Repairs, Returns, & Exchanges
If there is any fault in the construction, hardware, or structural integrity of your FOUNT bag we are more than happy to accommodate a repair. Depending on the repair, most pieces can be repaired within three to four weeks.
Damage that isn’t due to our construction such as weather, water or oil damage, food spills, ink stains, and pen marks cannot be repaired by our team. Natural character marks are not considered damages or defects.
If you’d like to request a repair, please fill out this form.
Not satisfied with your purchase? We are here to help you find something you will love. Please Note:
Unused items in original packaging can be returned or exchanged within 30 days of original purchase date.
At FOUNT, customer service is our number one priority. Our goal is to make sure that every customer finds the bag of their dreams. If at any point a customer is abusing the return policy, we have the right to refuse or accept any further returns.
If you have questions, please email us at questions@fountleather.com.
Yes you can! You may return or exchange FOUNT merch within 30 days of the purchase if the item is in good condition. Items in good condition do not have stains, visible wear, or damage to the product. They are like-new condition. Whether or not an item is in "good condition" is up to the discretion of our team members.
Start the return process here.
Unfortunately, we cannot refund shipping charges.
Shipping
Orders will ship out within 2-4 business days of placing your order unless otherwise stated on a product's page. It generally takes 5 -10 business days to deliver a package once shipped. Monogrammed products have a longer lead time (to accommodate production) before shipping. Once your order has been shipped, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking.
We try to use the highest quality and fastest shipping service we can. FOUNT mainly ships via UPS or FedEx. Occasionally for smaller products - if it is faster - we will ship via USPS.
At this time FOUNT only ships in the United States.
You can email us at questions@fountleather.com, give us a call at 216-377-9636, text us if you've saved our contact after joining our text club, or message us on our social channels. We are available to help you from 8am - 4pm Monday through Thursday, excepting major holidays.
Leather Care
FOUNT bags and accessories are constructed with full-grain leather, veg-tanned leather, as well as suede and nubuck for some specialty collections.
We suggest using our all natural leather cream to condition your bag every few months in order to revitalize your bag and help it patina beautifully over time. Before conditioning, we recommend taking all items out of your bag and flipping your pockets up. Then simply rub the leather cream onto the body of your bag with a gentle, lint-free cloth in circular motions. Avoid conditioning near any stitching when possible to avoid wax buildup between the stitches. Finally, hang your bag up by the straps in an area that is out of direct sunlight and let it sit for approximately four hours before resuming use to avoid any leather cream oil transfer onto your clothing.
To prevent the possibility of stains, we suggest that your bag avoids making contact with wine, oils, pen ink, and other substances that could stain your leather.
Please note that denim has a reputation of easily transferring dye onto clothes, shoes, and leather bags. Denim dye can stain and it is often not possible to clean.
Our Pennington Wallet-on-Strap is made using this variety of leather and differs from our full-grain leather used in most of our other bags. This leather is more structured due to its tanning process, wherein natural materials are used.
To care for it, apply Leather Cream every 2-4 weeks to prevent Veg-Tan Leather from drying, cracking, and scuffing easily. This is one of the most important acts of care you can do for your leather product, as it not only helps create patina, but reinforces your bag to stand the test of time.
If your bag gets dirt or dust on it, use a warm damp cloth with a natural soap diluted with water to clean your leather. After your bag dries completely, moisturize with our Leather Cream. Do not use a saddle soap. If you choose to use a leather cream that you already own, we suggest testing on an area that is discrete before applying the cream to your entire bag.
Oh no! If your bag has a stain on it, we suggest that you use a warm damp cloth with diluted Original Unscented Dawn Dish Soap and dab the stained area. After cleaning the area, let it completely dry and then you will want to condition the bag to restore natural oils to that area of the leather. We suggest our FOUNT all natural leather cream for conditioning. Once the conditioner is applied and has set, you will then see if the cleaner was able to effectively lift the stain from the bag. Repeat this process if necessary.
Though very uncommon, color transfer may occur in rainy, humid, or hot environments due to the dye and hot wax method we use on our leather. This process gives our leather its rich hues, natural variations, and allows it to breathe.
We suggest that you take caution with wearing lighter clothing when in environments like these listed above. If your bag’s color happens to transfer onto your clothing, wash clothing as you normally would, and it should be A-Ok!
This is normal, and can happen with a "fuzzier" suede. It should not stain or damage your items and it’s absolutely normal. Brush off the fuzz with your hand or use a lint roller for a quick and easy clean.
Nubuck is type of top-grain leather that gets sanded down on the exterior of the hide, exposing a velvet-like texture. Nubuck requires different cleaning and maintenance than a full-grain leather. Do not use our Leather Cream on Nubuck because it will leave a stain. Damage is more noticeable and sometimes more difficult to remove or fade on Nubuck than our other leathers. It’s best to avoid any moisture in general and we wouldn’t recommend placing suede or Nubuck on the ground or on any dirty surfaces.
We recommend maintaining your Nubuck with this water and stain repellent to keep the exterior nap velvety. To lift stains out of nubuck, we suggest using this cleaning spray along with the kit.
Suede and Nubuck, though similar looking, are quite different. Nubuck has a smooth velvety surface that requires careful maintenance to keep clean. Suede has a longer fuzzy nap which makes it easy to brush off dirt and will patina with use, similar to leather. Additionally, our Honey Suede is protected with a water repellent pretreatment.
Our suede is specially tanned in Spain with a pre-treatment that helps protect it from water damage and color transfer. This suede is lightweight and its lavish nap will patina with use.
Do not ever use leather conditioner on your suede bag. Keep the nap soft by using a suede brush or toothbrush to remove dirt from the surface. For best maintenance, use a suede brush regularly on your bag. To clean stains off your suede, dampen a soft lint-free cloth with water and rubbing alcohol then gently rub the surface of the suede. After the suede is dry, use a suede brush to remove any leftover residue and to lift the nap back up.
Avoid contact with wine, oils, pen ink, and other substances that could permanently stain your bag. Keep pens with caps on inside your bag. Ink is as permanent as a tattoo on your suede. Be mindful of placing your bag on surfaces that may dirty the suede. Our bags may transfer color in hot, humid environments, especially when wearing light colors. Take caution when wearing denim with your bag, as denim has a reputation of transferring dye onto other materials.
We recommend maintaining your suede with a suede brush for brushing off dirt and keeping nap soft. In addition, this cleaner is great for oil and water based stains!
Product
FOUNT bags are created using the highest quality construction techniques and materials. Each product is designed with intention at our Cleveland headquarters, where we have a small batch production team, producing limited runs, making repairs, and monogramming orders. We primarily work hand-in-hand with ethical manufacturing partners in the USA, in the Dominican Republic, and in Mexico to craft our leather goods.
One of the partners that we work with has locations in Naples, FL and in the Dominican Republic. This manufacturer is multi-generation family owned and has been in business for over 100 years. Many of their artisans have been perfecting their leather-making skills for several decades.
Another manufacturing partner that we work with is located in Léon, Mexico. Léon has a rich history in expert craftsmanship and is revered as a leather goods capital of the world. It is home to many tanneries certified by the Leather Working Group, a non-profit organization responsible for leading environmental certification for the world's leather manufacturing industry.
FOUNT works with a third party fair trade consultant and audits each production partner to ensure that artisans are being paid above the living wage for their region and have safe working environments amongst other important ethical standards.
We design, fulfill orders, repair and refresh bags, and answer any and all questions you have for us! The Cleveland HQ is the brains of the operation.
Unpaid items may be placed on hold in stores for 24 hours. The retail staff will give customers courtesy calls before putting the item back on the floor after an unpaid 24 hrs hold. Items may be paid for over the phone and placed on hold until the customer is available to pick it up. Form of personal identification must be presented when picking up an in store order. If someone else is picking up your order, the store staff must be notified prior to arrival.
You can find the phone number to our stores here.
Unfortunately, FOUNT is unable to accommodate custom orders at this time. Custom orders include any additional pockets, straps, closures, custom dimensions, custom colors, hardware changes, and removing logos.
Monogramming is available on our Kestrel Keychains and Monogram Tags, and is a great way to add a personal touch to your FOUNT products!
Yes! FOUNT partners with Afterpay, Klarna and Shop Pay to make it possible for you to split your purchase into 4 equal, 0% interest installment payments—with no additional, hidden, or late fees.
For more information on how Afterpay works, click here.
For more information on how Klarna works, click here.
For more information on how Shop Pay works, click here.
FOUNT cannot accept checks.
We package all of our bags and accessories with care and while we don’t offer special gift wrapping, all bags come with a dust bag for storage purposes.
Our bags are all handcrafted and priced to reflect our direct-to-consumer model, so we don't typically offer promotions such as free shipping or a gift with purchase. We see those promotions as ways to reward and thank our customers for supporting our business and what we stand for! That being said, FOUNT does not retroactively offer promotional items, shipping codes, etc. We appreciate your support and your understanding on this matter.
FOUNT
FOUNT is a design house based out of Cleveland, Ohio, with a focus on fine leather bags and other accessories. The company began in early 2014 as husband and wife creative team, Phillip and Jackie Wachter, began to pursue their passion to create high quality products that are ethically made. What started simply as a side project out of their home, has turned into a full accesories brand with a creative studio in Downtown Cleveland, Ohio.
We pronounce it “fount” as if you were saying “fountain.”
The word “FOUNT” means “an abundant source of desirable quality”. We heard this word in an old church hymn called “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” We loved the word itself and, when we learned its definition meant quality, we thought it serendipitous, as we want to make sure quality is at the forefront of all of our designs.