waitlist & queue

in order to keep turnaround times extremely short, i keep the official queue down to 3-4 slots. everyone else goes into the waitlist, and gets slowly added (usually at a rate of 1 per month) into the regular queue. the waitlist doesn’t skip order, and new projects are always added to the queue from the waitlist first. the waitlist are guaranteed spots still, and require a 200 USD nonrefundable down payment to secure, which goes toward the total price of the suit. i would just rather not have a significant amount of money exchange hands until i know i can start your suit within 3 months. waitlist times also average 3 months before going into the queue.

i do allow one waitlist delay, if something comes up, you can move to the very end. however, if your turn comes up a second time and you cannot pay the 50%, i will drop you from the waitlist and you would have to reapply in the future.

pricing

pricing on suits is an incredibly complex process based on many factors (availability and price of fur required, number of markings, size and shape of markings, number of different furs needed, how much shaving is required, etc) therefore, i can't answer on-demand about how much a suit would cost. however, for convenience, i did create a price estimator. please note that the price estimator is not a guaranteed quote.

deadlines

i do not take guaranteed deadlines, though if you are attending a con that falls within the time slot you applied for, we will almost always be able to complete it by then! loose deadlines are accepted on a case-by-case basis and must be discussed before official acceptance of the commission (as other people might want the same deadline!) please note that if you would like to take advantage of having your suit delivered by a specific con, it must be paid and the DTD received at least 2 months in advance for me to consider it.

i do take rush orders sometimes, it isn’t a guarantee. rush order depends on how many hours i have to work overtime to complete your deadline request, so it is typically based off: 1. how much faster i have to complete your suit than initially estimated in order to make your deadline, and 2. how that effects any other suits already on the queue.

deposits & refundability

the deposit for the waitlist is a flat 200 USD nonrefundable fee. this fee is put toward the total cost of your suit once your time comes up. this is to secure your guaranteed spot on the waitlist. if you drop during the waitlist portion, you only lose the 200 dollar deposit.

once you begin the payment process and are added to the queue, the minimum down payment is 50%, but only 10% of your deposit is nonrefundable. i immediately purchase supplies, add pieces to queue, and prep, this is time and money i cannot refund. anything beyond 10% can be refundable depending on how far along i am and the reasons for cancelling a commission.

there is an exception to the nonrefundable deposit: if your suit hasn’t been started after 6 months of being fully paid off, or hasn’t been completed within 12 months of being fully paid off and receiving the DTD, you are entitled to a full refund if requested, including the deposit. however, if i have been waiting for over 3 months for the client to respond to and approve progress, and the delay is caused by extremely long response times, i reserve the right to extend the hasn’t been completed date additional months based directly on the response times.

i want you to have peace of mind that your suit will be started and worked on in a timely manner.

turnaround time

houndsteeth current turnaround time is: 3-4 months on average. please note that this figure is after payment has been fully made, not from the point at which you got the slot. my queue works in order of a mixture of which round you are in, and who has paid off in full first, but nothing will be started until the suit is fully paid.

payment processors

payment processors offered, ordered from my favorite to least favorite:

wire transfer • direct through bank • international • free
ACH bank transfer • squarespace or stripe • US only • free
zelle • US only • check daily/monthly limits as that can limit use • free
credit/debit payment • squarespace or stripe • includes apple pay, google pay, etc • international • 3% additional fee
personal check or money order • only if local to PNW and can deliver • free
paypal • international • i will only use this as an absolute last resort, please discuss with me in advance

any payment processor is fine for the 200 USD waitlist down-payment and will NOT incur a fee, the fee is only for the remainder of the payment.

per paypal’s TOS, i cannot charge a customer the fee, and the fee is the highest of any payment processor, and for this reason, it is an absolute last resort for me as your money won’t go as far, and i will make less. i am less likely to take suits that pay via paypal than any other processor.

dtd & payment deadlines

when you first make a payment to enter my queue, i will give you deadlines for your dtd, and the remainder of your payments, if not paid in full. there is a grace period of 1 month, but after that, you might be charged 100 USD per month of additional missed deadline. this is because i have to redo schedules, add more things to my queue or otherwise completely work around something that is unable to be completed. if you are communicating with me and it’s an emergency, i am happy to work with you, but the fee is ultimately up to my discretion and can be charged per TOS.

shipping & additional costs

shipping is not included in your final cost, it will always be charged once the suit is packed up and ready to go. i do always ship with maximum insurance, and i always ship USPS. typically, the cost of a fullsuit is between 160-180 USD domestic, and can easily go over 200 USD internationally. i can’t deliver at cons unless i am driving, which is typically only BLFC. if i deliver at con, i charge a flat 50 USD fee for having to transport and carry your suit.

other than shipping, there is typically no additional costs for the average suit. however, if you add on something after our price agreement and payment, i will charge you whatever cost of that add-on.