Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.)

New entries are listed in yellow.

Inventory

Is item X in stock?
If there is an "add to cart" button on an item's page (or in a list of products) then that item is in stock and ready to ship. Please note that ...
I used the "add to cart" button, but now you say the item's out of stock. What's the deal?
There are two possible reasons for this:
- The last few copies of an item were purchased before we could update the online store.
- Sometimes your ISP (Internet Service Provider) stores out of date copies of pages from when the item is in stock so the "add to cart" button still appears.
In either case, we will immediately refund your payment. In addition, we will send you a PayPal invoice for the item as soon as it is in stock ... for USA orders we will not charge shipping and for international orders we will discount shipping by $4.00.
Item Y is listed "Temporarily Out of Stock". When will you restock it?
Each product that's out of stock has a listing right below the price giving an approximate length of time until it is back in stock. We have no further information than what is noted on the product page.
Item Z is listed "Temporarily Out of Stock". Did you discontinue it?
See the answer to the previous question. (There is ONLY one item that we have discontinued and that is specifically noted on its page.)

I would like to preorder item Y. How long will it be before you send me the PayPal invoice?
Please see the previous question/answer about "item Y".
I didn't pay for two separate preorders and now I received an email saying that I am not allowed to preorder Item W that I really, REALLY want to get right away. What can I do?
You are out of luck. We base ordering on how many preorders we receive for an item. By not paying for your previous preorders we were stuck with unsold merchandise. We have a "two strikes" policy and you have struck out.

Shipping

When will my order ship?
We do our best to ship all orders within one business day. If there will be any delay we will be in contact with you right away to explain the situation.

HOLIDAYS: If there is USA federal holiday, we can not ship because the Post Office is closed. In this case we will ship on the next business day.

We generally list those holidays that last more than one day at the top of each page of the site and provide notice on when packages will ship.

Any other closures will be noted on the top of each page. If the office will be closed for a week or more due to vacations, etc. then the "add to cart" buttons will be removed from all products.
Does ParaGrafix ship internationally?
Yes, we ship world wide. Complete shipping details may be found HERE.
I don't want to pay import duty. Will you falsify the customs documents?
No. Much as we would like to, the US Postal Service imposes a $10,000 USD fine for any packages that have falsified customs documentation. We are unwilling to take the risk.
Why don't you just stick your photoetch in an envelope and save me a ton of money on shipping?
Envelopes are put through automatic sorting machines that will destroy the photoetch.
I forgot to update my address when I placed my order. Can you fix it after it's already shipped?
No. Once a package has left ParaGrafix we are unable to alter the shipping information. Also, we are required, by PayPal, to ship to the address provided.

There are two alternatives:
- You can re-order your item(s) USING THE CORRECT ADDRESS, we will ship them, and upon return of the original package provide you with a refund of the purchase price of the product, less shipping costs.
- You can wait for the package to be returned to ParaGrafix, at which time we will send you an invoice for new shipping costs. MAKE SURE THAT YOU USE THE CORRECT ADDRESS for the new shipment.

Custom Photoetch

Can ParaGrafix provide custom photoetch for a kit that I am producing?
Yes! We have provided custom photoetched parts to many of the best known names in the garage-kit industry and would be happy to supply PE to you. Please contact us for more information.
I am making a scratch built model and want some custom photoetch for it. Can you make it for me?
We are set up for production quantities of photoetch and our minimum order is three or four 18 x 24 inch (45 x 60 cm) sheets (depending on thickness), plus the photographic artwork. This generally runs about $500 to $600 USD, not including any design work we have to do to create the product.

Returns

I ordered the wrong item, can I return and/or exchange it?
We will happily credit your PayPal or credit card account and/or ship out replacement upon receipt of the merchandise in original, saleable condition. Please note that you MUST contact ParaGrafix before returning items.

Return and/or replacement shipping for mis-ordered items is the responsibility of the buyer, not ParaGrafix. Additional charges for shipping replacement items and / or difference in cost of replacement items may be charged before shipping will occur.

Please note that items must be properly packed to prevent damage in shipping. Items returned damaged will not receive credit. If you are concerned about this, you may purchase insurance at your local Post Office.

Refund / exchange value is for the original purchase price of the item being returned and DOES NOT include the shipping costs. ParaGrafix will not pay or refund any amount spent to ship an item being returned because it was improperly ordered.
I purchased through a third party (via a seller on Ebay, etc.), can I return directly to ParaGrafix?
No. You must return items to the person/company you originally purchased from.
My item arrived damaged.
While we package items to help avoid damage in shipping, occasionally a postal employee is overzealous and your items may arrive damaged. In this case we are more than happy to replace your item if purchased directly from ParaGrafix within seven days of receipt — at minimum we will require photographs of the damage.

In some cases we will require return of the damaged item(s) — in this case we will provide return postage (or send the cost of postage).
I bought an item 14 months ago and I now notice that it is damaged, which "must have" happened during shipping — will you replace it at no charge?
No. Claims for items damaged in transit must be made within one week of delivery of your package.
My item arrived damaged, but it doesn't appear to have been damaged in shipping. How do I proceed with a warranty repair / replacement?
Contact us and we'll make things right. If you purchased from a third party they can't help you in this case so still contact us.
My item was returned to ParaGrafix because I didn't show up at the local Post Office to sign for it, pay VAT, pay duty, or some other reason. What's my recourse?
We will either refund the purchase price (product only, not shipping) or send a new invoice for re-shipping and send the item(s) upon receipt of payment.

Credit Cards / Alternate Payment Methods

I don't want to use PayPal, can I use a credit card instead?
Yes. ParaGrafix accepts Visa, Mastercard, and Discover for phone and mail-in orders. Credit cards are also accepted via the PayPal shopping cart software so there is no need to create a PayPal account.
I'm concerned that my credit card information will be stolen.
ParaGrafix destroys all credit card information once your order has been placed. No records of credit card numbers, expiration dates, etc. are maintained by ParaGrafix in paper or electronic form. Your credit card information is completely safe in ParaGrafix' hands — it should be noted, however, that our credit card processing company may retain such information in their records. We have no control over this and it is no different from any other company that you do business as.
What other payment options does ParaGrafix accept?
In addition to PayPal and credit cards, we also accept cashier's checks, certified checks, and money orders made out in US dollars payable to "ParaGrafix". ParaGrafix DOES NOT accept personal checks.
Chargebacks
ParaGrafix charges $15 or the bank fee plus $3, whichever is greater, for all chargebacks.

Product Ideas

You don't make photoetch for kit X that's been out of production since the '80s. When will you be making photoetch for it?
In 99.9% of cases we won't be making photoetch for long out of production kits and/or ones that we feel will not provide an appreciable return on the investment necessary to bring a photoetch set to market.
When will you make a photoetch set for the resin Y kit by Garage Manufacturer Z?
In 99.9% of cases we won't be making photoetch for kits manufactured by the GK industry. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is that the small quantity of sets that we would sell for it would not justify the expense of bringing the set to market.
Why don't you put a suggestion box on your site soliciting ideas for future photoetch sets?
Every single photoetch set we've made based on customer suggestions/pleading has lost money. We have a good track record on creating products that will sell and ensure that the company continues to do business and provide high quality photoetch sets.
Why don't you make generic grills / mesh / hatches / logos / letter-sets / etc.? I think they'll sell like hotcakes.
No, they don't sell like hotcakes. Every generic set we've ever produced for in-house sales or as custom work for other wholesale customers has lost money or taken several years to break even. (We would guess that this is the reason that K&S Metals has curtailed their generic grillwork photoetch sets.)

Miscellaneous

You sent me a message that I was banned from ordering from your store and only refunded part of my order. What's up with that?
Most likely you abused one of our staff, lied about not receiving an item, lied about damage to an item, or other offense that made us decide that doing business with you is not something we are in the least bit interested in doing. (Since we have banned only one customer thus far, we can say with certainty that it is for both of the above reasons.) We retain $6.00 from refunded banned orders to cover processing and lost (to us) PayPal fees.
I messaged you on Facebook and I never got an answer.
We don't check our Facebook account messages. If you want to reach us please use the email address provided on the contact page.
I want to use your tooling artwork for another purpose (alternate scale, personal model, Shapeways template, etc.). Will you sell me the artwork?
No.
I don't want all of a photoetch set, can I buy just a few parts?
No.
I broke / damaged some photoetch during assembly, can I get replacement parts?
We sometimes have "seconds" of some items in stock that may have the part you're looking for. If so, then we will work with you to get you the replacement part. Contact us for more information.
I "knew better than you" / heavily modified the photoetch / didn't follow the instructions / used the PE for another purpose / etc. and now my photoetch set is destroyed. Will you replace it at no charge?
No.
How do I work with / anneal / bend / cut / fold / file photoetch?
View our Video Instructions for more information.
A) Will photoetch set X fit a completely different manufacturer's kit at a totally different scale?
No. Even if the scales are fairly close, their parts are interpretations and not exact reproductions of what was seen on screen so there will still be variations of scale and fit.
B) Will photoetch set X fit a kit that's been out of production for 30 years and goes for big money on eBay?
We have no idea. We do not keep an inventory of expensive kits on hand to test them against our photoetch sets on the off-chance that they may fit.

There are two exceptions to this rule:
- Photoetch X was specifically designed to work with that 30 year old, out of production kit. In this case we will specifically mention that in the description.
- Photoetch X was specifically designed for a modern re-release of that 30 year old kit. Again, in this case we will specifically mention that in the description. (Example: The photoetch sets for the 18" TOS USS Enterprise kit from AMT — this set will fit the new re-release of the kit as well as the classic releases from the 60s through modern times.
C) Will the photoetch for the Moebius Models Battlestar Galactica kits fit the kits from Revell of Germany?
Yes and no.
- YES: The New Series Battlestar Galactica kits from Revell Germany are re-branded copies of the Moebius Models kits. Therefore the parts are interchangeable. Also, we specifically mention this in the section on each set's page where it says "FOR KIT".
- NO: The Original Series Battlestar Galactica kits that were re-released by Revell and Monogram several years ago are COMPLETELY different kits than the newer Moebius Models releases. The photoetch sets will not work for these older kits.
D) Is the Fine Molds 1/72 scale Millennium Falcon (PGX180) set made to work with the kits by MPC, AMT, AMT/ERTL, Cutaway, Revell, etc.?

No. Please see item A above.
EXCEPTION: Revell has rereleased this kit under their banner as part number 85-5093. This is noted on the product page.
Has your photoetch set for the old MPC, AMT, AMT/ERTL, Cutaway Millennium Falcon kit been discontinued?
We have never made any aftermarket accessories for that/those kits.

I have a HUGE order (I want to buy 3 items), will you discount my order?
No. It would be unethical of us to undercut our distributors and wholesale customers so we only sell our products for the full suggested retail price. If you want a discount, please contact a retailer and see if they will cut you a deal.
Can I add you to my LinkedIn group? / I've sent you multiple LinkedIn requests but you've never accepted them, what's up?
No. I don't do LinkedIn.