For shoppers · checked October 2026
Buying safely from independent makers
Buying from a maker's own website means more of your money reaches the person who made the thing. It also means there's no marketplace in the middle, so it's worth a minute's checking first.
Before you pay
Every ByHand shop page has a Before you buy panel. Whatever site you're on, check:
- That they send to your country, and roughly how long it takes.
- What happens with returns. Personalised and made-to-order pieces often can't be returned, so check before ordering one.
- That the website is the maker's own. ByHand links straight to it and checks the link still opens.
How to pay
Pay by card or a payment service with buyer protection, never by bank transfer to someone you don't know. If a shop asks you to pay outside its own checkout, that's a warning sign.
Buying from another country
An order from abroad can mean import duty, tax and a handling fee when it arrives, and these are usually paid by you. Some makers include them in the price; ask if the shop doesn't say. Tell ByHand where you're shopping from and each shop page says whether it sends to you.
If something goes wrong
Contact the maker first: most problems are a lost parcel or a mix-up, and small makers fix them fast. If that doesn't work, your card or payment provider can help. On ByHand you can also tell us about a problem with an order from the shop page. We can't refund it, because you paid the maker, but a shop with a few of these goes back to a reviewer.
Questions
- Does ByHand take payments?
- No. You buy on the maker's own website or shop, so ByHand never sees the sale or your card details.
- Who do I contact about a late order?
- The maker. Their website, or the shop you bought from, has their contact details. If it's not sorted, report a problem with an order on their ByHand page.