FAQ — Meli Shop & the House

Question 1

What is Meli?

Accepted Answer

We are a family inventing New Family Lifestyle — unique minds into the same work. We are inventing new ways for a family to communicate — to talk, listen, trust, and build together. New Family Lifestyle is that work: we make a project of every aspect of family life, live it at our own table first, then share what held. We invent together, we build together, we run what we made together. Repair is how we build the next version. We make projects constantly, so the list is never finished. Meli OS is the digital floorplan we run together, Meli Club is the weekly table where families build together, and Meli Shop is the objects — vessels, lighting, trays, kitchen, sculpture, and bath in marble, travertine, wood, and abaca. We edit in Dubai and deliver across the GCC. Shop the collections.

Question 2

Who is behind Meli?

Accepted Answer

Meli's family. We are a family inventing New Family Lifestyle — unique minds into the same work. The house is Greek, from Athina, living in Dubai with our children. The shop is operated by Athanasiou Family Lifestyle FZCO. Read about the house.

Question 3

Where is Meli based?

Accepted Answer

Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Orders ship to addresses across the GCC. The studio is here. Each piece ships from where that stock sits.

Question 4

What are the collections?

Accepted Answer

Family collections, each named for a room and a mood: NOR (lighting), JJ (mirrors), Wafa (decor the aunt would place), Omi (kitchen — grandma), Mami (carpets), Abi (library — father), Aramea (bath), Papa (sports), Moh (camping), Doha (outdoor), Marc (tables), Dustin (chairs), Sahla (sofas), and Halima (beds). See every collection.

Question 5

What are Projects and Magazine?

Accepted Answer

Projects are how the house works in public, and we make them constantly. Every project carries the wordmark: Meli Shop, Meli OS, Meli Baby, Meli Club, Meli Magazine, Meli Cappuccino, Meli Homes, Meli School, Meli Fashion, and more of the family as we live it. Each page says what that project is about and whether you can open it now or join a waitlist. A waitlist is interest, not a booking or enrolment. Meli Club meets weekly online. Meli Baby is the first two years as we will live them — not a clinic. Meli Superhuman is not medical care. Athanasiou Family Lifestyle FZCO trades goods through Meli Shop, markets the house on social platforms, hosts families at Meli Club, and shares how we live — how we talk to each other, family life, movement, and how we dress. The licence names that activity lifestyle coaching: we live it and we act on it, and we do not teach a curriculum or diagnose another family. Meli Superhuman is not medical care. Meli Magazine is how the house writes — Magazine 1 is free on the site; the physical edition is coming. Meli Shop is the objects; projects are the rooms; the magazine is the voice.

Question 6

Where do families review Meli?

Accepted Answer

On Trustpilot. One profile for the house — the score is the house, not a separate rating for each chapter. Every project has a door to write a review. Read reviews.

Question 7

How do I place an order?

Accepted Answer

Choose pieces from the shop, add them to your bag, and check out. You will receive an order confirmation by email, then a shipping confirmation with tracking once the order is dispatched.

Question 8

Do I need an account?

Accepted Answer

No. You can check out as a guest. An account is not required to shop, track, or write to us about an order.

Question 9

What is the Summer sale?

Accepted Answer

Summer sale: 21% off with the code MELI21 at checkout when the merchandise is over 350 AED, or the equivalent in the currency shown on the site. The minimum is the merchandise subtotal before VAT. Anyone with the code can use it. If it does not apply, write to us with your order details.

Question 10

Can I cancel an order?

Accepted Answer

You may cancel for a full refund only before the order enters processing. Once processing begins, the order cannot be cancelled. Contact us immediately at orders@meli.ae with your order number. Custom, personalised, made-to-order, or final-sale items cannot be cancelled after payment. See Returns.

Question 11

Do you make custom or made-to-order pieces?

Accepted Answer

Some pieces can be specified — dimensions, finish, or stone — on request. Made-to-order work is not covered by the usual cancellation window once payment is taken. Write to the house with what you have in mind before you buy.

Question 12

I have not received an order or tracking email.

Accepted Answer

Check spam and promotions first. If you have no confirmation after checkout, or no tracking within 3 business days of placing the order, email orders@meli.ae with your order number or the email you used at checkout.

Question 13

Where do you ship?

Accepted Answer

We deliver across the GCC — the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. Live destinations are the six GCC states. Outside the GCC, write to us before checkout — we may arrange delivery on a case-by-case basis. Those orders still leave from international fulfillment partners. Full detail is on the Shipping page.

Question 14

Is shipping free?

Accepted Answer

Checkout shows Meli delivery at the shipping price for your country, including the UAE. The bag details are product-true. The piece is priced with fulfillment. Checkout shows Meli delivery and the shipping price for your country. Product-true timing and available delivery percentages appear in the bag details. We work with fulfillment partners. Pieces already in the UAE may leave as one parcel; international partner stock may still travel as separate parcels. Prices follow your delivery country, before tax. UAE orders add 5% VAT on the merchandise at checkout. Elsewhere in the GCC — and on any order we arrange outside the GCC — we do not add VAT. Import VAT or duties may be charged on arrival by local customs; they are not collected at checkout.

Question 15

Will everything arrive in one parcel?

Accepted Answer

Pieces already in the UAE may be collected together and leave as one parcel. International partner stock may still travel as separate parcels and arrive on different days. Tracking is emailed as each parcel ships.

Question 16

How long does delivery take?

Accepted Answer

The timing in your bag details is the usual window: most orders, not every order. Remaining orders take longer. Some pieces leave from partner stock already in the UAE. For those, the usual door window in the bag is 2–5 days in the UAE, and 5–15 days elsewhere in the GCC. That window is the usual arrival, not a guaranteed date. About 90% of partner-fulfilled orders are processed within 1–3 business days (Sunday–Thursday, excluding UAE public holidays). The remaining orders take longer to leave. Transit after dispatch is the usual window for the exact variants in your bag and your country — most orders, not every order. Open the i next to Shipping in your bag for available delivery percentages. Busy periods, customs, weather, and holidays can add time. A parcel after the usual window is not, by itself, a return.

Question 17

How do I track my order?

Accepted Answer

A tracking link is included in your shipping confirmation email once the order is dispatched. If tracking is missing, stuck, or the parcel has not arrived within 60 days of dispatch, email claims@meli.ae with your order number.

Question 18

What if I miss the delivery?

Accepted Answer

Please give a complete address and a reachable phone number at checkout. Couriers may contact you before arrival and typically attempt delivery 1–3 times. Uncollected parcels may be held at a local post office for 3–7 days. Failed delivery from an incorrect address, an unreachable recipient, or a parcel left uncollected is not refundable as a matter of course.

Question 19

Tracking says delivered, but I do not have the parcel.

Accepted Answer

If tracking shows delivered, we treat the delivery as complete unless you can provide a non-delivery certificate from the local courier or post office with an official seal. Write to claims@meli.ae with your order number and that certificate. See Returns.

Question 20

Can I return a piece if I do not like it?

Accepted Answer

No. Change of mind is not a return — including scale, tone, colour, style, or how a piece sits in your room. We will still listen and help you understand the piece, but we cannot offer a refund, exchange, or store credit because you do not like it. That is true for partner stock already in the UAE and for international fulfillment. Please write before you buy if you are unsure. Read the full policy.

Question 21

What if my order arrives damaged, incorrect, or incomplete?

Accepted Answer

If a piece arrives damaged, incorrect, or incomplete, write to us within 10 days with photos. We will look at it with you. For partner stock already in the UAE, we can inspect and arrange a send-back when we ask. For pieces that left from international fulfillment partners, we open a case with those partners and pass through the remedy they confirm. Change of mind is not a return. Do not send anything back until we ask you to.

Question 22

How do I start a claim?

Accepted Answer

Email claims@meli.ae or write through the site with your order number, a short note, and photos where relevant. We will reply and confirm the next steps. We cannot pre-approve a refund before the qualifying issue is confirmed. If a refund is later approved, it returns to your original payment method; banks may take a further 5–10 business days.

Question 23

Can I send a piece back?

Accepted Answer

Not as a standard option, and not because you do not like it. Some pieces leave from partner stock already in the UAE. Others leave from international fulfillment partners. The bag already tells you the usual window for the piece. For partner stock already in the UAE, we can arrange a send-back when a claim qualifies and we ask. For international fulfillment, a physical return is rarely practical. If we specifically ask for a return to confirm a claim, we will send instructions. Do not ship a piece back on your own — unsolicited returns cannot be processed.

Question 24

What is not covered?

Accepted Answer

Change of mind, ordering the wrong item, an incorrect address, a refused or uncollected parcel, natural stone variation, minor cosmetics that do not affect function, and damage to outer packaging only are not treated as defects. Custom or final-sale pieces follow the same rule, except where a partner-confirmed defect applies. Full exclusions.

Question 25

What about consumer rights?

Accepted Answer

Nothing in this policy limits your statutory rights under applicable consumer protection law in the country we deliver to, including rights relating to defective goods. UAE orders remain subject to UAE consumer protection law. If you are unsure whether your situation qualifies, contact us before sending anything back.

Question 26

What are the pieces made of?

Accepted Answer

We specify marble, travertine, wood, and abaca. Each product page lists materials, finish, dimensions, and care. Natural stone is the body of much of the shop — honed, not pretending to be plastic.

Question 27

Will my piece look exactly like the photograph?

Accepted Answer

No — and that is the point. Travertine and marble carry unique veining, tone, pits, and texture. Slight variation from product photography is normal and not a defect. If you need a specific slab or tone, write before you buy and we will see what we can do.

Question 28

How do I care for marble and travertine?

Accepted Answer

Wipe with a soft damp cloth. Avoid acids (lemon, vinegar, wine left to sit), harsh cleaners, and abrasive pads. Stone likes care, not neglect. Use coasters and felt pads where a piece lives on another surface. Each product page has specific care notes when they differ.

Question 29

How do I care for wood and abaca?

Accepted Answer

Dust wood with a dry or slightly damp cloth; keep it away from standing water and hard sun. Abaca and fiber pieces prefer a dry wipe and a shaded room — moisture and direct heat shorten their life. Follow the care line on the product page for that piece.

Question 30

Are stone and glass packed for transit?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Fragile items are packed for the journey. Inspect the delivery when it arrives. If something is damaged, contact us within 10 days with photos or video, and note outer-packaging damage with the courier where you can.

Question 31

How do I know if a piece will fit my room?

Accepted Answer

Every product lists dimensions. Measure the surface or the corner before you buy — stone is heavier and more honest than a render. If you are unsure about scale, send us a photo or a measurement and we will tell you what we would do in your place.

Question 32

Which payment methods do you accept?

Accepted Answer

Checkout is through Shopify. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay, Tabby, and Tamara.

Question 33

What currency are prices in, and is VAT included?

Accepted Answer

Prices follow your delivery country, before tax. UAE orders add 5% VAT on the merchandise at checkout. Elsewhere in the GCC — and on any order we arrange outside the GCC — we do not add VAT. Import VAT or duties may be charged on arrival by local customs; they are not collected at checkout.

Question 34

When am I charged?

Accepted Answer

You are charged when you complete checkout, not when the parcel arrives. Refunds, when approved, return to the original payment method.

Question 35

Is checkout secure?

Accepted Answer

Meli does not store your full card number. Payment is handled by Shopify and the payment providers you choose. See the Privacy Policy for how we handle personal information.

Question 36

How do I reach Meli?

Accepted Answer

Write through the site, email hello@meli.ae, or send a WhatsApp. For an order, include the order number. For a piece, a photo of the room helps more than a paragraph.

Question 37

Do you work with press, trade, or wholesale?

Accepted Answer

Yes — write to the house and say what you need. Contact is the door. We read every message.

Question 38

How quickly do you reply?

Accepted Answer

We read every note. Most messages hear back within one or two business days (Sunday–Thursday). Order issues and damaged deliveries are first.

Question 39

My question is not here.

Accepted Answer

Then write. The contact page is the shortest path. For delivery timelines see Shipping; for after-delivery claims see Returns.

Questions

The house

Orders

Shipping

Returns

Materials

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Contact

Write anyway.

Questions

Questions

The house

Orders

Shipping

Returns

Materials

Payment

Contact

Write anyway.