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We prefer to use Priority or Express Mail. We have tried all available services over the past 14 years and these
are the only two that nearly always arrive promptly and undamaged. If you choose First Class, Parcel Post or Media Mail, expect delays that are not our fault. The heavy parcels we
receive from FedEx and UPS Ground usually look like they were rolled cross-country and too often are damaged.
We are sorry the costs may be higher but we want our customers to receive their purchases without surprises. We normally ship within 24 hours after receiving payment. In the US you can expect delivery within 2-3 days after shipment by Priority Mail or 1-2 days after shipment by Express Mail. We use the online Postal Service Click 'N Ship service to print our labels. That service includes email notification to the recipient when the label is printed, including parcel tracking data.
The freight amount shown on your online order is estimated from the weight
of your order, the shipping method you choose and your shipping address but any
model we have used has limitations. Be aware that our final freight estimate
may be significantly different than the online estimate for a few items- especially those with unusual
shapes, sizes and/or weights. If the value displayed on-line appears accurate to us, we will proceed with the
transaction. If our manual estimate is more than $3.00 higher than the value
shown on-line, we will seek your approval before we proceed with the order.
We do not try to make money on shipping/handling charges but we do try to
recover our investment in the process.
To account for these costs, we add $2.50 to each order.
In spite of the care we use in packing, damage sometimes occurs
in-transit (less than 1 in 1000). Items of $50
value or higher will be insured through USPS. It
is important that you keep all original packing materials and
paperwork in case you need to file a claim for damage. We will share any loss
with you in case of damage to lower valued products.
If our actual costs are significantly lower than we charged for an order, we
will issue a credit to you. Conversely, if our actual costs are significantly
higher, we may request reimbursement (we never charge without authorization).
While such requests are rare, they are occasionally required. We never quibble
about $1 or $2 difference and expect our customers to use the same judgment.
Reasons we do not
ship COD
Two bad experiences illustrate the hazards posed to the Shipper:
1. We shipped merchandise to a buyer who failed to accept the delivery. He
refused to go to his local post office to pick it up since he was not home when
they attempted delivery. We received the merchandise back, but lost $35 in
shipping fees and the merchandise was not available for sale for three weeks.
2. We shipped COD, cash to a business. UPS chose to accept a
"Certified" check which was returned, marked NSF, 9 days later. UPS
disclaimed any liability and three weeks passed before we received payment for
the merchandise.
About
International Shipments
We sometimes experience delays in international shipments. Without
exception, the delays have been caused by the receiving country's Customs
officials who hold items and forget, or take forever, to notify the recipient
that they have the parcel. There is nothing we can do about this problem except
to warn our customers that delays may occur.
Taxes & Duties: For orders that are shipped outside of the U.S. your country may impose local customs or duties.
All countries have different fees and procedures for incoming packages. Please check with your country's customs office
for precise charges before placing your order. If you refuse your package and do not pay the duties and taxes, the package
will be returned back to us. We will charge you for all duties and taxes that are incurred by us, shipping costs both ways
and all other handling fees. We assume no responsibility for any tariffs, duties, or any related charges imposed for the destination country.
One of our good customers volunteered this information about his experiences
wading through the UK system:
"You might wish to pass the following information on to anyone else
from the UK who experiences delays in delivery of goods ...
1. UK customs are not very helpful. If you ring the local office who will
eventually direct you to the main London office. You will be then told that
parcels cannot be traced until customs have issued a 'traceback' number. The
receiver of the parcel will be notified in writing by UK customs within 3 to 5
working days of the parcel being held, giving this traceback number and the
reason why the parcel is being held.
2. Parcelforce (the parcel branch of Royal Mail) are also unable to trace
the package until this number is issued.
3. UK customs are quite slow. Parcelforce quote a delivery time of 5 to 8
days for outgoing parcels to the USA and up to 4 WEEKS for incoming parcels to
allow for customs ...
4. Customs will not hold parcels if tax or additional charges are due on
an item. These funds are paid by Parcelforce on behalf of the recipient of the
goods, who must then reimburse Parcelforce upon delivery."
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