Terms of Sale

Who we are

Once Was You is a brand operated by LE BIEN NEUF, a French simplified joint-stock company (société par actions simplifiée) with a share capital of 1,000 euros, registered with the Paris Trade and Companies Register (RCS Paris) under number 941 030 009, with its registered office at 12 avenue Philippe-Auguste, 75011 Paris, France.
Publication director: Cyril Bardelli, President.
Contact: hello@oncewasyou.com.
Hosting: Railway Corp., 548 Market Street PMB 68956, San Francisco, CA 94104, USA.

Products

We sell personalized illustrated picture books for children. You don't send us a photo: you pick a ready-drawn character from our collection, and we personalize the story with your child's first name, date of birth, city, and a dedication of your choice. Three formats are available, shipping included, for delivery within the United States only:

Softcover, 8 x 8 in, $34.99
Hardcover, 8 x 8 in, $39.99
Large hardcover, 11 x 11 in, $49.99

Order and preview

You can read the whole book for free before you decide to buy it: every page of text and every illustration in your chosen story is shown to you at no cost and with no obligation. Once you're happy with the preview, you place your order at checkout and pay by card through Stripe, our secure payment processor.

Printing and delivery

Once your order is placed, your book is printed on demand by our printing partner in the USA and shipped to the address you provide at checkout. Delivery typically takes 8 to 12 business days from the time you order. We email you a tracking link as soon as your book ships.

Made to order, damaged or misprinted items

Each book is made to order for one specific child, with that child's name and details printed inside, so it cannot be resold to anyone else. For that reason, we do not accept returns or offer refunds for a simple change of mind once your order is placed.

If your book arrives damaged, is misprinted, or does not match the preview you approved, we will reprint it and ship you a new copy at no charge, or refund you, whichever you prefer. Please write to us at hello@oncewasyou.com within 14 days of delivery with a photo of the issue so we can make it right.

Prices and taxes

All prices are shown in US dollars and include shipping to US addresses. We do not currently collect VAT or US sales tax on your order: under French tax law, this sale is not taxable in France because your book is shipped directly to you in the United States (article 258 of the French General Tax Code). You are responsible for any sales, use, or other local taxes that may apply where you live.

Intellectual property

The story text and illustrations that make up your book, and all the content on this site, belong to us. When you buy a book, we grant you a license to use it for your own personal, non-commercial enjoyment: printing it, gifting it, and sharing it with family and friends. You may not resell, republish, or otherwise use our texts or illustrations for commercial purposes.

Governing law

These Terms of Sale are governed by French law. If you are a consumer residing in the European Union, you may also submit a dispute free of charge to the consumer mediator CM2C (Centre de médiation de la consommation de conciliateurs de justice), 14 rue Saint-Jean, 75017 Paris, France (cm2c.net), after first writing to us at hello@oncewasyou.com and receiving no satisfactory response within 60 days. Any dispute that mediation does not resolve is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Paris, France.

Contact

Questions about an order or these terms? Write to us at hello@oncewasyou.com.