Shipping Terms
How much does each item cost to ship? Just add an item to your shopping cart, then open your cart and click the "estimate shipping" button. There is no need to login or register. We allow you to select the service that best fits your delivery needs and budget.
Domestic shipping: US shipments: We ship via the US Postal Service (USPS) or UPS. We reserve the right to substitute equivalent services between the two carriers depending upon the dimensions and weight of the package (UPS Ground = USPS Parcel Post, UPS 2nd day = USPS Priority Mail). We recommend using first class mail for items under 13 ounces; it is just as fast as priority mail and it saves you money.
International shipping: We generally recommend shipping packages "First Class International" (formerly called "Air Letter Post") for smaller packages (the package must be under 4pounds). This is the least expensive shipping option, and an air letter post package of 1 pound will generally cost less than $10 to ship to most countries from the US. You cannot insure air letter post packages, so if you want insurance, it must be shipped global priority mail, which may cost $20 to $30 for a modest weight packages. Please also note that Google Checkout may have limitations or restrictions for some international shipping. Please use PayPal Express instead (no account required) if a restriction applies.
Insurance:The costs of insurance is automatically included in the package handling fee, and will cover the costs of items lost or damaged. Please note however, that if you live in an apartment complex or in an area where packages left outside may be stolen, please leave a note for your mail carrier or UPS deliver not to leave packages in an unsecured location. The USPS does not honor insurance (nor will we) for stolen packages if the carrier scans the package as "delivered" and leaves it outdoors. If you request it, we can ship items with signature verification. That is, if you are not home, your mail or UPS package deliver carrier will leave you a note about either rescheduling delivery or having you stop by the post office to pick up your package. In general, we will provide complimentary signature verification service automatically on items valued over $100. On items valued between $50 and $100, we will provide complimentary signature verification upon request. For items valued less than $50, there is an additional $1.50 charge for the signature verification upon delivery service. As noted above, for items valued over $5, we generally ship items with delivery confirmation tracking codes so that final delivery of packages can be confirmed.
Returns: Your satisfaction is guaranteed. If we shipped an item in error, or if it does not match the description, you will get a full refund of all your costs upon return of the item. If there are other reasons for a return, you must pay for the return shipping and you will receive a refund minus a restocking fee the greater of $1 or 5% of the items value. If an item has been lost or damaged in transit, contact us with 5 working days of receipt of receiving damaged merchandise, or 10 days after shipping notification for potentially lost items.
Shipping Calculator: The shipping calculator displays USPS rates based on either your zip code (in the US) or country. Occasionally the USPS real-time rate quote server experiences delays or is down, and you will get a blank screen or a "cannot display" page when you click "estimate shipping" or after you add your zip code. If this occurs, please try again later or email us your zip code or country and we will tell you the shipping rate. Please note that Google Checkout does not offer the first class mail rate for light items. Please use Paypal instead. Items less than 8 ounces are shipped free. If the shipping calculator shows "free shipping options" on the first line, you will not be charged shipping on at checkout.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email us.
