Q: How do I place an order if I wish to pay by money order, check or credit card?
A: Just click the "buy" button next to the item you want. Use the drop down menu (if available) to select size, color choice or other options.
This process generates an order form with many payment options, including credit card, money order, check.
Just fill out the form and your order will be emailed to us. You will get a confirmation email with a total and list of items ordered. If paying by check or money order, just mail us a copy of the order from your confirmation email with your payment.
Sorry, no CODs or phone orders are accepted. Please note that we easily identify fraudulent card use by using an AVS system which determines if a card billing address is not the same as the delivery address.
The card holder him/herself should be the purchaser, otherwise we will attempt to contact that person via phone for permission. Cardholder needs to have same address as purchaser (ie. card belongs to parent of purchaser).
Q: How do I place a foreign-delivery order to be delivered outside the U.S.?
A: Use the "buy" button/drop down menu on any page next to the item you want. An order form will be generated which you need to fill out. A confirmation email will be sent to you and the order will be emailed to us as well.
Most of our foreign customers use Western Union or a money order drawn on a U.S. based bank in U.S. dollars as payment, since we do not accept foreign credit cards (except Canadian or APO addresses with U.S.-based billing) nor Paypal.
The best and fastest method is Western Union. You can use your credit card at the
Western Union site for an extra fee and they will send us payment. Please email us when you receive the control number so we know when to pick up the money and process your order.
Q: Why do you not accept foreign credit cards (except Canadian)?
A: The additional cost of processing foreign credit cards (currency conversion/ extra merchant fees for collection of foreign payments) is not possible for us to absorb in our normal markup.
Also our AVS (address verfication system which determines if there is a match between the cardholder's billing address and the order delivery address) only covers the U.S. and Canada.
Because we are required by our merchant service contract to do AVS on all orders and cannot ship without a match, accepting foreign cards is not possible.
Also legal recourse in the event of fraud on a foreign order is difficult. However, foreign customers who wish to buy from us can use their credit card online at Western Union for an additional fee. There is very little delay as long as you fill out an order form first and then notify us of the control number as soon as you get it so we can pick up the payment the same day and ship.
Q: Do you accept Paypal ?
A: No under no circumstances. We've had too many problems and security issues with Paypal.
Q: How long will it take for my order to arrive?
A: We do our best to ship the same or next day after payment is received unless an item is out of stock. We will contact you for your choice of waiting for restock (if this is possible, though many clothing items are not recut by the supplier) or to choose another item or cancel that item.
Domestic orders are usually sent via Priority mail or first class so shipping time runs about 2-3 working days up to 7 working days, depending on your proximity to a large metropolitan area and the efficiency of your local postal service.
Shoes or very heavy items may take slightly longer.
Foreign orders are always sent airmail so the maximum wait is about 14 working days (though 5-10 working days is average) depending on the efficiency of your local postal service and your proximity to a large metropolitan area.
Q: What is this email I just received after filling out the order form?
A: That is the auto reply letting you know your order has been received by our secure server.
Since we process orders manually in our retail store it does not mean your card has been charged yet, nor that your order has shipped. Give us 24-48 hours to charge your card and ship your order. For check or money order payments, we will not ship until your payment is received.
We do not send an email at the time of shipping, but since most orders ship the same day or next, the time between the auto email reply and physical processing/shipping of your order is minimal.
We will only contact (usually by email) those whose orders are delayed if the item is unavailable or if there is a problem with the credit card (billing address v.s. delivery address is the most common delay.)
Q: Can I have my order sent to my work/school address if I pay by credit card?
A: No, because our merchant service agreement requires us to do AVS (address verification which determines if there is a match between the credit cardholder's billing address and the order delivery address). If the two are not the same the order is cancelled and the card is not charged. (We contact the customer of course.)
This protects the cardholder and us by preventing credit card fraud. If you need to have an order delivered to a work, school, or other non-billing address please use your card on Western Union's website or choose the money order or check payment option on our order form.
If we get an error message indicating a non-matching address, but you're certain you've given us the correct one, it may mean that your bank/card issuer does not have the correct info in their files upon which our database is based.
You may have to contact your card issuer/bank to update or correct their records before we can get a match. Your patience is appreciated for this slight inconvenience.
Obviously, using someone else's card is prohibited as the order will not go through with a non-matching address. The card holder him/herself should be the purchaser. Orders using parent credit cards (with permission only, of course) should show the parent's name as cardholder.
Q: Is it safe to use my credit card safe on your site?
A: Yes, we use a secure server which is accessed only by the owner via password.
Q: I sent you an email 1 hour ago. Where is my reply?
A: We only answer email once a day, or twice if possible. The owner, Terri, personally answers all email, usually in the mornings. The rest of the day she is busy doing a variety of owner-related tasks such as helping customers in the retail store, shooting pictures for ads, placing orders, picking up shipments, doing accounting, etc. So please give her 24-48 hours to reply, particularly if the answer requires some research or if there is a trade show going on the lag time may be longer. If you absolutely cannot wait 24 hours, then feel free to call the shop at 714-525-7865 during business hours (Mon-Th 11-7; Fri/Sat 11-8; Sun 12-6). Remember we are on Pacific time.
Q: Where is your size chart?
A: General sizing info is on the main page as you enter our site. Scroll down the left menu until you see the link "sizing" and click on it. Specific size info can be obtained by emailing us as to what item interests you with your measurements (not numeric size.) We have over 300 suppliers, therefore sizing specs can vary greatly between these manufacturers and also if item is made of stretch or non-stretch fabric.
Q: Can you make me an item in a special size/ color or do a special order?
A: No, we are not manufacturers, nor do we do special orders. We only offer what we physically have in stock in our store. The reason is that clothing manufacturers typically do not make more of an item after the current season's offerings are sold out. As for shoes, since many of our shoes are imported from the U.K., it can take months to acquire a specific pair or it may not be possible to reorder at all. Also prices may fluctuate between one shipment and the next.
Q: Do you sell your items wholesale or offer quantity discounts?
A: No. We offer our best prices to everyone. We buy from wholesalers and sell to the public. For stores who wish to contact our suppliers, we have listed a few of our suppliers who also do retail on our links page but with the exception of these, we do not give out supplier contact info to anyone.
Q: I saw an item on your site several months/years ago, but do not see it now. Can it still be ordered?
A: No, if we had the item, it would still appear on our site. Our suppliers (particularly Lip Service) typically do not make more of an item after the current season's offerings are sold out. They design and manufacture new styles for each season and delete the old. The exception is most items from Eternal.
Q: I received an item and it does not fit/ I do not wish to keep it. What are my options?
A: We clearly state during the ordering process that refunds are not an option, but we will happily exchange any unworn item within a few weeks of receipt, but the customer must pay freight costs both ways. (Shipping costs on the replacement item and the return of the item originally sent.) Of course the freight charges are waived in the event we make an error but we typically do not refund return freight costs. Remember, the owner herself answers all email so please remember to be civil as if you were speaking to a live person because you are! Rudeness will not get you better customer service!
Q: I just received a pair of shoes and the size inside is not what I ordered.
A: The British sizing method is different than U.S. sizing. U.K. sizes are typically one (men's) or two (women's) sizes smaller than U.S. (ie. a British 8 is a U.S. Men's 9 and a womens American 7 is a U.K. 5.)
Q: I received my order but not everything I ordered was shipped. Was I charged for these items and can I expect a backorder?
A: No we do not charge for items we cannot ship and do not keep backorders. Since we typically only have one of each size/style in stock and can only update the website weekly,
sometimes we may sell out of an item before we get your order or can remove it from the website. A printed receipt which accompanies the order will usually state which items we were unable to send. We will usually contact a customer to inform of this and offer similar items that we do have in stock which may not appear on our webpage.
Q: I want rush shipping. How much do you charge for this?
A: We do not offer rush shipping. However, the built-in shipping charges usually cover the cost of sending your order via Priority Mail shipping which takes 2-3 days, or First Class if heavier than normal. Shoes are sent either parcel post or priority depending on weight and destination and freight amount paid. We do not use UPS, only USPS.
We're sorry, but we just don't have time to do special handling, but if you read our customer testimonials page, you'll get an idea how fast we ship!
Q: Can I give special delivery instructions, such as not to leave my package on my doorstep in my absence or rush delivery?
A: No, though you can make other requests via our "comments/special requests" line on the order form. We do not ship UPS, we ship via the postal service (usually via priority mail), so you'll need to advise your postman of any specific delivery instructions.
Since we insure all packages, in your absence the postman is supposed to leave a yellow slip in your mailbox indicating that you will need to pick up your package at the main post office in your area.
Q: Do you insure all orders?
A: Yes. The only exception is for very light/small Canadian bound packages under 1 pound. The cost of the next class of airmail is over $15 and since we only charge $6.50 to ship items under $20.00 we can't insure these.
Q: Why do you not offer refunds?
A: The costs of processing credit cards, verifying addresses, additional customer service/phone calls, packaging, and shipping are very expensive and time consuming. Also addditional fees are assessed by our credit card service provider for services such as refunds. We cannot recoup many of these costs, so to keep the prices down for all customers we do not offer refunds. This is not a large company but only a couple of people working very hard to give all customers the best service and products we can! We make our "no refund" policy very clear during the ordering process so as to avoid disappointment. We do however, accept exchanges on unworn merchandise (with the exception of in-store purchases of sale items). Keep in mind that any mail order exchange requires that the customer pay all freight both ways (shipping of new item and return of old.) We may make an exception to this if we make an error on your order (most uncommon!)
Q: How do I get a printed catalog?
A: Domestic customers can send $2.00 to Ipso Facto at 517 N. Harbor Bl. Fullerton CA 92832. If you are outside the U.S. (except APO military addresses) send $4.00 to the same address in U.S. dollars in cash or a money order drawn on a U.S. bank. Japan, Canada and Mexico customers may use postal money orders. Please note that we do not have a 2003 printed catalog. The most recent was printed in 2002. We only update them when we run out of the current edition (usually every two years). So for the most current offerings please use this website.
Q: I want a special item not on your webpage. Do you have other items other than what appears online?
A: Absolutely! Though we do Not do special orders/manufacturing, we do have a store full of merchandise, with new items coming in daily. We try to make as much of this available online, but there are always many other, usually one-of-a-kind items in our shop. Feel free to call us at 714-525-7865 or email us with questions. If you are in the Los Angeles/Orange County area, see the "visit retail store" link for directions/hours to the shop.
Q: I am a stylist/photographer/model and want to rent/ borrow some of your items. What is your policy on this?
A: We do not offer any rental services of our merchandise under any circumstances.
Q: Who does all the photography/modeling on your site? Can I use your pictures on my personal website? Do you need models?
A: Most, but not all images are created in-house by Ipso Facto's owner (models are store employees and friends), except for a handful of Lip Service and Leg Ave. photos. All Ipso-generated images/logos are copyrighted and cannot be used except by permission giving full credit. Our webserver prohibits the use of hotlinking, so please do not link your Ebay auctions directly to our images.
We do Not pay or solicit models for our site.
Our models are usually just friends or employees who are local to our shop in Fullerton, Ca, and we have a waiting list of people wanting to pose for us.
Feel free to ask for Terri if you are shopping in the store, and she may take your picture while trying on merchandise just for fun. We may even put it up on this site!