Terms of service

1. About Lume Loam & Acceptance

These Terms of Service ('Terms') govern your use of lumeloam.com ('Site') and your purchase of products from Lume Loam, operated by [LEGAL COMPANY NAME], incorporated in [COUNTRY], with registered address at [ADDRESS] ('we', 'us', 'Lume Loam').

By accessing the Site or placing an order, you confirm that:

  • You are at least 18 years of age
  • You have read, understood, and agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy
  • You are authorised to use the payment method you provide

2. Products, Descriptions & Disclaimers

2.1 Made to Order — What This Means

Every piece in the Lume Loam range is made to order by a named artisan. When you purchase, production begins. Your piece is not taken from existing stock. This means:

  • Production time (1–21 business days depending on piece) applies before dispatch — see our Shipping Policy
  • Minor variations between your piece and product photography are inherent and expected — see Section 2.2 below
  • Cancellation after production begins may not be possible — see Section 11

2.2 Handmade Variation Disclaimer

All Lume Loam pieces are hand-hammered, cast, or sculpted and hand-finished. As a result:

  • No two pieces are identical — your piece is the only one exactly like it
  • Variations in hammer-mark pattern, depth, surface grain, slight colour variation within the same metal, finish sheen, and minor dimensional tolerance are inherent characteristics of handcraft
  • These are not defects — they are the record of the maker's hand
  • Brass, copper, and bronze will naturally develop a patina over time — this can be polished bright or left to deepen; both are correct

2.3 Screen & Photography Disclaimer

Metal finishes and colours may appear differently across devices due to monitor calibration, screen brightness, and studio lighting in product photography. If colour matching is critical to your purchase, contact [lumeloam@dekulture.com] before ordering — we can share additional reference photographs.

2.4 Food Safety & Tin-Lining Disclaimer

Lume Loam pieces intended for table use — bowls, cups, plates, serving dishes, and drinkware — are lined with tin (kalai), the centuries-old food-safe lining applied by our specialist kalai artisans. Important:

  • Every product page specifies clearly whether the piece is food-safe (tin-lined) or decorative only
  • Food-safe pieces are safe for all foods and drinks, including acidic items, when the tin lining is intact
  • The tin lining will wear over years of use — when it wears, the piece should be re-tinned (not discarded). Our Repair & Re-polishing programme provides this service
  • Do not use food-safe pieces in a microwave — they contain metal
  • Do not use abrasive scouring pads on the tin lining — it will accelerate wear
  • Decorative pieces without tin lining are not intended for direct food contact

2.5 Props & Styling

Product photography may include props — food, plants, textiles, cutlery — for visual context. Props are not included unless explicitly stated in the product description.

2.6 Product Availability

Because pieces are made to order, 'out of stock' means our production capacity for that piece is currently full. We reserve the right to limit quantities. If we cannot fulfil your order after payment, we will contact you and offer an alternative or full refund.

2.7 Pricing

All prices are shown in [your default currency] and may be displayed in your local currency. Prices may change at any time; the price at checkout is final. If a pricing error is discovered after your order, we will contact you with the correct price and give you the option to proceed or cancel for a full refund.

3. Order & Contract Formation

Placing an order is an offer to purchase. A binding contract is formed when we send your Order Confirmation email. We reserve the right to cancel any order before dispatch — you will receive a full refund in that case.

4. Payment

We accept the following payment methods:

  • Major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express)
  • PayPal
  • Shop Pay / Shopify Payments
  • Apple Pay & Google Pay
  • Klarna, Afterpay, Laybuy, or Tabby (region-dependent Buy Now Pay Later)
  • Razorpay (India domestic — UPI, Net Banking, Cards, Wallets)
  • Cash on Delivery (India domestic — where available)

All payments are processed securely. We do not store your full payment card number. For multi-currency transactions, currency conversion is handled by Shopify Payments or your card provider.

5. Intellectual Property

All content on the Lume Loam Site — including but not limited to the LUME LOAM name and logo, the tagline 'Handmade metal for a slower table', the 'Second-Life Metal' narrative, product names, product descriptions, photography (including workshop and maker photography), illustration, blog content, and brand assets — is owned by or licensed to [LEGAL COMPANY NAME] and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other applicable intellectual property laws.

You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, display, or commercially exploit any Lume Loam content without prior written permission. You may share links to our Site on social media for personal, non-commercial purposes.

6. User-Generated Content & Reviews

If you submit a review, photograph, or any other user-generated content ('UGC') related to Lume Loam:

  • You grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use, display, reproduce, and promote that content across our Site, social media, email marketing, and advertising
  • You confirm the content is your own original work and does not infringe any third party's rights
  • We reserve the right to moderate, decline, or remove any UGC that is unlawful, inaccurate, misleading, or inconsistent with our brand values
  • Submitting UGC does not entitle you to compensation unless separately agreed in writing

7. Prohibited Activities

When using our Site, you must not:

  • Use the Site for any unlawful purpose
  • Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent orders or information
  • Attempt to access systems or data you are not authorised to access
  • Scrape, crawl, or harvest data from the Site by automated means without our written consent
  • Introduce malware, viruses, or disruptive code to our systems
  • Resell Lume Loam products commercially without our prior written authorisation

8. Third-Party Links

Our Site may link to third-party websites (courier tracking, payment gateways, social media platforms). These links are provided for convenience only. Lume Loam is not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or availability of third-party sites.

9. AI-Powered Features

Our Site may use AI-powered tools including a gift finder, product recommendation assistant, or care-guide generator. These tools are provided as a convenience. Their outputs are suggestions, not guarantees — always review specific product descriptions and care instructions before purchase and use.

10. Warranty & Product Care

10.1 Quality Commitment

Every Lume Loam piece is inspected by our maker before dispatch. We are confident in the quality and durability of our metalware when it is used and cared for correctly.

10.2 Warranty Statement

We offer a [6-month — confirm] warranty against manufacturing defects under normal use and correct care conditions.

10.3 Warranty Exclusions

The following are characteristics of handmade metalware and are not covered under warranty:

  • Natural tarnish, patina, or oxidation developing on brass, copper, or bronze over time — this is the point of the material, not a flaw
  • Colour change or surface darkening from UV exposure, humidity, salt air, or acidic environments
  • Scratches, dents, or surface damage from accidental dropping, abrasive cleaning, or incorrect storage
  • Tin-lining wear from normal food use over years — this is expected and repairable through our re-tinning programme
  • Damage caused by use in a microwave, dishwasher, or with abrasive scouring materials
  • Handmade dimensional variations within reasonable production tolerance

10.4 Care Summary

Wipe clean with a soft damp cloth after use. Dry promptly. For tin-lined pieces: do not use abrasive scrubbers; mild washing-up liquid is safe. For polishing brass and copper: use a specialist metal polish or lemon and salt. Apply a thin coat of food-safe mineral oil occasionally to protect the tin lining. Store in a dry environment. Full care instructions are included with every piece and available at [lumeloam.com/care — confirm URL].

11. Cancellations

Please see our Return & Refund Policy for the full cancellation framework. In summary: cancellations are possible before production begins (usually within 24 hours of order). Once our maker has started work on your piece, cancellation may not be possible. We will always try to accommodate — contact us immediately at [lumeloam@dekulture.com].

12. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law:

  • Lume Loam's liability to you is limited to the value of the specific product(s) in the relevant transaction
  • We are not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages — including loss of profit, data, or goodwill — arising from your use of the Site or products
  • We are not liable for delay or failure caused by circumstances outside our reasonable control, including natural disasters, strikes, pandemics, war, government restrictions, customs delays, or acts of third parties

Nothing in these Terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud, or any liability that cannot be excluded by law in your jurisdiction.

13. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Lume Loam, its directors, employees, and partners from any claims, losses, damages, and costs arising from your violation of these Terms or your violation of any third party's rights.

14. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of [JURISDICTION — to be confirmed by legal counsel, e.g. England & Wales / India].

  • Disputes will first be addressed through our customer service team — we prefer resolution over litigation
  • Unresolved disputes after 30 days will be referred to [ARBITRATION / COURTS — confirm with counsel]
  • EU consumers: access the EU ODR platform at ec.europa.eu/odr
  • UK consumers: your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 are not affected by these Terms
  • Australian consumers: your rights under the Australian Consumer Law are not affected

15. Accessibility

Lume Loam is committed to making our website accessible to all users. We aim to conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. If you encounter any accessibility barrier, please contact [lumeloam@dekulture.com] and we will assist you or provide content in an alternative format.

16. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. Changes are published on this page with an updated date. Material changes will be communicated by email where practicable. Continued use of the Site after changes constitutes your acceptance.