Home :: Shipping and Handling
Shipping and Handling
Who?
Which shipping carrier(s) do you use?
What?
Which items have restrictions on where they can be shipped?
What is a backordered item?
What is the difference between a backordered item and one that just has a long lead time?
What shipping methods do you offer for domestic orders?
What shipping methods do you offer for international orders?
When?
When will my order ship?
When will my backordered item(s) be shipped?
Where?
Do you ship to DPO/FPO/APO addresses?
Do you ship to Canada?
Do you ship internationally?
Do you ship to Puerto Rico?
Do you ship to US territories (American Samoa, Canal Zone, Guam, Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands)?
How?
How will my order be packed?
How much do you charge for shipping?
How can I calculate my shipping costs before placing my order?
How do you handle packages that are returned as undeliverable?
How much do you charge for address corrections?
How much will it cost to import my order into Canada? How long will it take for my order to arrive once it has shipped?
Why?
Why did I receive only part of my order?
Why was my order shipped using a different shipping method from the one I chose at checkout?
Which shipping carrier(s) do you use?
Packages shipped from our main warehouse in Asheville, NC will be shipped via either USPS or UPS, depending on which carrier and shipping method you choose at checkout.
Drop-shipped items will be shipped using the preferred carrier and shipping method of each particular drop-shipper. If we know that a particular drop-shipped item will be sent via a particular carrier and/or method, we will specify this in the item's Availability on its page, such as:
"Usually ships from Willow Toys in 1-2 weeks (Will ship via UPS Ground.)"We try to give you as much up-front information as possible so you can make the necessary arrangements for receiving your order from us!
You will receive an email with the applicable carrier and tracking # for each item in your shipment, as this information becomes available.
Which items have restrictions on where they can be shipped?
A few of our product lines cannot be shipped outside the USA. We usually note this on the product's page. Currently, these items include:
- ALL Earth Mama Angel Baby products
- Naturepedic twin, full and queen mattresses
What is a backordered item?
A backordered item is any item that, while orderable, is not currently in-stock at its origin location (either our main warehouse in Asheville, NC or our supplier's warehouse). We allow orders for backordered items as long as we have an estimated date of when the item(s) will be back in stock. A backorder is the online version of a rain check, which you might get in a brick-and-mortar store.
What is the difference between a backordered item and one that just has a long lead time?
While most of the items we sell ship within 1 business day from our main warehouse in Asheville, NC, some of our made-to-order and customizable items have much longer lead times before they ship--some as long as several weeks. Because these lead times are typical for such items, and are more of an indicator of processing time than of whether the items are actually available, such items are not considered backordered.
What shipping methods do you offer for domestic orders?
You may choose from the following shipping methods for domestic orders (those shipping within the United States, including AK, HI, and Puerto Rico):
| Carrier & Method | Transit Time | Guaranteed On-Time?* |
|---|---|---|
| USPS First-Class Mail | 1-7 Postal days | No |
| USPS Priority Mail | 2-3 Postal days | No |
| USPS Express Mail PO to Addressee | 2 days | Yes |
| UPS Ground | 1-6 business days | Yes |
| UPS 3 Day Select | 3 business days | Yes |
| UPS 2nd Day Air | 2 business days | Yes |
| UPS Next Day Air Saver | 1 business day | Yes, by the end of the day |
| UPS Next Day Air | 1 business day | Yes, by 10:30 a.m. |
*Guarantees of transit times are provided by the carriers, and include several exclusions, such as for inclement weather and "acts of God". If you believe your shipment is late, please contact us to request we file a claim with the carrier on your behalf.
What shipping methods do you offer for international orders?
For international orders (those shipping outside the United States*), you may choose from these shipping methods (not all methods may be available to all destinations):
- USPS First-Class Mail International
- USPS Priority Mail International
- USPS Express Mail International
- UPS Standard to Canada
- UPS Worldwide Saver
- UPS Worldwide Expedited
- UPS Worldwide Express
When will my order ship?
Your order may be sent all together or in multiple shipments. We clearly indicate the Availability for each item on its page near its price. To minimize packaging and the environmental impact from shipping, we will usually bundle items with the same Availabilities (i.e. your order may be sent in multiple shipments).
When will my backordered item(s) be shipped?
Any backordered items in your order will ship to you as soon as they are available, either according to the Availability specified when you ordered the item or, if that Availability has changed since you placed your order, according to the shipping date specified in an email from our Customer Service department.
Do you ship to DPO/FPO/APO addresses?
Yes, we do! We can ship most of our products to DPO/FPO/APO military addresses. Orders will be shipped through the Postal Service because UPS does not ship to PO Boxes. Some oversized/bulky items that cannot be shipped to DPO/FPO/APO addresses include our mattresses, futons, furniture, and wooden unit blocks (we usually note this shipping restriction on the product's page). You will be notified by email if any items in your order cannot be shipped to your DPO/FPO/APO address.
Note that our $5 international handling fee does NOT apply to orders shipped to military addresses. Even though we must prepare customs documents for these shipments, we waive the fees for our military customers.
Do you ship to Canada?
Yes, we do! We can ship most of our products to Canadian addresses (see which items have shipping restrictions).
For more information on shipping to Canada, please also see What shipping methods do you offer for international orders?, How much do you charge for shipping?, and How much will it cost to import my order into Canada?.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes and no... We do ship to Canada, US territories, and military addresses. To reduce our environmental impact, we have chosen not to ship to any other international destinations at this time.
We encourage you to buy what you need from a store local to you, preferably in your country. We maintain contact lists of retailers in several countries who carry products similar to ours, so please contact us if you need help locating a particular product and/or retailer near you.
Do you ship to Puerto Rico?
Yes, we do! See our policies for domestic orders.
Do you ship to US territories (American Samoa, Canal Zone, Guam, Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands)?
Yes, we do! We can ship most of our products to US territory addresses (see which items have shipping restrictions).
For more information on shipping to US territories, please also see What shipping methods do you offer for international orders? and How much do you charge for shipping?.
How will my order be packed?
For orders shipped from our main warehouse in Asheville, NC:
We ship most orders in reused boxes, (from local health food stores or from incoming shipments) or in recycled (post-consumer waste) bubble envelopes. Note that reused boxes may have previously been used for non-vegan products!
Because it utilizes substantially less energy to reuse than to recycle, we will reuse packing materials whenever possible, rather than buy new, although recycled, materials. Most packing materials are also reused. In the months after Christmas, many of our orders will be packed with gift-wrapping paper as filler.
Do your part--please reuse and/or recycle the materials used to pack and ship your order! If you do not have a need for them, you may take them to a business that ships packages--most will gladly accept them!
For drop-shipped items:
We have chosen each of our suppliers, in part, because of their commitment to environmental sustainability. Most are already using recycled/reused shipping supplies and doing what they can to minimize waste. It is part of our business model to work to reduce not only our own environmental footprint, but also to improve our suppliers'.
If you have a question about how a particular product will be packed for shipping, please contact us.
How much do you charge for shipping?
For most items in our store, we charge actual shipping costs, as detailed below. If the shipping charge for a product differs from this (for example, if it has a flat-rate charge), we usually indicate this on the product's page.
For domestic orders shipped within the US, including orders to Puerto Rico and military addresses:
We charge either USPS counter rates (for USPS methods) or our discounted UPS rates (for UPS methods). These shipping costs are calculated according to the physical/actual weight (and/or the dimensional weight, for expedited methods) of your package in conjunction with the origin and destination addresses.
For international orders:
We charge the actual shipping cost plus a $5 international handling fee per shipment (i.e. if your order is sent in 3 different shipments, you will be charged a total of $15 in handling fees, $5 for each shipment) to cover our costs for preparing, submitting and retaining import/export estimates and documents.
If, when we have packed your order, whether domestic or international, we find that your actual shipping costs are higher/lower than what was calculated at checkout, we will adjust your shipping charges accordingly to the actual costs as described above. Please note that this adjustment will NOT be made if the difference is $1 or less than the estimate you received at checkout.
In addition to the actual shipping cost, all international orders shipped via USPS First-Class Mail International or USPS Priority Mail International will be insured at a flat-rate cost of $2.50 per order, to ensure sufficient tracking.
How can I calculate my shipping costs before placing my order?
On a product's page (to calculate shipping costs for a single item):
On every item's page we offer a shipping calculator so you may instantly and conveniently determine the shipping costs associated with that particular item. Follow these simple instructions to use the item-page shipping calculator:
- Enter in the "quantity" box how many of the item you would like to order
- In the Shipping Calculator box, below the "add item to cart" button, enter your postal code, province (if applicable), and country
- Click the "calculate" button
In the shopping cart (to calculate shipping costs for an order that includes more than one item):
To determine the shipping cost for an order of multiple items, you may use the shipping calculator in our shopping cart. Follow these simple instructions to use the shopping cart shipping calculator:
- Add to your shopping cart the items you would like to order
- View your shopping cart by clicking on the "view cart" link either in the upper-right corner of your screen or the very bottom of the page
- Enter the required information for your shipping address
- Select a shipping method from the box
- Click the "apply" button
At checkout (to calculate shipping costs for an order that includes more than one item):
To determine the shipping cost for an order of multiple items, you may use the shipping calculator on our checkout page. For your convenience and security, you may do this BEFORE you enter any billing information. Follow these simple instructions to use the shipping calculator on our checkout page:
- Add to your shopping cart the items you would like to order
- Click the "Checkout" button in the upper right corner of your screen
- Your Shopping Cart will be displayed at the top of your screen. In the "Shipping Address" section below that on the left side of your screen, select your Country from the "Country" box and then enter your postal code in the "Zip Code" box
- In the "Shipping Options" section, select a shipping method from the box
- Click the "Apply" button
How do you handle packages that are returned as undeliverable?
If your order is returned to us undelivered (i.e. due to an error in your address or if you are not available to accept your package), we will charge you the applicable shipping and handling charges to re-ship your package, plus a $5 returned shipment handling fee.
How much do you charge for address corrections?
If an address correction is necessary (for example, due to an error in your address), we will pass along to you any fee that we are charged by the carrier (for example, UPS typically charges us $10/package for this service, so we would charge you $10/package to correct your address).
How much will it cost to import my order into Canada?
In addition to your shipping and handling charges, you may also be responsible for import-related charges, including:
- brokerage fees
- duties/tariffs
- taxes
- You may look-up the applicable UPS brokerage fee for your shipment, based on its value, at
http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/shipping/cost/zones/customs_clearance.html. Note: This is for UPS Standard ONLY. Brokerage fees are included in UPS Worldwide Expedited and UPS Worldwide Express rates.
- Brokerage fees for orders shipped via the USPS are assessed by Canada Post, who charges either $5 or $8, depending upon the service level. See
http://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/manual/PGcustoms-e.asp#1382717.
- The item's H.S. Tariff code and country of origin will determine the applicable duties/tariffs (*generally*
speaking--it is actually more complicated than this). See
http://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/bychapter/index.htm to look-up H.S. Tariff codes and associated duties.
- The Canadian Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5% applies to all products in our store when they are imported into Canada. Three Participating Provinces--Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador--have combined their provincial taxes with the GST to create a Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) of 13%. See the
Canada Revenue Agency website for more details, including a simple calculator to determine the amount of GST/HST you may owe on your shipment.
How long will it take for my order to arrive once it has shipped?
Domestic orders:
Transit times are provided here for all USPS shipping methods and all expedited UPS shipping methods. For UPS Ground, you may calculate the guaranteed time-in-transit on our checkout page by following these simple steps:
- Add to your shopping cart the item(s) you would like to order
- Click the "Checkout" button in the upper right corner of your screen
- Your Shopping Cart will be displayed at the top of your screen. In the "Shipping Address" section below that on the left side of your screen, select your Country from the "Country" box and then enter your postal code in the "Zip Code" box
- In the "Shipping Options" section, select a UPS shipping method from the box
- Click the "Apply" button
International orders:
For any UPS international shipping method, you may calculate the guaranteed time-in-transit on our checkout page by following these simple steps:
- Add to your shopping cart the item(s) you would like to order
- Click the "Checkout" button in the upper right corner of your screen
- Your Shopping Cart will be displayed at the top of your screen. In the "Shipping Address" section below that on the left side of your screen, select your Country from the "Country" box and then enter your postal code in the "Zip Code" box
- In the "Shipping Options" section, select a UPS shipping method from the box
- Click the "Apply" button
For USPS international shipping methods, transit times are as follows:
- USPS First-Class Mail International, varies by destination
- USPS Priority Mail International, 6-10 business days
- USPS Express Mail International - 3-5 business days, guaranteed
Why did I receive only part of my order?
To offer you the speediest possible service, items ordered together may not ship together. By shipping large/oversized/bulky items directly from our suppliers to your door, we are also helping reduce the carbon footprint of our business because these items are shipped only once, rather than twice (once to our warehouse and then again to your door).
We clearly indicate each item's Availability on its page near its price, so that our customers will know up-front when each item will be available to ship. We will bundle together items with the same Availabilities whenever possible to reduce packaging and minimize the environmental impact of shipping.
For shipments from our main warehouse in Asheville, NC, your invoice or packing slip will include ALL items in your order, but will also indicate any items that are backordered or will be drop-shipped, like this:
- in the Qty column, that item will have a "0"
- in the Ordered column, that item will have the number of units you ordered
- in the Amount column, that item will have "0.00"
Why was my order shipped using a different shipping method from the one I chose at checkout?
If, during the processing of your order, we find that the shipping method you chose is not currently available to your destination, we will ship your order using the cheapest comparable carrier and method and adjust your shipping costs to the actual cost for that method.
If you chose an expedited UPS shipping method (such as UPS 3 Day Select) but UPS Ground service will arrive in the same or less transit time, then we will ship your order via UPS Ground and charge you the actual cost--reducing the environmental footprint of shipping, while saving you money, and often time.
