € Euros and US Dollars exclusive of shipping, handling and insurance costs. The shipping costs will obviously be dependent on your destination and quotations are available on request.

Although we give a 10% discount on orders over 5 masks, all shipping charges are calculated at rate cost and are made subject to the postal regulations of the United Kingdom.

We can also ship by FedEx (www.fedex.com) or UPS (www.ups.com) or any other express delivery service, if required, at your cost and by special arrangement. All special shipping charges have to be paid in advance before any masks/goods can be despatched.

However, we do not guarantee delivery dates and are not responsible for any delays for whatever reasons which are outside our control.

Shoppers are reminded that some countries or the states therein may be subject to additional import taxes and customs duties for certain classes of goods.

Within the UK we are able to send out the masks by Royal Mail, a next day special delivery service. Within the United States of America & Europe, delivery of goods normally ranges from between 3-5 working days.

Back Orders

In the event that an ordered product is not currently held in stock we will back order it for you. Normally, back ordered stock items will become available within 7 days. If an item that you have ordered is not currently in stock we will send you an e-mail to give you an opportunity to cancel. We will only charge your credit/debit card once the item has been shipped to you.

Refunds and Return Policy

We always make sure that the goods and masks that we despatch are all in perfect condition before they leave the UK. We will not be responsible for any damage that may have been sustained to the goods/masks while in transit prior to reaching their final destination, nor be responsible for any delay that might have been caused by customs inspection either in the UK or abroad for security reasons.

However, in certain circumstances, we will only accept returns or offer credit for other goods, if you return the masks/goods to us unused, undamaged and within 7 days from receipt of the goods. We require that the masks/goods be returned with its original box and packaging to us as soon as possible and without further delay. Please also note that all customs and taxes for returned goods are strictly the responsibility of the customer and we will only accept any returned packages free of these charges. We reserve the right to offer a credit or return on a case to case basis.

Should we decide to give a return or credit, the buyer will forfeit the postage/delivery charges and any refund or credit will only be given on the net amount of the masks/goods paid.

Corporate Events & Wholesale

We regularly service companies worldwide for their masked balls or corporate hospitality events. Corporate clients are advised that we will require at least 30 days prior notice to have any masks specially made and delivered. Once the masks are confirmed and mutually agreed as far as specifications, full payment is required upfront and no refunds will be available as they are specifically cut and handmade for each client by our masks makers in Venice.

Warranties

Whilst we strive to manufacture naturally created products while using the safest possible materials available, we can only guarantee those factors that are directly under our control. Although the materials used in the making of these masks and other products are highly selected and are created for durability and comfort, we cannot be responsible for any form of natural deterioration and/or for wear and tear of fabrics. Proper care and attention to their usage and storage is therefore strongly advised. All masks and costumes are handmade to a standard size for each product style, However, small variations in size, colour, gems, appearance or other integral design and construction features may exist.

Disclaimer

Venetian Masks Shop and/or its agents, cannot be held liable for any claims, injury or damages resulting from anyone's physical conditions such as allergies or sensitivities to materials used in the making of these masks or any claims, injury or damages that might arise as a result of wearing these masks. This web site and all information and descriptions thereof, should be construed on an "as is, where is" basis. We make no warranties or representations, express or implied, of any kind with respect to this web site. Contents, price and masks availability is subject to change without notice. Please note that products ordered may differ slightly from those illustrated on this web site.

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