Returns & Exchanges Policy

Last updated: October 31, 2026

This page is the practical guide to sending something back to Mug Mellow: who can return what, how to ask for a return label, how to pack a ceramic mug so it survives the journey, and how exchanges work when you would rather have a different size or colour. The money side (how much you get back, where it goes and how fast) lives on our Refund Policy page. Here we focus on the steps.

1. Why we accept returns on personalised mugs

Many shops refuse returns on anything with a name printed on it. We understand why, but we think the person ordering a mug for their mother should not carry all the risk if the colour looks different in daylight or the 15 oz turns out bigger than expected. So every item we sell, personalised or not, can be returned within 60 days of delivery. That includes name mugs, photo mugs, two-tone mugs, glass and enamel pieces, travel mugs, tumblers and kids cups.

We do ask you to check your Order notes carefully before you buy, because we print exactly what you type and we do not send a proof first. A return is there for when the mug is not right for you; the 24-hour change window on our Cancel or Change an Order page is the faster fix for a typo.

2. What can be returned and how

3. Step by step: sending a mug back

1. Email us. Write to support@mugmellow.shop with your order number, the item(s) you want to return and a line about why. A reason is not required for change-of-mind returns, but it helps us improve.
2. Get your label. We reply within 24 hours on business days with a prepaid return label and simple instructions. Keep the email until your refund or exchange is complete.
3. Pack it well. Use the original box and padding if you still have them. See the packing tips in section 5.
4. Attach the label and drop it off. Stick the label over any old shipping labels so the carrier scans the right one, then hand the parcel to the carrier named on the label.
5. Keep the receipt. The drop-off receipt or tracking number is your proof that the parcel is on its way.
6. We receive it. When the parcel reaches us, we let you know and complete your refund or exchange as described below and on the Refund Policy.

3.1 Ship-back timing

Please send the parcel back reasonably soon after you receive your label, so the return can be completed while the details are fresh. If anything delays you, such as travel or illness, just tell us; we would rather adjust than have you worry about a deadline.

3.2 Returning part of an order

You can return one mug from a set or a few items from a larger order. Tell us which items are coming back. For a Mr & Mrs set, the set is one product, so please return both mugs together.

4. Exchanges: getting the right mug

Because every mug is printed for its owner, we cannot simply swap one from a shelf. Instead, an exchange is a return plus a new order, and you are never charged twice for shipping either way:

• Return the original mug with the free label we send you.
• Place a new order for the size, colour or design you want, writing the personalisation in the Order notes as usual. Shipping is free.
• When the original reaches us, we refund it as set out in the Refund Policy, or apply store credit if you prefer.

If you would rather not pay for the new mug before the old one is back, ask for store credit instead and use it when it arrives. Store credit never expires.

4.1 Common exchange examples

• Size: a Grandma’s Little Ones mug with six names felt crowded at 11 oz, so the customer exchanged it for the 15 oz version.
• Colour: a Sky Blue two-tone mug looked greener in morning light than on screen; it went back and a Navy one went out.
• Capacity: a 30 oz teacher tumbler did not fit the car’s cup holder, so it was exchanged for the 20 oz size.
• Design: a photo travel mug was swapped for a ceramic photo wrap mug after the recipient said they rarely drink on the go.

5. Packing a return so it arrives in one piece

Ceramic handles and glass rims are the parts that suffer most in transit. A few minutes of packing saves a broken return.

• Wash and dry the mug or tumbler first. A dry mug avoids mould and smells on the way.
• Wrap the handle separately with paper or bubble wrap, then wrap the whole mug.
• Put crumpled paper inside the mug so the walls are supported.
• Use a box with at least two fingers’ width of padding on every side; the mug should not move when you shake the box gently.
• Pack lids, straws and gaskets of tumblers and travel mugs in a small bag inside the box.
• Glass cans and frosted glass mugs need the most padding. If you kept our original carton, use it.

If a return arrives damaged because of the journey back, contact us and we will work it out with you. We do not expect you to be a packing expert.

6. Damaged, faulty or wrong items

If something arrives chipped, cracked, broken, misprinted or simply not what you ordered, please email photos of the item, the box and the shipping label to support@mugmellow.shop with your order number. In many cases the photos are enough and you will not need to send anything back. We will offer a reprint or a refund. Please write to us as soon as you can after delivery so we can act quickly; the 60-day window applies here too.

What counts as our fault: a cracked handle, a chip at the rim, a broken glass, a print that is smudged or misaligned, a missing letter that was present in your Order notes, the wrong product, size or colour. What is not a fault: a spelling we printed exactly as you typed it, small differences between screen colours and glaze, and the natural texture of enamel. Those are still returnable as change-of-mind returns with a free label.

7. Gifts and returns by someone else

If the mug was a gift and the recipient wants to return it, either of you can email us. We will need the order number, which the buyer has. Refunds go to the person who paid, by default to the original payment method, so a gift recipient who would like to choose something else can ask the buyer to request store credit instead.

8. Returns from Canada, Australia and New Zealand

Returns from outside the United States follow the same rules: 60 days, any reason, free return label. International returns can take longer to reach us, so please send the parcel soon after receiving your label and keep the tracking receipt. If a carrier in your country asks for any fee to accept the return, contact us before paying and we will find another way.

9. What happens after we receive your return

When the parcel reaches us, we open it, check that the right items are inside and email you to confirm. Then we issue your refund or store credit within 7 days of receiving the return, as described on the Refund Policy page. If you ordered a replacement or a new mug as an exchange, it ships on the normal timeline: 1-3 business days of processing and about 7-14 business days in transit, free to all four countries we serve. See Shipping & Delivery for details.

10. Item-by-item return notes

Every product on our shelves can come back, but each one travels a little differently. These notes help you prepare the return so nothing is lost or broken along the way.

11. Things that help a return go smoothly

• Start the return from the email address you used for the order; it lets us find it in seconds.
• Tell us in your first email whether you want a refund, store credit or an exchange.
• If you are exchanging for a different personalised mug, place the new order with the correct Order notes as soon as you like; you do not need to wait for the old one to reach us.
• Keep the drop-off receipt until we confirm the return has arrived.

12. Returns we cannot accept, and what we do instead

There are very few. We cannot take back a mug that never came from Mug Mellow, and we cannot accept a parcel sent without telling us first, because without an order number we have no way of knowing whose return it is. If a mug was broken in your kitchen months after it arrived, that is outside a return, but write to us anyway: we would rather hear about it and see whether there is something we can suggest. Anything that is not clear-cut is decided case by case, in your favour where we reasonably can.

13. Need a hand?

Email support@mugmellow.shop with your order number and a short note. We reply within 24 hours on business days. You can also open a request through our Submit a Ticket page, or browse quick answers in the FAQs.

Mug Mellow, 8 Willard Drive, Uxbridge, MA 01569, US.