Frequently Asked Questions

How much are your shipping/handling charges?
How soon will my order arrive?
How can I specify a faster shipping method than standard?
I have to have my order by a certain date. How can I tell you that?
Can I check on my order status?
Do you ship outside the U.S.?
I want to send a gift order to a third party. How do I tell you to do that?
Can you bill the shipping to my Fedex or UPS account?
How can I tell if something is currently in stock?
My order arrived with items damaged or incorrect. What do I do now?
I've decided that I don't want to keep what I ordered. What do I do now?
How do I cancel or change my order?
May I go out with your daughter?

How much are your shipping/handling charges?

Continental U.S. Standard (UPS Ground of Priority/First Class Mail, our choice): $9.95 flat rate. No minimum (or maximum!) order.

US APO, FPO standard (U.S.Mail Parcel Post or Priority, our choice): $9.95 flat rate. No minimum (or maximum!) order.

Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Other U.S. territories: $9.95 or actual shipping cost.whichever is higher. No minimum (or maximum!) order.

U.S. Air (UPS Next Day, 2nd Day, 3 Day, USPS Air Mail or Express Mail, your choice): $9.95 plus actual shipping cost. No minimum (or maximum!) order.

Note: Air freight rates are influenced by both a package's weight and its volume. We do not pre-quote specific air freight charges. We try to pack so as to minimize costs while protecting the merchandise.

Other destinations: See our international order policies.

How soon will my order arrive?

Shipping days are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. We ship most (That's MOST, not all, even though we try our best) orders within 3 shipping days. Allow an extra 5 to 7 business days for needlecraft kits. Standard ground shipping may be via our choice of UPS or U.S. Postal service. To see a UPS ground time-in-transit map, click here. We may hold orders paid by personal or business check for three weeks to allow for check clearance. Orders paid by money order are shipped without delay.

Please note that while we do ship over 90% of orders within three shipping days, we can't guarantee that all items will be in stock at all times. This is the real world, folks, and sometimes we run out of stuff.

Items containing model rocket engines or ignitors must be shipped via surface transport. Allow two weeks or more for delivery. Shipping those products by air is illegal.

How can I specify a faster shipping method than standard?

Standard U.S., APO, and FPO shipping is by our choice of UPS ground or U.S. Mail. We offer UPS air shipping for most domestic orders at extra cost. See our policy page for details. When you check out using our shopping cart, there will be a text box for special instructions. Type any special shipping requests in that box. Be specific. For example, say "Second Day Air" or "Next Day Air", not "Rush" or "ASAP". If you're willing to pay extra for air shipping, say so. If you don't specifically state otherwise, we will use our standard shipping methods. If we can't fill your entire order immediately, we'll ship what we can at once via the method you specified. Any backordered items will be shipped via our standard methods unless we receive specific authorization from you indicating that you will accept the accelerated shipping charges on backorders as well as on the initial shipment.

If you use a nonspecific term like "RUSH" or "ASAP", we will use our standard shipping methods.

Items containing model rocket engines or ignitors must be shipped via surface Parcel Post. Allow two weeks or more for delivery. Shipping those products by air is illegal.

I have to have my order by a certain date. How can I tell you that?

When you check out using our shopping cart, there will be a text box for special instructions. Type any special shipping requests in that box. Be specific. For example, say "Need by April 10th" or "Must arrive before Christmas", not "Rush". If you're willing to pay extra for air shipping, say so. If you don't specifically state otherwise, we will use our standard shipping methods. If we can't fill most of your order in time to arrive by the specified date, we will automatically cancel any open balance unless you specifically state that backorders are OK.

If you use a nonspecific term like "RUSH" or "ASAP", we must assume that you mean "by the fastest means available, no matter what the cost."

Items containing model rocket engines or ignitors must be shipped via surface Parcel Post. Allow two weeks or more for delivery. Shipping those products by air is illegal.

Can I check on my order status?

We try to ship your orders as quickly as we can, because normally we don't get paid until we ship. Our staff takes time to research and report order status requests only after all other duties for the day are complete. Please limit status requests to legitimate late order problems. Keep in mind that weekends and holidays don't count toward time in transit. If we ship your order via UPS, you will receive an email with the tracking number, which will allow you to follow your shipment's progress at UPS.com. If we ship your order via Parcel Post, First Class or Priority Mail, no tracking information will be available, and you will not receive an email notification.

Do you ship outside the U.S.?

Yes. Policies and costs vary by location. Not all items can be shipped internationally. See our international shipping policies for details and limitations.

I want to send a gift order to a third party. How do I tell you to do that?

At checkout, select the "Order by Credit Card Online (separate billing and shipping addresses)" payment option. You'll also have an opportunity to add a personalized message to be placed in the package. We do not offer gift wrapping services. The invoice will be mailed to your billing address.

Can you bill the shipping to my Fedex or UPS account?

We can bill UPS air shipping to your account, but our standard shipping charge will still be applied to your invoice. Enter your request along with your UPS account number in the "Special Instructions" text box at checkout. We do not have a regular FedEx pickup, and the nearest Fedex counter location is miles away, so it is not practical for us to ship via FedEx.

Items containing model rocket engines or ignitors must be shipped via USPS Parcel Post surface transport. Allow two weeks or more for delivery. Shipping those products by air is illegal.

How can I tell if something is currently in stock?

We're a relatively small business with limited resources. The costs of providing real-time inventory information online are prohibitive. Over the past 22+ years, we've shipped over 90% of orders within two business days. If we're temporarily out of an item and expect to receive a restock soon we may hold your order for a few days. If we do have to backorder something for you, we've historically been able to fill most backorders within a week. We do not charge additional shipping on backorders.

My order arrived with items damaged or incorrect. What do I do now?

First, accept our apologies for the problem. Second, don't panic. We'll happily replace or refund to fix the problem. Call us toll free at (866) 316-7555. We'll probably ask you to return the undesired merchandise to us by UPS ground or Parcel Post. Be sure to include a copy of your invoice with a note describng the reason for the return. We'll refund or ship a replacement upon receipt of your return. We'll refund you the domestic U.S. UPS or U.S. Mail ground return shipping charges of returning the merchandise. If you're in a rush, we can ship replacment merchandise immediately (if available), but we'll bill it to your credit card at standard shipping rates and refund the second invoice upon receipt of your return.

The allowable period for reporting damaged, defective, or mis-shipped goods is 30 days from the invoice date, except between November 10th and December 16th.

Extended return window for Christmas gifts: The return window for orders placed between November 10th and December 16th extends until January 15th.

I've decided that I don't want to keep what I ordered. What do I do now?

We will happily and promptly refund unopened or defective merchandise within 30 days of purchase, including domestic U.S. UPS ground or U.S. Mail ground return shipping charges on defective items. YOU MUST Email Help@UptownSales.com for authorization prior to returning any merchandise. Be sure to include your invoice or order number, the item stock number, and the reason for the return. We will issue a return authorization to the purchaser. Return authorizations become void 30 days after they are issued. If returns are not at our warehouse by that date, no credit or refund will be issued. All returns, including late returns and items returned without prior authorization, become the property of Uptown Sales Inc. Extended return window for Christmas gifts: The return window for orders placed between November 10th and December 16th extends until January 15th. WARNING: Returned non-defective merchandise which have any factory seals broken or factory wrapping removed will be subject to an uresellable item fee of no less than 50% of the item's invoice price, and possibly total denial of refund, depending on the item's condition. Other non-defective returns are subject to a 15% restocking fee. Radio-Control units or Radio-Controlled Items are not returnable or refundable for any reason once any package seal has been broken. Contact the manufacturer directly about any problems or defects. We can not service these items. Garments which have had any hang tags removed, even if they have been replaced, may not be returned for any reason. We do not re-sell once-opened merchandise as new. Pack the items you are returning carefully and be sure to insure them. Returned items damaged in shipping will not be refunded until insurance claims have been settled.

How do I cancel or change my order?

You may cancel or modify your order at any time up until the moment we ship it. Just call us toll-free at (866) 316-7555 or email us at Help@UptownSales.com. Be sure to include your order number.

 

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