Terms of Service
Last updated: 7 October 2026
Overview
These Terms of Service apply to the websites of Fern Dale Rituals and Fern Dale Keepsakes (together, the “Site”), and to everything you buy from us through the Site, by email, or at markets and events. The Site is run by Kathryn Barnes, trading as Fern Dale Handcrafted (“we”, “us”, “our”). Fern Dale Handcrafted also trades as Fern Dale Makers Studio, which has its own terms.
By visiting the Site or buying from us you agree to these terms, and to the policies they refer to: our Refund policy, Cancellation policy, Shipping policy, Privacy policy and Cookie policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site. Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights as a consumer.
1. Who can buy
You must be at least 18 years old, or have the permission of a parent or guardian, to place an order. We sell to customers in the United Kingdom only.
You must not use our products or the Site for any illegal or unauthorised purpose, or break any law (including copyright law) when using it.
2. General conditions
We may refuse service to anyone, for any lawful reason, at any time.
Card payments are processed by Stripe and sent over encrypted connections. We never see or store your full card number.
You must not copy, sell or resell any part of the Site, its photos or wording, without our written permission.
3. Accuracy of information
We take care to describe our products accurately, but the Site is for general information. Product photos are examples: every item is handmade, so colour, scent strength, size and finish can vary slightly from batch to batch. This is part of the nature of handmade goods and is not a fault.
Historical information on the Site (for example old blog posts) may not be current.
4. Prices and changes
All prices are in pounds sterling (GBP). We are not VAT registered, so no VAT is charged. Delivery charges are shown in the basket and at checkout before you pay.
We may change prices, products or the Site at any time. A price change will not affect an order we have already accepted.
If we have made an obvious pricing error, we will contact you before dispatch and you can choose to pay the correct price or cancel for a full refund.
5. Products
Some products are available only in small quantities, by pre-order, or at markets. We may limit quantities per order.
Please read the safety and care information supplied with each product before use. Candles must never be left burning unattended, must be kept away from children, pets, draughts and anything that can catch fire, and should be burned on a heat-resistant surface. Wax melts are for use in a suitable warmer only and are not food.
Skincare and soaps are for external use only. Please read the full ingredients list and patch test before first use, especially if you have sensitive skin or allergies. Stop using a product if irritation occurs. Some of our skincare and soaps contain tallow (beef fat) and are not suitable for vegans; vegan products are clearly marked.
Our products are not medicines and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any condition.
6. Your order
When you place an order you are offering to buy. The contract between us is made when payment is taken and you receive our confirmation email.
We may decline or cancel an order (for example if an item is out of stock, an address cannot be delivered to, or we suspect fraud). If we do, we will refund you in full.
You agree to give us current, complete and accurate details, including your email and delivery address, so we can complete your order.
7. Personalised and keepsake items
Personalised items (including photo keepsakes, magnets, calendars and engraved candles) are made to your instructions. Please check spelling, dates and photos carefully before ordering, as we make the item exactly as provided.
By sending us photos or wording, you confirm that you own them or have permission to use them, that anyone shown in a photo (or their parent or guardian) is happy for it to be used, and that the content is not offensive, unlawful or someone else's copyright.
We may refuse any content we consider unsuitable. Photo quality affects the finished item; we may contact you if a photo is too low in resolution, but we are not responsible for results from low-quality images you choose to proceed with.
How we handle and delete your photos is explained in our Privacy policy.
8. Safeguarding
We look at every photo you send us only to make your order. If a photo, message or piece of wording suggests that a child or vulnerable adult is being harmed, or is at risk of harm, we will not make the item. Where we believe someone may be at risk, we may share the relevant photo and your details with the police and the relevant local authority safeguarding team (for example children's social care), without telling you first if telling you could put someone at greater risk. If anyone is in immediate danger we will call 999.
We will also refuse, and may report to the police, any content that appears illegal, including indecent images, threats, or material that harasses or targets another person.
9. Delivery
Delivery charges, local delivery and dispatch times are set out in our Shipping policy. Risk in the goods passes to you when they are delivered to the address you gave us.
10. Cancellations, returns and refunds
Your right to cancel, and what happens if an item arrives damaged or faulty, are set out in our Cancellation policy and Refund policy.
11. Reviews, comments and messages
If you send us reviews, comments, ideas or other material, you allow us to publish, edit and use them on the Site and in our marketing. We may remove any content we consider unlawful, offensive, misleading or in breach of these terms.
You must not submit anything that is false, unlawful, abusive, defamatory, contains viruses, or infringes anyone else's rights.
12. Third-party services and links
The Site may link to other websites (for example social media). We are not responsible for their content or policies. Payment is handled by Stripe under its own terms.
13. Personal information
Your personal information is handled as described in our Privacy policy and Cookie policy.
14. Errors and omissions
Occasionally the Site may contain typing errors or mistakes in descriptions, prices, delivery charges or availability. We may correct them and, where it affects an order, we will contact you first and offer a full refund if you no longer want it.
15. Prohibited uses
You must not use the Site to: break any law; infringe our or anyone else's intellectual property; harass, abuse or discriminate against anyone; submit false information; upload viruses or harmful code; collect other people's personal information; send spam; or interfere with the security of the Site.
16. Our liability to you
If we fail to keep to these terms, we are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our failure, but not for loss that is not foreseeable. Our liability for any order is limited to the price you paid for it, except as set out below.
We do not limit or exclude our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, for breach of your legal rights in relation to the products (including the right to goods that are as described, of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose under the Consumer Rights Act 2015), or for anything else that cannot legally be limited.
We supply products for domestic and private use only. We are not liable for loss of profit, business or opportunity, or for harm caused by using a product against its safety and care instructions.
17. Events beyond our control
We are not responsible for delays or failure to perform caused by events outside our reasonable control, such as severe weather, illness, postal strikes or supplier failure. If this happens we will tell you as soon as possible, and you may cancel for a full refund of anything not supplied.
18. Severability
If any part of these terms is found to be unlawful or unenforceable, the rest will still apply.
19. Ending access
We may suspend or withdraw access to the Site, or refuse orders, if you break these terms.
20. Intellectual property and copyright
All content on the Site — including text, product names and descriptions, scent descriptions, photographs, graphics, logos, packaging and label designs — is owned by or licensed to Kathryn Barnes trading as Fern Dale Handcrafted, and is protected by copyright, trade mark and other intellectual property laws.
You may view the Site and print or save pages for your own personal, non-commercial use. You must not copy, reproduce, republish, adapt or distribute any part of it, or use our photographs or descriptions to sell other products, without our written permission. See our Copyright notice for full details.
21. Entire agreement
These terms and the policies they refer to are the whole agreement between you and us about using the Site and buying from us.
22. Governing law
These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. You may bring proceedings in the courts of England and Wales, or, if you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, in the courts there.
23. Changes to these terms
We may update these terms from time to time. The version on the Site when you place your order applies to that order.
24. Contact
Kathryn Barnes, trading as Fern Dale Handcrafted
288 Ferndale Road, Swindon, Wiltshire SN2 1HL
Email: contact@ferndale-handcrafted.co.uk