Complaints and Refund Policy
Purpose and Scope
This policy explains how QT Albums reviews and resolves customer complaints about photo albums, prints, and related products, and sets out when a complaint qualifies for a replacement, reprint, or refund.
It applies to all orders placed through qtalbums.com and QT Albums sales channels, and governs both customer-submitted complaints and complaints logged by the support team on a customer's behalf.
How to Submit a Complaint
Report a problem within 7 business days of delivery, using the online complaint form. Each submission must include:
- Order number and the sales channel the order was placed through
- Customer name and email address
- A description of the problem
- Photos clearly showing the defect or damage
Complaints submitted without photos cannot be processed, since the support team relies on visual evidence to judge whether an issue originated in production, in transit, or elsewhere.
Eligible Complaint Reasons
A complaint can be filed under any of the following categories:
- Product damage
- Cover problem
- Print quality
- Incomplete order
- Package lost in transit
- Damage in transit
- Paper quality issue
- Water/humidity damage (wavy pages)
- Binding defect
- Incorrect product (wrong size or customization)
- Other
A single complaint can list more than one reason when an order has multiple issues.
Evidence and Documentation Requirements
Photos are mandatory for every complaint and must clearly show the defect. Good evidence usually includes:
- A full view of the affected item
- A close-up of the specific defect (torn page, misaligned cover, binding gap, etc.)
- The shipping box and any damaged outer packaging, when the issue is transit-related
- The shipping label, when the issue involves a lost or misdirected package
If the photos submitted are unclear, too few, or don't show the defect, the support team will request better documentation before the complaint can move forward. A complaint is closed without resolution if the customer doesn't provide the requested evidence within 7 business days of the request.
Review and Response Timeframes
| Stage | Target time |
|---|---|
| Acknowledgement of a new complaint | 1–2 business days |
| Review and decision | 2 business days |
| Reprint or replacement production, when QT is at fault | Up to 5 business days |
| Reprint production, when the fault lies with the customer or courier | Standard production turnaround (paid, where applicable) |
Resolution Options
- Replacement (standard)
- Partial refund, store credit, or discount code
Shipping and Transit-Related Claims
The following courier-related issues are eligible for a complaint:
- A parcel that is lost in transit
- Delivery delayed 3–4 weeks beyond the standard shipping estimate
- Outer packaging that arrives visibly destroyed or crushed (photos of the packaging are required)
Damage to the parcel caused by transport doesn't qualify for a refund — it's resolved with a replacement, since the product left QT Albums undamaged.
General practice for transit claims:
- Keep the original box and all packaging materials until the complaint is resolved — the courier may require them for its own investigation
- Report transit damage as soon as it's noticed, since couriers also apply their own claim windows
- For a lost parcel, QT Albums will open a trace with the courier before issuing a replacement or refund
Exclusions and Non-Eligible Claims
The following are not covered by this policy:
- Damage caused by improper handling or storage after delivery
- Personalization errors the customer approved in their own proof (typos, misspellings, wrong names or dates)
- Defects caused by low-resolution or low-quality photos the customer submitted for printing
- Color differences caused by the customer's monitor not being color-calibrated
- Errors in the customer's own project design or layout choices
- Natural shade variation in fabric covers, and natural texture irregularities in leather — both expected in genuine materials, not defects
General practice — also not covered:
- Complaints submitted after the 7 business day window, unless the delay itself was caused by QT Albums (for example, a delivery delay that pushed discovery of the defect past the window)
- A complaint about an issue already reviewed and resolved under a previous complaint for the same order
- Cosmetic variation that falls within the normal range for the product
Customer Responsibilities
- Inspect the order as soon as it arrives and report any issue within the 7 business day window
- Review the digital proof carefully before approving it for production — this is the customer's main safeguard against personalization errors
- Keep the damaged item and its original packaging until the complaint is resolved, in case further inspection is needed
- Respond to requests for additional photos or information within 7 business days to avoid the complaint being closed
Data Privacy
Photos and personal details submitted with a complaint are used only to evaluate and resolve that complaint, and to track recurring quality issues internally. Access is limited to the QT Albums support team. Photos aren't shared outside the company, except with the courier when needed to support a transit-damage or lost-parcel claim.
Contact and Escalation
Complaints are submitted using the online complaint form. For questions about an existing complaint, reply with the order number and complaint reference.
If a customer disagrees with the outcome of a review, they can ask for the decision to be escalated for a second look by a senior member of the support team, referencing the original complaint.