FAQ

If your questions are not answered here, please feel free to contact us at TRIBAL TRACES. We are always happy to help!

What are the delivery charges for orders from TRIBAL TRACES?
Our shipping costs are based on the shipping method selected, the shipping address, the price and the weight of your total order. The total shipping cost will be displayed in your shopping cart page prior to payment. If you can arrange your own pick-up, please contact us via email.

For purchases over CHF1000.- shipping is free within Switzerland and Europe.
Below is a table that serves as a shipping cost guide:

Which payment methods are accepted at TRIBAL TRACES?
This website integrates a plugin shop to facilitate all payment and purchases. It is the top plugin for all e-commerce websites.

How long will delivery take?
The amount of time it will take for your order to arrive depends on where you are in the world and the method of shipping used. For more information, take a look at the estimated delivery times for each option below:
Deliveries within the Switzerland: Your order has been sent via the SWISS POST and it should be delivered within 3 - 4 days.

Deliveries within the European Union: Deliveries within the EU will be sent via Courier or the SWISS POST. If your order was shipped via Courier you will receive your items in 2-5 days – please make sure there is someone at home to sign for your delivery. Orders shipped via the SWISS POST can take 4 - 7 days to arrive depending on which part of Europe you reside in.

Deliveries to the rest of the world: Deliveries to the USA, Australia and the rest of the world will be sent by FEDEX, DHL, UPS or the SWISS POST. If your order was sent via FEDEX, DHL or UPS you should receive your items within 4-7 days. SWISS POST orders will arrive within 7-25 days, depending on the country you reside in. (See note below re: deliveries during Christmas and festive seasons potentially taking longer than usual.)

If your items do not arrive, please notify us via the Contact Us page. Please allow 16 days in the Switzerland and 25 days for overseas deliveries for your order to arrive before contacting us. Under no circumstances will we leave our customers without their items or out of pocket - your satisfaction with the service you receive and the delight in the product(s) you ordered will always be our main priority.

How secure is shopping in this online store?
3-D Secure was developed by Visa and Mastercard to improve the security of Internet payments. A transaction using Verified by Visa/SecureCode will initiate a redirect to the website of the card-issuing bank to authorize the transaction. You will then be required to enter your online password for the transaction to go though. If you haven't registered with Verified by Visa/SecureCode your card-issuing bank will ask you to register when you are redirected. Once registered you will not have to go through this process again and you will use the same password every time you purchase on a website with 3D Secure.

What exactly happens after ordering?
After placing your order, you will see a confirmation that your order has been placed:
Congratulations!
You've just made a purchase on tribaltraces.com.
TRIBAL TRACES will send an email to you acknowledging your order.
You can view your order information and access your downloads by going to You > Purchases and reviews.

If everything is in stock, we will then put your order together within 24hours and dispatch it to you within the usual time frame detailed out HERE. Once your order has been dispatched, we will send you a dispatch notification email. Follow up email/s will be sent if for whatever reason the status of your order changes.

Do I receive an invoice for my order?
For every order placed, an invoice will be sent to your email address and a copy will also be included in your dispatch.

Why is my order taking so long?
When the item you ordered is in stock, it is marked as such and the delivery time should be as explained HERE. If at any one time more orders for any item/s are received than there is available stock, all attempts will be made to replenish the stock and send out the order. . If you have ordered more than one item, your order will only be dispatched when every item is available therefore the anticipated dispatch time will be that of the item with the longest availability time. The individual availability of each product is quoted on the each product page when you place your order. If you have ordered a recently out-of-stock item we will endeavour to contact you with an estimated delivery date.

During Christmas and festive seasons, deliveries can take a little longer, so please allow more time for your order to arrive.

Is my data protected?
All sensitive information such as credit card details, name and address is encrypted. This means that information passed between your computer and our website cannot be read even in the event it is intercepted by someone else. All card payments are processed safely and securely on servers, your card details are never stored on our website or kept in our records. PCI Security Standards Council has the prime purpose of ensuring that customers’ data is as safe as possible when they purchase products online. For more information please see the PCI Security Standards Council Website.

How do I cancel an order?
Please email us via the Contact Us page, or give us a call on Tel +41 79 489 2278 to cancel an order. If the order has already left our warehouse, you will need to follow our returns & refunds instructions.

I want to place an order for a gift. Can I do so? Will the value of the goods appear on the packing slip?
Yes you may place on order for a gift. Just let us know via email via the Contact Us page, as soon as you have placed your order, quoting your order number and we will do the rest. No, the products will not be priced and no price information is included on the packing slip. We will send all price information/invoices to your billing address and not the delivery address.

Can you deliver to an address that is different to my billing address?
Yes. When you get to the checkout you are able to input a different delivery address.

Can I get a VAT invoice for my order?
You already have one. For your convenience, the dispatch email you receive can be used as a VAT invoice/receipt since it contains all the relevant information.

How do I redeem an online promotion code?
When you get to the checkout page, enter the promotional code into the field provided. Once you have done this, click continue, you will notice that the discount has now been applied to the order total.

How long will it take to receive a refund from returned products?
Our goal is to process all returns within 1-2 weeks. Once your return has been processed we will issue the refund if applicable. Depending on your bank, the refund could take up to 10 days to show in your account.

How do I return an item/order if I change my mind?
An informative, fair and friendly return process is mutually beneficial to all concerned.

If you wish to return an item, you need to send it back to our warehouse (*certain restrictions apply). Please view our refunds and returns policy for full details including on how to return your purchase including our warehouse address. If you have any questions or problems using this tool please contact our office via email at: contactme@tribaltraces.com or via phone at: +41794892278.

What do I do if my order arrives damaged/faulty?
In the unlikely event that your order arrives damaged/faulty, please notify us via the Contact Us page immediately. If possible, please attach a photograph of the damaged item with the form you submit. We will then arrange for collection of the goods and organize a replacement item/part to be sent out to you at the earliest opportunity.

What are cookies? Why must I enable them in my Browser?
Cookies are small pieces of data that are stored on your computer when you visit websites. Generally Cookies contain information that improves your experience of the website, such as preferences. We use Cookies to make our checkout process as simple as possible. Unless Cookies are enabled on your computer you will have difficulties ordering at http://www.tribaltraces.com

Why does my purchased item seem to have cracks, chips and/or signs of wear?
Age cracks, blemishes, wear and tear, and signs of repairs are the integral part of African art – African art is meant to be used and is often abused. These imperfections are considered normal and do not detract from the artistic and monetary value of the piece. Actually, "mint condition African art" is often considered inferior to that with the obvious signs of use. Many African artefacts from the best museum collections are missing some parts or have signs of crude repairs made with the locally available materials – all are considered acceptable and often add to the charm and overall impact of the items. Thus, do not get upset about small cracks, dents, chips and other signs of use – accept them as an integral part of the art. Consider the fact that Egyptian, Greek or Roman masterpieces remain centre of our artistic appreciation in spite of the missing body parts.

Can I be sure about the age of my antique item?
Clearly all our African artefacts are authentic. However, as for almost all wooden African artefacts, the true age is very difficult to establish and contrary to the popular claims by some, there are no scientific methods available to date a wooden object produced within the modern history. All effort has gone into acquiring authentic pieces. Being an African, I have access to certain restricted places that is almost impossible for a foreigner to get into - places where good and authentic art still remains. After many years of being surrounded by so much, one develops a good feel for age and authenticity. As for the European antics on offer, these too are chosen with great care and are easier to place time-wise.

How can I clean my Bamileke hat?
When you first receive the hat, open it up immediately to air it out.
Use a vacuum cleaner on the LOWEST setting possible and clean the feathers by vacuuming from the middle outwards. This should be repeated every month.
Alternatively use a Swiffer or such like from the middle outwards to remove any deposit of dust.
If the feathers get ruffled or go out of shape, use water on your fingertips and pull the feathers gently into shape again one at a time.