Shipping & Returns

We will normally ship orders the next business day after they are received. If we are going to be away for a significant period of time, we will post a notice on our home page.

We do include a small handling fee in our shipping charge to offset the cost of special materials, time, and transportation involved in processing orders for shipment.

WITHIN THE U.S.
For orders mailed to addresses within the U.S., you will have the choice of:

  • Media Rate Postage
    Please note that media rate mail normally takes about 7-9 business days for delivery, but can take up to 3-4 weeks in high volume periods or if you live in a very rural location.
  • First Class/Priority Mail Postage
    Priority Mail takes 2-3 business days, but this is not guaranteed by the Post Office.

You can select the method you prefer when checking out. If you prefer another service, please make a note in the comments section of your checkout.

Mail Sent to Third Parties within the U.S. for Forwarding
Due to lost packages sent to third party handlers in the U.S., we will include a signature confirmation on all packages sent to a third party (either a mail forwarder or a friend/relative) for forwarding to the customer. We will charge an additional $2.00 for the signature confirmation. This will not show up on your shopping cart, but will be added when we process the order.

OUTSIDE THE U.S.
Orders mailed to customers outside the U.S. will normally be shipped by Priority International Flat Rate Mail service, unless other service is requested. This is usually the most cost effective and dependable postage rate. Surface mail is no longer available effective May 14, 2007.

  • Priority International Flat Rate ENVELOPE
    These envelopes can hold 7-8 books (depending on their size). If this class is available and your order is for more items than will fit into one envelope, we will break the order into multiple envelopes, as needed, in order to save you postage. We cannot insure this type of shipment, and they cannot be tracked once they leave the United States. If the mail service in your country is not dependable, you may want to request a different method of shipment.
    • Canada & Mexico
      $10 per flat rate envelope (holds 7-8 books

      Europe, South America, Asia, Australia, Middle East
      $12 per flat rate envelope (holds 7-8 books)

    • Priority International Flat Rate BOX
      This box can hold 17-48 books, and is the most cost effective method of shipping when you are ordering more than 16 books. Also, this rates includes some insurance in the price based on the weight of the package, and if lost the U.S. Post Office will attempt to track it.
      • Canada & Mexico
        $24 per flat rate box (holds 17-48 books)

        Europe, South America, Asia, Australia, Middle East
        $37 per flat rate box (17-48 books)

    Insurance
    We are not responsible for orders which are lost or damaged by the post office once we have handed them over to the post office. If you want to insure your order, please let us know in the comments section of your checkout. Insurance through the post office is:

    • $1.65 up to $50
    • $2.05 $50.01-$100
    • $2.45 $100.01-$200
    • $4.60 $200.01-$300

    If you request insurance, we will add this cost to your order total. Insurance is available on all shipments within the U.S., but is not available to all non-U.S. locations.

    PLEASE NOTE: While 99% of orders sent to locations outside the U.S. are eventually delivered (in some South American countries and our recent experience in Italy this can take up to 2 months), we are not be responsible for non-delivery of international orders. If you want a guaranteed shipment, we suggest you request delivery by a courier service such as FedEx which delivers door-to-door, although it can be much more expensive. Please be sure the shipping address you provide to us is complete and accurate.

    Duties/Taxes Levied in Your Country
    You may be responsible for duties and taxes on your order at the time of delivery. Please check with your local taxing authorities before you order to see if that cost is acceptable to you.

    Returns
    All sales are final. If there are exceptional circumstances, we can discuss the situation with you. If we do agree to accept a return that is not a result of our error, the customer will be responsible for return postage.

    Copyright © 2007 The Decorative Painting Store