Most buyers don't think about a return policy until something goes sideways on a job site. By then, a vague clause buried in a sales invoice is the last thing anyone wants to read. We've worked hard to make our process plain-spoken, consistent across order sizes, and fair to both sides — whether you're a homeowner with three beams for a vaulted ceiling or an importer moving a forty-foot container.
What the policy actually covers
The policy applies to all polyurethane faux wood beams sold through our B2B and B2C channels. It covers manufacturing defects, transit damage, color or finish mismatch against an approved sample, incorrect sizing within tolerance windows, and buyer's remorse on standard stock items.
What it doesn't cover: beams that have been cut, drilled, painted, stained, or otherwise modified after delivery. Once a beam is altered, it can't be resold as new inventory, and we can't honestly evaluate why something failed. That's standard across the faux beam industry, and mentioning it up front saves everyone a frustrating phone call later.
For importers and wholesale buyers, the same terms apply at the order level. If 6 of 240 beams arrive damaged, we replace those 6 — not the whole shipment — provided the damage was noted on the Bill of Lading at the time of receipt.
Defects and freight damage
Any visible damage to a beam — crushed corners, cracked faces, water staining, delamination — must be noted on the carrier's delivery receipt before the driver leaves. Photographs taken on the dock within 24 hours carry far more weight than photographs taken a week later. We honor those claims quickly because the carrier's liability is clear-cut.
Manufacturing defects — meaning the beam was wrong when it left our facility — usually show up during unpacking or installation. Pinholes in the surface, soft spots that give under thumb pressure, mismatched grain pattern across what should be a continuous run, or hollow shells that sound thin when tapped. These are not the installer's fault, and we replace them at our cost including freight.
Sizing issues within tolerance
Polyurethane beams carry a manufacturing tolerance of roughly plus or minus 2mm on linear dimensions. Anything inside that band is considered within spec and not returnable. Anything outside it is. We measure dispute cases in our factory before approving a return so the buyer doesn't pay freight on a non-issue.
Buyer's remorse and over-ordering
Stock beams in standard finishes — unpainted, the four most common wood tones, the three most common white tones — can be returned within 30 days for a refund minus a 15% restocking fee. Custom-finished, custom-sized, or custom-profiled beams are non-returnable except for the defect categories above. This split exists because custom work cannot be resold to another customer.
How the process works day to day
Step one is contacting your sales rep or our support inbox with the order number and a short description of the issue. Step two is a few photographs and, for damage claims, a marked-up copy of the delivery receipt. Step three is a Return Material Authorization, or RMA number, which we issue within one business day.
Once you have the RMA, you have 14 days to get the beams back to the warehouse or consolidation point we specify. We don't require the original packaging, but beams do need to be protected from puncture and impact during return transit. A layer of cardboard, foam wrap, or even moving blankets works fine for shorter pieces.
Refunds for credit card orders post within five business days of receiving and inspecting the returned beams. Wire transfer refunds take a bit longer because of bank processing — typically seven to ten business days. For importers paying on net-30 or net-60 terms, returns reduce the next invoice rather than triggering a separate refund transaction.
What this looks like for contractors and designers
A remodeling contractor in Texas ordered 18 beams for a custom residential project last spring. Six were painted a custom color on-site to match existing trim. The other 12 went up unpainted with a clear sealer. Two of the 12 had grain pattern discontinuities that broke visual flow across a 16-foot run. We replaced both at no charge within nine days, including freight to the job site.
The six painted beams were not returnable — they'd been altered — but the contractor hadn't asked to return them anyway. They were installed on a different ceiling where the grain match was less critical.
For interior designers specifying beams on a project where the client changes their mind on finish halfway through, the same logic applies. Return the unused unpainted stock. Custom-painted beams that the client rejected are non-returnable, which is why we always recommend approving a small sample board before committing a full order to a custom finish.
What importers should know
For container-load orders, the policy operates in tiers. Single-beam defects inside a 40-foot HQ container are replaced individually. Cluster defects — meaning more than 5% of a shipment shows the same problem — trigger a full shipment review with optional third-party inspection at our cost. We've used SGS, Bureau Veritas, and Intertek depending on the destination country's requirements.
Return freight on container orders is the one area where things can get complicated. For DDP shipments, we arrange pickup at the buyer's warehouse. For FOB shipments, the buyer arranges return freight but we reimburse the documented cost. For CIF shipments, the same applies but with the original ocean freight carrier where possible, which keeps costs down.
Importers should also note that customs duties paid on returned goods are recoverable in most jurisdictions, but only if the original entry was preserved correctly. We provide the commercial invoice and customs entry documentation on request.
Common questions we get
What if I ordered the wrong color entirely? If the beams are stock and unaltered, you can return them. If they're custom-finished to your spec, you own that decision.
What if the beams arrive and the project is on hold? Stock beams can be returned within 30 days. If your installation timeline has shifted by months, talk to us before the beams sit in a warehouse for six months — we'd rather work out a delayed delivery than process a return after long-term storage.
What if only one beam in a run is bad? We replace the single beam. You don't have to return the entire run to get one bad unit replaced.
How long do I have to report a problem? Transit damage within 24 hours of receipt. Defects within 30 days of delivery. Buyer's remorse within 30 days for stock items. After that window, we still try to help, but the policy terms no longer apply.
A practical note before you order
The single best way to avoid needing the return policy is to order one or two sample beams before placing a full order. Sample pricing is refundable against a subsequent order above a minimum quantity. A $60 sample beam that prevents a $4,000 wrong-color mistake is the cheapest insurance on any job site.
For international buyers, we can ship three or four small swatch pieces representing our standard finishes via DHL for a flat fee. Those swatches are non-returnable, but they're also the fastest way to confirm a finish is right before committing to a production run.
The policy exists because mistakes happen, freight gets rough sometimes, and color matching is genuinely hard across a computer screen. We'd rather handle those moments cleanly than lose a long-term customer over a single rough delivery.
The return policy and project timing
One of the most common situations our return policy addresses is the project timing change. A contractor orders beams for a kitchen renovation that gets delayed by three months because the client changes their mind about the cabinet color. The beams arrive and sit in the client's garage for six months before the project finally resumes.
Our standard 30-day return window covers this scenario partially, but we're pragmatic about it. If beams have been stored in their original packaging in a dry environment, we extend the return window on a case-by-case basis. If the beams have been modified — painted, cut, drilled — they fall outside the return policy regardless of storage conditions.
The best insurance against timing-related returns is to coordinate the beam delivery with the installation schedule. Our logistics team can hold completed beams in our warehouse and ship them on a specified date aligned with the job site's readiness. This warehouse-hold service is available for up to 60 days at no additional charge.
How the policy works for wholesale and distributor orders
Distributors and importers ordering for resale have different return logistics than end-users. A distributor with 50 beams that need to be returned cannot simply ship them back individually. We coordinate with distributors on bulk return arrangements: a consolidated pickup from the distributor's warehouse, a single return shipment to our facility, and a single credit applied to the distributor's account.
For distributors with inventory that hasn't sold after an extended period, we offer an exchange program: return slow-moving inventory for credit toward faster-moving SKUs. This program is available quarterly and requires advance arrangement with your account manager.
The exchange program helps distributors manage inventory risk without requiring them to absorb the full cost of slow-moving products. It's particularly valuable for distributors in markets where demand is seasonal or where project timelines are unpredictable.
What happens when a return is disputed
In the rare event of a dispute — when we and the buyer disagree about whether a return qualifies — we use a third-party inspection process. An independent inspector visits the buyer's location, evaluates the beams in question, and provides a written report. The report's findings are binding on both parties.
The third-party inspection costs are split: we pay if the inspection finds the beams qualify for return; the buyer pays if they don't. This structure incentivizes honest claims from both sides.
The most common dispute category involves finish mismatch claims on wood-grain beams. These are the most subjective claims because wood-grain finishes naturally vary slightly from beam to beam. Our specification tolerances allow for minor variation within a batch; a claim that one beam is slightly lighter than another in a multi-beam installation usually falls within tolerance and does not qualify for return.
If the variation is significant — visible from normal viewing distance — we replace the beam without requiring return of the mismatched unit. We ask for photographs and, if the photographs confirm a significant mismatch, we ship a replacement and dispose of the original on-site. This avoids forcing the buyer to repack and ship a heavy, awkwardly sized item.
Regional variations in return expectations
Return policy norms vary significantly by market. In North America, our standard 30-day window and 15% restocking fee are well within market norms. In some European markets, statutory consumer protection laws provide return rights that supersede our policy for B2C sales; we comply with local law in those cases.
In Middle Eastern and Asian markets, the relationship between buyer and seller is often more central to the transaction, and the formal return policy is supplemented by a commitment to client satisfaction that goes beyond the written terms. We honor that commitment in practice, even when local law doesn't require it, because long-term relationships in these markets depend on trust.
For importers, understanding the local norms in their market helps them set appropriate customer expectations. We provide our full policy documentation in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Mandarin, and we can advise on how to present the policy to customers in different cultural contexts.
Building a returns-free process
The best return is the one that never happens. We work proactively with buyers to prevent returns by ensuring the specification is correct before production begins.
For beams with custom finishes, we require written approval of a sample before production. The sample approval form acknowledges that the buyer has seen and approved the finish and understands that production will match the sample.
For beams with custom dimensions, we recommend a field measurement review before the order is placed. A contractor or designer who has confirmed measurements twice — once when the order was placed and once when the job site is ready for delivery — is far less likely to discover a dimension problem at delivery.
For importers distributing to multiple end-users, we recommend including a specification checklist with each shipment that the end-user signs before installation. This checklist confirms that the beams received match the order and that the buyer has inspected them before cutting or modification. It protects both the importer and us in the event of a disputed return.
Technical References
ASTM standards cited in every specification
Test Data
Lab results from internal testing program
Updated 2026
Reviewed against current product specs
