FAQ's

The most frequently asked questions at thatsArte.com

1. About our Italian ceramics
2. Orders and payments
3. Shipping charges and other fees
4. Free trial and Returns 
 

1. About our Italian ceramics

Are all thatsArte.com ceramics handmade in Italy?
Yes. All our artistic ceramics are hand thrown on a wheel or hand shaped using a hand made mold, then they are hand painted. Tiles and plates are exceptions: they are still hand painted but must be pressed to maintain uniformity. All the pottery production process of the artists we’ve selected is made in Italy, as marked under glaze on the bottom of each item.

Is my Italian pottery food safe?
All Italian Dinnerware, Serveware and Kitchenware at thatsArte.com are guaranteed to be 100% food safe in compliance with FDA standards and U.S.A. import regulations for lead and cadmium.
Italian Decorative ceramics, Keepsakes and Tables are not meant to have contact with food, unless otherwise specified.

What does crazing mean?
With time and repeated use majolica has a tendency to "craze" (forming minuscule lines in the glazing). The crazing result is the nature of majolica, and has no significant effect on the ceramics. If you want to slow down the process, handle your pieces carefully and temper them when serving very hot foods.

Can I put my Italian decorative pottery outside?
The colors are permanently glazed on, so sun fading is not an issue.
Depending on the workshop, there is a different thickness of the clay and therefore a different resistance to chips and cracks. In extremely cold regions (i.e.: below 0s Fahrenheit) these items should be brought in during winter. A little frost or a blanket of snow is not harmful in any way.

With average everyday usage, about how long will my Italian pottery last?
With proper care and handling your pottery will retain their beauty and function for decades.

Can I clean my Italian Tableware in a dishwasher?
Yes, you can, although we tend to recommend hand washing and drying as you would a fine china. If you want to use your automatic dishwasher, we recommend using a fine china cycle, low heat and a good quality detergent. And it is better to place the plates or ceramic accessories far apart to avoid touching each other during the dishwashing cycle.

What do you mean when you ask me to “temper” my Italian Tableware?
“Tempering” means gently warming your ceramics to avoid "thermal shock", which can result in cracking or in excessive glaze crackling (crazing).
The best way to temper a piece of ceramic is to put it under hot tap water before serving very hot foods or liquids. You can also put a metal spoon in your ceramic while pouring a hot liquid to deflect the heat.
Crazing has no significant effects on the ceramics, it is mainly cosmetic.

Can I put my Italian ceramics into the oven or the microwave?
It’s better not to. In principle they can stand high temperature. However the risk of cracking or chipping your piece when very hot and unevenly covered with food is real. Our Italian dinnerware and serveware is not meant to be used for cooking or re-heating.

Can I cook or bake into my Italian ceramics?
No, you can’t. Our pottery is not meant to be used for cooking or backing.

How can I take away encrusted food and stains from my Italian tableware?
Soak you ceramics in soapy, lukewarm water for a few moments and use a plastic scrubber for the worst bits. To remove tea stains in cups with a solution of 2 tablespoons chlorine bleach per quart of water; soak 1-2 minutes; rinse promptly. Black marks left by tarnished cutlery can be removed from pottery with a good quality, non abrasive metal cleaner.
Never use scouring powders or harsh scourers on Italian pottery as they will damage the glaze.

Is my Italian pottery scratchproof?
Although extremely hard, all glazes are susceptible to scratching by harder substances. Scratches found inside ware are frequently caused by gemstones in rings. Very sharp knives, even though they are made from metal that is softer than the glaze, can scratch the glaze when excessive pressure is exerted.

Why are the Italian pottery pieces I ordered slightly different from the images on thatsArte.com?
Since every piece of our Italian ceramics is hand made, it is impossible for each item to be identical... that’s the wonderful nature of handcrafted work!
Actual colors may differ from what you see on your computer screen, since each piece is unique. This is the highly desirable results of handmade items. Additionally different computer screens reproduce colours in different ways.
Some of our decoration products are hand finished with an “Antique patina”, which features a heavily distressed glazing, very often with evident glaze smudges and splits. This is a valuable characteristic of some regional pieces, and a considerable part of their premium value. It definitely cannot be considered a manufacturing defect! 
Slight changes in the size or shape of the items is also a result of their being totally handmade, either thrown on a wheel or slip cast. Plates are an exception: they are usually  pressed to obtain regular shapes and sizes.
The amount of decoration on a piece is related to its size. The bigger the size, the richer its decoration. Most of thatsArte.com photos are taken from the medium sized pieces. On occasion, you may notice a slight indentation, design or glaze variation or perhaps a tiny smudge, a small dimple, a paint spot or a loose fitting lid. These variances and imperfections are not considered manufacturing defects.  They are evidence of an original, handcrafted artwork.
If a product purchased at thatsArte.com is not in line with your expectations, you can return it in unused condition. For more info, please view our Return policy.

What sort of glue can I use to stick a handle back on?
From a safety aspect we recommend that broken handles, especially on ware that is likely to hold hot liquids, are not repaired. There is no glue available that is as strong as the original ceramic and any glue, especially when heated, is likely to fail at some time.

How can I find out about thatsArte.com new products?
You can join our Mailing list and we’ll keep you posted on new products, new talented artists, regions we visit … You can join when ordering our products or from the home page, clicking on “Mailing list” on the left hand of the page.

Do you publish a print catalog of your products?
No, we continuously add new products and new services to our web site. A print catalog would rapidly goes out of date. Additionally, we already have more than 4,000 products: a web catalogue is much more useful and versatile for such a large assortment!
 

2. Orders and payments

Do I need to register to place an order?
No, you don’t. The personal information your are requested when placing an order will solely be used to deliver your order.

I need some time to refine my order. How can I save my cart?
In your cart page you will find a box with the instructions to save your cart. You will be given the possibility to resume and revise it any time.

How can I send a gift from thatsArte.com?
It’s easy. Fill in the billing information box with your data and the shipping information box with the data of your gift’s recipient. You can also add a short message in the form: we’ll be happy to send it to your gift recipient along with your gift.

Can I customize my purchase?
Of course you can. And in most case it’ll be totally free of charge.
To know more, view:
Free personalization
Special orders

How do I know that you are a trusted web site?
Our identity is proven by our SSL 123 digital certificate by Thawte, a leading US Certification Authority. They grant the use of their trusted site seal only to companies which can prove their reliability.

How is my personal information protected?
Your personal information is stored in our secure databases and is only accessible to a limited number of employees who have special access rights to those systems.
To know more, view our Private policy.

How can I pay my order?
We directly process payments with Visa and Mastercard credit cards. Additionally we accept Paypal and all other US relevant credit cards via Paypal. You don’t need to be a PayPal member to pay with your credit card.

How are my credit card payments protected?
We use a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal information. Specifically, we own the SSL 123 digital certificate by Thawte, a leading US Certification Authority, which protects the credit card data submitted to thatsArte.com through the use of encryption. Should any information be intercepted, it will be unintelligible without the unique key used for decryption.
We do not store your credit card information on our servers. Your payment is processed by Gestpay by Banca Sella, the Visa and Mastercard choice for on line payments in Italy.

When is my credit card charged?
We usually charge your credit card right away when the sale is final, that is:

• when your item(s) is in stock and ready to be shipped
• when the order contains one or more personalized items or a special order

If your item(s) is not in stock and you did not ask for any free personalization or tailor made piece (special orders), we will charge your credit card 20 days after you placed your order. Italian banks do not allow to delay payments more than 20 days from payment approval.
If we do not receive a written notification from you within 5 calendar days of your receipt of the ceramics, the sale is final.
Please view also:
Free trial
Return policy

What if I do not want to use my credit card to make payments on line?
Using your credit card with a secure web site is probably safer than handing it to a waiter at a restaurant. Still, we respect your feelings. You can pay your order through Paypal or if you’re concerned about any payment on the Internet, save your order and e-mail us, making sure you copy and paste your order link on your message to us: we will find a solution together.

Do you ship to destinations outside the United States?
At this time we ship only to US destinations, excluding Alaska, Hawaii, PO boxes.
We will be happy to assist you on shipments to different destinations. Please follow these simple steps:

• save your cart page – you’ll find the instructions at the bottom of the cart page;
• e-mail us your saved cart and your address. We’ll send you a shipping charges estimate and tell you how to place your order.

How long will it take to receive my order?
Immediately after receipt of your order we will send you an email to confirm the order and to let you know if your item(s) is in stock. If your item(s) is in stock, we will ship it out right away.
However, with over 4,000 items featured in our web site, it often happens that it is not in stock. In this case the product availability depends on the artist (s) you have chosen.
Artists have different production lead times: always check them in the artist’s page or in the product page or e-mail us for a final confirmation, mentioning your Name and your Order Number. More so if you’re buying a present and you have a specific deadline.

We usually group the ordered items by artisan and ship them separately to give you quicker service without additional shipping charges.

How do I track my order?
As soon as we ship your purchase, we send you an email with the instructions to track your shipment.
 

3. Shipping charges and other fees

What are my shipping charges?
We heavily subsidize shipping charges and totally cover any other costs, simplifying your calculations with a very clear and all-inclusive Shipping Charges policy:

Orders of $400 and above	Free of additional charges
Orders of $250 to $399	+10% client contribution on item price
Orders of $100 to $249	+15% client contribution on item price
Orders below $100	$30 client contribution

Remember that shipping is always free for orders of $400 and above. 
Our Shipping Charges policy also guarantees your items will be safely and carefully packed, fully insured against damage and loss, shipped with UPS International airborne service.

Since you are based in Italy, do I have to pay Custom Fees?
No, you don’t. They are always on us. We will cover all necessary requirements and their cost. 

Do I have to pay a Sales Tax?
No, you don’t. The Sales tax is not due on import goods.

Is my shipment insured?
Yes. All our shipments are all fully insured. 
 

4. Free trial and Returns 

Can I really try a ceramic piece and return it if I’m not fully satisfied?
Yes, you can. We do care a lot for you and want you to be fully happy with your purchase. If for any reason you are not happy, our Free trial policy grants you the right to return your purchase to us in its original condition within 10 days of the purchase delivery date. It’s a free service!
To know more, view our Free trial policy.

Will you refund me if I’m not satisfied with my purchase?
Yes, we will. You are free to exchange your product with another one or to ask for a full reimbursement of your purchase.
To know more, view our Free trial policy.

Can I return only one piece and keep the other ones I purchased with the same order?
Of course you can. You can return one or more pieces and keep the others. You will be reimbursed for the full value of the returned items deducted from the appropriate Shipping Charges. You can exchange the pieces you’re returning with other ones or ask to be reimbursed for the full value of the returned items deducted from the appropriate Shipping Charges.
To know more, view our Free trial policy.

Can I benefit of free trial for a personalized piece or a special order?
No, you can’t. Personalized ceramics and special orders will be fully reimbursed only if damaged or incorrect. In this case our Return policy applies.

What do I do if an item is damaged when I receive it? 
You can return your purchase in exchange for other items, or ask for full reimbursement of original price (including the Shipping Charges).
Please, inspect all deliveries upon arrival, if possible, and make written exceptions on the Delivery Receipt of every discrepancy or irregularity. Please, sign always the delivery receipt “subject to inspection for concealed damage”.
If inspection upon arrival is not possible, please inform the carrier calling their Toll Free Number and e-mail us within 24 hours of merchandise arrival, mentioning your Name, Order Number and the Product Code of the damaged item(s). We will give you clear and simple instructions. We will pay the return shipping charges.
You may be requested to keep the original packing material for the carrier’s inspection.
To know more, view our Return policy.

What do I do if an item is incorrect when I receive it? 
Our return policy applies to all incorrect purchases from thatsArte.com.
You can return your purchase in exchange for other items, or ask for full reimbursement of original price (including the Shipping Charges).
To know more, view our Return policy.

 
Our goal is to offer the most comprehensive FAQ page. If your question in not answered here, please, e-mail us or call our toll free number 800.450.6170.