Frequently Asked Questions
Ordering and Payment Information
- How do I place my order?
- When is my order confirmed?
- How can I pay for my order?
- How can I make changes to my order?
- How do I add items to my order?
- Can I combine orders?
- Why are you out of stock of a particular item?
- How does a reprint request work?
Delivery and Shipping
- What shipping options do you offer?
- How much will shipping cost me?
- Why my order was charged an import tax fee when it was delivered?
Refunds and Returns
- What is your Return Policy?
- Do I have to pay to ship back a wrong or defective item?
- How do I know if my return has been processed?
How does this site work
Submitting Designs and Art
- How does the design submission work?
- Do I keep the rights to my artwork?
- How are designers paid for winning submissions?
Ordering and Payment Information
- How do I place my order?
Simply browse through our site until you find an item which catches your eye. From the shop page, select the tote bag you would like to buy.
You can click ‘Checkout’ to place your order or ‘Continue Shopping’ to add the tote bag to your cart and keep shopping for more.
- When is my order confirmed?
The tote bags are only reserved for you once you place an order. Adding a tote bag to your cart does not guarantee that you will be able to purchase it at a later date. It is possible for an item to sell out while in your cart.
- How can I pay for my order?
You can pay for Common Totes products using your credit card or PayPal account ONLY.
- How can I make changes to my order?
Once an order is submitted through our website, it is usually not possible to make changes to the order since we process payments instantly, and do not store your credit card information.
- How do I add items to my order?
We are unable to add to any order since we do not store credit card information. You will have to place a new order for any additional items.
- Can I combine orders?
Unfortunately we are unable to combine orders placed separately. Each order placed will be sent separately and shipped in the order they are received.
- Why are you out of stock of a particular item?
Winning designs on Common Totes are produced in a limited run. We do this so Common Totes bags remain extremely rare and special. Moreover, we want to focus more efforts on introducing newly designed totes for you to choose from rather than restocking older designs.
- How does a reprint request work?
We know that there are some designs worth bringing back so in those cases, we offer reprint requests. When enough people want to see a design again, we print it again!
If we ever reprint one of your requested totes you will receive an email letting you know. Some designs you have requested may never be reprinted, but make sure you're signed up for the newsletter so you know when the reprints happen.
Delivery and Shipping
- What shipping options do you offer?
For international orders (worldwide, including the rest of Asia, USA, Europe and Australia), your purchase will be shipped via DHL Global Registered Mail and it will take between 3 – 4 weeks to most locations around the world from the shipping date, depending on conditions and delays.
For shipping in Singapore, your purchase will be shipped via Singpost (http://www.singpost.com.sg) and it will take between 7 to 14 working days from the shipping date.
If you have not received your order after 21 working days, you should contact our customer service department at team@commontotes.com.
Please note that the time frames listed above only apply to the estimated time it will take for your order to arrive from the date it was shipped.
- How much will shipping cost me?
Our shipping charges to various countries are as follows:
Singapore and Malaysia: Free shipping!
Rest of the world (including Asia, USA, Europe and Middle East): US$9 for the first tote bag and US$8 for each additional tote bag.
- Why was my order charged an import tax fee when it was delivered?
The price we charge for shipping does not include any charge that your local customs authority may apply to the order.
Please contact your local customs office for more information about customs fees, duties, and taxes.
Refunds and Returns
- What is your Return Policy?
At commontotes.com, we will reimburse you only if you received a defective or wrong item part (i.e. we shipped you the wrong tote bag or the tote bag has a defect).
If you are returning a tote bag because you are not happy with it or want to exchange it for a different tote bag, you can always spread some love by giving it to someone who needs it more than you do.
Indicate what you are returning and why. In order to process your return, please include your name, email address and order number along with the item(s) that you are returning.
Returns must be made within 30 days from the date of purchase. All returned items must be in the original condition you received them in.
- Do I have to pay to ship back a wrong or defective item?
If you received a defective or wrong item part (i.e. we shipped you the wrong tote bag or the tote bag has a defect), we will reimburse you for the return shipping cost as long as you use a standard shipping method. Please include the shipping receipt and send it back to us. With the receipt included, we will reimburse you for the cost of shipping the item back to us via regular mail. Do kindly note we will not reimburse for express or COD shipping.
- How do I know if my return has been processed?
Returns can take 1-2 weeks to be processed. Be sure to also factor in the shipping time for your return to be delivered to us. When your return is processed, we will send you a notification email. Please remember to check your spam folder to make sure the notification did not get marked as spam.
How does this site work?
- How do the Common Totes contests work?
Common Totes is an online community where members are welcome to submit design(s) to be judged. Anyone can sign up, download a tote bag template and submit design(s), which will be posted on the site for scoring by the Common Totes community. If it is among the top scoring design(s), it may be chosen to be printed in a limited edition run.
- How can I score?
You must be registered in the Common Totes community to score a design. This procedure is necessary to prevent multiple and duplicate votes.
There is also an 'I'd buy it' checkbox on the scoring page. This is just another tool we use to gauge the response to the tote design. You will not be required to purchase the tote bag if the design wins.
Registration is absolutely free and in accordance with our privacy policy, all your contact details are kept private and will never be disclosed to a third party without your consent.
- How are the winning submissions chosen?
The winning design will be selected by the Common Totes team based on its sole discretion. The criteria for a winning design will be assessed based on a combination of factors including (but not limited to) the number of votes cast for each design, the average score for each design and the comments made by voters for each design.
The judges' decisions on all matters relating to the winning design are final and binding.
Submitting Designs and Art
- How does the design submission work?
Any member of the Common Totes community is welcome to submit a design. Do check the submission page for other instructions regarding design submissions. If your design meets the minimum requirement it will be posted on the site for users to score.
- Do I keep the rights to my artwork?
The designer retains ownership of the submitted design. If the design is selected for print, Common Totes retains the exclusive rights to the submitted design for printing and retailing. Common Totes also retains rights to the design itself for use on the Common Totes website, and any Common Totes promotional material and/or advertisements.
We will not use a design unless the designer has been reimbursed for its use. The legal terms for design submission can be found on our "Terms" page. The legal terms must be accepted before any design is submitted to the competition.
- How are designers paid for winning submissions?
We pay our winning artist through PayPal/Worldpay/telegraphic transfer. The cash prize will be transferred to the winner on the day their winning design is announced on our site.
All Other Questions
Have a question we haven't answered? Drop us a note at team@commontotes.com and we will get back to you shortly.