Shipping Policies

PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO RECENT PROBLEMS WITH CHARGEBACKS, WE WILL NEED FOR THE REGISTERED ADDRESS ON THE CREDIT CARD TO MATCH THE SHIPPING ADDRESS. PLEASE CONTACT US PRIOR TO PLACING THE ORDER IF THIS IS REQUIRED, AS SOMETIMES WE CAN WAIVE THIS RESTRICTION FOR CUSTOMERS WITH AN ORDER HISTORY WITH US. ADDITIONALLY, WE CAN ACCEPT PAYMENT BY CHECK OR WIRE TRANSFER.

Domestic US Shipping Policy: For orders over $40, shipping to US addresses is free and is made via first class mail with tracking. We do find the USPS tracking data for first class packages to be inconsistent and sometimes misleading. During checkout, you'll be given a choice of first class, priority and express mail.

International Shipping Policy:

ATTENTION CUSTOMERS IN THE EU and UK: Please see our VAT post.

International shipping is based on weight, and we give you a choice (depending on country) of first class, priority mail or express delivery (only Express Mail provides true tracking). International shipments valued at over $40 include free insurance, unless that service is not available for your specific country. Most of our customers opt for the very reasonably priced first class mail method, which can take anywhere from one to four weeks. If you register and sign into your account, you can get a shipping quote for items in your shopping cart.

Most countries charge customs fees on shipments from the United States, but this is not something we can estimate and there is no way to pay these fees in advance. It is the responsibility of the customer to anticipate these costs and pay them when they are assessed by your country or postal system.

We have had success shipping internationally via DHL Express, so please contact us for details. This option is not integrated into the checkout process, but the rates are similar to USPS Express Mail. We have really been impressed with DHL's speed, tracking and customs handling, but it's not suitable for every order because the costs start around $45.

Customers in India: Unfortunately we've had to stop shipping to India due to almost 100% lost packages! Even shipments sent via Express Mail have been lost or stolen. We are able to ship via DHL Express, so please contact us for details.

The following table describes the shipping options which our international customers can select during checkout. All methods include insurance.

Method	Cost Starts at	Est. Transit Time per USPS	Trackable?	Notes
FIRST CLASS	$12.90	8-10 business days	In a few countries	Very few countries are actually lucky enough to get their packages in 8-10 business days ... Canada, Spain and Australia are among them. For most countries it's more like 3 to 4 weeks, and shipments to mainland China sometimes require a wait over over a month. Limited to $400 value.
PRIORITY	$31.30	5-6 business days	Somewhat	Somewhat faster than first class in many countries. One peculiarity of this method is that the small flat rate box and flat rate envelope get the same treatment as first class in terms of tracking and value limits. In the UK for instance, we have heard that the flat rate packages get delivered by regular mail and bigger priority shipments are handled by the agency that does Express Mail.
EXPRESS	$55.00	3-5 business days	Only some countries provide tracking	Though very expensive for most packages, USPS claims it is the fastest and most dependably trackable. However, some countries (such as Australia) do not provide consistent or reliable tracking info. Candidly, we think USPS Express Mail is a waste of money. Sometimes first class shipments arrive more quickly, at a fraction of the cost. We have started using DHL Express for many international shipments. They seem to be much faster than the USPS version of Express Mail. In many countries the delivery is handled by the DHL courier.

CONTACT US ABOUT DHL EXPRESS, WHICH IS A GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO USPS PRIORITY OR EXPRESS MAIL FOR SHIPMENTS GOING OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.