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Our method of calculating your order's shipping charges is easy to understand!
Standard shipping charges are based on the price/cost of the products ordered (product subtotal of the order)
For standard, ground shipping (non 2nd day or postal), it is easy for you to know your exact shipping charges
because we do not charge based on weight.
We do not require a "minimum sized" order and give great service on every order, no matter what size.
| | To anywhere in the Continental U.S. we add up to 8% of the cost of the product for standard shipping. |
| | Orders shipping to locations outside Continental U.S. (Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. Territories), our standard shipping charges apply or actual shipping costs will be added to your order, whichever is higher. |
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| Shipping Charges: |
| | Combined products totaling over $5000 shipping is calculated at only 1% of product subtotal |
| | Combined products totaling $2000 to $4999.99 shipping is calculated at 3% of product subtotal |
| | Combined products totaling $1000 to $1999.99 shipping is calculated at 6% of product subtotal |
| | Combined products totaling $999.99 or less shipping is calculated at 8% of product subtotal |
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| Processing Charges: |
| | There are NO processing charges with products totaling over $100 |
| | No minimum order required - you can place any size order |
| | Small orders are not profitable, to help compensate, we assess the following: |
| | Combined products totaling $50 to $99.99 have a processing charge of $3.50 |
| | Combined products totaling $20 to $49.99 have a processing charge of $4.75 |
| | Combined products totaling under $20 have a processing charge of $6.75 |
Note: Sales tax (8.25%) applies to orders shipping to California.
How long?
* Depending on the product ordered, we generally will ship within one business day of receiving your order.
* West of the Mississippi River typically takes 1-5 business days to arrive to you
* East of the Mississippi River typically takes 3-8 business days to arrive to you
* Alaska, Hawaii (normally) shipped by 2nd Day Air can take up to 3 business days1
* Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and other U.S. possessions by US Postal only
* During and before holidays - shipping times via standard carriers (UPS, FedEx, etc.) can take up to 2 additional days
* Many products ship direct from the manufacturer or one of their access warehouses.
* Manufacturer direct/access warehouse orders may require additional time for processing and assembly
1 Remote areas in AK or HI can take 6 business days.
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If you live in a place that is hard to reach by shipping companies we must be told before you place an order. If you live off the beaten path and shipping/delivery companies do not come to you frequently please do not expect that our shipping companies will reach you faster than others. We use regular shipping companies and if others have problems reaching your destinations, ours will also. From the time that you place an order from us to the time that we ship your order, as well as the percentage of "in stock" products that we have, as well as our very low error rate, and our service, you will find us to be far superior, but, if you live in a very remote, hard to reach area, then please do not expect our "typical" shipping times to apply. More than that, we expect you to tell us that your location is remote so that we might be able to make special arrangements before the facts, not after your order has shipped and you are asking us why your order is taking longer than what we promise. In other words (again), please let us know before and during you placing your order that your location is remote.
 "Do you always ship via Ground delivery when I chose that as my shipping preference?"
 No. If your product is lightweight and low-priced, we and our access warehouses may ship the product via Priority Mail. In some cases, you will receive a USPS Delivery Confirmation number, in others, you will not; it depends on which warehouse it ships from. There is no additional charge for this expedited, upgraded delivery service. If you chose "Ground" as your delivery preference, you will never be charged more than the 8% of product subtotal calculated shipping.
"The product I'm ordering is very heavy. I'm sure shipping costs you more than 8% of my order. How much more will you charge me for shipping on a heavyweight item?"
With 99% of the products we offer that are shipping to destinations in the Continental U.S., no matter what they weigh and no matter what our actual cost for shipping, when you select standard shipping, the shipping charges will be calculated at 8% of the product subtotal. There are a few products that include an additional shipping charge (in addition to the standard 8% calculated shipping); for example, grease traps and some jetted tubs. These additional shipping charges are posted clearly on the product's page and are added to the order total for you to see prior to submitting the order. There are a few low-priced, heavyweight products that are charged actual shipping rather than 8% calculated shipping. This, too, is posted on the product's page. For low-priced, heavyweight products that will be charged at the actual shipping rate, the order total you see for that product will not be correct. We will need to calculate the actual charges, adjust the total and contact you for approval.
"I'd like to ship my order at the lowest possible rate. How should I have you ship it?"
Our way of charging for shipping (not basing the shipping charges on what it costs us, but rather on the product subtotal of your order) is easiest for you and us. You can immediately determine if you are saving money or not by buying from us, as you will immediately know the shipping cost. You do not have to wait until you receive your bill or have to wait until we figure it out for you. We have shipped tens of thousands of products and overall it costs us slightly more than what we charge. If you want the lowest rate (and are in the Continental U.S.) then simply chose "standard" shipping. We do not offer lower rates than that.
"I prefer to use my own shipper number (I have an account with Fed Ex), can you have my shipper pick up the product and then you not charge me for shipping?"
Sorry, but we simply do too much business daily to be able to have exceptions to our way of shipping. We certainly can understand that you want to use your own shipper, but in order for us to keep our prices down for everyone; we can only operate shipping one way and that is shipping all of our packages the same way with the same shipper.
"How long after I place my order will it be before you actually ship my products?"
If your products are in stock here at our warehouse and you place you order by 1:00pm Pacific Time (4:00pm Eastern), we will probably ship your order the same day. If your product is to ship direct from the manufacturer or one of their access warehouses, then lead-time to ship will be approximately 24-72 business hours unless a longer lead-time to ship has been mentioned on the page where the product is priced.
Please note that delays can and do occur when shipping products from the manufacturer and their access warehouses. If time is crucial, please contact us via e-mail before ordering so that we can tell you whether or not the product you are ordering is coming from our warehouse or the manufacturer's. We can then offer you a firmer lead-time to ship.
Generally, ground delivery can take up to 10 business days (usually a lot faster than that) to deliver depending on your location relative to the warehouse where the product is shipping.
"I need the order tomorrow. Why don't you offer next day air?"
We offered next day air during our first two years of being in business. We found that when we offered next day air, along with more orders, we also received more dissatisfaction. Some of it was due to the courier failing to deliver on time, some of it was due to customers placing orders after our cut-off time (and still expected to have it next day), and some of it was due to stressful customers who needed the product "yesterday" and ordered from us because we showed the product. We found that the customer satisfaction rate with next day air was not as good as we would like, and we, therefore, decided to no longer offer it. We do offer second day air, but please understand that we must receive your order by 1:00pm Pacific Time (as late as 4:00pm Eastern Time) and that shipping companies many times deliver second day air in three working days. Saturdays and Sundays and holidays do not count in the two days as well. If your order is an emergency it is probably better for you (and us) that you order it locally.
"I just need something small and simple and the product only costs $1.00. Are you still going to charge me a $6.75 processing charge?"
Yes. Small orders cost us the same for overhead/time/packaging/paperwork/checking/doublechecking/printing etc. as large orders. Because of this, we charge a one-time processing fee of $6.75 for orders with a product subtotal of $20.00 or less. For orders with a product subtotal over $20.00 and less than $50.00, the processing fee is $4.75. For orders with a product subtotal over $50.00 and less than $100, the processing fee is $3.50. Orders Orders with a product subtotal over $100.00 have no processing fee!
This processing fee attempts to cover some of the costs that we - and all suppliers - incur for handling/processing/etc your "low" dollar order. This fee is also charged when we are not physically "handling" the product(s). Even when shipping direct from the manufacturer or a manufacturer's access warehouse, there is still extensive paperwork and follow-up involved to complete the order.
Consider that with orders of less than $20.00, we generally do not make any money (even with the $6.75 processing fee). Packaging, labeling, etc all take time. If all orders that we shipped were identical (such as when you order a movie off of a TV ad) then we, too, could charge a set/standard packaging charge.
But consider that because we offer thousands of products (and more being added daily), every order has different items, different dimensions, different packaging requirements, different weights, etc. We hope that you can understand that every small order must have a processing charge to cover the costs to complete an order. Orders with a higher dollar amount ($100.00 or higher) do not need to be assessed a processing charge because the higher dollar amount of the product covers our processing and packaging costs.
We have had some customers contact us, stating that they felt that we charged "too much" for our processing fees. We understand these concerns, and can see why a customer would feel and see it that way. We feel that by clearly explaining our policies, procedures - including our processing charges and the costs involved in completing an order, our customers will understand why we must charge these "small order" processing fees.
We have been shipping orders via the Internet since 1995 and have witnessed many thousands of e-commerce companies coming and going. We wish to stay in business. Our processing charges are explained here and on our order page. The processing charge is shown on your order total before you complete your order.
"I want to order a 350 pound cast iron tub. Does the delivery charge include taking the tub up to the second floor?
The delivery charge is to get the tub/product to your house, it does not include getting it into your house. Your tub gets delivered by a trucking company such as Viking, Bestway, etc and they only deliver to your house.
"What are your policies on returns?"
In most cases we do charge a restock and in some cases we will not take a product back. We list all on our return policy page. We believe that our return policy is fair and reasonable and is very easy to read and understand.
"I placed my order today, when will you ship my order?"
If we receive it by 4 pm (EST/EDT) (which is 1pm - Pacific Time), the chances of your order being shipped that same day are about 95-98%. Of course, if it is a special-ordered product or if it isn't in stock, it can't be shipped that same day. We will let you know within 24 hours (Mon-Fri, excluding holidays and a few extremely busy Mondays in which case it could be 48 hours) after you placed your order of the status of your order/shipment. We take great pride in our customer service, but on a few Mondays or Tuesdays (after a holiday) we are overwhelmed; and it might take slightly longer than normal. Generally (except during holiday periods), Ground shipment to the East Coast takes about 6-10 days (typically 4-8 days) and to the West Coast usually takes about 1-7 days (typically 1-4 days). Please do allow a few more days during December's holiday shipping season before expecting your order. If you give the order ten working days, then the chances are 999 out of 1000 that you will receive your order as we promised when we confirmed the status of your order. Neither the shipping companies nor ourselves are totally perfect, but we go way out of our way to make sure that your order ships as we promise in your confirmation e-mail that we send you. You will find that we will never lie, twist the truth or misrepresent anything. We do what we say that we do.
"I have ordered numerous items and you have all but one item in stock. If you ship everything now, and the backordered item when it comes in, will I have to pay the shipping charges and/or processing charges twice?"
With our standard shipping (unless you ask for special shipping or not to the Continental U.S.) we charge based on the price of the product (not based on the actual cost of the shipping). We have done this to make life easier for our customers 98% of the time. It makes it easy to know the exact cost of shipping each and every time on each and every product. Charging based on the cost of the product means, that in this case, it won't cost you any extra if we ship one, two or even ten packages to you. As far as processing charges, we charge a small processing charge per order (not per package), so there too, you do not need to worry about us shipping many packages as our charges aren't based on the number of packages shipped to you.
"Why do you charge a processing charge?"
Unlike books or CD's and other similar products, our packages vary in size. It takes a large amount of processing/labor to package each individualized-sized box or to generate and fax the necessary paperwork when an item is being shipped directly to our customer from one of our suppliers.
We simply are trying to make packaging those many different-sized boxes, or processing the direct-shipping orders' paperwork, a break-even proposition for us.
Yes, sometimes we do receive a complaint about our processing charge (mostly from customers who only order a small dollar amount); but we have done studies on our costs and have found that we actually lose money on small dollar amount orders.
The processing charge is there to attempt to make up for that loss. There is no "right" or "wrong" way, in our minds, to charge for shipping. We believe that our method of charging shipping (8% of product subtotal) PLUS the applicable processing fee (also based on order subtotal) covers the actual costs of processing and shipping a small-dollar-amount order.
We have no minimum order amounts. Regardless of the cost of any given product, you can purchase only as many as you need. Also, low-dollar amount orders have very low calculated shipping charges (8% of product subtotal). Therefore, the processing fee assessed for these orders helps to cover the cost of shipping.
We feel that our processing charges are fair and less than our "average" cost for handling/processing an order. Please note that we do not charge a processing fee for orders over $100.00.
"I'd like to give special instructions for the UPS/FedEx driver, such as to leave it on the porch without a signature. Can I do that?"
Unfortunately that is not possible. For our protection against fraud we cannot insist to UPS/FedEx that they leave your product without your signature. They might do so but we cannot specify specific instructions to UPS/FedEx. However, please be aware that some shipments may require a signature for delivery based on where it is coming from or how it was shipped.
"Can you 'guarantee' that I'll get my shipment on time?"
In a "perfect" world, a "perfect" (we think we're close) supplier would deliver 100% of its shipments on time, to the correct customer, 100% of the time. The shipments would include the correct content 100% of the time and the customers would be 100% satisfied every time. That's in theory. We have read figures/statistics that in the supply business, with other suppliers, at any given time, as many as 1/3rd of shipments
do not get to the customer on time (in other words only about 67% of their customers are "totally" satisfied), with the correct merchandise or to the customer satisfaction. We believe that our satisfaction rate is over 99% but we aren't perfect. Just a comment, from our experience, incorrect address information received from our customers is one of our primary reasons for lost or delayed shipments.
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