Refund Policy
Our default response to a problem is to reprint, not to refund. Reprints get you a working part faster, and it costs us less to run the printer than it costs you to find another supplier. But refunds happen too, and this page lays out exactly when and how.
The PrintForge Guarantee
If a part fails our own QC, arrives damaged, or does not match the approved specification, we reprint it at our cost and ship it on our dime. No argument, no restocking fee, no form to fill out.
What Happens in Each Case
Click the scenario that matches your situation and we will show you the exact outcome, timeline, and what you need to do.
Print defect
The part has layer separation, warping, voids, wrong color, wrong material, or dimensions outside the agreed tolerance.
What we do
- Reprint the affected parts at our cost
- Ship replacements with expedited handling
- Cover shipping both ways if a return is needed
- Investigate the root cause and document it
What you do
Email [email protected] within 30 days of delivery with your order number and photos of the defect. Include a ruler or caliper in at least one photo if the issue is dimensional. That is the entire process.
Arrived damaged
The part was intact when it left our shop but arrived broken, cracked, bent, or with visible carrier damage on the box.
What we do
- Reprint the parts at our cost
- File the carrier claim on your behalf
- Ship replacements immediately, not after the claim settles
- Review our packaging if the same failure repeats
What you do
Photograph the outside of the box before opening it if the damage is visible. Then photograph the parts inside. Send both sets to [email protected] within 30 days of delivery. That is all we need to start the reprint.
Cancellation
You changed your mind, no longer need the part, or found another vendor. Depends entirely on whether the print has started.
Cancellation tiers
- Before print starts: 100% refund, no questions asked
- After print starts, before finish: Billed for material consumed and machine time used, remainder refunded
- After shipping: Cancellation is not possible. See failed-in-use section
- Production runs: Volume orders follow the milestone terms in the signed quote
What you do
Email us with your order number and "Cancel" in the subject line. We confirm whether the print has started within one business hour and tell you the exact refund amount before you commit. No surprise deductions.
Failed in use
The part met our agreed specifications but broke, deformed, or failed after you put it into service in your application.
Why this is not a refund case
We guarantee the print, not the finished product. If the part was printed to spec and then failed under load, heat, UV, or chemical exposure in your application, the failure is either a design issue or an environment issue — neither of which is covered by a manufacturing warranty.
What we do instead
We still want to help. Send us the failed part, the geometry, and how it failed. An engineer will review it at no charge and tell you whether a different material, orientation, or design change would solve the problem. Design consultation for a reprint is free for the first hour.
Late delivery
We committed to a ship date and missed it, and the delay was on our end — not a customer revision, not a carrier delay, not a force majeure event.
What you get automatically
- Missed Standard date: No premium to refund, but we credit 15% of order value to your account
- Missed Fast date: Fast premium refunded in full (1.4× back to 1.0×)
- Missed Rush date: Rush premium refunded in full (2.1× back to 1.0×)
- Missed production milestone: Negotiated on a case-by-case basis
What you do
Nothing. Credits are applied automatically when we miss the committed ship date in our order tracking system. If you believe a credit was missed, email us with the order number and we will correct it within one business day.
Design change
You want to change the file, material, quantity, or finish before the print completes. Free as long as we have not started, and requoted if we have.
Free revisions
- File revisions before print start — no charge
- Material or color change before print start — no charge
- Quantity changes before print start — requote at new volume tier
- Multiple revisions are fine; we do not charge per revision
If the print has already started
We can stop the print and restart with the revised file, but the partial print time is billed. We quote the difference before doing anything, so there is never a surprise charge. In practice, stopping and restarting is usually cheaper than letting a wrong print finish.
How to File a Claim
Four steps, no forms, no phone tree. Most claims are resolved before lunch the next day.
Send us the details
Email [email protected] with your order number, a description of the problem, and photos. Subject line "Problem with order #[number]" gets routed straight to Adrian's inbox.
We acknowledge and decide
You get a real reply from a real person within two business days, often much faster. The reply states what we found, what we are doing about it, and when you will have a replacement or refund. No template. No "we will look into it."
Reprint or refund issued
If a reprint, we drop it into the queue the same day and it ships on the normal schedule. If a refund, we process it within one business day. You get a confirmation either way.
Money back on your statement
Refunds are returned to the original payment method. Card refunds typically appear on your statement within 3 to 5 business days. ACH refunds clear within 2 business days. Wire refunds clear within 1 business day.
What Is and Is Not Covered
Complete list. If something is not on either side, ask us and we will tell you which column it belongs in before you order.
We fix it, no charge
- Layer separation, warping, or visible print voids
- Dimensional drift outside agreed tolerance
- Wrong material, wrong color, or wrong quantity
- Support marks that damage a critical surface
- Parts damaged during our packing or handling
- Parts damaged in carrier transit
- Failed first-article inspection on production runs
- Rush premium when we miss the rush date
We help, but do not refund
- Parts failing in your application after delivery
- Damage from UV, heat, chemical, or moisture exposure
- Damage from over-torquing, over-loading, or misuse
- Design flaws in the file you provided
- Cosmetic wear from normal use over time
- Parts that fit differently than you expected
- End-user application failure
- Claims filed more than 30 days after delivery
If you are unsure whether a specific issue is covered, email [email protected] with the details before filing a formal claim. We will tell you honestly what outcome to expect.
How Fast You Actually Get the Money
Refund timelines depend on the payment method. Here is what to expect for each.
Credit or debit card
ACH transfer
Wire transfer
Account credit
Situations Where We Cannot Help
We would rather lose an order than promise a guarantee we cannot deliver on. Here are the cases where we decline claims outright.
Claims filed after 30 days
We need to inspect the failure mode while it is fresh. After 30 days we cannot tell whether the issue came from the print or from use, and we decline on that basis.
Parts modified after delivery
If you drilled, sanded, painted, or altered the part yourself, we cannot verify whether the failure was present when it left our shop.
Application outside the spec sheet
If we quoted PETG for room temperature use and the part then sat in a 100 °C engine bay, the failure is not a manufacturing defect.
Files we flagged and you approved anyway
If our DFAM review warned you that a feature was too thin, and you asked us to print it as-is, we will reprint but we will not refund.
Prohibited items printed by mistake
If a prohibited item slipped through our review and we catch it after printing, we refund and delete the files. We do not reprint prohibited items under any circumstance.
Third-party fabrication claims
If a part we printed was then modified, assembled, or finished by another shop, we cannot guarantee the final assembly. Claims belong to that shop.
How Often This Actually Happens
Real numbers from last year, published quarterly. If the rework rate ever moves meaningfully, we will say so.
Special Cases
A few order types have additional terms because the work is bigger or the stakes are higher.
Volume orders above 200 units
Production runs follow the milestone schedule in your signed quote. If a first-article inspection fails, we stop the run and issue a full refund of unshipped units. Units already shipped are covered by the standard reprint guarantee.
Fast and Rush tiers
Rush premiums are refunded in full if we miss the committed ship date for any reason within our control. If a rush order is cancelled after print start, the rush premium is not refunded because the machine time was already reserved.
Scanning and remodeling work
Design hours are non-refundable once the model is delivered, because the work product cannot be returned. If you cancel before the model is delivered, you are billed for hours already spent at $95 per hour, plus any scanning costs.
Shipments outside the US
International claims follow the same 30-day rule, but customers are responsible for customs duties and import fees regardless of whether the part is refunded or reprinted. We do not cover those costs.
If a Claim Is Not Resolved
We try hard to resolve every claim in the first reply. When that does not happen, here is how escalation works, up to and including a real person at the top of the company.
Talk to the claims team
Reply to your claim email and ask for a second review. Another team member who was not involved in the first decision looks at the case with fresh eyes.
Escalate to Adrian Rossi
Email [email protected] with "Escalation" in the subject line. Adrian is the co-founder and reviews every escalation personally within one business day.
Formal complaint in writing
Mail a written complaint to PrintForge Digital LLC, Attn: Complaints, 2150 Market Street, Suite 340, San Francisco, CA 94114. We respond in writing within 10 business days.
Legal remedy
If nothing else resolves the issue, our Terms of Service specify that disputes are handled in San Francisco County court under California law. This is the last resort and we hope you never need it.
Refund FAQ
Yes. For any covered defect, you can choose a reprint or a full refund of the affected units. We default to reprint because it gets you a working part faster, but the choice is always yours.
We escalate to a full refund plus a written root-cause investigation. Two failed prints on the same part is unusual and means something in the setup needs to be re-examined, not just re-run.
Yes, if the part is defective. We do not require a return for refunds under $200 — the shipping cost usually exceeds the value of the returned material. For higher-value returns, we may send a prepaid return label.
We issue the refund within one business day of approving it. Card refunds appear on your statement within 3 to 5 business days after that, depending on your bank. ACH refunds clear within 2 business days. Wire refunds clear within 1 business day.
No. There is no restocking fee, no processing fee, and no deduction for the original shipping cost. When we refund, you get the full amount you paid.
Yes. The person who placed the order is the one who can file the claim, but it does not matter whether the part was delivered to you or to an end customer. If the end user reports a defect, tell us and we will work with you to resolve it.
Escalate to [email protected]. He reviews every escalation personally. If he agrees with the original decision, he will tell you exactly why in plain English. If he disagrees, he overrides it.
Partially. The reprint guarantee applies to production runs exactly as it does to single parts. Refund terms for cancelled production orders follow the milestone schedule in your signed quote. See the special cases section above.
Yes, and we appreciate it when customers choose it because it keeps the money in the shop. Account credit is issued immediately (not 3–5 days), is worth the same amount, and is valid for 12 months on any future order.
Yes, regularly. If a customer is polite, the amount is small, and the relationship matters more than the specific outcome, we often refund anyway. Our worst-case scenario is losing a long-term customer over $50. Our best-case scenario is keeping them for ten years.
Something Wrong With Your Order?
Email us or call the shop. We will sort it out faster than you expect.