FAQ

Somewhere it catches the light: a window is perfect, and sunlight won’t fade the glass. Hang it where it can’t swing into the window pane, and away from doors that slam, curious pets and little hands. Lots of pieces look lovely on a lamp or mirror too, as long as they can’t fall.

Use the chain or hook it arrives with, and hang it from something sturdy that can take its weight. A screw-in hook or a solid curtain pole is best for larger pieces.

I never recommend suction cups or command strips, as even with small pieces they lose their grip over time, especially in cold or steamy rooms like kitchens and bathrooms.

A soft microfibre cloth is all most pieces need. For smudges, spray a little ammonia-free glass cleaner onto the cloth, never straight onto the glass, and wipe gently. Please don’t use scourers, abrasive cleaners or a dishwasher, and don’t soak it.

Yes. The solder lines are finished with a patina, and over time they can darken or soften in colour, a bit like old jewellery. That’s just the metal living its life. If you’d like it to stay brighter for longer, a tiny bit of furniture wax rubbed on with a soft cloth once or twice a year helps.

Most of my pieces are made for indoors. Garden pieces like plant stakes are happy outside in the warmer months, but I’d bring them in when frost is forecast or in very stormy weather, and give them a gentle wipe now and then.

My pieces are decorative, not toys. Please keep them out of reach of young children and pets, and take care with the edges: they’re finished and smoothed, but it’s still glass. I use traditional lead-based solder, so please don’t let anyone chew or suck on a piece, and wash your hands after handling it.

I currently post to addresses in the UK only.

Postage is a flat £5 per order to anywhere in the UK, however many pieces you buy.

Pieces in stock are usually packed and posted within 3 working days. Made-to-order pieces take around 2 weeks to make before they’re posted, and I’ll let you know when yours is on its way. Every piece is wrapped carefully so it reaches you in one piece.

I’m so sorry. Please email me at hello@otterglass.co.uk with a photo of the piece and the packaging, and I’ll put it right with a replacement, a repair or a full refund, whichever you prefer.

Yes. If you bought online, you have 14 days from the day your piece arrives to tell me you’d like to cancel. You don’t need to give a reason. Just email me at hello@otterglass.co.uk with your name and order number. You then have another 14 days to post it back.

Pieces from my shop or catalogue that I make once you order are covered by the same 14-day right, just like pieces in stock.

The one exception is a commission made to your own design or personalised for you, for example with a name, a pet portrait or your chosen colours. Because it’s made just for you, it can’t be returned if you change your mind. Your rights if it’s faulty still apply.

If you’re returning something because you’ve changed your mind, you pay to post it back. Please pack it carefully and use a tracked service, as it’s your responsibility until it reaches me. If the piece is faulty or not as described, I’ll cover the return cost.

Please email me at hello@otterglass.co.uk to arrange your return, and I’ll send you the address to post it to.

I’ll refund the price of the piece plus the original standard postage you paid. I’ll send your refund within 14 days of receiving the piece back (or proof you’ve posted it, if that comes first), using the same payment method you used to buy it.

You don’t need the original packaging, and you’re welcome to unwrap and look at your piece just as you would in a shop. If it comes back damaged or has been handled more than that, I may take off an amount to reflect the drop in its value.

If something’s wrong with your piece, you have 30 days from delivery to return it for a full refund. After 30 days, I’ll offer a repair or replacement first, and if that doesn’t fix things, a refund. This is part of your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and nothing on this page takes those rights away.

The 14-day change-of-mind right is for online orders. If something you bought in person is faulty, though, the same faulty-item rights above apply, so do get in touch.

Otterglass is run by me, Emily, a one-person maker based in the West Midlands. I’m responsible for any personal information you share through this website. You can reach me at hello@otterglass.co.uk.

• When you order: your name, delivery and billing address, email address, phone number (if you give one) and what you ordered.
• When you pay: payments are handled securely by WooPayments, which is powered by Stripe. I never see or store your full card details.
• If you join my mailing list: your email address and name, and whether you open my emails.
• If you email me or fill in a form: whatever you choose to tell me.
• When you browse: basic technical information such as your IP address, browser and the pages you visit, collected through cookies (see below).

• To take payment, make and send your order, and keep you updated about it (because I need to, to fulfil our contract).
• To keep the business records HMRC requires (a legal obligation).
• To send you my newsletter, only if you’ve signed up. You can unsubscribe from any email.
• To keep the site secure, stop spam and understand how it’s used, so I can improve it (my legitimate interests).

I never sell your information. I only share what’s needed with the services that help me run the shop:

• WooPayments and Stripe, to process payments
• Royal Mail or another courier, to deliver your order
• WordPress.com, Jetpack and WooCommerce, which host and run this website
• MailPoet, which sends my newsletter
• Akismet, which filters spam from forms and comments
• Google, Pinterest and TikTok, which help me show my products on their platforms and understand how ads and listings perform
• Google Analytics, which shows me how people find and use this website, but only if you accept statistics cookies

Some of these companies are based outside the UK, mainly in the USA. Where that happens, they use approved safeguards to protect your information.

I keep order records for six years, because HMRC requires me to. Newsletter details are kept until you unsubscribe. Emails and messages are kept for as long as they’re useful, and no longer than two years after we last spoke unless they relate to an order.

Cookies are small files that help the site work. Some are essential, like the ones that remember what’s in your basket. Others help me understand how people use the site or how well my listings and ads perform. You can choose which non-essential cookies to allow, and you can also clear or block cookies in your browser settings.

You can ask to see the information I hold about you, ask me to correct it or delete it, ask me to stop using it for marketing, or object to how I use it. Just email hello@otterglass.co.uk. If you’re unhappy with how I’ve handled your information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk, though I’d love the chance to put it right first.