The Authentic Rocker Satisfaction Guarantee

Designed by an Engineer. Made by a Craftsman. Backed by both.

A rocking chair built to your body deserves a guarantee built around you. Here is exactly what you can expect when you buy an Authentic Rocker by John.

Lifetime Customer Service

From the first measurement to the day you sit down in your finished chair, you have a direct line to John – not a call center, not a ticket system. That relationship does not end at delivery.

Questions about finish care? Worried about a joint? Want to share a photo of the chair on your porch? Reach out. Your order thread stays open indefinitely, and John is always willing to talk through anything that comes up over the life of your chair.

If It Does Not Fit Right

The Authentic Rocker is engineered to the measurements you provide. Before a single board is cut, your measurements are reviewed, entered into the fitting system, and used to calculate every dimension of your chair. That process only works if the inputs are accurate.

What this means in practice:

If you provide accurate measurements and the chair is built incorrectly to those measurements, that is on us and we will make it right.
If the measurements provided were inaccurate – whether estimated, guessed, or measured incorrectly – the resulting fit reflects those inputs, not a defect in the chair.

This is why we take the measurement process seriously. We provide a detailed measurement guide and are happy to answer questions before you submit your measurements. If you are unsure about any measurement, ask before we build – not after. If you are local to Lexington, South Carolina, you are welcome to come by in person. If you are further away, we are happy to walk through the measurement process together by phone or video call.

What We Can and Cannot Fix After Delivery

Because each chair is a custom-built, finished piece of furniture, post-delivery modifications are limited by the nature of wood and finish.

We can typically address:

Hardware issues, glide replacements, or fastener concerns
Minor surface touch-ups on interior (natural oil and wax) pieces in unfinished or lightly worn areas

We generally cannot:

Alter structural dimensions of a completed chair (seat depth, back angle, rocker geometry)
Trim or reshape finished wood components without disturbing the finish in that area
Repaint a painted chair in sections – milk paint and oil finishes require workshop-level treatment to refresh properly, which is beyond the scope of warranty work

For this reason, we do not offer post-delivery structural modifications under warranty or satisfaction terms. Our commitment is to build your chair correctly the first time, to the measurements you provide. Periodic refresh of the finish system over the life of the chair is the owner’s responsibility – the Resources page provides full instructions, recommended materials, and guidance for any competent furniture restorer to do the work down the road.

Lifetime Manufacturer Warranty

Every Authentic Rocker is built to last generations, and we stand behind that. Every chair is covered by a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects – structural failures, joint separation under normal use, or finish adhesion issues not caused by environmental factors or misuse. The traditional finishes used on Authentic Rockers are designed to develop a patina with use – that softening, deepening character that develops from years of contact is part of the design, not a defect.

Making a Claim

If something does not seem right, contact us. We will ask for photos and a description of the issue. If we determine it is a manufacturing defect, we will repair or replace the affected components at no cost to you. If the issue falls outside warranty coverage, we will give you honest guidance and fair repair options.

Important Notes

Rocking chairs are finished by hand. Subtle variations in grain expression, color, and texture between your approval samples and the final piece are a natural part of working with real wood – not defects.

This warranty covers the original purchaser or the person the chair was gifted to by the purchaser. It does not cover chairs that have been resold.

Exceptions to This Warranty

Normal wear and patina. Surface scratches, the deepening color of cherry and oak, slight lightening of walnut under UV, and natural wood movement over time are part of owning a handmade wood piece.
Finish wear and refresh. Traditional oil and milk-paint finishes are designed to be refreshed periodically over the life of the chair – that is one of their advantages over modern film finishes. Routine care and periodic refresh are the owner’s responsibility, with full instructions and material guidance on the Resources page. Exterior chairs are particularly subject to finish wear from sun and moisture exposure; even with the best materials, exterior finishes will need periodic refresh. Interior chairs hold their finish longer, though pieces placed near windows or in direct sunlight will experience color change and finish wear more quickly than those in shaded locations.
Environmental damage. Exterior chairs are built to live outside – on patios, in garden sitting areas, around pools. Several design decisions support this: a protective polyethylene strip on the bottom of the rocker runners keeps wood off wet surfaces, waterproof glue is used at joints, upper surfaces are shaped to shed water rather than collect it, and slatted seats are used outdoors specifically because they do not trap standing water. That said, owners should use reasonable judgment about placement – avoid spots where the chair sits in standing water or is repeatedly soaked by sprinklers. Damage from prolonged immersion, constant direct wetting, or exposure to harsh chemicals (pool treatments, pressure washing, cleaning agents) is not covered.
Unauthorized repairs or alterations. If a third party modifies or repairs your chair, the warranty is voided.
Structural damage from misuse. Damage from impact, overloading beyond reasonable use, or use on uneven or unstable surfaces is not covered.
Refresh and maintenance work. Periodic refresh of the finish system is the owner’s responsibility and can be performed following the instructions on the Resources page, either by the owner or by any competent furniture restorer experienced with traditional finishes.

Hardware and Fastener Warranty – Year One

If any hardware (glides or mechanical fasteners) fails within the first year under normal use, we will replace them at no charge. Send us photos and we will ship replacement parts or arrange service.

Certificate of Authenticity

Every Authentic Rocker ships with a Certificate of Authenticity documenting the materials used in your chair – so you have a permanent record of exactly what was built for you.

What is included:

Wood species and cut (e.g., quarter sawn white oak, plain sawn cherry, plain sawn black walnut)
Finish system (e.g., milk paint and oil exterior finish; traditional oil and wax interior finish)
Rocker configuration (blade radius, seat dimensions, back profile parameters derived from your measurements)

This document is useful for insurance purposes, estate records, or simply as documentation of a significant handmade purchase.

Shipping

Rocking chairs are available for pickup at the shop in Lexington, South Carolina, or can be shipped via a carrier of the buyer’s arrangement. Local pickup and delivery within 50 miles of Lexington, SC (zip 29072) is free.

White Glove Shipping

TSI Shipping provides white glove service with lift gate pickup and delivery to residential addresses. Get a quote at tsishipping.com/shipping/furniture.

uShip is a freight marketplace where you can post your shipment and receive competitive bids from carriers, including white-glove options. Get a quote at uship.com.

Buyer-Arranged Freight

The chair will be ready for pickup at the shop for the carrier to pad, wrap, and secure inside a wooden crate or on a pallet.
Coordinating and paying for the carrier is the buyer’s responsibility. Chair dimensions and weight are provided in advance so you can get accurate freight quotes.
Once the chair leaves the shop in good condition in the carrier’s custody, responsibility for the shipment transfers to the buyer and their chosen carrier. We strongly recommend ensuring your carrier provides full-value insurance for the shipment.
Inspect before signing. Please instruct your carrier that the chair must be inspected before signing the freight receipt. Any visible damage should be noted on the delivery paperwork and reported to your carrier immediately – do not refuse the shipment, as this complicates claims.

Local Pickup

If you are in the Lexington area, you are welcome to pick up your chair directly. This also gives you a chance to sit in it before it goes home with you. You will typically need a pickup truck or trailer and tie-downs.

Material Sourcing

John sources domestic hardwoods from trusted regional suppliers. If you have questions about where your wood came from – species origin, drying method, or grain selection – just ask. Transparency about materials is part of what “Designed by an Engineer” means.