09/24/2026
A small but important Grave Shift Customs policy update 🖤
This isn’t an announcement I particularly wanted to make, but after the last couple of weeks, it’s one I need to make.
Effective immediately, all custom orders will require payment in full at the time the order is placed. Design work and production will begin once payment has been received.
The last two weeks have been rough behind the scenes at Grave Shift. I had multiple machines malfunction for reasons completely outside of my control, and what I hoped would be a quick fix turned into an entire week of troubleshooting, testing, ruined materials, and trial and error. I even had help from an engineer familiar with similar machinery and software, and some of these problems were STILL an absolute puzzle to diagnose.
I did everything I could to get back up and running as quickly as possible, and I genuinely cannot thank those of you who had orders affected enough for your patience and understanding. 🖤 I’m finally caught up, the machines are running again, and we made it through.
Unfortunately, during those same two weeks, I also had multiple completed custom orders go unpaid. Some were delayed by the equipment issues, while others were completed immediately. These were orders made under an agreement that payment would be made once the finished item was ready or received, but unfortunately, payment and communication never followed through.
I also want to be very clear that this decision is not because of any one customer or one particular order. This is something that has happened more than once over time, with multiple customers and multiple orders. The last couple of weeks simply made it very clear that I can no longer afford to continue taking that risk as a small business.
Materials cost money. Packaging costs money. The hours spent designing, preparing and producing every custom order have value. And unlike something mass-produced, a completely personalized item usually can’t just be put back on the shelf and sold to someone else. Once someone’s name, vehicle, pet, handwriting, photograph or personal design is permanently engraved into an item, that investment is essentially gone if the order is abandoned.
I really loved being able to offer payment upon completion to friends and repeat customers. It gave people the flexibility to place an order ahead of payday, line up completion with when they were ready to pay, or simply have a little breathing room. I trusted that arrangement, and for a long time, it worked.
Unfortunately, I’ve learned the expensive way that it isn’t something Grave Shift can afford to continue offering.
And I especially want to acknowledge the customers who have never taken advantage of that trust. I know this policy change affects you too, and I genuinely am sorry to take away an option that may have been helpful to you because of an issue you personally never contributed to.
Going forward, the policy will simply be:
Payment received → design/production begins → your order gets made. 🖤
This isn’t about being harsh or making ordering more difficult. It’s about protecting a very small business and making sure Grave Shift Customs can continue creating the weird, spooky, sentimental and completely custom things you guys trust me to make without repeatedly taking losses on finished work.
Thank you to everyone who has supported this little business, been patient through the chaos, paid when you said you would, and treated my time and work like they matter.
I appreciate you more than you know. 🦇🖤
