FAQ
Please have a look through Gipsy Dharma's FAQ and sizing section, which is designed to help you with any question you may have.
I saw your boots being sold on other websites at a lower price, what gives?
I've seen those too and have ordered from every single one of those websites out of curiosity, and guess what? Nothing ever arrived! :) They just take photos and some info off my website and scam people by not shipping anything at all after you place the order. A few people actually receive "something", but most don't. My advice is, don't do it or you may end up in a sticky situation like this. All sales of my items are made exclusively through this website and my official Facebook page. Anyone else selling or claiming to be selling Gipsy Dharma merchandise and/or services is doing so illegally and without my consent. And just in case you wondered, here's what your fake Gipsy Dharma wellington boots will look like:
I’m not sure about sizes. Please help!
If you look closely, you will notice that on all my product pages you are able to select the boots by centimeters in length, which correlate to worldwide sizes.
Click on this link, which provides a guide on how to measure your foot properly.For more information on sizes please refer to my How To Guide.
I’m on Facebook most of the time, so the easiest way to have a quick chat is by contacting me through my Facebook page. Just click here: FacebookIf having a chat in real time is not convenient, you can fill in the contact form on this website, but it may take just a little bit longer for me to come back to you.
Also, I know that choosing the right size might be difficult so here is a shoe size chart that I think may be helpful:
How much do your products cost in my currency? Do you ever have sales?
Please use the following link to get an up to date official exchange rate. The currency used on this website is British Pounds, but you are welcome to use the currency switcher, located just above the Catalog & Home buttons. Please note that as you make a purchase, Paypal will make all the necessary conversions on their own and their exchange rate will differ slightly. Yes, I do sometimes have sales. You can visit Gipsy Dharma flash sales page by clicking on this link. (Very important: any sale items are exchangeable but are not refundable.)
Do you ship worldwide? Which shipping companies do you use?
Yes, absolutely. I have shipped countless parcels all over the world with no issues, so I can ship your order anywhere you like. At the moment we offer Worldwide Shipping which takes up to 4-6 weeks but if you need your order sooner, you can pick Fast Shipping at the check out and get you order within 3-15 days.
Orders are shipped from our shops/workshops in Ibiza, UK, USA or Bali. Please note, that you are responsible for payment of customs taxes/duties/charges if such apply to you order. Gipsy Dharma does not take responsibility for different policies around the world.
As you make a purchase, please ensure that you input your address correctly and in full and please make sure that someone is there to collect the parcel or at the very least a "we missed you" card from your local courier. I do not accept liability for losses if the item is to be delivered to an incorrectly input address during checkout, alternative addresses, items delivered to workplace, friend's house and so on or in cases where the tracking number clearly shows that the item has in fact been delivered to your address, but you somehow have not received it. In 100% of such cases the parcel is at your neighbors house or is hidden by the postman somewhere in a safe place around your house. :) Also, please ensure that you have input the correct e-mail address, otherwise you won't receive your order/shipping confirmations and will be unable to track your parcel. Very important: Deliveries to P.O. boxes are not allowed as all parcels must be signed for.
How long will my order take to ship? Where do you ship from? How do I check my order status?
Providing that you didn't go for pre-order or FREE shipping, most orders are shipped within a couple of weeks. It also depends how busy we are at the moment. If you need your order urgently, please choose the fastest/rushed delivery then we will make sure it will be first in line to be shipped. The rest is up to the postman. :-) But most orders take less than 10 working days to be delivered to your doorstep if you choose FAST delivery and if it is in stock. All items available for pre-order are marked: "PRE ORDER for delivery within X - X weeks" on every product page. I spend a lot of my time in beautiful Bali which is my second home, so most parcels are shipped from Bali. :) You can check your order status using this link: Order Status.
How much does the shipping cost?
This varies greatly depending on the location. The shipping costs are calculated automatically as you go through the checkout process. Don't worry, the shipping costs will be displayed to you before the payment needs to be made, so the whole process is very transparent. When free shipping is offered, it is offered one way only and only in cases where the item is kept. In cases where the item is returned for exchange or a refund a handling fee of £25 will be applied to cover the initial loss in shipping costs.
Do you notify when the order is shipped? Does your shipping company provide tracking numbers? Are they sent out automatically when the parcel is shipped?
Yes, an automated email confirmation will be sent to you when the order is placed and another one will be sent when the order is shipped. You can also check the status of your order here. I only use high quality shipping services and yes I have a tracking number for every single parcel, so nothing ever goes missing! :) Unfortunately these are not sent automatically as you make a purchase, because I do not have staff dedicated to logistics, an outsourced warehouse, expensive software built into my website and whatnot. Ideally, I would like to keep it this way. However, the tracking number will be sent out to you if you specifically request for it to be sent because I don't want you to worry about anything. But unless you are really concerned about your parcel or you know that you're going to be away from home for a while, I would like to kindly ask you to be a bit patient and wait for at least 10 working days if you are located within the EU and at least 14 working days if you live outside the EU before asking for a tracking number. The reason why I'm asking is because dealing with tracking numbers puts a lot of strain on me time-wise and I'd rather spend more time adding beautiful stuff to my collection! :)
The item I want is sold out. What can I do? Do you take pre-orders? Do you make custom orders? Can you make them without zippers?
I'm afraid that at the moment I do not have the time to take on any custom orders, unless we are talking wholesale of 50 pairs or more. I've tried making them without zippers, but the design simply doesn't work, so this cannot be done. I will be adding the option of purchasing different coloured laces in the near future. Since I only source sustainable, cruelty free leather I cannot make guarantees as to when such and such colour will become available. Therefore, at the moment I can only take pre-orders for the items that are clearly marked: "PRE ORDER for delivery within 4-6 weeks" or "PRE ORDER for delivery within 10-14 weeks". I have a monthly quota for every size, so if the item in a particular size is listed as sold out for pre-order then it can only be ordered when that quota space shows up again.
Honestly speaking, these days I'm almost always sold out of everything, but I'm not looking to mass produce, as this goes against the Gipsy Dharma philosophy. Whatever is released is usually sold out within a couple of days, so my honest advice is that if you see something that you really like, I would suggest you just go ahead and place the order, because chances are that next morning it might not be available in your size. I do my best to add new stock every couple of weeks and every time I do so I make an announcement on my Facebook page, so if your colour is not available, there really are only two options: a) stay tuned to my Facebook page and wait for new stock to arrive or b) maybe consider getting another colour, and luckily I have plenty to choose from! :) You could also sign up to my newsletter (the little box located on the right, just below my announcements board) to stay up to date with any new collection releases & stock arrivals.
I have a Gift Card and/or a Discount code, how do I redeem them?
It’s very simple, please do the following:
1) Select the products you would like to purchase by clicking “Add to Cart”;
2) In the top right corner, click “Check Out” to get to the cart page, review the order and click the "Proceed to Checkout" button below;
3) Enter in the shipping and billing information in full and click Continue. Note: You will not be billed after you click continue. Even if your gift card covers the product price and shipping in full, for security reasons entering your billing information with paypal is a must.
4) On the next page, your will be able to input the gift card code and/or your discount code in the text-editable boxes under “Have a gift card? Enter it here” and “Have a discount code? Enter it here”:
5) Click the Apply button. A label will appear above the text box with the masked code and its available balance. And don't forget to choose the shipping option.
The rest depends on the amount you’ve got on the gift card:
If the balance available on the gift card is equal to or greater than the order total, then you can just click the “Complete My Purchase” button and you’re good to go.
If the balance available on the gift card is less than the total amount due, then you will be prompted to choose an additional payment method to cover the difference.
The order confirmation page will show the remaining balance on the gift card. If you haven’t used up the balance of the gift card in full, this balance will be reserved for future use.
Very important: DO NOT buy Gipsy Dharma gift cards from anyone or anywhere, but this website. Any website or any person that claims to represent Gipsy Dharma and offers you a gift card voucher is most likely committing fraud. Re-selling gift cards and buying gift cards from third parties is strictly prohibited in order to prevent fraud. For the very same reasons, Gipsy Dharma gift cards are non refundable. When purchasing a gift card, please be sure to provide the full name of the person/persons who will be using the gift card.
Do you make vegan boots?
Not just yet, I will not be jumping on the bandwagon, producing poor quality "vegan alternatives" full of non-breathable synthetics, allergens and nasty chemicals. All my clothing and footwear are made from high quality, sustainable materials. I'm still searching for the right materials for my vegan range and I assure you that I'm trying really hard! Some materials just do not work with my designs and others that do work would more than double the cost of the boots. I've had a few people write to me, expressing their surprise that I've still not been able to have vegan boots made. Well, the truth is that it is very difficult to find alternatives to leather, that do not produce very harmful chemicals as they are being made and do not pollute the environment for hundreds of years after they have been deposed of. So a lot of people who are eager to save the environment seem to be missing a point here, because non leather unfortunately does not necessarily mean good for the planet.
I don’t use PayPal, can I pay with my credit card? Is your website safe to use? What if I don't have either?
Yes you can, the transfer will still be made through the PayPal's page, but when you check out you will be given an option to pay without registering with PayPal and input your card details with them. Whatever the case your card information is safe and I never get to see it. I would really prefer not to deal with your sensitive billing information directly... As for safety, I specifically chose Paypal to deal with all transaction related stuff, because they are by far the safest platform to get the job done. No billing information is seen by me or stored on my website (just your delivery address, name and email and this info is NEVER passed on to third parties). The safety of your contact information is protected by my store's 128 bit SSL certificate, the same certificate all major brands have. If you don't have neither a credit card nor a Paypal account (turns out that some people don't), well just get a friend to order for you, and then maybe go to the bank and apply for a credit card. :)
I'm worried that these boots will not fit my calves. I have wide feet, do they stretch? I'm worried that the boots will be too long for my legs, can you give me some measurements? I'm not sure how your boots will look on me...
The short and honest answer is that I can't tell you for sure whether the boots will fit, because everyone's physique is different. But due to the nature of their design my boots should fit all calves and if they really don't fit then the worst case scenario is that you'll send them back to me for a refund! :)
So far I've not had a single return, because the boots would not fit wider calves. If this ever happens I will update this message and clarify. What happens is that the three sets of laces are tied in accordance with your proportions, so I do not see how they will not fit. What may happen is that the length of the laces themselves might not be enough as they are stretched to their maximum. So my advice right now is that you make a "note to the seller" as you check out and state that you may require longer laces, which will be included at no extra cost. As for length, I always advise to get them as they are and see how they actually fit your legs, as you might be pleasantly surprised. ;) If they seem too high up, then I advise that you: a) fold them slightly to just below the knee. I always do this myself with the Dharmas that I wear and they still look super sexy. :) b) As I go for this wild look, the top ends of the boots are always uneven, so you could literally take a pair of scissors and snip the top parts to your liking, just make sure you don't get carried away with your creativity! :) For the knee high boots the shaft height is approx 48-53 cm and for over the knee length boots the shaft height is approx 63-65 cm. The circumference is very hard to measure due to the lacing system, but I must say I've never seen boots with wider circumference, ever! :) If you wonder how the boots will look on you, please follow this link to my Pinterest page that has tons of cool photographs of Gipsy Dharma customers with more photos added every now and then. :)
The lacing system on your boots seems complicated! What are the soles made of?
There is virtually nothing complicated about the lacing of Gipsy Dharma boots. The boots you receive will be fully laced up. All you have to do is loosen the laces once, put your foot in and tighten each side accordingly to accommodate the shape of your calves & foot. After that you can forget about the laces and use the zip when you put the boots back on or take them off. The soles are intentionally made from a very flexible and long lasting material to ensure that you could walk in these boots for hours or dance the night away and your precious feet will never get tired. :) For more information on the lacing system I suggest you refer to my How to Guides.
Are the colors identical to the photos? How come you don't have eyelets? How strong is the leather? Do I need to treat your boots differently?
No, the colors are not identical to the photos. To start with, if you line up 10 computer screens from different brands you will realize that the same photo will look quite different on every single one, not to mention various monitor settings like brightness and contrast. :) Also, with every new batch of leather, the color varies. The reason for this is because I do not source my leather from specialized hide farms that provide perfect/identical leather at the expense of inhumane treatment of animals just to get their skins. About eyelets: I specifically chose not to insert any eyelets into the boots to keep this amazing raw look. Trust me, if I did insert the eyelets, you would no longer recognize these boots as Gipsy Dharma. For the same reasons I keep making the laces from leather and not from synthetic fibers. Most boots you see on the market are made from very thick leather, which takes away the sexiness, obviously. My leather is relatively thin for a reason. I specifically only source thin leather pieces to make sure everything "moulds" to the unique features of your legs, just like a glove. So if you want this raw, uninhibited, incredibly sexy head-turning look and at the same time you want your boots to truly feel like second skin, there has to be a compromise. So please: 1) NEVER pull on the laces, like you would pull on any synthetic fiber laces, if you pull too hard the laces will surely break. 2) When you try the boots on for the first time make sure that the whole lacing system is quite loose. Please don't just stick your foot in and see what happens like you would with any other ordinary pair of boots, because these are not ordinary boots! :) 3) And please NEVER apply force when putting the boots on or try to stretch anything on purpose, but rather let the leather stretch naturally over a period of time as it becomes a part of you.
And you could also give them names, stroke them gently, talk to them and sometimes sleep in them! :)
Ok, so my boots have arrived and I’m about to put them on for the first time, is there anything I should know?
Yes, first of all, welcome to a new “walk of life”! Embrace the Gipsy Dharma experience and love your new boots like they are your own skin. These boots are very delicate and need to be treated with love and care. Some points to note;
Like a hand glove, your boot glove should be put on carefully just the same! Whatever you do, please do not apply force when your foot goes in, especially for the first couple of times.
How to adjust your Gipsy boots to your own leg size:
Loosen the laces from top to bottom (without undoing the laces fully) then slide your foot in carefully. Be gentle when adjusting the leather to your leg. Slowly tighten your laces evenly from bottom to top. The laces are made from real leather and if you pull on them too hard they might break. (usually not a problem, however, as you can easily make a little knot and the functionality or looks will not be compromised)
The process might seem complicated but rest assured once you have adjusted the boots initially, only the zip is used thereafter although a little tighten of the laces may be required from time to time.
The boots are thoroughly checked in the making and before being sent to their new owners. No two pairs are the same and each pair of boots has its own quirky character! Please appreciate that different length tops and little marks or tears are not faults, but rather beautiful imperfections of a hand crafted item.
If you want to splash around in puddles, save it for the wellie boots! Splash some leather protector on your boots instead of puddles.
Finally, once you have your boots on - do a little happy dance to ensure that they fit you just right! :) :)
P.S. You could also send me some photos of wearing your Gipsy Dharma's and I will post them here on my website as well as my Facebook page! :)
How do your boots cope with cold/wet weather & dirt? Do the soles wear down fast? Will they last me as long as my Dr Martens, to be passed on to future generations? :) Can I send them to you for repairs in a couple of years?
Dr Martens are designed to be robust and withstand daily abuse. But when you think about Gipsy Dharma, think Gucci & Prada and not Dr Martens! :) Nothing from exclusive, handmade, high end footwear will ever come close, because that's not the purpose of the design. I've never ever had a complaint about the soles wearing down, because I make them from super bendy rubber on purpose. And I'm sorry, but I don't do shoe repairs, but your local shoe repair shop will do that for a fraction of the cost because you won't have to pay for postage. Anyhow, there are boots that make random strangers turn heads & give you compliments on the street (you'll be surprised how many times this will happen) and there are boots that you can pass on to your kids when they grow up. These are two different products! :)
As for cold/wet/muddy conditions, my short and honest answer is that you should always be taking care of your leather boots, be it Gipsy Dharma or any other brand. When it comes to cold/water/mud, Gipsy Dharma boots will cope just like any other pair of leather boots, but just like any other pair of boots they will not last you as long as you would like them to. So yes you can go puddle jumping in them, but do ask yourself, is this really necessary? For such occasions I suggest a good pair of wellington boots. :)
My boots/clothes did not fit perfectly. Do you accept returns? Can I exchange them for a different size?
If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, it is possible to return the item to me in its original condition within 14 days of receipt. This condition only applies to non sale items and orders with no discount applied. Be sure to contact me prior to sending to discuss this very briefly. Note: although some items are shipped from Bali, all returns are processed in the UK, so please make sure you send the returned items to my UK address, which is written on the box or can be given once you contact me. Items that do not look and feel absolutely like new are not eligible for return. Also please note: 1) any sale items are not refundable but can be exchanged for another size in the same colour and style or for Gipsy Dharma gift card facing a value of the purchase excluding the shipping costs 2) Gipsy Dharma gift cards are non refundable due to the fraud prevention.
Returned items should be unused and must be returned in original packaging with any enclosed documentation. Please enclose a small note from yourself with your name/address/order number for me to figure out where the return came from. :) In the case when the goods are accepted for a refund it will be issued within 14 days of receipt, excluding the original delivery charge.
Please note that unless the reason for return/exchange is because the item is faulty or is in fact the wrong item the shipping charges will not be refunded, so once again please pick your size wisely and if unsure, please get in touch and I will do my utmost best to assist. Also, it would be very important to note that in the case of exchange you will be responsible for paying the postage fees for the second parcel. Additionally, it is most certainly your responsibility to cover any customs duties on received or returned parcels. Finally, always post with traceable shipping service and have a tracking number at hand for your own peace of mind. For more information please refer to my Returns & Exchange policy.
I own a fashion/beauty or any other personal blog or I'm writing content for other blogs, is there a way of obtaining your items for a review? Are there any special requirements? Do I need to inform you that I mentioned your brand on my blog?
Since I don't mass produce my boots I'm always very low on stock, so unfortunately cannot supply boots for review on demand. But I came up with the idea that about once a week we go through all recent back links & brand mentions received from personal blogs and pick one blog at RANDOM to supply the boots of the blogger's choice for a proper product review. The reason why I'm using this method is because to me at least the brand mention on the blog shows genuine interest in our clothing line. And for my own peace of mind it also works as proof that the boots sent in for review will not go to waste, which happened already a few times until I introduced this method. Note: some brand mentions take up to a couple of weeks to be picked up by Google bot, but the brand mention becomes an entry only when it is indexed so no entry ever misses a chance.
There are no strings attached, I simply supply a pair of boots of your choice (subject to availability) free of charge for a full on honest review, which should then be published on the same blog that was randomly selected. Since I'm not doing this whole thing to please Google with my awesome SEO, the blog can be on any platform & based in any country, as long as its a real blog and not one of those weird spammy nonsense web pages. :) Also, there is no need to email me to let me know of the brand mention or provide me with the address & contact details. We use special tools to pick up on any recent brand mentions and back links, so we never miss a single blog post that mentions us. And I always find a way to contact the blogger that was picked to do the review. :)
I own a shop and would like to make a wholesale agreement with you.
I would very much like to discuss this, so please send me a message through my contact form or contact me via my Facebook page.
I do offer wholesale where you can place an order with 100% deposit and I will make it within 1-2 months for your shop.