Returns, Tax Exemptions & Other Policies

USDA FOREST SERVICE INSIGNIA & APPAREL RULES

Separation of Government vs. General Public:
The Forest Service insignia will be available on all apparel items we offer, in all colors and variations, to anyone purchasing with a valid USDA email address and paying with a government credit card.

We will not be able to do "Volunteer," "Retiree," or anything custom under the FS shield unless purchased
on a government account.

Personal orders will still be accepted, but there are two main restrictions:
1) The only insignia version allowed to the general public is the FS shield with "Caring for the Land" below.
2) The general public is not allowed to purchase green and black apparel with the FS insignia. Additionally, white polos and grey vests are restricted to government-only purchases.

If an order placed with a personal account contains restricted items, we will contact you to discuss your other options. In some cases, a refund may be necessary. We strongly encourage you to purchase Forest Service insignias only using government emails and funds. As of January 2024, a 6% bank fee will be deducted from any purchase that needs to be refunded.

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BILLING ADDRESS AND AVS MISMATCH:
We take credit card theft very seriously. Our system confirms that your billing address matches the ACTUAL BILLING ADDRESS TO which YOUR CREDIT CARD BILL IS MAILED.

The BILLING address must match EXACTLY to the credit card's billing address, or you will get an error code: AVS mismatch. This error code puts a PENDING charge in your bank account. The pending charge is by your bank and will be removed once all charges are settled. Depending on your bank, this can take up to 48 hours to 3-5 business days. We cannot refund charges showing as pending in your bank account. You can still ship to a different address than your billing address.

You will know if your order has been placed when you receive an email thanking you for your order with your amount and items shown. If you are not provided an order number, your order was not officially placed.

If you keep attempting to process a declining card without fixing the address, you will get more PENDING charges for these attempts through your bank. These are not POSTED charges, and we do not ever see those charges in our bank account. All charges that are declined will leave the pending area of your bank account once the system settles, but that is up to your bank policies and procedures on how long that takes. Sometimes, a card will stop letting you make attempts and will put a lock on your account, thinking your card is stolen. In any of these events you will need to contact your bank if you have questions. WHC will not be able to help with these issues.

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RETURNS POLICY:
You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery; a 20% restocking fee will apply.

We will pay the return shipping costs if the return is due to our error (e.g., if you received an incorrect or defective item).

Custom orders, including all apparel items, are NOT returnable unless defective.

You can expect to receive your refund within 7-10 business days of us physically receiving the item(s). However, we can only refund you using the original payment method.

If you need to return an item, please contact us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for returning items from your order.

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REFUNDS AND REPROCESSING:
If, for any reason, you need to refund your order and have it processed to a different credit card, a 6% fee will be added to your order for processing fees. If you cancel your order on the same day you placed it, we can VOID it with no extra bank fees.

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SHIPPING:
We cannot use third-party shipping accounts. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS. We do not to ship outside the USA.

The carrier calculates shipping costs based on weight and destination. Western Heritage does not control these costs.

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PRODUCTION TIMES:
Please remember we are a small Mom & Pop shop, not a massive warehouse. Our warehouse space is less than 2000 square feet. WE ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH AMAZON. Almost all items are handcrafted and prepared as ordered. Items can take 6-8 weeks to ship. We try to get things out as fast as possible. Please contact us with any questions or concerns. We are small, but you will get a real person on the line to help review your questions and concerns regarding specific items and turnaround times.

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TAX EXEMPTION:
All online orders are tax-exempt, except for those billing or shipping within our home state of Colorado.

If you are tax-exempt and shipping to a Colorado address, you must FIRST create a login on our online store. Then, supply your tax exemption certificate to devon@westernheritage.com. Once Devon receives your tax-exempt certificate, she will make your login tax-exempt. You will receive an emailed response from her once you are set up. Tax cannot be refunded if you do not follow these steps.

ALL tax exempt orders must be placed by a logged-in customer NOT as a guest. We cannot refund tax charged to a "guest." Even if you create a login after the fact, the system sees you as two different people now and will not link your orders. If you place your order as a GUEST and you call us the same day you place your order, we can void the order without penalties. If it is not the same day, you may be subject to the 6% processing bank fees to refund and recharge your order.

THIS FORM IS WHAT WE NEED: (send to devon@westernheritage.com)

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A COPY OF YOUR TAX EXEMPT FORM: You may send us a letter with the Tax ID number on official letterhead like this:

If you are tax-exempt with a government credit card, we need something in writing. We cannot just accept your tax ID number or a copy of your Government card. According to the following link for the State of Colorado, you can provide your information, with tax ID, on government letterhead."

https://tax.colorado.gov/sites/tax/files/Sales63.pdf

Per paragraph 3:
In order for a government entity to take advantage of the tax exemption, the purchase must be made with a prescribed government form or purchase order, and paid for directly to the seller by warrant or check drawn on governmental funds, or via credit card in the name of the exempt governmental agency. [Reg. 39-26-704.1] When using a credit card, verification that the purchase is for governmental purposes and will be paid for by the governmental agency may be required. A letter on the governmental entity’s letterhead is acceptable for this purpose. In cases where the seller invoices on a delayed basis for a purchase, the billing must be made directly to the governmental agency, not to the individual making the purchase.

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END OF FISCAL YEAR AND GOVERNMENT RECONCILING:
Cards are processed at the time you place your order. We are not able to legally hold your card number until your order ships. We have been working with the Government for over 40 years and understand that many of our customers are using Government funds and that reconciling needs to be done within 30 days of purchase. We will always strive to ship within the 30-day window. We can partially ship orders to help provide legal documentation from us that your remaining items are coming and allow you to reconcile your purchase.

In some cases, extensions can be filed with your Senior Purchasing Agent. You can always contact us prior to placing your order to ensure the stock of items and see if you will run into any risk of coming close to your 30-day cutoff. Please contact us if you have any questions or need other options.

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BELT BUCKLE PASSCODES:
All buckles in the restricted section are set to different levels of protection from just anyone purchasing them. We understand that crew captains can change. If you are trying to get a buckle and need help resetting the passCODE. Please contact TRACI, service@westernheritage.com.

BUCKLE PASSCODES are NOT the same as your login password. What you use to log into the system to place orders is different from what you need to order restricted buckles.

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BELT BUCKLE LIFETIME GUARANTEE:
We guarantee your satisfaction, you have the finest buckle available! We are proud of our highest-quality handcrafted buckles. MADE IN THE USA. Due to humidity variations, your buckle may tarnish. To restore it to its original high luster, lightly apply metal polish and buff it with a soft cloth. You may allow your buckle to naturally wear to an antique patina. If that is your choice, there is no need to polish it. We guarantee our workmanship against cracks, breaks, and bail/hook failure in your casting. If you send it back to us, we will make it right or replace it and send it back to you in new condition. EXCEPTIONS: plated buckles do not apply to the lifetime guarantee.

In the event that your buckle needs repair:

We need to determine what part of the buckle is broken. If it is the boss or the hook, we will need you to send it to us for full replacement. If it is just the bail, you can get replacements here:

https://westernheritagestore.com/buckle-bail/

If you need to send your buckle to us for replacement, please know we will melt down your buckle and use that metal to cast you a brand-new belt buckle. We will translate any serial numbering or engraving onto the new buckle. There is no charge for this. We ask that you send it to us with a note INSIDE the PACKAGE with your name, shipping address, phone number, email, and serial number. This way we can get it back to you as quickly as possible. Repairs are a priority, but casting is not fast and can take 4-5 weeks.

Western Heritage Company, Attn: Repairs
337 E. 4th St.
Loveland, Co 80537