Refund policy

Return & Refund Policy | Bodhi Thangka
This Return and Refund Policy applies to all orders placed with Bodhi Thangka. By completing a purchase, you fully acknowledge and agree that all thangka artworks in our store are 100% hand-painted handmade art pieces with unique brush strokes, pigment textures and manual characteristics. Once a thangka is shipped and returned, secondary transportation, repackaging and handling will inevitably cause irreversible creases, loose pigments, surface wear and overall quality depreciation, which makes returned artworks unsellable as brand-new products. This policy complies with EU, UK and global consumer protection laws while reasonably protecting the unique attributes and commercial value of handmade artworks.

1. Return Eligibility & Legal Time Limit

In compliance with EU, UK and international consumer protection regulations, buyers may submit a return request within 14 calendar days after receiving the goods. No return applications will be accepted upon the expiration of the statutory cooling-off period.
All returns and refunds must meet the following requirements in full:
  • The thangka, gau pendant, original branded packaging, rigid protective tube, acid-free protective paper, official artist certificate and all supporting accessories must be returned in completely unopened, untouched, unused and original factory condition.
  • The artwork must have no signs of human handling, including but not limited to scratches, stains, dust, creases, bends, water marks, pigment abrasion, fading and indentations caused by manual contact or transportation.
  • All original documents, packaging materials and certificates must be intact and fully returned together with the artwork.
Custom thangkas (custom size, custom composition and custom deity themes) are non-refundable and non-returnable once production begins, in accordance with legal exceptions for custom-made goods.

2. Final Sale Items (Non-Returnable)

The following items are classified as final sale products under legal provisions and cannot be returned, exchanged or refunded for any reason:
  • All custom-made and exclusive hand-painted thangka artworks
  • Discounted items, promotional products, clearance goods, flash sale items and limited-edition exhibition collections
  • Artworks that have been displayed, framed, touched, cleaned or secondarily processed
  • Mini gau pendants that have been unsealed, worn or removed from original protective packaging
  • Products with man-made damage, secondary processing traces or usage marks caused by the buyer

3. Returns for Personal Reasons (Statutory Compliant & Seller Protected)

We respect the statutory 14-day cooling-off period for personal reason returns, including style dissatisfaction, aesthetic mismatch, change of mind and other subjective reasons. Due to the unique handmade nature of thangka artworks, which suffer irreversible depreciation and cannot be resold after return, the following rules apply strictly:
  • All return shipping fees, international duties, import taxes, customs clearance fees, insurance premiums and handling charges shall be borne entirely by the buyer.
  • All returned artworks will be professionally inspected by our artists. Minor wear, loose pigments, creases and contact traces caused by return transportation will be regarded as irreversible quality depreciation of handmade artworks.
  • A mandatory depreciation fee will be deducted for all personal returns: a minimum of 30% handmade craft loss fee, together with the original outbound shipping cost and platform transaction fees, to cover irreversible artwork loss, artist labor costs and operational expenses.
  • If the returned artwork has obvious damage, stains, severe quality loss or cannot be repaired or resold, the refund application will be fully rejected.

4. Damaged & Defective Item Policy (Evidence-Based)

We only compensate for original factory craftsmanship defects and transportation damage confirmed by the courier. Buyers must submit complete evidence including unopened package photos, full artwork pictures and defect detail videos within 7 calendar days after delivery.
Applications with incomplete evidence or submitted after the time limit will not be accepted.
Once our liability is verified, we provide free repainting and reshipment as the primary solution.
We are not responsible for any damage caused by improper storage, moisture erosion, artificial collision, self-modification or improper operation by the buyer after delivery.

5. Customs & Logistics Liability

All import duties, value-added taxes, customs brokerage fees and local government charges are the sole responsibility of the buyer and are non-refundable in accordance with local customs regulations.
We do not cover return shipping fees, redelivery charges or losses caused by logistics delays under any return circumstances.

6. Standard Return Procedure

  • All returns require prior written official approval from Bodhi Thangka. Unauthorized returned packages will be refused, and all resulting return freight fees will be borne by the buyer.
  • Returned items must be securely packed with shockproof hard cartons and full moisture-proof materials, and shipped via trackable, insured international couriers. Simple packaging is not acceptable.
  • All damage, loss and quality depreciation occurring during return transportation shall be the sole responsibility of the buyer.

7. Refund Processing Time

After we receive and inspect the returned artwork and confirm its condition, eligible refunds (after deduction of depreciation and handling fees) will be processed to the original payment method within 10–14 business days. Delays caused by payment platforms are beyond our responsibility.

8. Exchange Policy

One-time equivalent exchange is only available for in-stock standard artworks. All shipping costs and quality depreciation risks arising from exchanges are borne by the buyer. Any price difference must be fully paid by the buyer before reshipment. Custom artworks are not eligible for exchange.

9. Unclaimed & Returned Parcel Policy

Returned parcels that are unclaimed, refused or abandoned will be retained for a maximum of 30 calendar days. Unclaimed items will be disposed of after the storage period with no refund or compensation provided.

10. Special Statement for Handmade Artworks

All thangkas are intangible cultural heritage hand-painted artworks, not mass-produced industrial products. Each piece features unique hand-painted brush strokes and natural pigment textures. Normal screen color difference, subtle manual texture differences and minor hand-painted deviations do not constitute quality defects and are not eligible for unreasonable returns, exchanges or compensation.