FAQs

Below is a list of frequently asked questions and their answers. Have a technical question you'd like to ask? Ask Arty! (you can click this link or send an email to askarty@douglasandsturgess.com)

How do I find out how much shipping is going to cost without entering my credit card info on your site?

The easiest way to do this is to enter your shipping address (ignore express checkout options at the top of the check out screen) and click "continue to shipping" to get shipping costs! Our site will NEVER make you pay before you've viewed and selected a shipping option and clicked "continue to payment" or "pay now" (this applies to express checkout as well). If you are still having trouble you can always call us for a quote.

There is a product I need that I don't see listed on your website, is this product available?

Most products we carry are listed our website, save for some bulk products or special order* items. If you need to place an item on special order*, please call us to get a quote! Anything else that isn't listed is most likely a product that is out of stock at the moment. Please feel free to call us to check! Please also feel free to check on the stock of any product before placing an order. We are happy to help you!

*PLEASE NOTE OUR SPECIAL ORDER POLICIES:

  1. Lead time for special order items is typically 1-4 weeks.
  2. Minimum order quantities may apply for some items.
  3. Any items we don't normally carry must be paid for in advance. No exceptions. No refunds.
  4. When your special order item arrives to our warehouse, we will call to notify you and you can arrange for pick up or shipping.
  5. We only have so much room to hold products in our stores, so please try to pick up your special order items as soon as you can. Call us if there are going to be significant delays.

    I just placed a Will Call order, when will my order be ready for pick up?

    We will send you an email as soon as your order is ready. Please DO NOT come to pick up your items until you hear from us, as sometimes we need to pack a product to order or transfer items between stores, and this can take some time. If an item you ordered is out of stock, we will notify you.

    How long will you hold a Will Call order?

    Will Call orders will be held for 1 week. If items are not picked up after 1 week, your card will be refunded and items will be returned to the shelf. 

    Can I place items on hold?

    Yes! Items placed on hold will be held for 3 business days in either of our stores.

    Help! I put the wrong shipping address on my order, (damn you, autofill!) how can I fix this?

    Please call or email us as soon as possible and we can try to fix this for you before your order is shipped.

    The SKUs I've come to know and love are no longer listed with items. How can I search for items? 

    Even though product SKUs are no longer visible, you can still search using them! Simply type a SKU in the search bar and your item should pop up! Our search bar is also very responsive and can pull up items by name or description! If you still can't find a product, give us a call and we can help!

    Do I have to create an account to place an order?

    No! (New policy as of 9/22/22!) You can check out as a guest. This is also helpful if you want to get a shipping quote fast for products before you decide to order.

    I am a tax-exempt customer, how do I make sure I don't get charged sales tax?

    Any out-of-state customers will never be charged sales tax, but if you are a tax-exempt customer operating in California and we have a copy of your seller's permit and resale certificate, we will refund any sales tax that was charged to you when we process your order. Not yet in our system? Simply email a copy of your seller's permit and filled out resale certificate to us and let us know you want to be a tax-exempt customer. If you want to permanently avoid having to pay sales tax for any future online orders, please create an account with our Shopify store and send us a note.

    I don't see FedEx listed for freight anymore, is this still an option?

    Our Shopify store can't use FedEx for shipping orders, (at least not right now). So, if you want us to use FedEx to ship your order, please call us and place it over the phone.

    The shipping price I'm being quoted for an order seems high, what gives?

    Shipping weight and dimensional weight are factored in to shipping costs from UPS and USPS through Shopify, and while the system tries to be as accurate as possible, there are bound to be some glitches. If the quoted shipping price comes down when we process your order, we will refund the difference back to your card. Please feel free to give us a call if you have any concerns. You can also always place an order over the phone with us if you prefer.

    UPS Ground looks to be the only option I can use for shipping my order. Why is this? 

    Sometimes the Department of Transportation places restrictions on items and they can only be shipped via UPS Ground Service. Aerosols, Bronzing Powders and Solvents are some of the products in this category. If you have one of these products on your order, your only option will be UPS Ground. If you need a certain non-restricted item sooner, consider placing it on a separate order or give us a call and we'll see what we can do.

    I need some recommendations for someone to contact regarding a project. Who should I call? 

    We've started a Resources and Referrals page for this very thing! We're updating it regularly, but if you don't see a service listed that you need, call us and we can try to help point you in the right direction! 

    I want to take a class or workshop from you. How can I make sure I'm notified when classes are available?

    As we add classes, they will be available to reserve via our classes page. We will also send out news about upcoming classes in our e-Newsletters and social media channels like Instagram or Facebook. If you aren't on our e-Newsletter list, visit our classes page to add your email address! We will NEVER sell or give out your email address to anyone, under any circumstance.

    I need a technical data sheet (TDS) or safety data sheet (SDS) for a product I purchased from you. How can I get one?

    Click HERE to access Technical Data Sheets, and HERE to access Safety Data Sheets! These pages can also be accessed from a dropdown menu on our home page (under Data Sheets). Can't find what you're looking for? Email us!

    What is your Return Policy?

    1. All materials must be returned within 30 days and accompanied by the receipt
    2. Materials being returned must be in new/unused/unmarked/unopened condition
    3. NO RETURNS on cut materials
    4. NO RETURNS on Aerosol Products
    5. NO RETURNS on media such as books or DVDs
    6. Click here for more info on how returns and refunds are processed

    Who is Douglas and Sturgess? 

    While some of the history behind the business name remains a mystery, the business was founded by a Mr. Douglas back in 1947, and the name Sturgess could have been his partner's name. We have been trying to dig into the news archives from SF to get a more definitive answer so if we do, of course we will share it with you!