The following Merchant Policy pertains to the sale of Plans, Products and Services of MechanicalElements.com and Synthx.com — both are sites of Synthesis Engineering Services, inc. Please also see the Privacy Policy and know that you can Contact Us with any questions.
How to Order
Order Plans Online: Follow the link buttons to the items you want, then use a major credit card or PayPal account to place your order. Credit Card transactions are processed via PayPal or via Stripe depending on the choice made during checkout.
Plans are available for electronic download immediately after payment. This delivery method benefits our customers because it has No Added Shipping or Handling charges – AND customers can receive the plans in just a few minutes. Speedy delivery, so to speak.
Plans by Email: Under some rare circumstances where download is not possible, we can deliver plans via email. Please contact us and we can probably help make the download work for fastest deliver, but if not, email is possible. (Please allow 3 business days for email processing.)
Plans by Mail: As of 2023, we no longer provide printed plans or plans via Mail Order. The need is so rare, and the cost and time for shipping is high. It is best for customers who want the large format prints to simply download the files, then take them to a local print shop for printing. It saves customers 2 – 3 weeks for delivery as well as saving the charges for Shipping and Handling. Printing costs will be roughly the same either way.
Use Agreement
The product design plans offered for sale through Synthx.com or through MechanicalElements.com are for individual use only. Any use of these plans for resale or for producing products for sale is strictly prohibited. Licensing for production and/or resale is available on request. We reserve all Intellectual property rights for the plans and the designs. We thank you for honoring these terms.
This restriction is not only a part of our Merchant Policy, but customers must also explicitly agree to it as they purchase plans. Again, thank you for honoring these terms.
Return Policy
All sales for downloaded digital products are final. Our system shows the download attempts, so if you have not downloaded your order and need a refund, we can make that happen. Since digital products really cannot “return”, sales for those orders are final. Please let us know if you have questions prior to purchase. We are happy to help.
All sales for shipped items are final. You may request a refund for items not yet shipped by sending an email message to “information” at Synthx.com or via the Contact Us page. Please indicate the reason for the return. If you pay for your order by credit card, then we will issue a credit that will appear on your billing statement.
If you have any questions concerning your order, or questions about items in this Merchant Policy, then please connect with us through the Contact Us page.
Plans Format & Printing
Electronic versions of the plans are provided in either Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word format for easy accessibility. A .ZIP file format is for compression to ease downloading. If your computer does not already have one, a free PDF reader is available at www.Adobe.com and a free ZIP utility to unpack the files is at www.WinZip.com.
Most plans have a native format to print on “C” size paper. All plans can shrink to fit other sizes like Letter size – 8.5″ x 11″ . To some people, the C size is difficult or expensive to print because it is quite large, so we recommend shrink to fit smaller paper sizes. If the printing is too small on 8.5″ x 11″ paper, use 11″ x 17″ paper (commonly called Tabloid). Or use a similar size for customers that are not in the USA.
For special cases where full-size templates are required, files of other types (like PostScript & DXF) are also included. Send the special files directly to a large format printer, or take them to a printshop for printing. Read the instructions about DXF files. They are computer language, not usually for printing, but for cutting out parts via Laser or Water Jet. All of that is explained in the instructions document contained with the plans.
Product Performance
All product designs at Mechanical Elements are fully engineered to perform as stated. However, construction methods, materials, assembly techniques and/or skill of the craftsmen may adversely affect the functional outcome. Please follow all directions, including material and component specifications carefully. Because your material choices and manufacturing techniques are outside our control, we cannot warrant products or guarantee the performance of items made from the plans.
Payment Options
These are the payment options we have. We strongly recommend payment directly on the website for fast easy delivery via download.
- For orders processed through this web site, we accept most major credit cards and PayPal – just follow the purchase links.
- We no longer accept orders by mail (postal service), or for mail delivery.
- On rare occasions we will accept orders via email and payment via a cashiers check or money order. Contact us if you cannot purchase in the standard way via the website.
- For printed plans, we recommend purchasing the plans via download, then take the files to a local printing shop. See above for printing options.
Plans Delivery
- Orders from this website can download (save to your computer) immediately after successful checkout.
- Plans must be saved locally by the customer. They are available for download for 7 days after purchase. The download links do expire after the 7 days, for security reasons. These can be reset, if needed, after that, so please contact us if you have trouble, and we can help.
- If you have trouble with the download, please read this article titled “Where’s My Plans Download” for help. Some common issues are explained along with the appropriate remedy.
- Electronic orders delivery via email is possible for certain situations, but it requires coordination. Please contact us if you can’t make the download methods work.
- We no longer provide printed plans via the Mail. (Increased cost, with very slow, unreliable delivery.) See the section above about printing.
Thank You
We Thank You for being our customer, and Thank You for allowing us to serve you. Thank you also for taking a minute to read this Merchant Policy and the associated Privacy Policy. We also appreciate all those that take a minute to tell others about us. We are here to serve you, and your friends. Have a Wonderful Day!