Hobbie's
Frequently Asked Questions

Hobbie's House has collected a list of our most frequently asked questions. You may just find that the answer to your question on this page.

However, we feel that Customer Service receives so many frequently asked questions of interest to all wizarding fans that we made it possible for you, the visitor, to automatically post your questions to this page.

Each frequently asked question will become a new page on our site! We will post a response on your page and anyone can comment or add questions.

To demonstrate what your question [and our response] will look like on this page, we actually seeded the new submission system with the most frequently asked question.

Please note that this page is for generic, topic related questions. For questions directly related to specific orders for which you have already received a confirmation email, please contact Customer Service.

A directory of posted questions will build automatically at the bottom of this page. Please keep the submission related to our wizard wear. We reserve the right to delete unacceptable posts.

Please note that we often receive complaints about not answering customer email inquiries. Magically enough, the complaints have no trouble finding us. We are very busy and there are times when an email slips by unanswered by we are definitely not in the business of ignoring your emails - we have too many systems in place to ensure that every legitimate email reaches our Post Office!

Be sure to check our site blog for the latest announcements. Not only does the blog update automatically when we make a change to any page on our website but the "What's New?" blog is where we will make major announcements affecting all customers.

If you don't see the answer to YOUR question here on the FAQ page, please submit your question using the form below.

1.I never received ANY kind of order confirmation email!
2.Why are you not answering my emails?
3.I placed an order a few days ago. When was the item shipped?
4.What do you mean by custom made to order?
5.Hobbie's Team Sweater does not have a House patch - why?
6.Why is the Team Sweater so much more expensive than the School Sweater?
7.Can I return my sweater?
8.What are your payment options?
9.What are the shipping options?

The majority of the frequently asked questions we receive at Hobbie's House can help fellow costuming fans. If your question is a general, topic related i.e. about Hobbie's Wizard Wear, please post it here to build a reference site accessible to all.

For personal sizing and measurement questions, please contact us directly via email.

FAQ DIRECTORY: Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Custom Sized Sweaters? 
Can you make sweaters based on requested size measurements?

Rent Scarf 
Hi I was wondering why it says I won't be able to get a Rent scarf until next August, it kinda defeats having it for the winter months. Any chance of getting ...

Custom Sizing & Custom Colors 
How much extra does it cost to modify the size or color of a sweater or scarf?

I would like to order the New Style School Sweater in my University colors ...

Team Sweater Knitting Pattern  Not rated yet
First off thank you for the excellent knitting patterns that you have posted. I've used them to great success knitting my own sweaters. I was wondering ...

Yes, you did. Once you hit the "Add to cart" button in Hobbie's store, you are directed to the next step - a Secure Order Page, backed by 100% secure SSL encryption technology. On this page, you can opt to "Return to Cart" or "Confirm" your order.

The next page to show up is a "Thank You" page where you can "Make Changes" or "Submit this Order". An announcement at the bottom of the page states that "you will be taken to PayPal to complete payment". PayPal is our only payment system and you must have a registered account with them.

You are re-directed to PayPal where the payment process is completed. Within minutes [sometimes a little longer], you will receive:

A receipt from PayPal for your purchase

A receipt from Hobbie's store with the following subject line: Your Receipt Order Number: 0000.

Hobbie's receipt will detail your billing and shipping address, any comments and ordering instructions, and the specifics of your order.

Please print both the PayPal receipt and Hobbie's receipts for your records. These 2 emails are confirmation that your order was received at Hobbie's House of Wizard Wear.

However...

Depending on the security settings for your computer and any built in spam and/or junk email filters, your receipts may end up in the trash. Be sure to look for them in the Junk or Spam folders of your email software.

We have tested the entire purchasing process several times. With each test, both confirmation emails were in fact delivered in a very timely manner.

Why are you not answering my emails?

To ensure our messages are delivered properly to your inbox, please add our domain name to your Address Book or Safe List. Please verify the spelling of the email address you use to contact us. Emails originating from free email accounts are particularly prone to the latest junk and/or spam filters.

In the past few months, email links throughout Hobbie's House have been used to forward a variety of nasty viruses.

It caused sufficient problems with the hundreds of emails we receive on a daily basis that we decided to install heavy duty spyware, spam filters and internet firewalls to prevent a repeat performance.

Aware that our spam filters are now extremely picky, we take the extra time to check our "Bulk" and "Junk Mail" folders to ensure that our spam filters have not accidentally chucked a customers' email.

BUT...we can not respond to your emails if they do not get to our mailbox nor can we respond to your emails if your ISP has filters in place which automatically block unidentified email addresses - in short, our responses.

Please note that we DO respond to every email inquiry and submission through the Contact Us form. Our responses are not limited to a specific time of day - we respond to our email throughout the business day - again, if the email gets to our mailbox!

Our aim is to respond in the shortest amount of time but sometimes we are very busy - knitting of course.

If you do not receive a timely response to your email - by timely we mean within 24 hours - you can rest assured that it is not because we are ignoring your request for information. It is more likely because we did not receive your email at all.

Please double check the following:

The email address you used to contact us

Please make some reference to Hobbie's or Wizard Wear in the subject line.

Check your Junk or Spam Mail folder. Many times, our emails have been "found" there.

Check your spam filters - add us to your "Safe List".

Important - Verify that you are not accidentally using an *old* email address to contact Hobbies. We may get the email but our response is bounced back with no other way to contact you. And what does the customer think? that we do not respond to our email!

Better yet, simply use one of the forms found at the bottom of this page. They are not subject to spam filters.

We do not archive our messages until orders are completed and mailed out. In our back office, we have multiple ways to verify incoming email - but we can not answer those emails that simply do not appear in our mailbox.

I placed an order a few days ago. When was the item shipped?

We imagined 2005 to be our busiest year ever. The usual summer "lull" did not materialize during 2006. August 2006 brought our first orders for Phoenix Rising - a May 2007 event. October 2, 2006 brought our first order for Halloween 2007. We are officially busy all year around.

To avoid any misunderstandings, and disappointment, about our delivery schedule, please take a few minutes to review our re-structured turn around time policy.

To check on the status of your order, please refer to our public Order Status Calendar. Click on the button below to subscribe to an RSS feed of this public calendar. The status is only when the order is actually in progress, not

Multiple item orders take longer to deliver.

In this way, we can maintain the level of quality which has been our stock in trade during 30 years in the custom knitting business and which you have come to anticipate.

Thank you for your business and for your patience.

Each order is processed according to the date and time on which it was received, taking into account wizard wear orders from all sources.

We receive numerous orders per day. The orders are categorized according to time received during any given day.

Each of these orders can be for single or multiple items. For example, 5 to 7 orders can actually represent a total of 12 to 15 individual sweaters, socks and scarves. Each individual item is assigned a production slot.

What do you mean by custom made to order?

At Hobbie's House, custom-made means that each order, be it a scarf or sweater, is knit just for YOU. Sweaters, socks and scarves are knit one at a time, according to each customer's specifications.

This allows for personalization or customizing for a near perfect fit.

Hobbie's House does not maintain any inventory except for the occasional show sample which will eventually find it's way into Hobbie's "Treasure Chest".

Hobbie's Team Sweater does not have a House patch - why?

There are so many great House patches available on the Internet - some more accurate looking than others - Hobbie's thought it best to let the customer select the patch of their choice. We do recommend you check out the beautiful, reasonably priced House patches found at the Patch Palace.

Why is the Team Sweater so much more expensive than the School Sweater?

There are several reasons - the added time required to both knit the sweater and assemble it but above all, it's the quantity of yarn... over 50% more than required to knit a School Sweater in the same size.

Can I return my sweater?

Each sweater is custom knit just for YOU. When you decide to place an order, it is important that you verify the following:

Do take advantage of this free service to verify measurements and sizing. Please note that there is a difference in sizing/fit between Ladies and Men's sweaters, especially across the shoulder width.

Click HERE to review our Return Policy.

What are your payment options?

PayPal is an easy payment option. Perhaps too easy...You do not even have to be a registered PayPal member in order to use their services, however... you will have to open an account with PayPal should you ask for a refund.

At Hobbie's House, PayPal payments receive Paypal refunds.

During 2005, many refunds went unclaimed because an increasing number of customers who changed their minds about ordering were not registered PayPal members. To remedy this situation, we now require that you be a registered PayPal member.

If you prefer not to use PayPal at all, you can pay by money order. Please use the form provided at the bottom of the Money Order Purchases page to place your order.

Please note that your order is placed in the production queue according to the date your money order is received.

You can write an E-Checks through Paypal. We also accepts this method of payment.

Many customers have expressed concern that their credit card is charged at the time of purchase. As with any other credit card purchase, at a local retail store or online, Paypal will charge your credit card when you place an order. Unlike ready made merchandise which you carry out of the store after purchase or shipped within 24 hours after purchase, our products are custom-made to order after purchase.

We ask that you please do not initiate chargebacks through PayPal. Chargebacks involve a month long process and you will not get your money back until the end of the process. If you want a refund, just write and ask for one. It will be issued immediately and your order will automatically be cancelled. If you ask us for the refund, the money can be back in your account within minutes after receipt of the email!

Please note that ordering from Hobbie's House indicates that you are aware that you have just placed an order for a "custom made item", with a delivery date [you selected] well into the future and NOT an item with a 7 day turn around time.

With our newly re-structured turn around time "delivery dates", not even a scarf could be ordered, shipped and received within the 7 days required by Paypal. Especially not with our current volume of orders. Our original turn around time was already a minimum of 6-8 weeks.

Should chargebacks continue, our only option will be to totally eliminate Paypal as a payment option.

What are the shipping options?

Domestic shipping is handled by the U.S. Postal Service via their Priority Mail service. We add Delivery Confirmation which allows us Hobbie's House and you to track the package. Insurance is optional.

International shipping is also handled by the U.S. Postal Service via their International Priority Mail or Global Priority services. The package can be "registered" for an additional fee. Shipping time for "registered" packages is slightly longer however this service allows for tracking of your package.

Hobbie's House of Wizard Wear is not responsible for any Customs Declation fees. These fees vary according to country.

More questions and answers to come...

Return Policy | FAQ | Contact Us | Turn Around Time | Shipping |
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