Frequently Asked Questions – Magical Santa Letters

Ordering

Can I pay for more than one letter at a time?

Yes. Once you have customized a letter to your liking, click the “Create a Letter” link to create an additional letter. All of these letters (complete or incomplete) will be visible on the “Review Order” page. You can click the “Remove” button on the “Review Order” page to remove the letter from your shopping cart.
I want to order a single letter for a family of two or more children. How do I do this?

Enter the children’s names in the “First Name” field. Enter the last name in the “Last Name” field. Select “Multiple” for the age range and gender fields.
Can multiple letters be combined into a single envelope?

We apologize, we do not offer this option at this time. Each letter gets its own envelope.
Can I order the add-ons separately?

We apologize, we do not sell or mail these separately.
What shipping method should I select when I place my order?
For Best Results. We recommend you consult the following table when ordering your letter. This will give the recipient the best chance possible to receive their letter from Santa before Christmas:
- October. Standard shipping OK.
- November. Standard shipping OK.
- December. Mandatory Priority Shipping minimum.
When should I order my letter?

Order your letter as soon after October 1 as possible. This will save you shipping costs and the worry of wondering if your letter will arrive before Christmas.

Shipping

When are letters shipped?
The letters are shipped according to the following schedule:
- October. Orders placed in October are shipped the Monday before Thanksgiving.
- November. Orders placed in November are shipped the Monday before Thanksgiving. Thereafter, orders are shipped daily.
- December. Orders placed in December are shipped within 24 hours.
- Wrong Address. During the checkout process you will have the chance to recheck the shipping address. You are encouraged to do so. Orders with wrong or incomplete addresses may be assessed a service fee if the letter has already been sent.
- Standard Shipping. Please allow 3-14 days for delivery.
- Priority Shipping. Please allow 2-3 days for delivery. During December, we have found it to be more like 3-8 days. Tracking number is available upon request.
- Express (Overnight) Shipping. Please allow 1-2 days for delivery. Tracking number is available upon request.
Why did only one letter arrive when I ordered two or more for the same household?

Multiple letters to the same household are delivered to the post office at the same time. After that, it is not unusual for one letter to show up before the other letter(s). Be prepared to tell the “forgotten” child that Santa did not forget them, and that their letter will be arriving shortly.
Is overnight shipping available?

Yes. This shipping method is available on the shopping cart page. Click “Review Order” to add it to your letter.
If I don’t receive the letter by the reprint / resend cut off time, will you overnight a letter to me?

No. We do not overnight letters unless you paid for it.
If I don’t receive the letter by Christmas, will you overnight a letter to me?

No. We do not overnight letters unless you paid for it.

Reprint / Resend

My letter arrived damaged. Can it be reprinted and resent?

Yes. Please contact us

Refunds

How do I get a refund?

To receive a refund, please return the entire letter package to our office by January 31. Once we receive the letter package, you will be refunded for your purchase. For double charges, please contact us
Since my letter arrived after Christmas, can I get a refund?

During December, letters are mailed out within 24 hours. Priority Shipping under normal conditions is 2-3 days, but we have seen Priority Shipping take as long as 10 days during December. To receive a refund, please return the complete letter package to our office by January 31. Once we receive the letter package, you will be refunded for your purchase.
Since my letter arrived after Christmas, can I get a refund? I even paid for priority shipping ten days before Christmas!

During December, letters are mailed out within 24 hours. Priority Shipping under normal conditions is 2-3 days, but we have seen Priority Shipping take as long as 10 days during December. To receive a refund, please return the complete letter package to our office by January 31. Once we receive the letter package, you will be refunded for your purchase.

Hints, Tips, and Best Practices

How do I order more than one letter at a time?

You can click on the “Create a Letter” link as many times as you want. Each letter will be added to your shopping cart and is visible on the “Review Order” page.

Two or more letters going to the same household may not arrive at the same time. Be prepared to explain to the “forgotten” child that theirs is coming, and that Santa did not forget about them.

If I don’t want this letter, how do I remove it?

Click “Review Order” and then locate this letter on that page (you may need to scroll down). Then click the “Remove” button under the picture of the letter package.

What should I say in my letter?

To make your letter from Santa truly magical, you should keep the following suggestions in mind as you customize the child’s letter:

If applicable, you should address or acknowledge a recent or profound change in a child’s life (new school, new sibling, new family, loss of family or friends, etc)

Maybe reflect on the child’s courage or things the child has had to endure. Let those attributes or qualities be your inspiration

Maybe reflect on any sacrifices the child has had to make. Children and adults both respond well when their sacrifices are recognized and validated

Let “Santa” be an extention or reflection of your own feelings. Reflect upon what you love about the child and maybe incorporate that in the letter. Maybe think of one or two things that make that child special and talk about it. Don’t forget how much you love your child. You don’t have to spend a lot of time on it if you aren’t comfortable writing, but you should mention it.
Give praise. Children love praise. They love when Santa notices accomplishments or things they have worked on. Maybe comment on things that are important to the child
Teens love praise, too. Many parents use a letter from Santa to tell their teen they love them, or to tell them things that may difficult to say in person. So keep that in mind
Parents or loved ones can use a letter from Santa to welcome newly married children to Santa’s delivery route
Sometimes its just easier to tell your child you love them by pretending you are Santa Claus
Write the letter from the 1st person perspective. Say “I’ll be watching.” or “I am really proud of you for ___” instead of “Santa knows _____”
Be encouraging and supportive; be positive, reinforcing, uplifting; avoid making Santa sound overpowering or super strict

Occasionally talk “to” the child in the letter, not just “at” the child. For example, “Don’t hit your brothers” (talking at) vs “Don’t hit your brothers, ok Jack” (talking to)

Children love to impress Santa, so when Santa recognizes their good behavior, or an accomplishment, praise them

If the child has recently visited with Santa, acknowledge the visit and maybe talk about it a little

Will you catch my mistakes in the letter?

We print what you submit, although we reserve the right to edit the letter.

So if you have misspelled words or poor grammar – it will probably get printed that way. If you misspell Santa Clause (note that Clause is misspelled), that will get printed. If you catch a misspelling or incorrect address and you already completed your purchase, you must contact us immediately at mailroom@magical-santa-letters.com so we can help you enter a correction.

DON’T USE ALL CAPS. EVER. Why?

Again, we print what you submit, so if you use ALL CAPS, ALL CAPS will be printed. Trust me, it looks ugly to see a beautiful letter and then these obnoxious ALL CAPS standing out on the page.

Help! My letter is too long when I click “Preview”.

One or two extra lines is ok. We will down-size the font for your letter in 1 point increments until it fits on a single page. Any more than 2 point sizes (4 extra lines) and the printed letter gets difficult to read. Please try to fit your letter into the space provided in the preview window. The preview window link is found on the “Review Order” page (not this page).