Returns and refunds

In plain words, this is how the right of withdrawal applies to what we sell:

• •The printed hardcover is made to your specification and clearly personalised — it is your family, your story and your photos. For goods like this the law provides no right of withdrawal (§ 312g (2) no. 1 BGB). Our voluntary refund policy in section 9 still applies.
• •The digital preview is digital content that is not delivered on a physical medium. We begin creating it immediately after your payment goes through, so your right of withdrawal ends at that moment: at checkout you expressly ask us to start right away and acknowledge that you lose the right of withdrawal once creation begins (§ 356 (6) BGB). There is no waiting period — please be sure before you pay. The box you tick reads: “Start my preview now. I accept the Terms of Service and understand this ends my 14-day right of withdrawal.” We confirm this in your order confirmation email.

Beyond your statutory rights — the right of withdrawal in section 7 and the warranty in section 11 — we offer the following refund policy voluntarily. It comes in addition to your legal rights and never restricts them.

• •Digital previews: if the preview doesn't meet your expectations, we'll help put it right or refund the preview fee.
• •Printed books: you can cancel a hardcover order for a full refund until we hand it to the printer — and never earlier than 24 hours after you place it. So an email that reaches us within 24 hours of your order is always in time, and after that you can still cancel for as long as the book has not gone to the printer. Write to support@whimbel.com and we will tell you straight away where your order stands.
• •Damaged books: we replace any book that arrives damaged, at no cost to you.
• •Refunds go back to the original payment method within 5-10 business days.

Our note: section 10 of the Terms gives each hardcover order a latest delivery date, the last of the business days promised for its country, and your order confirmation names that number of days.

If we miss that date, you can set us a reasonable extra period in writing; if it passes and your book still has not arrived, you can cancel the order and we will refund everything you paid.

If what you receive is defective, you have the statutory warranty rights: for the printed book under §§ 434 ff. BGB, and for the digital preview under §§ 327 ff. BGB. For consumers these rights last two years from delivery.

For the printed book, the choice is yours: you decide whether we put the copy right or send you a new one (§ 439 BGB). For the digital preview the law leaves the means of putting it right to us (§ 327l BGB) — we will make good the fault in the way that fixes it soonest. If putting it right fails either way, you can reduce the price or cancel the contract, and claim damages where the law provides for it.

The illustrations are artistic interpretations of your photos and stories, not photographic likenesses, and every copy is unique to you — that is the character of the product. A missing page, a printing fault or a damaged book is a defect, and we will put it right.