Customer Shipping FAQs
Customer Shipping FAQs
Customer Shipping FAQs
| Q: Can I get email order confirmations, shipping confirmations and copies of my invoice? A: YES, as your orders moves along in the fulfillment process, confirmations and invoices are automatically sent to the email address on the account. Q: How do I get my tracking information? A: Once your order ships, the email address we have on record with the account used will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. NOTE: Dropship items will NOT be accompanied with shipping/tracking information as these items are shipped directly from a third-party vendor. Examples of drop ship items: furniture, marine specimen. Contact customer service for tracking updates. Q: Can I request others to receive the confirmations? A: Unfortunately, we can only send confirmation emails to the email listed on the account. We do not have the option to add a second email address. Q: Can I receive delivery updates/notifications via text message or phone calls? A: When you receive your shipping email confirmation, there is a link in the email in which you can sign up for text message updates on you package movement. You must sign up for this service with each shipment. The delivery driver WILL NOT call you or text you personally to let you know your package is delivered or to discuss/receive other special instructions. Q: Can I use my own account to ship my orders? UPS or FEDEX? A: Yes, you will need to supply us with your account number to apply shipping charges when placing your order. Q: Can I request a different delivery service level? What are my options? A: Standard shipping for stock items is FEDEX ground shipping (5-10 days). Living/perishable material is shipped 2nd day deliver. We do ship to fit your specific needs, however, additional charges will apply based on service requested. Q: Are signatures required? A: Signatures are NOT required for our shipments Q: Why do I get multiple shipments/tracking numbers for one order? Why can’t you ship everything together? I am I being charged more? A: We have multiple fulfillment locations, each with different product lines. Because these locations are not in the same building, if you order items that are housed at multiple locations, you will receive multiple packages. Similarly, if your order contains backordered or drop-shipped items, they will also arrive separately. Please note that even if your order is broken out into multiple shipments, you will not be charged for each shipment. Q: What time will my package be delivered? A: Delivery is based on the service paid for and where your location falls in the driver’s route (typically around the same time each day, depending on the driver’s volume). Q: How quickly will I receive my order? What is standard? A: Standard shipping for stock items is FEDEX Ground shipping (typically, 5-10 days). Living/perishable orders placed by 11:00 am (ET) are shipped 2nd day delivery. We do ship overnight as needed, but this cost is typically charged to the customer. Q: I ordered living material. It is hot/cold. What do you do to ensure my order arrives viable? A: We make the best efforts to ensure you perishable material arrives in good condition. All perishable material is shipped using 2-day shipping or overnight methods. We do include heat/cold packs, depending on the time of year and distance traveling. We do have a list of organisms that we will NOT ship over the weekend due to their sensitive nature and impacts from the shipping process. Most of our living/perishable products are available to arrive any day of the week, offering you maximum flexibility. Living/perishable items can only ship via Second Day or Overnight methods to assure they arrive as quickly as possible. Even so, to increase probability of viability, we do not recommend shipping over a weekend. It is best to plan to receive you living material Wednesday thru Friday for best results. It is important that you know when your living material is arriving and tend to the package immediately. Q: Do you deliver packages on Saturday and Sunday? A: Our standard shipments are delivered Monday thru Friday. Any deliveries on Saturday and/or Sunday are special services and must be requested and paid for by the customer. Special services, such as overnight delivery or Saturday delivery, can be quite expensive. Q: Can I leave instructions for the delivery driver? A: Unfortunately, we are not able to get additional/special delivery instructions (e.g., delivery to the back door, delivery after 2:00, call me when you arrive) to package car drivers. Driver’s will leave your package at the delivery address requested. They will leave the package in a location that they deem as safe, free from potential theft and damage. |