FAQ

Austin Plug & Tunnel Co. is a small, independent body jewelry shop — not a big box retailer, not a warehouse, not a faceless website. Every order is packed and shipped by us (well, mostly us — the giraffes help, and we're still training them). We genuinely care about every customer and every order.

That said, we want to set some honest expectations:

● We listen to every concern — but we ask that concerns be reasonable.
We've been making and sourcing plugs from around the world for years, and our decisions are based on that experience and technical expertise. We're not dismissive — we just know our product really well.

● Natural variation is part of the deal.
Stone plugs are handmade from natural materials. Think of buying plugs online a little like a gumball machine — you're getting something from a range, not a specific piece. Colors, patterns, and minor size tolerances will vary. That's not a defect, that's nature doing its thing. Both glass and stone plugs are fragile — both will break if dropped. As we always say: "We can control quality, not gravity."

● Requests are welcome — but not always guaranteed.
Have a preference for a certain color or pattern? Reach out before you order and we'll do our best. We'll always send the closest match we can, but we can't promise an exact result every time.

● Every situation is handled case by case.
We don't have a rigid script. We look at each issue individually and make the call that's fair for both you and the shop. Our goal is happy customers and a sustainable business — and those two things usually go hand in hand.

● Everyone's lobes are different.
Body jewelry isn't one-size-fits-all. If we make a mistake on our end, we fix it — full stop. But if the plugs were delivered correctly and you ordered the wrong size, we're unfortunately unable to accept them back. Please double-check your size before ordering (your local piercing shop can measure you for free!).

Stone plugs are handmade, which means no two are exactly alike — and that's a feature, not a bug. Sizes can vary slightly from maker to maker, stone to stone, and even plug to plug within the same batch. A 0g from one company may not have the same flare dimensions as a 0g from another.

● Our flares can range up to 2mm on most pieces.
This is especially worth keeping in mind with smaller gauges. As someone who's been stretching his ears for over a decade, I can tell you firsthand: healthy, well-stretched lobes handle flare variation just fine. Take care of your lobes and they'll take care of you.

● We guarantee plug size based on the measurement at the center of the saddle
— that's the part your lobe actually sits in. If you ever need to verify sizing, a set of calipers is your best friend (and ours, when resolving any size-related questions).

Not sure what size you are? Pop into your local tattoo or piercing shop — they can measure you quickly and for free. Don't guess on gauge.

Natural stone is wild and beautiful and completely unpredictable — that's the whole point. Colors, patterns, and minor surface variations are part of what makes organic body jewelry special. No two sets are identical.

We do our best to photograph each stone type accurately, but monitors, cameras, and lighting all affect how colors appear on screen. What you see is a representative example of the range you can expect — not a guarantee of the exact piece.

● Please look at ALL the photos before ordering.
We always match the two plugs in a set to each other as closely as possible so your pair looks cohesive.

If you have a strong preference for a specific color or pattern, reach out before purchasing and we'll see what we've got. We can't always promise a specific look, but we'll do our best to get close.

Don't see your size listed? We love a challenge. We do custom stone plugs in rare and unique materials from our ever changing private stone and fossil collection starting at 10mm up to 50mm.

● Minimum for custom orders is $100
Depending on material, for rare and difficult pieces, price can range up to $500 and above.

For custom work, reach out to us directly on Instagram: @austinplugandtunnelco

All plugs are sold as sets of two unless otherwise noted in the listing. You've got two ears — we've got you covered.

We take hygiene seriously. For that reason, we cannot accept returns on body jewelry — all of our jewelry is brand new and unworn, and we intend to keep it that way for every customer.

However, if something goes wrong on our end — wrong item shipped, damaged in transit, or a genuine defect (think: massively out of spec by over .5mm ) — we will absolutely make it right.

● To request a replacement for a defective or damaged set:

• Contact us with photos clearly showing the issue
• Include a caliper measurement of the plug taken at the saddle
• We'll review everything and, if it falls within our policy, send a replacement once we receive the info and inspect the plugs and issue.

If you ordered the wrong size and the plugs arrived exactly as described — we're sorry, but we can't take those back. Please read the listing carefully and know your gauge before ordering. When in doubt, ask us first!

All issues are handled on a case-by-case basis. We're reasonable people — we just ask the same in return.

If your package gets returned to us due to an incorrect or undeliverable address, we'll reach out to sort it out. We're happy to reship — but we'll need you to cover the additional postage. Free shipping is a first-time thing; the giraffes only work so many hours.

If we don't hear back or you'd prefer not to pay for reshipment, we'll issue a refund minus a 25% restocking fee.

Please double-check your shipping address at checkout — it saves everyone a headache.

We pack every order with care — and then hand it off to USPS, at which point it's out of our hands (and the giraffes' hooves). In the rare event that your package is lost or arrives damaged, don't panic: every order is fully insured.

Contact us as soon as possible if something goes wrong and we'll get the claims process started and make sure you're taken care of. Lost packages taken weeks to be considered lost by USPS. Please let us know and together, we will keep an eye on it to make sure there is no movement on the tracking to confirm it's disappeared into the void.