Frequently Asked Questions
For specific help, talk to one of our team via email.
For specific help, talk to one of our team via email.
Before we get into the FAQs, a quick explainer of how we work!
Each month, we announce two to three designs we'll be making available for pre-order that month. We typically make this announcement around mid month. It might be an older design, it might be a new design. It might be an older design in a new colour!
Towards the end of the month, we make those two or three designs available to pre-order for a period of five days. We recommend joining our newsletter to be notified about upcoming designs and when pre-orders open.
We typically retire our older designs once they've been released a couple of times (or if the first release was particularly huge). We do this because it becomes boring for our existing customer base to see the same designs being released over and over (particularly given we only release a couple of designs per month), but also because we know our customers enjoy knowing our designs our limited edition and exclusive, rather than mass produced and likely to be spotted at every event they attend!
To summarise: 2-3 designs are available to pre-order at the end of each month. Follow us on Instagram or join our mailing list to be notified of what the designs are, and when pre-orders are open!
Yes! If your country isn't listed, please let us know and we'll add it.
Our prices include worldwide tracked and insured postage - meaning it's free, worldwide! If you would like to upgrade to express postage, please email us immediately upon placing your order, and request an express postage quote for your location.
Shipping on all pre-orders is free in the first instance, and includes tracking and insurance in case of loss or damage during transit. Please be aware we have no say in whether Australia Post chooses to pay out insurance. If subsequent deliveries are required due to postage issues (including but not limited to: non-delivery, return to sender, or any other situation that is out of our control) the cost of postage will be the responsibility of the customer.
We are not responsible for paying customs tariffs, taxes or duties. Such charges are the responsibility of the recipient. We are unable to mark down the value of your purchase on custom declarations, please do not request we do so.
Yes! Simply head to the product listing when pre-orders are open, click on 'payment plans', and fill out the request form. We usually allow a couple of days to complete the form, and then send out invoices at least 24 hours before the pre-order cut off date closes. Please pay attention to all dates listed on the request form - your first payment is due before the pre-order cut off date, and we're unable to accept late payments/orders!
We also have AfterPay available to Australian, NZ, Canadian and UK customers, and PayPal Pay in 4 is another option for PayPal customers.
Please join our mailing list! We email updates on production turnaround and shipping schedules each month, and this is the most reliable way to know if your bag is ahead of, on time, or behind schedule, as it arrives straight to your email inbox!
If you're after more frequent updates, we recommend checking our updates page, which is updated almost weekly for bags nearing the end of the production timeline/shipping to Australia.
No. While we appreciate you may be disappointed and have a reason for missing our cut off date, we ask that you please understand we have to draw a line in the sand somewhere with regards to the cut off date. We receive literally dozens of messages from people who forgot to order/pay their payment plan invoice after every round of pre-orders; some people within minutes of the cut off, some people up to two weeks afterwards. If we made an exception for every single person, our timing with placing our orders with our ateliers would blow out by weeks.
We place our order with our ateliers ASAP in order to kick off production as soon as possible. In order to commence work, our ateliers need to determine supplies/materials for production, and place their orders with multiple different suppliers (ie. fabric, leather, hardware, rattan).
If we were to throw in 'just one extra bag' (or an extra bag for every late order up to two weeks after pre-orders close), our ateliers would need to update multiple different suppliers, create repeated invoices ... it creates a LOT of extra work.
"What about the spare bags? Can't I have one of those?"No. The spare bags are ordered to cover damages which may occur during transit - not for would-be customers who missed pre-order cut off.
Our cut off times are clearly stated in shop listings, social media posts, and in the newsletter. We also send a 'last chance' newsletter 24 hours before pre-orders close.
No, sorry. Please keep in mind your pre-orders determine our production numbers. If we allowed everyone to swap their order every time a new bag was released, it would create a logistical nightmare for us.
We're happy to help with this, within reason, however please be aware if we feel the request for this information may compromise someone's privacy, we may decline to answer. We also ask that you please run this past us BEFORE pre-orders close (and, ideally, BEFORE you yourself place an order). Our cancellation policy includes a non-refundable admin charge, and it may apply in these circumstances.
We love that you're doing this! However, please be aware there's nothing we can do to stop your recipient from purchasing for themselves. We're unable to tell them orders have closed (when they clearly haven't), nor can we tell them we're sold out (when they're clearly not). It puts us in a difficult position as we're lying to a would-be customer, and puts the onus on us to make sure the surprise isn't derailed even though bags are clearly still available for sale. While we're happy to not blab to the recipient, we're unable to intervene should they choose to make a purchase themselves.
No. As per our Terms of Service, orders must be placed by the person intending to purchase the product. Orders cannot be made on behalf of another person, business, or entity. This policy excludes traditional gifts.
If an order is placed that we believe or are informed is on behalf of another person, business, or entity, the order will not be processed and any monies sent will be refunded.
Of course! However, please be aware a $60AUD cancellation fee will be retained to cover our admin costs. We offer our pre-orders in good faith, and our bags are handmade to order. We dedicate a significant amount of time to processing pre-orders, administering payment plan invoices, recording individual orders, emailing confirmations, etc, and the process of cancelling an order and forwarding information to our accounts team, who then have to process the refund, similarly requires our time and resources.
Please be aware that when we issue refunds, we issue refunds in AUD and to the value of the product in AUD. Due to a volatile exchange rate, this may mean the refund you receive in your local currency is a little different from what you paid. Ie. if you purchase a $480AUD bag, and a refund is processed, the refund will be for $480AUD.
We have a currency converter on our website to assist our international customers in seeing our prices in their local currency. These prices fluctuate daily due to the international exchange rate. We have no control over these fluctuations, but want to assure you it's not us tinkering daily with our prices, which remain the same in our local currency.
Yes, we post worldwide!
If your country isn't listed, please let us know and we'll add it.
We are not responsible for paying customs tariffs, taxes or duties. Such charges are the responsibility of the recipient. We are unable to mark down the value of your purchase on custom declarations, please do not request we do so.
Our prices include worldwide tracked and insured postage - meaning it's free, worldwide! If you would like to upgrade to express postage, please email us immediately upon placing your order, and request an express postage quote for your location.
Shipping on all pre-orders is free in the first instance, and includes tracking and insurance in case of loss or damage during transit. Please be aware we have no say in whether Australia Post chooses to pay out insurance. If subsequent deliveries are required due to postage issues (including but not limited to: non-delivery, return to sender, or any other situation that is out of our control) the cost of postage will be the responsibility of the customer.
We are not responsible for paying customs tariffs, taxes or duties. Such charges are the responsibility of the recipient. We are unable to mark down the value of your purchase on custom declarations, please do not request we do so.
If you would like to upgrade to express postage, email us immediately upon ordering and request an express postage quote for your location. International express is typically around the $12AUD mark; for Australian residents please be aware the price is determined by distance from Melbourne and your distance from nearest capital city, AND by the size of the parcel. For this reason, express in Australia can range from $3 to $100.
We are unable to arrange express shipping once an item has shipped, so please be sure to email as soon as you have placed your order!
Email us and let us know which specific bag designs you're waiting on, and your new address! Please make sure you notify us of each specific bag you have ordered, so we can update each of your orders. Due to the number of orders we receive each month, we aren't able to remember each unique order placed or how many bags each customer has on order!
We ALWAYS reply to confirm we have received your address update - if you don't receive a response from us, PLEASE email us again!
We're sorry to hear that, but we prefer not to get involved in online buy/swap/sell situations. Facilitating transactions like this has the potential to put us in complicated situations should the transaction go wrong (ie. if one party acts in a fraudulent manner; if someone is unsatisfied with the condition the bag arrives in, and so on).
Not always. If unsure about a particular design, please contact us for more information.
They're handmade by our family-owned ateliers in the Philippines! Our wicker bags are made from sustainable rattan (wicker refers to the method of woven construction, rattan is the material). Rattan is a non-timber and naturally renewable palm which can be sustainably harvested, and as such provides an environmentally friendly alternative to forest logging. Our rattan is harvested by hand, from local farmers and co-ops - minimising carbon footprint while supporting local growers. The cultivation, harvest and use of rattan is invaluable to livelihoods throughout Asia, and fundamental to traditional Filipino craftsmanship.
Bag linings are either linen (sourced from flax), or cotton (sourced from ... cotton).
No, we are unable to offer custom changes to our bags, no matter how large or small. It creates a logistical nightmare along the entire line, from us having to keep track of who has ordered which change, to the production manager, atelier, workers etc who have to track that one bag different from the rest. We respectfully ask that you don't request customisations to your individual bag, as the answer will always be a hard no.
Due to ongoing material shortages and supply delays, our ateliers may occasionally need to substitute materials during production, leading to differences between the sample and finished bags. Usually these will be minor, such as substitutions to hardware on bags. Occasionally it may be more significant, such as a different colour of leather for the straps. Where we feel a substitution is significant (such as different colour leather), we will contact our customers to confirm if they are happy to go ahead or would prefer to cancel their order.
Our items are handcrafted from natural materials by our ateliers in the Philippines. As such, each and every bag will have minor differences, whether it's in the wicker, leather work, placement of finishings such as ears, eyes and tails, or in the dye work of the raffia. These are not faults, but rather a signature of hand craftsmanship from natural materials, and we consider these characteristics to be what makes each of our small batch items a unique and limited edition piece of art.
If you're genuinely interested in a professional shoot featuring our bags alongside other products, please feel free to get in touch! We'd LOVE to collaborate with other brands/creators/artists on styling shoots etc.
Please know that it's important to us that we work with people/brands who are very much familiar with our own brand, our work, and our customers. We're far more inclined to work with people we've established a connection with and/or who can demonstrate their familiarity with Wicker Darling. If you haven't taken the time to follow our socials and get to know us, it's unlikely we're a good mutual fit.
If you're a brooch, fabric or other designer and you'd like to collaborate on a design, we're 110% interested - please get in touch with your ideas!
Please understand our bags are handmade in limited quantities, so we don't always have product on hand to simply give away to strangers. Our priority is always our customer base.
In saying that, we're more likely to consider working with an existing customer and long term follower who we know to be familiar with our brand and work, rather than a stranger who has stumbled upon us and is cold-calling.
Potentially! Please send through:
- Your media kit and analytics
- Bio Stats (media accounts, followers, engagement numbers)
- Follower demographics
- Offers/projects (how will you use my product? Videos? Fashion shoot? Stories? How many posts about the product can I expect?)
- Contact details.
If we sound like a good match, we'll happily provide an exclusive discount code for your readers. This has the added bonus of allowing us both to see if Wicker Darling products really do appeal to your audience, pathing the way to future collaborations!
Having been in business for a couple of years now, we've trialled both pre-orders and in-stock releases, and have polled and discussed both options with our customer base at length.
You - our fabulous would-be customers and existing Wicker Darling family - have overwhelmingly indicated you prefer our pre-order system, outlining the benefits you enjoy from pre-ordering, with the only notable drawback being the turnaround time.