This post is also available in: Finnish

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

UPDATE: All RAILOclothing products are sold via the Etsy shop (visit *here*).

RAILOclothing PRODUCT MATERIALS

Q: Where do you get the materials for your products?

A: My main material sources are recycling centers and thrift stores. I’m often surprised by the amount of leftover fabric pieces someone just wanted to get rid of. Sometimes my family and friends also donate things they think I might be able to use – for example curtains. Besides larger pieces of fabric I use thrifted clothing. I take apart clothes that are out of fashion, have a flaw in them or for some other reason are not wearable anymore, and I use them as material for new products.

Q: You mean your materials are used?

A: Yes, and no. The leftover fabrics have never been used. Also, some of the clothes I’ve found in the thrift stores have still had their original price tags on them, so they had never been used either. But I do also purchase used pieces – very selectively. The best ones are the old-fashioned retro or vintage clothes. They were made of high quality materials that show no sign of use even after all those years. Some of my favorite materials are linen and denim; they just keep getting softer and better over time.

Q: What if the material is dirty?

A: The answer is simple; if it’s not removable then I don’t use it. When I buy a batch of new materials, whether they are unused or not, I follow the same routine. I wash the materials thoroughly and let them air dry (to be as sustainable as possible I do not even own a dryer). Then I take them apart (if they were clothing) and iron them. While I’m ironing I check every piece very carefully for possible stains or whatever flaws they may have. If I find one, I won’t use that piece in my project. I recycle it or turn it into something I can use personally, like a reusable shopping bag or a sustainable cleaning cloth.

PACKAGES AND MAILING

Q: Are your packages environmentally friendly?

A: I purchase my packages from a Finnish company called Pa-Hu Oy. You can find very specific information about their business, including their environmental view, on their website. I order packages in larger quantities to avoid any excess environmental costs of multiple shipping. I also reuse any packages I can find that are suitable for mailing my products. I advice all my customers to reuse them as well.

Q: How do you determine the shipping costs for your products?

A: I use Finnish Economy mail to send all my items. I’ve chosen my package size to fit the standards of Economy shipping terms, which is one of the reasons I chose Pa-Hu Oy’s boxes. All RAILOclothing items are divided into different shipping classes by their weight. Customers always pay by the lowest possible shipping weight. If you wish to have your order shipped in Priority mail, please send me an e-mail to railoclothing(at)mail.com before your purchase. I will calculate new shipping costs for your item(s).

Q: I want to buy two very small items. Do I really have to pay double shipping, too?

A: No, you don’t. Please send me an e-mail to railoclothing(at)mail.com before your purchase and I will fix you a custom listing with combined shipping costs!

PRICES AND VAT

Q: Your prices include VAT. What is it?

A: The Value Added Tax, or VAT, in the European Union is a general, broadly based consumption tax assessed on the value added to goods and services. Learn more about VAT here. Here in Finland, for the items RAILOclothing is producing, VAT is 24%. All RAILOclothing prices already include VAT, so customers do not need to worry about adding it to figure out the final price.

Q: But I don’t live in the European Union. What about my price?

A: When a business within the EU sells goods to customers outside of EU, the VAT does not need to be charged. If your shipping address is in a country outside of the European Union, the VAT 24% will be reduced from the price in the check-out.

PAYMENTS

Q: I don’t have a PayPal account. How do I make a payment with my credit card?

A: You can use PayPal to pay with your credit card, even if you don’t have a PayPal account. This video will show you how

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

RAILOclothing accepts only PayPal payments and credit card payments via PayPal. The payment is due immediately. If you have accidentally purchased the wrong item, you must inform me a.s.a.p. through e-mail at railoclothing(at)mail.com. Once you have received your item, if you are not pleased you have 14 days to return it. It is necessary to contact me via e-mail before returning the item. The returned item must be unused and in original condition. You can suggest an exchange to another RAILOclothing item, or have your money back instead. When returning a product the mailing costs will not be refunded, but in the case of an exchange you will not have to pay for mailing again.

Your order will be mailed within two (2) days of the payment. All items are packed carefully and RAILOclothing cannot take responsibility for items lost or damaged in mail. However, if this happens, please contact me via e-mail immediately.

RAILOclothing is not responsible for any customs fees and/or taxes in the recepient’s country or state. I advice all buyers to find out about the customs fees and/or taxes in their country before placing their order.