frequently asked questions

Digital Products

What is your digital product policy?

Because of the volume of orders for digital products we process and the support requests we receive, we have developed a digital product policy.

I bought a digital pattern, but the download won't start. Can you help?

This doesn't happen very often. Usually it is caused by an issue with your web browser. If you click on the download link and your browser presents you with a white screen, try switching to a different web browser. (For example, if you are using Chrome, try starting the download with Firefox instead.) This takes care of the problem in almost all cases and allows the download to start.

I've tried printing the file I downloaded, but the test square is not printing at the correct scale. How do I fix this?

This issue occasionally occurs when someone prints from a PDF viewer other than Adobe Reader. If you run into this issue, printing the file with Adobe Reader will fix it. Download a free copy of Adobe Reader, install it on your computer, and then open the file from within the application. Your pattern will print correctly to scale now.

I've purchased digital patterns from you over the last few years. My hard drive just crashed, and I lost the files. Can you send me new copies of all of them?

So sorry about that. We hear from people in this situation more often than you would imagine. You can use our find past orders page to access your previous orders. You may use the download links on the order history pages to obtain new copies of your files.

I want to have a full-sized pattern sheet printed at my local copy shop, but an employee there says I can't because the pattern is copyright. What do I do now?

Every so often, we hear about a copy shop employee who is a little over-zealous about adhering to copyright law. As a purchaser of a digital pattern, you have the right to have copies printed for your personal use. That's why we include full-sized pattern sheets in the PDF file, after all! If you've run into this situation, contact us and we'll provide you with a letter to share with the store authorizing you to print your pattern.

Order Shipping

What are your shipping and handling charges?

We hate paying shipping and handling charges, too, so we do everything we can to keep these costs down. Unfortunately, shipping costs have skyrocketed in recent years, especially for international shipments. Charges are based on the weight of the order and the location to which it is shipped. You can estimate the shipping charges on an order by clicking the "Estimate" link at the bottom your shopping bag.

How do you ship orders?

We ship orders with the United States Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, and DHL. For orders shipping to United States addresses, you can choose the speed of delivery for your order and in some cases your preferred shipping carrier. For orders shipping outside the US, because delivery times can be variable, you can choose your shipping carrier.

When will my order ship?

All orders are shipped within one business day. Orders placed Monday through Friday before 3:00 PM ET usually ship the same day. You will receive a shipping confirmation email when your order ships.

Will my order have a tracking number?

All orders shipping to US addresses will receive a tracking number. Orders shipping to addresses outside the US via USPS Priority Mail International, USPS Express Mail International, and DHL Globalmail will receive tracking numbers. Orders shipping outside the US via USPS First Class International do not receive tracking numbers.

I live outside the United States. What do I need to know about orders shipping internationally?

Delivery time to your address can vary significantly depending on the shipping method you choose, how long your package takes to clear customs in your country, and the delivery performance of your country's postal service. As a result of all these factors, we're not able to guarantee delivery times for international orders.

We do find, though, that most orders shipped outside the United States arrive within the following time frames:

  1. DHL Globalmail Packet Plus to Europe: 4-8 business days
  2. DHL Globalmail Packet Plus to all other countries: 6-11 business days
  3. DHL Globalmail Parcel to Australia, Germany, and the UK: 3-10 business days
  4. DHL Globalmail Parcel to all other countries: 8-14 business days
  5. USPS Express Mail International: 3-5 business days
  6. USPS Priority Mail International: 6-10 business days
  7. USPS First Class International: 8-12 business days

Occasionally an order takes longer than this to arrive. We do not consider an international package to be lost in transit until four weeks have passed from the date of shipping. International orders are almost never lost in delivery. But they can take some time to arrive.

All orders are shipped with a reported customs value showing the full retail price of the items in the order. Any discounts or coupon codes used are not reflected in the reported customs value. We are sorry, but we are unable to change this.

You are responsible for any customs and import duties imposed by your local customs service. Every country has different customs policies. If you have questions on this, please contact your local customs service.

Returns

What is your return policy?

If you bought one of our pattern from a retailer, please contact the store for its return policy.

Paper patterns purchased on our web site may be returned for a full refund of the purchase price (minus shipping charges) within 30 days if accompanied by the sales receipt and if the pattern has not been opened. Return costs are at your own expense. Please ship your return via a traceable delivery method for proof of shipment and delivery.

Please contact us prior to shipping your return to obtain a return authorization number and shipping instructions.

There are no refunds or exchanges on digital patterns.

Gift Certificates

I would like to purchase a gift certificate. How does that work?

Visit the gift certificate section of the Oliver + S shop to make your purchase. Add a gift certificate to your shopping bag and check out. Once your order is completed, you will be emailed a sales receipt which contains a gift certificate code. You may then provide that code to your receipient with one of the gift certificate templates we have on the site or by any other method of your choice. Please note that the website will not automatically notify your intended recipient that a gift certificate has been purchased. You must do that yourself.

How do I use a gift certificate I have received?

Gift certificates are applied to customer accounts as credits. To redeem a gift certificate, you must have an Oliver + S shop account. Begin by visiting the shop section of the website. In the left-side navigation bar, you will see a link to "redeem a gift certificate." Click this item and follow the instructions to add the gift certificate to your account. Once you have done this, the value of the gift certificate will be available for you to use when placing an order.

I was given a gift certificate, but I can't find the code now. Can you look it up for me?

Unfortunately, no. Since we do not maintain records of who receives gift certificates after they are purchased, we can't provide lost codes to gift certificate recipients. We can, though, assist the original purchaser of the gift certificate if a request for a code lookup comes from the same email address as was associated with the original order.

Website Security and Privacy

How do you treat my personal information?

Like we would want our own treated, of course. We never share the personal data you provide on our website.

Do you have a privacy policy?

Yes. If you're interested in the details, you may read it.

Domesticated Animals

Do you like dogs and cats?

Of course we do! We like sheep and goats too. But not as much as we like dogs and cats.

Company Name

Where did the name Oliver + S come from?

When she was younger, Liesl's daughter (whose nickname is S) had a playmate called Oliver. The brand was named after them.

Paper Dolls

Why did you used to use paper dolls on your packaging?

Who doesn't love paper dolls? We thought they would be an innovative yet traditional way to show the designs and to make the packaging fun.

Who created your paper dolls?

Our paper dolls are illustrated by Dan Andreasen, a wonderful artist who is represented by Shannon Associates.

Why did you stop using the paper dolls?

We were sad to see them go too. We held on to them for much longer than we should have, actually, because we liked them so much. In the end, we switched to photographs for our pattern covers for two reasons. First, many people saw the covers and thought that the product was a sewing pattern for doll clothes. (No, we never thought this would be a problem, but it turned out that the paper dolls were causing confusion about what was in the package.) And, second, many of our retailers told us that having the illustrations rather than photographs was keeping the patterns from selling as well as they could in stores.

Images

Can I download images to display in my store or on my web site?

We are happy to share our images for promotional purposes. Please contact us for specific information and for high-resolution images, if desired.

Selling Items Made from Your Patterns

May I sell items made from your patterns?

Our patterns are developed and sold for personal, non-commercial use only. We respectfully ask that you not use our patterns to make items to be sold for personal profit.

You may, though, use our patterns to make items to be sold if 100% of the proceeds are donated to a charitable, nonprofit organization.