Terms, Conditions & Other Important Stuff
PayPal
PayPal is the exclusive payment method for items purchased on this Daniel Mark Picture Poems Inc. website. You can use your PayPal Account to pay, and PayPal allows you to use a credit card to pay. This website does not itself handle credit card or debit card transactions, and does not take checks for payment.
Shipping
Daniel Mark Picture Poems Inc. generally uses the US Postal Service Priority Mail for shipping of these products and we charge flat rates for shipping and handling, depending upon the item. Unframed items will cost less to ship than framed items. Larger framed items cost more because they require careful handling, better wrapping, and weigh more than smaller or unframed items. That’s just the way it is!
Prices
Prices are subject to change without notice.
Frames
See Top Menu Sub-Page titled “Frames.” As the frames do contain glass, we ship the pieces with great care to prevent breakage. Be very careful when opening the package, and inspect for breaks or cracks in the glass right away to avoid injury to yourself or anyone else, to prevent breaking or cracking, and to prevent damage to the matte, frame or printed piece. Breakage and cracking can occur during shipping despite our best efforts to package the frames carefully, and Daniel Mark Picture Poems Inc. cannot control what happens after the picture poems are delivered over to the shipper. As well, glass in the frames can chip, and therefore it is very important that you be very careful when handling the glass. As such, Daniel Mark Picture Poems Inc. cannot and will not be responsible for injuries or damage caused by cracked or broken glass. Do not run your fingers or hands along the edge of the glass as there may be small chips or fractures in the glass edges. Handle with care. It is fragile, and so use care when opening. If you find a cracked or broken piece of glass, please notify the shipper (US Postal Service or other shipper) and Daniel Mark Picture Poems Inc. within seven days (7 days) of receipt and a replacement glass will be sent right away. No refunds will be paid for chipped, cracked or broken glass.
Etched Mattes
Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of etched pieces. These are specially made, and proofs will be sent to the purchaser via email attachment for approval.
Depending upon the amount of text for personalization, photograph opening sizes may have to be adjusted and some text sizes may have to be adjusted also or perhaps edited, or even portions of the poem might have to be omitted. Proofs for etched pieces are sent to the purchaser for approval before the pieces are actually etched, and we ask that the purchaser read and look over the proof very carefully, paying particular attention to the spelling of the name(s), the date(s) and place(s) or any other provided information. Daniel Mark Picture Poems Inc. cannot refund purchase price for etched pieces as these are one-of-a-kind. If there is a defect in the matte or in the text as printed,or in the cutting of the matte or a second matte, please return it to me in the original package and, if it is determined by me that the defect occurred prior to my shipping of the item (such as damage to the matte or crooked or smudged letters, for example), I will arrange for a new picture poem to be etched and shipped to you at no charge. But errors in the spelling of names, or of dates or places will not result in replacement as they should have been corrected in the proofing stage.
Printed Mattes or Bond Paper
Daniel Mark Picture Poems Inc. will not refund for or replace printed mattes, absent damage or defect in the matte caused by either the printing process or the packaging process prior to actual shipment. Contact Daniel Mark Picture Poems Inc. by email if you discover such a defect. If, however, you or your gift recipient would like a different picture poem (for example, a different wedding poem), of the same size, I will try to accommodate (but do not guarantee) this request after the original item has been returned. Otherwise, we do not provide refunds.
Commissioned Pieces
The term “commissioned pieces” refers to poems that are written upon request for a specific person or persons, or perhaps for a specific event or a specific audience. I generally ask for a retainer (a down payment, if you will) of $100.00 which is the initial portion of a writing fee. I hope you can see that these poems do take some time to write. Some poems go through thirty or forty or more drafts, encompassing many hours. I do not generally charge by the hour for writing these, and often I won’t charge a writing fee above the $100 retainer, because I hope that all or a part of the poem that I do write will itself be enjoyed by others, and that others may want to purchase a finished piece, and that it will therefore result in sales to others, which will in its own way compensate me for my efforts. As such, I retain all copyrights to all aspects of commissioned pieces, even if you suggest a line or more of text. If you retain me to write something for you, get no rights whatsoever—copyright or otherwise— to the poem or text. In some cases, I may ask for additional money for a writing fee if it appears that the writing process is taking longer than expected, or if additional (more than two) revisions are being asked for. I try to do the very best I can on these commissioned pieces, as I know these are special for you and for your recipient. Also, I do take significant pride in my work, and I like to think that you would not ask me to write something for you if you didn’t think that I write well. I am flattered and honored when people ask me to write something for them about someone special, in part because, in a way, they are inviting me into their lives for just a little while. I take that trust very seriously. As such, because writing these is something I love to do, I don’t charge very much for them, but I think I have some modicum of talent for it and that is why you ask me to write something for you. If it appears that I do not or cannot write something that is satisfying to you (you agree that your approval will not be unreasonably withheld), we will call an end to it, and I will ask for no more money, but you will not get a refund of what has already been paid as a retainer nor will you get a refund of any additional monies paid, and I may continue to finish the poem and market it to others. And, once you are satisfied with the written product, you agree to pay in full for the final presentation (ordinarily a personalized etched piece or perhaps a poem on a photographic background), which will include a frame, double matting as agreed, and shipping & handling, etc. I do reserve the right to use all or portions of the poem, including the title, in other pieces or presentations. For example, I wrote “May This Love” at someone’s request, and then decided to print the text on matte for sale to the general public. If I write something at your request, I also reserve the right to take a photograph of the finished piece, including the photograph(s) that you provide, to display on my website or in printed or other marketing or advertising media, at no cost to me or to Daniel Mark Picture Poems Inc. Such use will only be in good taste and will be respectful of the person(s) shown in the photograph. From time to time, I also ask for permission to use the photograph itself (for which I must assume you own the copyright or have obtained permission for its use) on the website as an example, or for marketing or advertising purposes. I also assume, if you send me a photograph to insert into the product, that you have permission or will be granted permission by or from the subject to forward it for insertion into the finished piece. I will assume that I have such permission, and that I have permission from you and the subject to tastefully use the photograph for marketing and advertising purposes as stated above. If you are not the subject of the photograph, you agree to ask for such permission from the subject (a wife, son, grandmother, etc.) and they can send an email granting such permission and affirming that they are the person in the photograph. See also the “Commissioned Poems” page on the top menu bar for more information.
Copyrights
See Top Menu page titled “Copyrights.” All poems, text and photographs of picture poems on this website are protected by US Copyright law, and the copyrights thereto are owned by Daniel Mark Extrom. Other photographs are also copyright Daniel Mark Extrom, though certain photographs are used with permission and license. If you are interested in using a poem in a dedication book, graduation book, or in a wedding or other ceremony, or another gathering, please see “Permission/Allowance to Use a Poem.”
Email Contact
Email inquiries are encouraged, and you may use the Contact page to reach me. Email is preferred over telephone contact, but I recognize that sometimes a brief telephone conversation can save much time on both ends.
If you send an email, I will assume that I have the right to add you to our email subscriber list. You can opt out if you wish. Send an email to ask me to do so. I know how annoying these marketing emails can be, but sometimes there is good, and even money-saving, information. Your contact information will not be shared with anyone else, except that I do, however, intend to use a service such as Constant Contact for marketing purposes.
Sales Taxes
Purchaser is responsible for sales taxes in states other than Illinois. Illinois sales tax will be added at checkout.
