Return to Help Index| Shipping and Handling | |
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| Do you require a signature when packages are delivered? | |
| We will occasionally send orders Signature Required in order to protect against theft. As you might guess, it's the more expensive orders that are more likely to require a signature. There is no exact amount for requiring a signature, but it is rare we require a signature for a package worth less than $200. Almost all packages requiring a signature are FedEx shipments where we require an Indirect Signature. With an Indirect Signature anyone in the household can sign for the package. If the package can not be delivered, the driver is supposed to leave a door tag. You can either sign the door tag and have the package delivered the following day (even if no one is home), or you can pick up the package at the local FedEx facility. You just need to show them photo ID. We really do not want to inconvenience anyone by requiring a signature, and we also prefer not to get signatures because they cost us money. But because packages do occasionally get stolen, it is necessary to get signatures in certain situations. Please also keep in mind that the driver might require a signature for reasons of their own. If there have been numerous package thefts in your neighborhood a driver might require a signature, and we have no control over this. |
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| Shipping Damages | |
Occasionally products are damaged in shipping. We will replace the damaged product if you adhere to the following protocol:
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| How will you ship my order and when will it arrive? | |
| Here is the Info that Applies To Normal Times:
99% of orders are shipped via FedEx and the USPS (
United States Postal Service). A few items, such as very large chillers (1HP and above & Red Sea Reefer Aquariums), are shipped via trucking companies such as Yellow Freight and R&L Carriers.
On business days (
Monday through Friday, non-holidays), if we have the item in stock, orders are shipped within one business day. We typically will ship orders we receive before 2 PM (Arizona time) on the day we receive the order (M-F). Weekend orders are usually shipped on Monday if they are shipped FedEx, but smaller orders placed before 2 PM on Saturday are shipped through the USPS on Saturday. In general, we do our best to ship as quickly as possible.
Larger Items Are Shipped FedEx Large items are shipped FedEx. These items are typically bigger than a big shoe box or longer than 36 inches. This includes all aquariums, larger lights and bulbs, chillers, most protein skimmers, canister filters and larger UVs. Consult the FedEx Shipping map below for the exact shipping time to your area. 
Smaller Items Are Shipped USPS Smaller packages are shipped through the United States Postal Service. Unfortunately, we can't show a map of USPS delivery times because it's so unpredictable and complicated. However, in general, the USPS packages arrive quicker than with FedEx. We ship USPS packages First Class, Parcel Post and Priority. Going to the East, sometimes these packages arrive in one or two business days, but sometimes they arrive in three, four or five business days. In general, the smallest orders are the ones that take the longest. We have to ship these orders First Class rather than Priority (which is more dependable) because there is no way we can break even shipping a $5 part (that cost us $3.25) for $5.99 when the minimum Priority Mail shipping cost is $8. If you are in a hurry to get a replacement part, and don't want to pay for expedited shipping, add some consumables to the order so we can afford to ship the order Priority Mail or through FedEx. Once you reach $49, orders are shipped for free. General Overall Shipping Times The map below shows overall expected shipping times.This map combines the FedEx and USPS orders. Keep in mind that these are business days. Also keep in mind that these days the USPS, though quite fast on average, is very inconsistent. Often USPS orders to the East and South arrive in two business days, but sometimes packages are misrouted and take two weeks. If you absolutely must have an order at a certain time, we recommend you pay for expedited shipping (covered in the following section). 
Expedited Orders Expedited orders are sent via FedEx. Expedited Orders Times:
Although FedEx does have a Saturday delivery service and Saturday pickup, for various reasons we do not use these services. Tracking We'll have the USPS, FedEx or marineandreef.com Email you a tracking number on the evening of the day your order ships. FedEx tracking number can be checked at http://www.fedex.com/Tracking. USPS orders can be tracked at http://trkcnfrm1.smi.usps.com/PTSInternetWeb/InterLabelInquiry.do. You can also just enter a tracking number into Google. |
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| International Shipping | |
Marineandreef.com will only ship to the United States. |
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| How much is my shipping & handling? | |
| Orders under $49 to locations in the 48 contiguous states are $5.99 to ship. Orders over $49 to the 48 contiguous states are shipped for free. There are no products exempted from the free shipping offer (though we do have a Shipping Box charge for lamps 30" and longer). These options are shipped FedEx Ground, FedEx Home, UPS Ground, USPS Priority Mail, or in the case of very small items, USPS First Class. Shipping Box Charges Shipping one aquarium lamp can be very expensive, and recently because of the new FedEx and UPS dimensional weight charges it has become much more expensive. A single 48" lamp can cost nearly $20 to ship. However, shipping 2, 3 or 4 really does not cost more. Instead of raising the price of the lamps (which would penalize those buying more than one lamp), we now have a Shipping Box charge as an incentive to buy more than one lamp. The charge is a single charge for the longest lamp. For example, if you purchase one 48" lamp the Shipping Box charge is $7.50. If you purchase one hundred 48" lamps and fifty 36" lamps the box charge is still $7.50. The Shipping Box charges are as follows: 30” Shipping Box = $4 36” Shipping Box = $6 48” Shipping Box = $7.50 60” Shipping Box = $17 Remember, there will be a maximum of one Shipping Box charge per order. You will only be charged for the longest lamp. Expedited We also offer expedited shipping options. To get these shipping prices just put your items in the shopping cart and enter your state and zip code into the Calculate Shipping & Handling Fees boxes and choose Recalculate. More info on shipping choices, expected delivery times & order tracking.. |
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[email protected]
Monday-Friday 9:00 am to 11:00 am & 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm MT. We will return all phone calls through 3 PM the same day.
Note: we do not have daylight savings time in Arizona
