Return & Warranty Policy
Every part we build, we want to get right the first time — and if we don't, we want to make it right together. Replacement is always our first move, not a refund: the goal is a working part in your hands, not a transaction closed out. We'll work with every customer within reason to get there.
If something comes off the printer wrong — warped beyond reasonable usability, dimensions out of spec, or we printed from an older file version after you'd already sent an update — that's on us, and we'll replace it, best we can, no argument.
If we print the wrong file because we weren't given the latest version, or a new version wasn't clearly flagged as a new version (same filename, no version note, etc.), that isn't a defect on our end — it's a mix-up worth talking through upfront so it doesn't happen, not something we'll treat as our error after the fact. Worth agreeing on at quote/order time: how file updates get sent and how we confirm which version is live before it goes to the printer.
This matters to me beyond any one policy. Everything I do is aimed at making the people I work with better off for it, and Order Direct is one way I get to put real manufacturing-floor experience and problem-solving in reach of people who'd never otherwise have access to it — not just the high-end end of this industry. If something goes wrong and it's an honest mistake, I want to make it right and make you happy with the experience, not argue about it.
What I'll do first is ask what happened — how the part was used, what the failure looked like, and for evidence: photos or a short video. I've spent a lot of time doing failure analysis, and I can usually tell the difference between a shipping issue, a print defect, and a part that was pushed past what it's built for. Those questions aren't me doubting you — they're the same ones I'd ask myself, to learn from whatever went wrong, whether that's on me or not. I own what's actually mine, every time, and I'll always try to go above and beyond to leave you with a better experience than you expected.
What we can't do is keep replacing the same part because it's being asked to do something the material or process isn't built for. FDM, resin, and SLS all have real, physical limits — load, heat, flex, UV exposure, wall thickness. When we quote a part, we're quoting it to work withinthose limits. If you're not sure what those limits are for your part, ask before you order — that's what the quote conversation is for, and it's cheaper and faster for both of us than a remake.
We'll replace at no charge if:
- The part has a genuine fabrication defect — layer separation, warping beyond reasonable usability, wrong dimensions relative to what was quoted, wrong infill/wall thickness for the spec agreed on.
- We printed from an outdated file version after you'd already sent an update — our error to fix.
- We printed the wrong material or size — our error.
A wrong file isn't automatically “our fault”
If the file we printed was outdated because we weren't given the latest version, or a new version used the same filename or wasn't otherwise flagged as a revision, that's a mix-up in how the file got to us, not a defect on our end. We'll always work with you on a fair outcome, but this is the kind of thing worth agreeing on before the order goes in — how you'll send updates and how we'll both confirm the version that's about to print.
To request a replacement
- Reach out within 14 days of delivery.
- Tell us what happened and how the part was being used, and include photos or a short video clearly showing the issue. We can't evaluate a claim from a description alone — a cracked layer line and a part that was dropped look completely different in a photo but not always in words.
- We'll ask a few questions if anything's unclear — that's for us to understand what actually happened, not to second-guess you. We've done enough part-failure analysis to usually tell a shipping issue, a print defect, and a part pushed past its limits apart from each other, and we'd rather learn from a real mistake than argue about one.
- We'll confirm within 2 business days whether it's a replacement, and get a new part in queue at that point.
Not covered
- Parts used beyond the tolerances, load ratings, or environmental limits discussed at quote time (or, if not discussed, beyond the general published limits for that material/process — see our material comparison guide, FDM vs. Resin vs. SLS guide, and — for outdoor/UV use specifically — where PCTG-CF stops and ASA takes over).
- Normal wear, impact damage, or breakage from drops, overtightening, chemical exposure, or use outside the part's intended application.
- Modifications, sanding, gluing, painting, or other post-processing done after delivery.
- Claims made more than 14 days after delivery.
- Design limitations that were part of the file/spec you provided (if you supplied your own model, we print to it — we'll flag anything that looks structurally risky before printing, but the design call is yours).
Replacement is always the first option for custom work — it's what gets you an actual working part, which is the real goal, and it's how we'd rather solve this than write a check. Cash refunds aren't standard for made-to-order parts, but if a replacement genuinely can't resolve it (repeated failures on our side, or a spec we find we can't actually hit), we'll talk through options, including a refund, directly.
Even when it's not a covered defect
We don't just leave you with a broken part. If a part failed because it was pushed past what the material or design was ever capable of, that's not something we'll reprint for free — but it usually means the original material or design wasn't the right fit for what you actually needed. In those cases we'll look at the real application with you and offer a discounted replacement in a more suitable material or design — the goal is getting you a part that actually holds up, not just pointing out that the first one wasn't built for the job.
Returns accepted within 14 days of delivery if:
- The item arrived damaged or defective.
- It's unused, unmodified, and in its original condition.
To request a return: contact us with your order number and, for damage/defect claims, a photo. We'll cover return shipping for our error (damaged/defective); otherwise return shipping is on the buyer.
Refund vs. exchange: your choice, once the return is received and checked.
Not eligible for return: items marked final sale, anything customized or personalized at your request, and normal wear after use.
Browsing what's in stock? See the Shop.
Most “will this work for my use case” questions are cheaper to answer before printing than after. If you're not sure a part will hold up to what you need it for, tell us the application when you request a quote — that's the best way to make sure what you get actually works, the first time.