Terms Of Service

CUSTOM DESIGNS, IDEAS, AND SCHEMATIC SUBMISSION POLICY

DC Design Studio, LLC reserves the right to manufacture any item or client-supplied custom design or idea without restriction. However, if you feel your design is proprietary; please request an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) prior to submitting anything to DC.

DC Design Studio, LLC feels strongly that being providing an “Idea” of an item does not constitute individual ownership of that (or similar versions of that) “idea”. Ideas provided to us may start a creative process, in turn, creating the same, or similar design that DC has 100% design ownership of unless otherwise previously stated and agreed upon (written agreement required). Please note: If we come up with a design or COMPLETELY re-design an existing design, we legally own it.

DC Design Studio, LLC believes strongly in the creation of unique designs and is not in the business of copying or re-manufacturing other company designs. DC WILL NOT manufacture any blueprint or schematic that is believed or deemed to be another person(s) or company design. DC reserves the right to also forward the request of manufacture to the original owner for their legal perusal.

Designs created and/or modified by DC Design Studio, LLC is the sole property of DC Design Studio, LLC and unless purchased outright we reserve the right to manufacture, sell, reproduce, or resell these designs as we deem fit.

BREACH OF CONTRACT

DC Design Studio, LLC reserves the right to cancel any order that is not fully paid for within a reasonable (30 days) time frame from the initial payment request. DC Design Studio deems this failure to pay as a client breach of contract and any quoted amount is subject to revision prior to order acceptance. Balances due on existing orders are also subject to DC’s 30-day payment window and must be fully paid prior to shipment or may result in deposit forfeiture.

MATERIAL CHANGES TO AGREEMENTS

Material changes (more than 10% modification to the original design) requested after quoted/agreed upon amount by both parties will be subject to re-quote. Materials ordered whether used or unused must still be paid for by the client including any applicable inbound shipping and previously performed labor. The client will be billed full labor rate for material design changes as well as any newly requested material needs and applicable labor.

REFUSAL OF GOODS OR CANCELLATION AFTER SHIPMENT

Clients that refuse delivery or cancel an item once shipped may forfeit up to 100% of the original payment. Previously shipped items are ineligible for any refund or partial credit without prior approval.

DEPOSIT FORFEITURE & ORDER CANCELLATION

Full and/or partial refunds will not be paid on any order canceled once fabrication has begun.

Refusal (including lack of response to debt collection) or acknowledged inability to pay any remaining balances due may result in 100% deposit forfeiture. “Store Credits” may be issued if previous arrangements are made and agreed upon by both parties within a reasonable (60day) window. Refusal or inability to collect a past due balance without the above-stated agreements will result in a 100% deposit forfeiture.

DC Design Studio, LLC reserves the right to cancel an order at any time and charge a reasonable fee for completed labor against the original deposit for any unpaid or abandoned orders.

Orders canceled by DC Design Studio, LLC due to any stated terms above will not be reinstated.

CREDIT CARD DISPUTES

DC strives to make sure all clients are happy with every product that leaves our shop. If for any reason you are unhappy with a product, please contact us first. If contact is not made in an attempt to resolve an issue and we receive a credit card dispute, we will immediately view this as credit card fraud and we DC will immediately contact our payment processor and legal advisor. Any disputed credit card transaction will be subject to review and costs incurred as a result of legal fees will be charged to the cardholder (if found to be fraudulent).

DC Return Policy

Due to the seasonal nature of the Halloween and Haunted Attractions industry, all sales are considered final.

We understand that items purchased online cannot be viewed in person, so before placing an order for an item you are unsure of, please contact us for more information. We will do our best to get that information to you as quickly as possible.

Refused orders (Delivery refusal) are subject to a 50% re-stocking fee with no refund for shipping.

In VERY rare circumstances; exceptions may be made on a case by case basis – please email us prior to returning anything with your reason for the request of a return.

If you have received the wrong item or if the merchandise arrives damaged or in non-working order please do the following:

  • Step 1: Contact us immediately to obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number at (650) 962-9254 or via email at [email protected].
  • Step 2: Package product in the original shipping box including all packing material, user guides and manuals.
  • Step 3: Ship prepaid to the address supplied to you on the RMA form.

Please note that we may refuse approved returns for the following reasons:

  • No RMA# was obtained.
  • Item shows any signs of use or wear
  • Damaged product or packaging.
  • Missing accessories or literature.

Upon our receipt of the damaged product, we will inspect the item and if it was damaged or defective we will repair or replace that product in a timely manner and return via standard delivery method at no cost to you.

DC Privacy Policy

Protecting our customer’s privacy is a fundamental priority for DC Design Studio, LLC & DC Props. To underscore our commitment to privacy and our belief that good privacy is good business, we have implemented an online privacy policy for our web site: www.dcprops.com. This policy reflects and enforces our corporate privacy principles.

INFORMATION COLLECTION

Personally-identifiable Information
This site only collects personally-identifiable information when you purchase products and/or sign up for our mailing list. The personally-identifiable information collected with your consent may include, for example, name, e-mail address, billing address, shipping address, credit card information, or any inquiries you may make via our web site. DC does not sell, trade, nor provide personally-identifiable information to unaffiliated third-parties in its normal course of business. However, we will provide such information when required by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary in order to comply with the law or legal process.

Cookies

‘Cookies’ are small pieces of information that are stored by your browser on your computer’s hard drive. This site uses third-party cookies, however personally identifiable information is not collected through the use of cookies. Cookies are used to determine whether a visitor is unique or whether the visitor has viewed our site before. With the exception of the portion of our site dedicated to applying for service with dcprops.com, cookies are optional and do not affect the operability of our site. While most browsers are set to accept cookies by default, you can set yours to refuse cookies or to alert you before accepting them. Your browser provider has information on changing the default setting for your specific browser.

Non-personally-identifiable information

This site also collects non-personally identifiable information. For example, as you browse this web site we may collect information about your visit, but not about you personally. Via web server logs, for example, we may monitor statistics such as the number of people that visit our site, which page(s) are visited on our site, from which domain our visitors come (e.g., aol.com, hotmail.com, etc.), and which browsers people use to visit our site (e.g., Google Safari, Mozilla Fire Fox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, etc.). Our Web site uses an outsourcing program to assist us in analyzing this data to better tailor our web site.

INFORMATION USE AND CONSUMER CHOICE

The information collected by this web site is used only for responding to your inquiries and otherwise corresponding with you, for processing transactions you request, maintaining your account (if you have one), and for the administration, review and/or the improvement of the content of our web site. We may contact you in response to your comments or inquiries, as part of the maintenance of your account with us (if you have one), or in order to complete a transaction that you requested. If you decide that you do not want to receive further e-mails regarding your inquiry from DCPROPS.com, you can reply to the e-mail with a request that we remove your email address from our mailing list. We do not use outside data sources to enrich marketing data obtained online.

ONWARD TRANSFER

We do reserve the right to disclose the information you provide to us to third parties ONLY in order to complete a transaction that you requested. We may also outsource some tasks, including the operation of certain web site functions, which require access to the information you supply online. In such cases, however, we require that the companies acting on our behalf abide by our privacy policy and institute safeguards to protect the confidentiality of your information. Finally, please note that we may disclose personal information when required by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary in order to comply with the law or legal process.

ACCESS AND CORRECTION

While we strive to maintain the accuracy of the customer data collected through our web site, we need your help to ensure your data is complete and accurate. We will provide you with access to personally-identifiable information you provide through our Web site for as long as we maintain that information in a readily accessible format. Similarly, we permit and encourage you to correct inaccuracies in the information you submit to us through our Web site. If you wish to correct any information you have submitted previously to this site, please send an e-mail to [email protected].

SECURITY

We take steps to protect against the loss, misuse, or unauthorized alteration of personally-identifiable information collected through this web site. We recognize the importance of security for all personally-identifiable information collected by our web site. We exercise care in providing secure transmission of your information from your PC to our servers utilizing SSL encryption. Once we receive personally-identifiable information, we take steps to protect its security on our systems. In the event we request or transmit sensitive information, such as credit card information, we use industry-standard, secure socket layer (“SSL”) encryption. We strictly limit access to personally-identifiable information to those employees who need access in order to fulfill your online order.

POLICY CHANGES

We reserve the right to revise this online privacy policy from time to time.

DC Submission Policy

Custom Designs, Ideas, and Schematics:
DC Design Studio, LLC reserves the right to manufacture any item or client-supplied custom design or idea without restriction. However, if you feel your design is proprietary; please request an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) prior to submitting anything to DC.

DC Design Studio, LLC feels strongly that being providing an “Idea” of an item does not constitute individual ownership of that (or similar versions of that) “idea”. Ideas provided to us may start a creative process, in turn, creating the same, or similar design that DC has 100% design ownership unless otherwise previously stated and agreed upon (written agreement required). Please note; If we come up with a design or COMPLETELY re-design an existing design, we legally own it.

DC Design Studio, LLC believes strongly in the creation of unique designs and is not in the business of copying or re-manufacturing other company designs. DC WILL NOT manufacture any blueprint or schematic that is believed or deemed to be another person(s) or company design. DC reserves the right to also forward the request of manufacture to the original owner for their legal perusal.

Designs created and/or modified by DC Design Studio, LLC is the sole property of DC Design Studio, LLC and unless purchased outright we reserve the right to manufacture, sell, reproduce, or resell these designs as we deem fit.

DC Shipping Policy

We do our best to keep all materials in stock at all times to ensure fast turnaround time. Due to demand and storage limitations; all props are generally built once ordered; however we do try and keep a small number of mechanisms and startle effects in stock at all times.

General timeline:
Stock Items:

  • Fabrication time on stock items is generally less than 5 business days. Larger Animations generally have a 2-4week turn around.

Non-Stock or Custom Designs:

  • Fabrication time can vary depending on the complexity, type, material & parts availability and number of custom props ordered. Estimated fabrication times are provided at the time the order is placed and we do our best to complete and ship prior to that date.

Please note: Cancellation after fabrication has begun will result in a forfeiture of deposit and/or a minimum of 50% cancellation/restocking fee. This covers all design, parts, and fabrication costs that DC has already incurred.

Shipping Methods

DC Design Studio, LLC ships primarily via UPS Ground and Freight (individual book orders ship via USPS media mail). We do make exceptions and provide alternative shipping methods; but please note DC reserves the right to add additional handling charges at a standard labor rate ($125.00hr) to accommodate these requests. These handling charges cover the additional man hours and special trip charges to the service provider (post office, Freight Port, etc.). If you would like us to ship using your own UPS or FedEx account number please place your order and provide us the shipping information via an email to [email protected].

DC Design Studio, LLC is located in Mountain View, CA. Shipping charges do not include any brokerage or taxes which may be levied on any international shipments.

DC Design Studio, LLC reserves the right to forward any associated fees that are incurred due to reasons beyond our control. Re-delivery, residential surcharges, redirect fees and additional service charges will be charged to the payment information on file.

Warranty

DC Design Studio, LLC stands behind our products and workmanship, therefore we are one of the only (if not only) companies that offer a 60-day warranty on all of our products starting from the day of receipt. This warranty is valid towards manufacturing defects as well as covers the products used during manufacturing or assembly (.ie valves, cylinders, fittings, tubing, etc) only.

If you run into an issue please contact us immediately with a description of the issue and any supporting pictures or video. DC is known throughout the industry for having top-notch customer support and we strive to keep our customers happy and our products in tip-top working condition.

Valid claims after 60 days:

Providing valid warranty claims after 60 days will be taken on a case by case basis. Please contact us via email at [email protected] and provide a description of the issue, the reasoning for delay in submission, and any supporting pictures. These claims will be thoroughly reviewed and some form of assistance will be considered.

Return or repair of standard or custom props:

DC Design Studio, LLC stands behind our products and will work diligently to assist in any way possible to keep our clients happy. In some circumstances, it is more cost-effective and expedient to have the prop shipped back to us for repair. If this occurs the client is responsible for the full cost of shipping/freight to ship to us as well as return shipping and packaging costs unless otherwise previously agreed upon. The repair will be based on fair labor rates of $75per hour plus all the necessary materials.

Client Modifications:

Any modification (which also includes client stated extensive “repair”) to any DC Design Studio, LLC item (without prior consult) immediately voids any warranty and DC observes the right to provide any level of assistance as we deem fit. This may result in an immediate rejection of assistance as a client previously assumed all responsibility and ownership.

OTC Items:

Please note that damage to the physical prop (mounted to a mechanism) whether a DC manufactured prop (ie. skeleton), OTC (over-the-counter) prop, customer supplied prop, and or areas surrounding the animation may come in contact with are not covered by any warranty as these items may or may not have been meant for that application. The client assumes full responsibility for the use of any product, a combination of products, or additional items that were not specifically designed and created by DC Design Studio, LLC. Property damage is also the responsibility of the end-user.

Misuse of DC Design manufactured Items:

Misuse of the prop, lack of maintenance, modifications or repairs, or a result of Mother Nature’s wrath are not covered by any warranty and will result in immediate rejection of a warranty claim. Client assumes full responsibility for the use and maintenance as well as the safety concerns at the time of purchase, therefore DC Design Studio, LLC can legally not be held responsible for damage to the item or persons affected.

Custom Props:

Custom props are built to client specifications and requirements. DC over-engineers all items to cover the common use however it is the end-users responsibility to provide standard maintenance to ensure a long-lasting prop. If you receive an item that does not meet your standards, please contact DC immediately so we can resolve any questions or concerns. DC ensures that all custom props are thoroughly tested and shipped in perfect working order. Client accepts full responsibility for proper mounting, wiring, installation, and maintenance after 7 days of receipt.

Warranty on custom props:

Due to the tight time frames and potential application variables – DC will work with our client to ensure they are happy with the prop and it is delivered in perfect mechanical and physical condition. Once the prop is delivered and confirmed by the client to be in an “acceptable” form, the client will assume full responsibility for the item. We will extend the manufacturer’s warranty on all parts used within the design (ie. valves, fittings, cylinders, etc.) to the end-user, but this will not include any warranty on the OTC items nor the controller(s) used. Warranty claims after 60 days will be reviewed on a case by case basis, but DC is not legally obligated to provide ANY assistance.

Warranty on OTC (over the counter) items:

DC Design Studio, LLC provides no warranty on other manufacturers' products that may be used in conjunction with our custom props. Wardrobe, costuming, props, lighting, fog machines, controllers, and any other non-dc manufactured item must be resolved with the manufacturer of those items. We strive to only use name brand, high-quality parts that are meant to last a long time; but DC Design Studio, LLC cannot be held responsible for their longevity.

Warranty on Controllers:

Controllers are susceptible to misuse, liquid damage, physical damage, electrical issues (improper voltage, shorts, etc.) therefore are not covered by any warranty. You may contact the manufacturer directly and we will assist in any way to prove proof of purchase, date of purchase, and if possible the files for programming, but DC will assume no responsibility for the shipping, repair, or re-installation costs.

Safety

DC Design Studio, LLC has no control over the use of any product and therefore expects the user to exercise good judgment as to the proper selection, installation, use and maintenance of any product. DC Design Studio, LLC assumes no responsibility for damage or injury of any kind due to misuse or improper installation or application in any way by any person.

Please be aware of the following important safety information before purchasing or using any of our products…

  • Animated props are intended for intermittent use only. Many require a wall or handrail to separate them from your audience as they move quickly and may injure those too close. We accept NO responsibility for the misuse of animated props.
  • Special care must be taken with pneumatic props to avoid injury. Make sure that no more than 120psi is supplied to any of our props. Most of our props only require < 80psi to operate. We recommend regulating props to the minimum air pressure required to properly operate.
  • Most of our timers and props run off of 110v AC. Please be aware that shock hazards may exist if water or other liquids are allowed in contact with our timers and props.
  • Protect from hearing damage! Staff should wear ear protection if repeatedly exposed to air noise.
  • Always point air cannons or startle effects away from people when possible! Massive quick air release could potentially project objects in the direction of airflow.

If any DC Design Studio, LLC product is found to be defective immediately stop using it and call DC Design Studio, LLC. for repair or replacement! (650) 962-9254 or email us at [email protected].

Safety Tips

  • When setting up pneumatic props, never add air until the prop is mounted securely. When adding air, first check that all tubing and fittings are mounted securely, then stand away from the prop and carefully connect the valve to the air supply.
  • When working with pneumatics, always start with your air pressure low and your flow controls open to a minimum then work up the pressure until you achieve the effect you are looking for. Also always disconnect the air when working on or with one of these props. You never know when the solenoid may fire and it’s not going to stop for your face or body parts.
  • All DC Props are designed to operate between 30-120 PSI. Failure to stay within these parameters will void all product warranties and is extremely dangerous.
  • To ensure a long life of pneumatic products, proper water traps/ filter lubricators and pneumatic oil should always be used.
  • If you use common sense and protect yourself from harmful tools and chemicals, there should be no reason that you can’t have year after year of haunting enjoyment with all of your limbs intact.
  • Always BE SAFE!

Prop 65 Disclaimer

Except as WARNING: products on this web site might contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm in accordance with California's Prop 65 expressly stated herein, DC Design Studio, LLC (aka DC Props) makes no representations or complied of any kind with respect to products sold.