Shipping Terms

Shipping in the USA

All shipments are sent with full insurance and no exceptions will be made if requested otherwise.
UPS Ground is our shipping carrier of default for all shipments within the 48 contiguous U. S. states, which is due to the high reliability and care this shipping company provides versus USPS. UPS Ground is a guaranteed service except during the Christmas season (the exclusionary dates for which are posted on the UPS website each year).
Beginning January 1, 2015, UPS and Fed Ex now employ dimensional pricing for all Ground shipments other than envelopes (the size of the shipping box will determine the weight of the package unless the package weighs more than its dimensional weight), which means that shipping costs have risen dramatically in many shipping scenarios; by comparison, the USPS Priority Mail service (NOT a guaranteed service) employs dimensional rates for half of the USA, and USPS Priority Mail Express (a guaranteed service) bases its pricing by true weight of the package. However, we receive discounted rates from UPS but none from USPS, and we pass on the UPS discounts to our customers, thus UPS rates are very often better than any rates we may get from USPS and the service from UPS is, invariably, much more reliable and our shipments are treated with greater care. We employ four different packaging sizes, three of which are custom made for us, and all of which are carefully selected to provide the greatest economy to our customers and safe, secure delivery of their purchase(s); we don’t simply shove as much as we can in the smallest box without any thought given to a professional presentation balanced against the greatest economy. Our packaging solutions are engineered to withstand severe damage and provide, in the vast majority of instances, a perfectly reusable shipping box that will facilitate adequate protection of merchandise for the customer in the event a return is required.
Ordering multiple items and/or shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and other parts of the USA other than the contiguous 48 U. S. states: Our online shopping cart provides a flat-rate shipping price via UPS Ground insured to any of the 48 contiguous U. S. states for just one item of the type you see listed on each product page. If you wish to ship to a U. S. destination other than one of the contiguous 48 states and/or wish to order additional items of the same or differing type, we combine shipping costs and we employ the most economical box size that will yield the lowest rate for our customers while still providing a well-protected product delivery. The combined shipping costs will always be less than the cost to ship any total group of items using the flat rates listed for each product unless, for example, someone is ordering, say, three jackets and these must each ship in their own separate boxes because they cannot be combined in one or two boxes. When it comes to shipping costs, you have two options for completing checkout using the online sopping cart:
1. Shipping inside the contiguous 48 states: Complete your checkout knowing you will not be charged more than the combined flat rates listed on the website for the multiple items and that, in almost all instances, you will be charged less than the combined flat rates for all items in your cart and that we lack the ability to see your credit card information and cannot ever charge you more than the price displayed in your cart. Your credit card is NOT automatically charged when you complete checkout and we perform a manual finalization of the sale that allows us to charge less than the displayed amount in your cart, though we cannot see your credit card information. You will receive your paid receipt via e-mail after we conclude your purchase, which will indicate the exact amount you paid for shipping and products.
2. Calculating shipping at checkout: If you wish to know the actual cost of shipping before completing checkout, please contact us and note the items to be purchased with the complete shipping address, then we will respond with the actual shipping and insurance cost and you will also be given instruction where to insert this shipping price in the online shopping cart as part of checkout. If you alter your order in any way once we have provided you with the shipping and insurance costs, that shipping and insurance price will, in most instances, no longer be valid and you will need to contact us for a new quote for shipping and insurance. Your order will not be processed and you will be contacted if the merchandise you purchase does not correspond with the shipping price we provided you.
3. Shipping to a U. S. destination outside the contiguous 48 states: We typically ship via USPS Priority Mail or Priority Express Mail, both of which will be fully insured via our private insurance carrier (we never make use of USPS insurance). Please contact us and note the items to be purchased with the complete shipping address, then we will respond with the actual shipping and insurance cost and you will also be given instruction where to insert this shipping price in the online shopping cart as part of checkout. If you alter your order in any way once we have provided you with the shipping and insurance costs, that shipping and insurance price will, in most instances, no longer be valid and you will need to contact us for a new quote for shipping and insurance. Your order will not be processed and you will be contacted if the merchandise you purchase does not correspond with the shipping price we provided you.

Expedited shipping is available by customer request and expedited shipping calculations in checkout will follow in the same manner as stated above in section 4b during checkout. We do NOT ship on the customer’s shipping account, so please do not ask for this accommodation.

Shipping Outside the USA

We ship to many countries worldwide; if your country doesn’t appear on the list at checkout, please contact us to inquire if it is possible to ship to your country.

Any taxes and/or customs duties and/or fees that may be levied against your merchandise purchase are solely the recipient’s responsibility to be aware of and for which to render payment. We are NOT responsible for knowing the applicable laws in the country of destination for the recipient’s shipment and we are not responsible for paying any taxes, fees and/or customs duties on the recipient’s behalf.

No shipment will be sent outside the USA without insurance and tracking - NO exceptions will be made, so please do not ask. If we ship via USPS, all insurance is provided by our private insurance carrier and not USPS. We will not, under any circumstances, lower the value on customs declaration forms, so please do not ask.
The U. S. Postal Service’s Priority Mail Express International is our shipping carrier of default for all shipments to destinations outside the USA, but we also offer UPS Ground (for Canada) and Air for international shipping. Please note that we will not ship via USPS Priority Mail International (this is not an express service and does not provide adequate tracking and security).
International Ordering: Our online shopping cart provides a flat-rate shipping price via UPS Ground insured to any of the 48 contiguous U. S. states for just one item of the type you see listed on each product page. If you wish to order for international destinations, please first locate your country from the dropdown menu. If your country does not appear on this list, then you will need to contact us to see if we will possibly ship to your country. If your country does appear on this list, then contact us and note the item(s) you wish to purchase and your complete shipping address, then we will respond with the actual shipping and insurance cost and you will also be given instruction where to insert this shipping price in the online shopping cart as part of checkout. If you alter your order in any way once we have provided you with the shipping and insurance costs, that shipping and insurance price will, in most instances, no longer be valid and you will need to contact us for a new quote for shipping and insurance. Your order will not be processed and you will be contacted if the merchandise you purchase does not match the shipping price we provided you.

Express Shipping & Cutoff Times

We offer expedited shipping services from UPS and the U. S. Postal Service.

If you want the U. S. Postal Service to be your express carrier and the shipment is to be dispatched immediately, your order must be received no later than 3 PM Eastern Time for shipping the NEXT business day. All U. S. Postal Service shipments ship according to this policy, which is due to the early arrival time of our U. S. Postal Service Letter Carrier who picks up all USPS shipments.

If you want UPS to be your express carrier and the order is to be dispatched immediately, your order must be received no later than Twelve O’Clock PM (noon) Eastern Time for same-day shipping. Orders received after this time will ship the next business day.

Guaranteed Delivery Services in the USA

All UPS Ground, UPS 3-Day Select, UPS 2nd Day Air and UPS Next-Day services come with delivery guarantees, but you need to check your zip code with ups.com to determine how long it will take for you to receive your merchandise.

The U. S. Postal Service’s Priority Mail Express (formerly called Express Mail Service and not to be confused with their regular Priority Mail) is a guaranteed service in the USA, but you need to check your zip code with usps.com to determine how long it will take for you to receive your merchandise. The U. S. Postal Service’s Priority Mail is NOT a guaranteed service.

Guaranteed Delivery Services Outside the USA

UPS guarantees Ground delivery shipments to most of Canada, and Air shipments to many other countries, but you need to check your country of destination with ups.com to determine how long it will take for you to receive your merchandise. The U. S. Postal Service will guarantee Priority Mail Express International to select countries (not to be confused with Priority Mail International), but you need to check your country of destination with usps.com to determine how long it will take for you to receive your merchandise and if it is on the list of guaranteed delivery zones. The U. S. Postal Service’s Priority Mail International is NOT a guaranteed service and we do NOT offer this service option because it does not provide true tracking to destination and proper security.

Guaranteed delivery outside the USA is only a guarantee of arrival in the guaranteed destination and NOT a guarantee of actual delivery to the address you have indicated on the order, which is due to circumstances beyond the control of the shipping company, such as clearance through customs, etc.

Shipping Guarantee

Shipping companies will guarantee delivery of your shipment within the confines of certain limitations. Poor weather conditions or police actions are just two examples of circumstances that will void the guarantee from most shipping companies. If you believe you have a valid claim against one of our shipping companies for a delivery failure on their guarantee, you must contact us IMMEDIATELY; a timely claim is of vital importance, as most shipping companies have a narrow window within which we can file for a delivery guarantee claim. When your guarantee is deemed valid by the shipping company, you will receive a refund on the shipping portion of your charges ONLY. Insurance charges are NEVER refunded because insurance is a product you have received regardless of whether the shipment was delivered on schedule or not

Turnaround Time for Non-Express Orders

Please ask about delivery times when ordering, especially when ordering items not in stock, and always plan on ordering any item that is intended for a gift or special event well ahead of the needed date. We move merchandise from our stock to the customer as quickly as time allows; it is not in anyone’s interest to not ship customer merchandise in a timely manner. Depending on how busy we may be at any point in time, it can average between the same day and three (3) business days from the date your order is placed to ship merchandise that is in stock. The Christmas holiday and late-fall seasons create their own unique shipping demands and we go all out to process orders seven (7) days a week from early morning until late into the night, but there are moments when even such maximum efforts aren’t enough, so please understand that there may be times when several days will pass before your order can ship during these peak buying periods.

If you want the U. S. Postal Service to be your shipping carrier, even for Express Shipping, your order must be received no later than 3 PM Eastern Time for shipping the next business day. All U. S. Postal Service shipments ship according to this policy – there is no same-day shipping for U. S. Postal Service shipments, which is due to the early arrival time of our U. S. Postal Service Letter Carrier.