*** Foreign Orders ***
Don't see your country on the list of places we ship to? Send us an email and we'll do our best to make it happen. We cannot ship to countries that are subject to restrictions imposed by the US Postal Service or the US Government.
For our foreign Customers, please do not use any special characters or accents (as seen below in table) when typing your name or address. Use of these characters will cause issues with credit card approvals and shipment deliveries. Please, just use plain characters.
Foreign customers may see a shipping option called a "Flat Rate Box". The size of that box is quite small (which is why it costs less) but often the products will not fit inside the box.
When products are too big to fit in those boxes, we will ship via US Postal Service Global Priority Mail. Additional charges will apply, but we will always select the least expensive option for you.
We do not ship international orders via UPS, Fedex or DHL - they're just too expensive.
Shipping and Handling Costs
Local customers may elect to stop by our shop to pick up their order. Will-call orders are subject to a $2.00 fee, which covers order processing costs.
For orders within the continental US we recommend shipments via UPS ground. Usually this will be cheaper than the US Postal Service.
Our current website ordering system provides an "ESTIMATE" of the shipping and handling costs via USPS and UPS. These are just estimates.
Sometimes the shipping costs and handling costs are less than what the website program estimates. In those cases, we adjust the total downward to reflect that overcharge.
In some cases, the shipping costs and handling costs may be more than what's shown on the website. In those cases, we will adjust the price of the total order "upward" to correct that difference. This will show as an additional charge called an "Ad-Hoc" fee. It's usually only a few dollars for domestic shipments, but for international orders it can be more.
We also have an option to ship via United States Postal Service (USPS). Those packages will ship via Priority Mail. We often find that our website calculates costs for Postal Service shipments at a lower rate than actual costs, so you'll probably see an Ad-Hoc shipping charge on your order.
While our system is not perfect, it's fair for you, the purchaser, and for us. As a general policy statement, we always try to provide our customers with the quickest and least expensive method of shipment.
Small items are usually shipped via Priority Mail.
Larger items are usually shipped via UPS.
Shipping costs via UPS are based on weight, cubic volume, insured costs, and delivery zone. We charge you what UPS charges us, plus we add a small fee for order processing.
The website will show you approximate shipping costs for UPS and Priority Mail, when you fill out an order form and enter your delivery address. We reserve the right to amend those fees as needed.
Shipping via 3-day UPS is about 2 times more expensive than ground UPS.
Shipping via 2nd-day UPS is about 3 more expensive than ground UPS.
Plan your order in advance so you don't have to pay the expedited fees!
Because of the weight, value, insurance costs, and size of pannier systems, shipping fees are higher than they would be for regular products. The above sliding scale of fees does not apply to pannier systems. Please call if you have questions about the cost of shipping a pannier system to your address.
International orders cost more to ship. We'll adjust shipping fees accordingly. International shipments are done via US Priority Mail to keep the costs down. We no longer ship international orders via UPS or DHL because of the added customs brokerage fees they impose. International customers are responsible for all duties, fees, taxes, and other charges. Please understand that once the packages are shipped, we cannot expedite or influence Customs Officials. Sometimes they're very efficient, sometimes the inspection and delivery process takes longer than expected. Please be patient!
We normally ship the same business day we receive your order. We'll typically notify you by e-mail if we expect a delay of more than 2 working days to process your order. (we don't guarantee this notification)
We understand how important it is for you to receive your products as soon as possible after you've placed your order. You may have your products shipped Next Day, 2-day, or 3-day for an additional fee. Mark your order form clearly (enter this data in the Special Instructions Section for Online Ordering) if you require expedited shipping.
Packages may require a signature upon delivery. Please make arrangements to have the package shipped to an address where someone can sign for your package. If no one is at the shipping address, UPS may leave a yellow “Attempted Delivery” sticker on your door. If this occurs, sign the form (releasing UPS and BestRest from responsibility for loss or theft) and leave it on your door for the next UPS attempted delivery. This process can up to 3 days to complete. This can be very frustrating when you're ready to leave on a trip and you're waiting for your products, so plan your shipping address carefully.
UPS will try to deliver your package 3 times before they return it to BestRest. If your package isn't claimed your credit card will be billed for any returned package fees. We've chosen UPS as our standard shipper because their rates are consistently lower than other carriers and their service is excellent. We reserve the right to change carriers if we believe we can save you money or if we can get your packages to you sooner.
Calculating Delivery Time To Your Address
The shipping date does not count toward the elapsed day-count. For instance, if we ship to an address that requires 3 days actual transit time, it will take 4 days to get there if you count the date of the order. We try to ship the same day we receive an order, although that is not always possible based on inventory, or the time of day your order was received.
UPS takes anywhere from 1-5 days to deliver packages from our shop in Seattle, to an address in the US. Transit time depends on your delivery zone in relation to Seattle. Western US address take 1-2 days via UPS ground, Central US addresses take 3-4 days via UPS ground, Eastern US addresses take 4-5 days.
USPS Priority Mail takes 2-3 days to most US addresses. Alaska and Hawaii always takes a few days longer.
International shipment delivery times vary, depending on customs clearance and the policies of your country's postal service. We can make no guarantees of delivery dates for international orders. It'll get there when it gets there. We have no control over the delivery time.
Shipping Address Errors and Correction Fees
If you provide us with an incorrect shipping addresses (wrong house #, wrong zip, missing apartment number, suite, or you've recently moved, etc) this will incur a $25.00 charge for ground packages, and a varying charge for international packages, if the correction is made after package has shipped, or if UPS must make an in-transit address correction. Incorrect addresses may also result in delayed delivery. Please double check your shipping address for accuracy.
This $25 fee is charged (to us) by UPS for incorrect addresses, and it's only fair that you (the customer) provided an incorrect address, those costs should be passed along to you. These fees will be billed to the same credit card used for your order. If you feel you have been charged this fee in error, please contact us so we may dispute the fee with the package delivery company. We appreciate your understanding.
If we ship to an address you provided, and the package comes back to us as unclaimed or otherwise undelivered, you are responsible for the return shipping fees. We will reship the package at your request, but you'll pay the reshipping fee. If you decide you don't want the package reshipped, we will refund your purchase price, less the original shipping fees.
If WE made the address error then there will be no charge to you. If it's our mistake we'll pay the extra shipping fees. Our mistake will cost you nothing. If you made the mistake, we will pass to you along any charges we incur.
Sometimes we make a mistake when we ship an order. We will correct our error at no expense to you, and ship a replacement part via UPS ground or USPS (method of shipping at our discretion). We will not ship the replacement part via Next Day Air or any other expedited method.
