Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Why are some of your prices substantially lower than other distributors?
  2. What are your hours of operation?
  3. How do I place an order?
  4. Do you accept international orders?
  5. Do you have a minimum order?
  6. Can I order samples?
  7. What is your Guarantee/Returns Policy?
  8. What is your cancellation policy?
  9. What methods of payment do you accept?
  10. How do you price your products?
  11. When will my order arrive?
  12. How much is shipping?
  13. Will I be charged sales tax?
  14. Do you accept rush orders?
  15. I live in the Vancouver/Lower Mainland or Seattle area. Do you have a public store?
  16. I've never tattooed and I want to see if I can figure this out for myself. Will you sell to me?
  17. I am friends with the owner of a tattoo studio and he wants to help me out - can he call and refer me?


1. Why are some of your prices substantially lower than other distributors?

Many of the items we sell are based on our manufacturing costs, not "what's the market value" and this affords us to sell at a greatly reduced price. Unfortunately, this means we require you to purchase a little more than other distributors (we try to avoid selling a single pack of needles - the shipping costs would kill us...). But as we 'get a feel' for what people are purchasing from us we can anticipate this, and keep more in stock at our local Vancouver location.


2. What are your hours of operation?

Pricks of the Trade is open from Monday through Saturday, 9:00am - 5:00pm (Pacific Standard Time). For scheduled appointments, we are completely flexible and are able to meet you outside of regular business hours at your convenience.  Should you wish to make an appointment, please contact us at 1-877-9-PRICKS.


3. How do I place an order?

tattoo needles, tattoo machines & tattoo kits
Please use our secure on-line shopping basket available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  If you feel more comfortable placing an order by phone, please call us at 1-877-9-PRICKS.

custom tattoo machine designs
Simply email us at custom@pricksofthetrade.com. Please provide us with the item number, quantities and any further details and we will call you directly to assist you in ordering the perfect custom tattoo machine!

If you have questions regarding any of our products and services, you can email us, at info@pricksofthetrade.com and we will be happy to assist you.


4. Do you accept international orders?

Yes, we ship internationally.  However note that duties, customs and/or brokerage fees may apply to international orders, these fees are the responsibility of the customer.  This is an additional fee charged by the courier companies and/or government agencies NOT Pricks of the Trade.  For details of these potential charges, please contact your countries government agency.  We cannot be responsible for customs delays.


5. Do you have a minimum order?

A $30.00 minimum order (before shipping & taxes) is required before your order will be processed. We don't get out of bed for anything less...


6. Can I order samples?

We understand that often you need to see the item closer to make a final decision.  Samples may be purchased for you to view prior to making a large order depending on availability.  Simply email us your needs and we will try to accommodate your request. Item cost and shipping charges apply (minimum order of $20 applies)


7. What is your Guarantee/Returns Policy?

Pricks of the Trade is confident that you will be happy with your order.  Customer care and satisfaction is important to us, should you not be satisfied with your order, please contact us immediately at returns@pricksofthetrade.com or call 778-327-5686 within 7 days of receiving your order for an authorization on a return. Returns will be accepted on any UNOPENED marchandise for up to 30 days from the original invoice date. Please contact us for an authorization before returning a product.

All returned merchandise must be in original condition. We will not accept returns on partially used or damaged items. It is the customer's responsibility to return the product properly. Returns should be sent in a method that will allow the package to be tracked while in transit. Pricks of the Trade is not responsible for lost or damaged packages in return shipping.

Shipping arrangements and costs are the responsibility of the customer. Refunds must be reported within 7 days of receiving your product and must be pre-approved by Pricks of the Trade prior to returning. Orders returned that have not been pre-approved may be refused. Approved returns that have not been returned with 1 month of approval will be subject to a 20% re-stocking fee. Items requiring assembly (eg: tattoo kits) are also subject to a 40% re-stocking fee. Items that are returned because you ordered the wrong products fall under our 'NOFP' status (not our problem) and you will be charged a 20% restock fee plus applicable shipping. Unfortunately we cannot issue refunds for personalized items, sample orders, special orders, items that have been used or items that have been damaged during shipping. Special order items, pigment (inks) and needles cannot be returned under any circumstance.

We do not issue returns because you changed your mind - you saw the photo before purchasing.

Original shipping, handling charges, and COD fees are not refundable. Credit will be applied when product has been received and noted to in in good condition. Refund charges incurred by financial institutions and credit card institutions are the responsibility of the customer.

Final sale for sale priced items and specially discounted prices. Refunds are only for products, no refunds will be issued for shipping charges, customs or duties incurred will be deducted from your refund.
CUSTOM WORK: Any printing error(s) on our part or the part of the technician will be replaced immediately at no charge. Pricks of the Trade is not responsible for printing error(s) made by the customer.


8. What is your cancellation policy?

Orders that have already been shipped will be treated as a return.  Orders for personalized items that have already been sent to the printers cannot be cancelled.

Pricks of the Trade cannot be responsible of shipping delays due to postal or courier services, custom hold ups or natural disasters. Please be sure to order your products well in advance to avoid delays. We package our products with care and cannot be responsible for products damaged during transition.


9. What methods of payment do you accept?

For your convenience, currently accept VISA, MASTERCARD, AMEX, COD and PAYPAL.  Our secure software (SSL) is the industry standard and encrypts all of your personal information including credit card number, name and address. Every transaction is 100% safe and protected from interception and tampering.


10. How do you price your products?

Prices quoted are in Local Currency and are subject to shipping charges, federal and state sale tax (where applicable). Some products may display a different price for Canada and USA which is based on brokerage and importing fees, not the current US/CAD dollar exchange rate. Canadian prices are finalized at during checkout once customer country is established. Prices are subject to change without notice.


11. When will my order arrive?

Most orders are processed on the same day your order was placed unless otherwise specified in the product, depending on its point of origin, and whether there's a lead time on manufacturing.  Sometimes we may ship directly from our manufactory to you so you may receive your order in multiple shipments. Some items may not be readily available upon placement of your order. If an item is temporarily out of stock and will require additional delivery time, we will notify you immediately.  Please remember to a lot for delivery time which will vary depending on your selection. Delivery times take 2-11 days depending on the shipping option selected, and your location.

Kindly order well in advance of your required date to avoid rushed shipping costs. If you require a rush order, please call us, at 1-877-9-PRICKS to discuss special arrangements.


12. How much is shipping?

Most merchandise is shipped from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (unless otherwise specified). Please note that if items are not in stock they may be shipped out direct from our manufacturing location and therefore you may receive multiples parcels, and may take some time to deliver (from 7 days to 2 months, depending on shipment method chosen).

Please be sure to ship to an address where someone will be available to receive the package.  Do not put your home address as the shipping address if there will be no one home to receive the package.

Due to the nature and/or fragileness of some items, we may suggest air shipping due to possible damage/breakage during transit. If the suggested shipping method is not chosen, we are not responsible for damage.

Pricks of the Trade cannot be responsible for shipping delays due to postal or courier services delays, custom hold ups or natural disasters. Please be sure to order your products well in advance to avoid delays.

Items that indicate they are otherwise shipped internationally may be subject to customs and/or duties, these fees are the responsibility of the customer.  Items shipped from the Canada are shipped via ground service; please allow 7-10 business days for delivery. Items shipped from Canada to US customers may be subject to customs and/or duties, these fees are the responsibility of the customer.

Customers are more than welcome to pick-up their orders to save on shipping charges.  To select this option, simply select Pick-up as the delivery option upon checkout.

INTERNATIONAL ORDERS:
Actual cost to be added to the final bill. Please email shipping@pricksofthetrade.com or call 1-877-9-PRICKS for quote.

Duties, customs and/or brokerage fees may apply to Canadian, US and International orders, these fees are the responsibility of the customer. This is an additional fee charged by the courier companies and/or government agencies NOT Pricks of the Trade. For details of these potential charges, please contact your countries government agency.


13. Will I be charged sales tax?

Canadian Customers - GST of 5% sales tax applies to all Canadian orders. British Columbia residents will also be charged 7% PST.

International Customers - You are exempt from all sales tax, however you will be responsible for all customs and duty charges that may be incurred.


14. Do you accept rush orders?

In the event you would like to request a rush order on any of the items at Pricks of the Trade, please call us during normal business hours at 1-877-9-PRICKS (Canada) or 1-888-9-PRICKS (USA) or send us an email. We will do our best to accommodate you.


15. I live in the Vancouver/Lower Mainland area. Do you have a public store?

Yes, but please keep in mind that we are busy assembling orders during the day, and there may not be a representative available to personally offer their time to your visit. You are welcome to come by and buy from us directly but we suggest you call 778-327-5686 (Vancouver) first for an appointment. And, if you are not employed in a tattoo shop that we can call and verify we will not sell to you, so please save yourself the trouble of driving all the way out to see us and just be upfront about your status as a tattoo artist or 'weekend warrior' with a regular day job. We are going to call and verify with the tattoo shop.


16. I've never tattooed and I want to see if I can figure this out for myself. Will you sell to me?

  • We sell tattoo supplies to professional tattoo artists only.
  • We sell tattoo supplies to professional tattoo artists only.
  • We sell tattoo supplies to professional tattoo artists only.

If you do not fit within the above 3 criteria we strongly suggest you purchase elsewhere.


17. I am friends with the owner of a tattoo studio and he wants to help me out - can he call and refer me?

Sorry - we used to allow referals a long time ago, but we are a 100% tattoo studios only supplier. Referals from studios to sell to their friends that are not in a tattoo shop are now 'kaput' - and if you are a tattoo studio that resells our tattoo supplies locally we will terminate your account. We do this to protect the tattoo studio industry - Dave (the owner) is tired of hearing about studios closing down because of home based artists with daytime jobs undercutting the rates of artists working full time in studios to support their families.

 

Thank you & happy tattooing!
Pricks of the Trade

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DISCLAIMER: Pricks of the Trade restricts the use of all Tattoo Supplies and Body Piercing Supplies (products) to qualifed tattoo and body piercing practitioners as determined by each State, Province or Health Authority. Pricks of the Trade is a product distributor only, and will not offer any tattoo or body piercing advice. Pricks of the Trade will not be liable for any consumer claims made against our company due to improper use of any of our tattoo and body piercing products. The purchaser accepts full responsibility for the safe and proper use of any products purchased from Pricks of the Trade.