This page sets out what a return actually costs, what happens if your delivery arrives damaged, and what you can and cannot send back. It covers our sauna lines — Golden Designs, Dynamic and Maxxus. Other lines in our catalogue have their own manufacturer terms; the full return policy covers those.
What can be returned
A return has to reach us within 30 days of delivery, and the unit has to be unused, unassembled and in its original packaging with all components and documentation included.
Once a sauna has been assembled and used, it cannot be returned. That is a manufacturer term, not a policy we chose, and no authorised dealer of these brands can work around it. We would rather you knew that before you ordered than after.
An RMA number is mandatory. Contact us first and we will request one. A return shipped without an RMA is refused on arrival, and the costs fall on the sender.
What a return costs
Three elements, and the freight is usually the larger one.
1. Restocking fee
Up to 20% of the amount you paid, on our sauna lines. The manufacturer's fee chart applies it to units that were opened and assembled but never used, and lists freight charges only for units returned still sealed in their original packaging. Plan on 20%. We confirm the exact figure in writing at the point we authorise your return, before you ship anything back.
2. Return freight
Return freight is not a rate you can shop on the open market. The manufacturer sets it on a fixed formula:
- the original outbound freight charge, at the flat rate for your model — your order shipped free, but that charge exists on our side and is billed back on a return; plus
- the return inbound charge, at 120% of that outbound amount.
So the freight element of a return is a little over twice the outbound cost of getting the unit to you. Ask us before you order and we will tell you the exact figure for the model you are looking at.
3. Storage and routing
The manufacturer may assess storage and routing costs on returned goods. In practice this only applies if the unit sits somewhere on the way back.
There is no inspection fee, no RMA fee and no administration charge beyond the three items above.
Where returns go, and when you are refunded
Returns go back to the manufacturer's warehouse in Southern California. The exact receiving address is issued with your RMA, because the manufacturer nominates it at the point of authorisation and it is not always the warehouse the unit shipped from.
Refunds are issued within 5 business days of the unit arriving and passing inspection. The manufacturer inspects before refunding and can withhold the refund if the unit comes back damaged, so how it is packed for the return journey matters.
Cancelling before it ships
The manufacturer's written cancellation window is 24 hours from purchase. Our own practice is that we will not charge you for cancelling before the unit physically leaves the warehouse, and we absorb that ourselves — but 24 hours is the term that is actually documented, and you should know that is what sits behind our promise.
Delivery day: the two minutes that protect you
Your sauna arrives by freight, curbside, on a pallet. The carrier calls ahead to arrange an appointment and somebody aged 18 or over needs to be there to sign.
Walk around the crate before you sign anything. What you do in the next two minutes decides whether a damage claim can be filed at all. There are three situations and they are handled differently.
Crate scuffs, torn shrink wrap, scraped corners — this is normal
Freight pallets get handled a lot, and cosmetic marking of the outer crate is ordinary. This is not a reason to refuse the delivery.
Accept it, and write DAMAGED on the delivery receipt next to your name, with what you can see, before you sign. Be specific: "large dent in crate, top right corner", not "damaged". Photograph the crate, the pallet and the signed receipt.
Visible damage to the sauna itself — refuse it
Refuse the delivery if you can see damage to the sauna rather than the packaging, if there is a hole in the packaging the size of a softball or larger, or if you can see damaged wood. Photograph everything before the driver leaves, then call us on (307) 201-4597.
Damage you find after unpacking — call within 48 hours
Call us within 48 hours of delivery with photographs and your order number. We file the claim with the carrier. You are not left negotiating with a freight company on your own.
The one thing that must not happen
Do not sign a clean receipt for a damaged shipment. The manufacturer will not process a freight claim on a unit signed for without inspection or notation, and once that receipt is signed clean, neither you nor we can reopen it. The word DAMAGED on the receipt is what keeps the claim alive.
This is also why we do not tell people to refuse on sight of a scuffed crate. An unnecessary refusal sends the unit back for redelivery, which the manufacturer charges at $95 for a second attempt and $150 for a third, plus $125 a day of storage if it sits at the destination terminal beyond three days. Noting the damage protects your claim just as well and costs nothing.
Before you order
The manufacturer requires us to complete a short call with you before any sauna order goes through. It takes a few minutes and covers four things: confirming your delivery address, phone and email; making sure the electrical requirement for your model is understood; confirming that delivery is curbside only, not into the house or garage; and checking that a freight truck can physically reach your address.
Call us on (307) 201-4597 or email sales@iridescenthome.com. We answer 9am–5pm MT, every day.