Frequently Asked Questions
Q. "What is 2nd Day Shipping?"
A. 2nd Day Shipping is defined as 2-3 business days from the date the order is shipped, excluding the date the order was received and processed (and any delays in getting the order processed, such as verification or payment issues, or higher volume holiday seasons). This means your package should arrive in 2-3 business days (Mon-Fri), excluding the day the package was shipped. For example, if you place an order on Friday before 1pm (Pacific) and select 2nd Day Shipping, then it should arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday of the following week. Holidays are excluded as the possibility of delays is more likely due to heavier volume. Additionally, weather issues (i.e., blizzards, tornadoes, etc.), terrorist acts, mandatory evacuations, and similar happenings which neither we nor our carriers have control over may delay your shipment. Large/heavy items (those products that ship by truck on a pallet) do not qualify for 2nd Day Shipping.
Q. "This is an emergency. If I order 2nd day shipping by 1 pm Pacific Standard Time do you absolutely, positively, guarantee that I'll get it within two days?"
A. We'd like to be able to guarantee that 100%, but that is impossible unless we delivered it ourselves. We can never guarantee that since once it leaves our hands, we are not there every step of the way. Our guesstimate of UPS or FedEx delivering a 2nd day package that we ship, and it arriving within two working days, is probably about 90% of the time; and 98% of the time it will arrive within three working days. It can be frustrating at times (for you and us) that a 2nd day parcel takes 3 or more days. It isn't our "fault" and yet we suffer in the eyes of our customers when shipping carriers fail to deliver as promised. UPS (and FedEx when shipping direct), overall, does a fine job, but they are human. Should you place a 2nd day order and it arrives in more than 3 working days (excludes the date that you place the order and the reasons outlined in the above FAQ), we will deduct the above extra charges (if you are at home at the time that UPS/FedEx attempts to deliver your products). If this is a "real" emergency, then it is best if you order elsewhere; as we can only be responsible for the additional charges and not any incidental lost revenues, etc. for you. If the product(s) that you order are "in stock" (and your shipping information and credit card goes through), then we promise to ship your product(s) within 24 hours (of a working day). But we can never guarantee, 100%, that your product will arrive within 48 hours after that; and in no case will we be held responsible if your order is held up someplace.
Q. "I selected "2nd Day Air" as my method of shipment, and your site says my package should take two or three business days to deliver. Is it safe for me to schedule my plumber now for that day?"
A. We very strongly recommend you wait to schedule your installation appointment until after you have actually received your order as there are a number of different situations that could prove problematic. For instance, the shipping company may encounter issues that cause a delay in your delivery, products may have been damaged in transit, your order might be shipping from multiple warehouses and may not all be scheduled to arrive at the same time, etc. Scheduling a plumber before you have all of the items you need them to install can result in added costs for you since most plumbers charge for their visit whether they can complete the job or not. Unfortunately, we cannot reimburse you for any such expenses. However, if you wait until after you've received your products, you will be able to first inspect them to make sure they're complete, correct, and unbroken before you make a commitment to a plumber.
Q. "I'd like to get my products next day. Do you offer that?"
A. In 1995-1997, we did offer next day air. We found that our customers' satisfaction rate was less than 95% with next day air. This is not an "acceptable" level for us. We desire a close to 100% satisfaction rate. Most delays are out of our hands due to shippers not delivering on time. The other problem was that people would order after our noon PST deadline and still expect it next day. Also, we found that next day shipping of plumbing products was generally for extreme emergencies, and if the customer was able to solve their problem earlier; then they would cancel after the product had shipped. We haven't offered next day air since 1998 and our current customer satisfaction rate is where we would like it to be. We offer Second Day Shipping, but please understand that 2nd Day Shipping (to UPS and most shipping companies) has delivery time of two (sometimes 3) working days. For example, if you place an order on Friday (before noon Pacific Time) then it "should" arrive on Tuesday, but it could be as late as Wednesday.
Q. "Are shipping times guaranteed to Alaska and Hawaii?"
A. 2nd Day shipments to Alaska and Hawaii may take longer than 2-3 working days to deliver because UPS, FedEx, and the U.S. Postal Service, do not guarantee a 2-3 day delivery to all locations in Alaska and Hawaii.
