At Athena Authentic Creations, every piece is handmade — many are one of a kind, and some are made specifically for you on request. Because of this, our approach is a little different from a typical retail store.

Faulty or damaged items

If your item arrives damaged or faulty, please contact us within 7 days with a photo and your order number, and we'll sort out a repair, replacement, or refund. Given the handmade nature of the work, small variations in colour, size, or texture are part of the charm, not a fault.

Made-to-order & Custom Pieces

Returns

Custom and made-to-order items are created specifically for you and cannot be resold, so these are non-refundable and non-returnable, except where the item arrives faulty or damaged.

Cancellations

Custom and made-to-order pieces are arranged directly via WhatsApp, based on your reference images and specifications (character, size, yarn type). Once we've quoted and you've accepted, a 50% deposit is required before any work begins — this deposit covers the cost of yarn and any special materials or accessories needed for your piece.

Before the deposit is paid, you're free to cancel or change your mind at any time, at no cost. Once the deposit has been paid, we begin purchasing materials for your piece as soon as possible.

If you cancel before materials have been purchased, your deposit will be refunded in full. Once materials have been purchased, the deposit becomes non-refundable, as those materials were bought specifically for your piece.

You'll be kept updated throughout the process — from material shopping through to progress photos as your piece takes shape — so you'll always know where your order stands.

Refunds

Custom order payments are handled via EFT, so refunds (where applicable) are paid back directly and promptly.

Ready-made / one-of-a-kind pieces

Returns

If you've bought a piece from stock and it's simply not right for you, please get in touch within 7 days of receiving your order. Because most pieces are one of a kind, we're not always able to offer an exchange — but we'll do our best to find a fair solution, whether that's a refund, store credit, or something else that works.

Cancellations

Orders for ready-made items can be cancelled any time before dispatch. Once an order has shipped, our standard returns process applies instead.

How to request a return, refund, or cancellation

Refund processing

Approved refunds are processed via Payfast, generally within a few business days of us receiving the returned item. It can then take a further 2–10 business days for the refund to reflect in your account, depending on your payment method — this is standard bank processing time and outside our control.

Refunds for custom and made-to-order pieces are handled via EFT, as outlined above.