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General Order Information

Free Shipping!

We are so pleased to announce that The Briar Patch now offers FREE SHIPPING on all regular priced dresses for girls and suits for boys. Here are the details:

*Free Shipping is granted all orders for regular priced Dresses for Girls and Suitsr/Outfits for Boys. Most of these items have a "Free Shipping" banner in their item description.

*Free shipping is available for orders shipping within the United States by standard shipping; standard shipping may be either USPS First Class Mail, Priority Mail, or UPS Ground. Upgraded shipping and international shipping will incur relevant shipping charges.

*Items on sale, accessory items, toys, gifts, and some collections of christening ensembles are not eligible for free shipping.

*If an item is returned to us for refund, the cost of free shipping will be deducted from the return credit.

~*~*~ Please note: All orders for which we are reasonably sure availability is secure are charged and processed weekly.

The introduction of this internet shop to our original storefront concept has changed how we handle inventory greatly; it has changed how we think of inventory and the term "in stock" forever. It also presents a challenge in working with our anxious clients or those requiring an item immediately.

The internet shop brings us many orders on styles and items featured online. This means we rotate our inventory several times weekly. So, we rely on multiple shipments each week to accommodate orders. To be fair, we handle all orders in the sequence received. Through this process we maintain fresh dye and material lots on our garments and also achieve a high level of quality control.

While we hope to offer convenience and a quick processing time on all orders; we do not consider The Briar Patch a "fast food" internet retailer of children's finery. We are a true boutique storefront and maintain similar processes for both venues of sale. Our purpose is to bring a lovely selection of merchandise to you; but we do assume our clients are sharing with us the time we need to handle orders with integrity.

We ask our clients to consider a delivery time of 10-14 business days on orders. This is just under three weeks and compares well with wait times up to six months for many special occasion shops. While we maintain a large amount of stock in inventory; it is dynamic and changes radically each day as orders arrive.

If you require an item IMMEDIATELY, please email us at brpatch@sbcglobal.net so we may confirm the urgently needed item is available immediately. We actually assign your inquiry to our inventory team to be sure the report is correct, the item you desire is physically located and not just a number on a screen. Too often relying on electronic representations of available inventory has lead to disappointments.

Upgraded shipments will ship as soon as possible, but please remember that we cannot ship the same day. Items must be inspected, prepared, and packaged. Urgent orders are also shipped in sequence by order date; so there is usually a wait as any day brings us 100's of urgent orders. We must also secure authorization from your credit card company or bank if you use a debit card. This is usually a 24-48 hour process. Every day, there is also a line of 100's of orders already placed and requiring urgent attention. Your urgent order will have to wait in line to be fair. This is unavoidable.

Normally, a shipping upgrade can get us closer to 7-10 business days for delivery. If the item you desire is actually with us and not en route via replenishment, we can ship closer to 5 business days. This is an estimate based on historical shipping times and availability; it is not a guarantee.

REGARDLESS OF THE WEAR DATE OR DELIVERY DATE you request on your order, we will ship your item/s as soon as possible. An order placed in May will not be delayed because the shared wear date or delivery date is in October.

All normal orders ship via USPS Priority Mail with Signature Confirmation. Second Day Air orders will ship via USPS Express Mail which often delivers on Sundays in metropolitan areas and is a cost reduction to UPS Second Day. Overnight packages, once processed, will ship by UPS Next Day. There are additional charges for Saturday Delivery.