When your order is complete, chances are you will have us ship it to you, rather than pick it up from our office.
And while we are happy to do so, I feel it's important to explain the shipping methods we offer, some shipping terminology, and what our responsibilities are with regards to shipping your order.
We currently ship using UPS, Fed Ex or the US Postal Service. The choice as to which one we use is always yours.
Shipping Guarantees
UPS, Fed Ex, and the Postal Service do not guarantee 100% on-time delivery. And as good as they are, things can happen that could possibly cause your package to be delayed.
Please be aware that Priority Mail is NOT a time specific guarantee delivery option and that Express Mail from the Postal Service is NOT always a next day service. Please check with the Postal Service to see if their service will get your package to you by the date you need to have it in hand.
I strongly encourage you to make your choice of delivery service with these things in mind.
If you absolutely, positively, must have your order in-hand by a specific date, please consider choosing a delivery service that will get your package to you with time to spare. That way, if your package should happen to be delayed in transit, you would still receive your package before the date you actually need it.
And yes, I realize in this fast-paced world of ours, this is not always possible.
Liablity & Guarantees
At the top of this page you may have noticed the phrase "Orders shipped F.O.B. from our office". This is a standard shipping declaration used by virtually every business that ships merchandise.
F.O.B. stands for Freight On Board, and what it means is that at the moment the shipping company that you chose takes possession of your package, responsibility for your package transfers from us to them.
You need to know that when a shipper "guarantees" that your package will be delivered overnight (or in two days), what it really means is that if they don't deliver your package by that date/time, they will refund the shipping charges. And even then there are certain circumstances under which UPS / FED EX would not have to refund your shipping charges if a package is delivered late. These circumstances typically are known as "ACTS OF GOD".
One example of an "Act of God" are extreme weather conditions which prevent the shipper from making delivery.
Please check the UPS / FED EX web sites for details about their guarantees and exclusions.
Any claim that the item(s) you ordered is of no use because it was delivered "late" would be between you and the shipping company you chose.
Be sure and provide your complete address
Failure to provide an apartment number, a suite number, or a building number (if applicable) can cause your package to be delayed... and it would be a delay that neither the shipper or Dr. Don's Buttons will be liable for.
No signature required
Customers sometimes ask us to ship their package with "no signature required". While we can write no signature required on your package, there is no guarantee the shipping company will honor the request.
Since the shipping company is responsible for proper delivery of your package, it is up to the driver to determine whether or not they feel it would be safe to leave the package without a signature. We are not be responsible if the shipping company that you chose does not leave the package without a signture.
Packages shipped using expedited delivery typically require a signature from someone who is 18 years or older.
Insurance
As of March 2, 2010, customers now have the option to accept or decline insurance on packages we ship to them.
Insurance provided by UPS or USPS covers loss or damage to the contents of your package.
While we have rarely experienced issues with loss or damage to packages we have shipped, I none the less recommend insuring your package. It's a small price to pay... just in case something were to happen to your package while it's on its way to you.
If your package is insured and the package is damaged in transit, you MUST contact us within 5 business days of receiving the package and you MUST save all packaging and contents. If you fail to save them, the shipper most likely will not accept your claim and you will have no further recourse.
If your package is lost or delayed in transit, UPS can track the package. However, unless you pay extra for their tracking service, the Postal Service won't be able to track your package.
When items are shipped using the Postal Service, they will not allow you to initiate a claim until 30 days after the package was shipped. That's a long time, but that is THEIR policy, not ours.
With UPS, you can initiate a claim much sooner. For more information about UPS shipping policies, click here.
For more information about Postal Service shipping policies, click here
Shipping times using UPS Ground
Shown below is a shipping map that shows how long it would take for packages to reach U.S. destinations when shipped from our office in Glendale, Arizona, using UPS Ground. Please note that "Transit Days" are "business days" and that weekends and holidays do not count as Transit Days. Use this map for reference only.
If you need your package in-hand by a specific day, let us know and we can help you calculate shipping days and offer suggestions as to which service would best serve your needs. If ordering online, please write the date you need your order in hand in the "Comments / Special Instructions" section of our Shopping Cart.
Charges for Rush Shipping
If you are wondering what it would cost to have your order sent by a shipping method faster than UPS Ground, our SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM will calculate shipping charges for you. You can then compare the difference and determine which method makes the most sense to you.
To determine shipping charges, just place the item or items you are interested in into our shopping cart and it will ask you which shipping method you would like to use.
To compare the charges of, let's say, Next Day and Second Day Air, just enter the items you are interested in into the shopping cart, select an initial shipping preference and note the price. Then, select another shipping option and note that price.
Don't worry... nothing is final until you enter your credit card information and click on the button to place the order.
International Shipping
If you live outside the United States and want us to ship any of our products to you, we will be happy to do so. However, I strongly encourage you to read the following information before deciding how to have your package shipped.
UPS has proven to be the most reliable shipper and their tracking system is first rate. This will be important if you want to determine where your package is at any given moment. In my experience, the tracking system offered by the Post Office leaves a lot to be desired and it is often difficult to determine where your package is within their system.
However, UPS Worldwide Express and UPS Worldwide Expedited are generally far more expensive than Global Express mail and thats why many of our international customers opt to have us ship their package using Global Express mail.
If you want something in hand as soon as possible, though, I recommend using UPS.
But if you want to save some money and are willing to take a chance that it might take longer than expected for your package to arrive, go ahead and choose Global Express mail.
Keep in mind, however, that once we ship your package, using the method you choose, our responsibility for that package ends. We will be happy to assist you in tracking a lost package and submitting the proper paperwork if a package is lost or damaged in transit. But we are NOT responsible if the package takes longer than expected to arrive, or if the package is lost or damaged in transit.
Also, please be aware that the Postal Service will not accept a claim for a missing package until after 30 days have passed from the time it was shipped. And if the package is lost and a claim must be submitted, it can take a fair amount of time to get the matter resolved.
When a package shipped outside the United States takes longer than expected to arrive, it is usually due to the package needing to clear the Customs Office in the country it was shipped to.
And unfortunately, we have no control over this!
Packages shipped by UPS always clear customs faster than packages shipped by Global Express Mail, so please take this into consideration when choosing your shipping method.
Customs Charges / Duties / Brokerage Fees
If you are going to have us ship something and you live outside the United States, chances are you will have to pay duties / customs charges / brokerage fees when your package arrives. These charges can be considerable and are beyond our control.
Since we have no way to calculate these charges, I highly recommend contacting the shipping company you are going to have ship your order and have them calculate what the customs charges / duties / brokerage fees would be.
To try and avoid paying customs charges, customers sometimes ask us to enter a lower figure on the invoice, or mark the package as a sample, or as a gift. Doing so would constitute fraud on our part and we are NOT willing to do this. So please don't ask.
If you receive a wrong item or didn't receive an item that you ordered
If you receive an item you didn't order (wrong item shipped), any claim to that effect MUST be made within 7 days of receiving the package.
If you receive a shipment and an item that should have been in the box, isn't, you MUST contact us within 7 days of receiving the order and all packing materials MUST be saved in case you need to initiate a claim against the shipping company.
Failure to save the shipping materials will likely lead to the shipping company denying the claim, so please save the materials if there is any damage to your order.
Thanks!
Don Ratliff
aka Dr. Don
