Refund policy

TinyCoats Return & Refund Policy

Last updated: 2026 September 9

At TinyCoats, every piece is made by hand, with real care, for a very particular kind of customer - the ones with four paws and a lot of personality. I want you and your dog to be thrilled with what arrives on your doorstep, and this policy explains, plainly, what your rights are and how returns work.

Nothing in this policy affects your statutory rights as a consumer under UK law, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

A quick summary

Type of item Change-of-mind return? Faulty item rights?
Ready-made items Yes - 30 days Yes
Made-to-order, standard TinyCoats size Yes - 30 days Yes
Bespoke, personalised or made-to-measure Generally no (see below) Yes, always
Any item that's faulty, damaged, or wrong Yes Yes, always

The detail behind each of these is below - please do read on, particularly if you're ordering something bespoke, as the rules genuinely are different.

1. Ready-made items

If you've bought a ready-made piece straight from the current TinyCoats collection, you can change your mind.

  • You have 30 days from the day you receive your order to let us know you'd like to return it (this is more generous than the law requires — the legal minimum is 14 days).
  • The item needs to come back to us within 14 days of telling us you want to return it.
  • To qualify for a refund, the item must be unworn, unwashed and in the same condition it left us in - no dog hair, no odours, no marks, no snags, and with tags and packaging where possible. You're welcome to try it on your dog gently, the way you would in a changing room, but please don't let them wear it out and about.
  • Return postage is paid by you, unless the item is faulty, damaged in transit, or we sent you the wrong thing (see Section 4).

2. Made-to-order items in a standard TinyCoats size

Some items are made only once you order them, but in a standard size from our existing size chart (for example, you choose "Small" or a set chest measurement from our published range, rather than giving us your own dog's individual measurements).

Legally, choosing a standard size from a fixed range is not the same as commissioning something personalised - so these items carry the same change-of-mind rights as ready-made pieces: 30 days to tell us, 14 days to send it back, in unworn condition, with return postage paid by you.

3. Bespoke, personalised or made-to-measure items

This is the one category where the law treats things differently - but only for genuine bespoke work, meaning garments made to your dog's own measurements or with a personal customisation (an embroidered name, a one-off colour combination created just for you, and so on).

Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, goods "made to the consumer's specification or clearly personalised" are exempt from the 14/30-day change-of-mind cancellation right. Because each piece is cut and stitched for one specific dog, once we've started making it, we can't resell it to anyone else - so we're not able to offer a change-of-mind return or refund on these items.

This will always be made clear to you before you order, and we'll flag it again at checkout for anything bespoke.

Important: this exemption only affects change-of-mind returns. It does not remove your rights if the item is faulty, not as described, or made incorrectly- those rights apply in full, always, to every single item TinyCoats makes (see Sections 4, 5 and the Craftsmanship Guarantee below).

4. Faulty, damaged, or incorrect items

If something's gone wrong on our end, we want to put it right - and the law backs you up here regardless of whether your item was ready-made or bespoke.

  • Damaged in transit or the wrong item arrived: contact us as soon as you spot it, with photos, and we'll sort a replacement, repair, or refund, including your original delivery charge.
  • Genuinely faulty (not to do with fit): under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you have a short-term right to rejectfaulty goods for a full refund within 30 days of delivery. After that, you're entitled to a free repair or replacement; if that isn't possible or doesn't fix things, you can ask for a price reduction or a refund instead.
  • We may ask for photos, and occasionally the item itself, so we can see what's happened - this helps us put things right quickly rather than slowing you down.
  • Please get in touch as soon as you notice a problem. The sooner we know, the sooner we can fix it - though please note that reporting something after a few days does not cost you your legal rights.

5. Fit problems: whose measurements were they?

Because so much of what we make is close-fitting, fit issues need a fair, honest answer depending on how they happened.

  • If the fit is off because the measurements we were given were inaccurate (for example, your dog has grown, or a measurement was mis-taken at home), this isn't a fault in our work - but we still want to help. Please get in touch, as we're often able to offer alterations or a made-to-fit remake at a reasonable cost, worked out between us.
  • If we made the garment incorrectly despite being given accurate measurements — our error — we will remake, alter, or refund the item at no cost to you. This is our responsibility to fix, not yours to pay for.

If you're ever unsure which situation you're in, just contact us with your original measurements and photos of the fit — we'll always look at it fairly rather than assume the worst.

The TinyCoats 12-Month Craftsmanship Guarantee

Every TinyCoats piece is stitched by hand, and I stand behind that work.

If, within 12 months of delivery, a seam bursts, stitching fails, a fastening comes away, or another problem develops because of a genuine fault in how I made the garment, I will repair it free of charge wherever a repair is reasonably possible.

How it works:

  1. Get in touch with your order number, a description of what's happened, and clear photos of the issue.
  2. I may ask to inspect the item, or ask you to send it back to me, before confirming the guarantee applies.
  3. Where the guarantee is confirmed, I'll cover reasonable return postage for sending the item to me for repair, and send it back to you at no cost.
  4. If a repair genuinely isn't possible, I'll offer a fair alternative — for example, an appropriate replacement or another remedy in line with your legal rights.

What the guarantee doesn't cover: normal wear and tear, gradual fading or wear of fabric, accidental damage, chewing or scratching, misuse, incorrect washing or drying, alterations or repairs carried out by someone other than me, and problems caused by an unsuitable fit or inaccurate measurements supplied at the time of order.

A note on materials: where a piece is made from vintage, deadstock, natural or upcycled fabric, small variations in texture, colour or weave are part of what makes that fabric special — they're not considered faults.

This guarantee is a promise on top of your legal rights, not a replacement for them. Nothing here reduces or replaces your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which continue to apply for as long as the law allows, guarantee or no guarantee.

6. Exchanges

We currently handle exchanges (for example, swapping a size) as a return followed by a new order: you return the original item under the relevant policy above, and place a fresh order for the size or style you'd like. This keeps things simple and means you're not waiting on us to receive your return before your replacement is on its way — though do feel free to order the replacement straightaway and treat the return separately.

7. Refunds — how and when

Where a refund is due, we'll issue it to your original payment method:

  • Change-of-mind returns: within 14 days of receiving the item back, or of you providing evidence you've sent it (for example, a tracking receipt) — whichever is sooner. This includes refunding your standard delivery charge, where you're cancelling the whole order (if you chose a faster or premium delivery option, we'll refund the cost of our standard delivery rather than the upgrade).
  • Faulty or incorrect items: as above, refunds are issued promptly once the return is confirmed or the fault is agreed, including original delivery costs where the fault is ours.

8. International returns, customs and duties

We're delighted to ship worldwide, and the rights above apply in the same way to international orders. A few extra things to know if you're outside the UK:

  • Depending on where you live, you may have additional consumer protections under your own country's law — this policy doesn't attempt to list every country's rules, so if you're unsure of your local rights, your national consumer protection body is a good place to check.
  • Return postage for international change-of-mind returns is your responsibility, in the same way as UK returns, unless the item is faulty, damaged, or incorrect.
  • Customs duties and import taxes on the original order are generally the customer's responsibility, in line with your country's rules. If you're returning an item, please mark the parcel clearly as "returned goods" on any customs paperwork to help avoid being charged duty twice — we're happy to advise if you're not sure how to do this.

9. How to start a return

Please email tinycoats@yahoo.com with:

  • Your order number
  • The item you'd like to return, exchange, or ask about
  • A brief description of the reason (change of mind, fit issue, fault, etc.)
  • Photos, if it's a fit issue or a fault

I'll come back to you personally, usually within 2 working days.

10. A few sensible limits

To keep things fair for everyone:

  • Change-of-mind returns need to be unworn, unwashed, and free of pet hair, odours, marks or damage — this reflects that these are handmade pieces of clothing, not goods we can simply put back into stock if they've been used.

Your rights are not affected

Nothing in this policy limits, excludes or reduces your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, or any other UK consumer protection law. Where anything above is more generous than the law requires, that's a promise from us on top of your legal rights, not instead of them.

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