FAQs

So, what’s the deal with domestic shipping?

Actually, there are a few answers to that one.  In order to keep prices as low as possible, especially on large/heavy items, VPO has some items shipped to customers directly from the manufacturer.  For example, if a manufacturer is in California and our customer is in Oregon, it doesn’t make sense from any perspective to have the item shipped to us in New York, only to ship it right back to the west coast.  All that shipping substantially increases the price of the item, not to mention that it’s an environmentally unfriendly system.  Items shipped directly from the manufacturer ship by the carrier selected by that manufacturer.

Most items, though, are kept in inventory and shipped by VPO.  Most of those items ship by USPS Priority Mail.  We have found it to be both reliable and fast—and, because the item is delivered along with regular mail, you can get delivery to a p.o. box, which is not possible with other carriers.  For the same reason, if your order gets to your location on a Saturday, you get your delivery on Saturday with no additional charge, rather than waiting until the following Monday. We also ship by FedEx.

VPO has a flat rate, tiered system for shipping charges.  Your shipping charge does not change regardless of shipping method or whether your order ships in one box or three.  And domestic orders over $50 ship for free to the continental U.S. (lower 48)!  The following charges apply to domestic orders shipped to U.S. addresses only:

	Shipping Charges to Continental U.S. Addresses:

	Shipping Charges to Alaska, Hawaii & Territories:

What about shipping to Canada?

VPO is happy to announce that shipping to Canada of most items we carry is now available. We do not ship to Canada using any of the private courier companies in order to avoid excessive customs brokers fees being charged to our Canadian customers. We are also no longer shipping to Canada by First-Class Mail International because of the unavailability of tracking and the long delivery time occasionally experienced by our customers. If we are able to ship your item(s) by USPS Priority Mail International, we will do so. The following charges apply to shipping and handling of orders shipped to Canadian addresses, and do not include any additional duties or taxes:

	Shipping Charges to Canadian addresses:

In the event that we cannot ship a particular item for any reason, we will notify you right away. At your election, we will either refund just that portion of your order (including any related shipping charges) or cancel the order in its entirety.

Rarely, additional shipping charges might be required on shipments to Canada for certain heavy items (bags of dog food, for example).  If it is necessary to charge additional shipping for something purchased by our Canadian customers, we will notify you quickly of the additional amount due.  If you wish to proceed with the sale, we will send you a secure electronic invoice for the additional amount.  (These e-invoices can still be paid by credit card or PayPal – the same payment options exist as on our site.)  If you do not wish to complete the sale by paying any additional shipping, we will immediately refund your purchase in full or in part (crediting just the purchased item that requires additional shipping), according to your wishes.

We regret the necessity of occasionally having to increase the shipping charge that is calculated automatically during the sale for shipments to Canada.  The only way to prevent it is to simply make such items unavailable to Canadian customers, which we don’t wish to do, either.  We thank our Canadian customers for their understanding.

What about international shipping to countries other than Canada?

There is no automatic computation of shipping charges to countries other than the U.S. and Canada through the VPO site at this time.  However, in response to numerous requests from VPO friends in other countries, we are pleased to announce that international shipping of most of our items is now available.  These orders can work in one of two ways.

• If a customer from a country other than the U.S. or Canada places an order through the site, no shipping charges will appear.  When we receive the order, we will contact you and tell you what the shipping charge would be for your order.  Upon your approval, we will send you a secure electronic invoice for the additional amount due for shipping and handling.  (These e-invoices can still be paid by credit card or PayPal if you have a PayPal account – the same payment options exist as on our site.)   Your order will be shipped promptly when the shipping charges are paid.  Should you elect not to proceed with paying the additional shipping and handling charges, your purchase will be immediately refunded in full.

• If you prefer to know the total cost with shipping first, you can simply e-mail us and let us know the item(s) you are interested in ordering.  We will then provide you with the total for the item(s), including shipping and handling.  If you wish to proceed with the purchase, we will send you a secure electronic invoice for the entire order - merchandise, shipping and handling.  As stated above, these invoices are secure and allow for payment by credit card or PayPal, just as on our site.  Upon payment of the electronic invoice, your order will be promptly prepared and shipped.

International shipping charges include only shipping and handling, and do not include any additional duties or taxes that might be levied in our customer's country of residence.                                                                     

Can you explain your privacy policy?

Sure, that’s easy.  Village Pet Outfitters will never share (or sell, rent, trade, etc.) your personal information with other parties.  Never. 

What about environmental considerations related to packaging?

Like you, VPO is concerned about our planet, and we take extremely seriously all decisions related to packaging and shipping materials.  As we mentioned above, some of our products are shipped directly from the manufacturers (to avoid waste and keep costs as low as possible).  For those items, remember that all corrugated cardboard that isn’t wax coated is recyclable, and we urge you to recycle those boxes.   For the items we ship directly from VPO, our boxes are either USPS provided (awarded Cradle to Cradle(SM) Certification for their environmental attributes), are recycled, or are manufactured by a local company that uses 100% recycled content (OCC-old corrugated containers) to produce its 100% recyclable boxes. 

Perhaps best of all, if your shipment contains breakables and, therefore, packing peanuts – guess what?  We used to hate packing peanuts until we met these little guys!  They’re made of starch and other renewable resources.  They can be reused for packing and are water-soluble and completely biodegradable; they won’t ever sit in a landfill, but will go right back into the soil.  In fact, if you don’t want to save them to reuse (some people, we’re told, even use them as bedding for small mammals!), you can add a little water to them and watch them dissolve and go right down the drain!  But why not reuse them—with a completely clear conscience.

How can I pay - and is my financial information safe if I purchase something with you online?

First, security - who isn’t worried about this these days?  Well, the good news is that with VPO, you're assured of a secure financial transaction every time.

When you begin the process of purchasing something, you’ll be seamlessly transferred to secure, encrypted pages hosted by PayPal.  You don’t need a PayPal account, although if you have one, you certainly can pay that way if you wish.  However, you can also pay by VISA, M/C, AmEx, Discover, and e-Check – it’s up to you.   So feel free to shop on the VPO site and pay on a secure platform.   And after you pay, you can be back in the VPO site in one click.

What about sales tax?

If your purchase is being shipped to an address in New York state, we are required to collect and pay sales tax. In New York, that can range from 7% to 8.875% depending on the county involved. We do not (at least at present) have the option of charging a different sales tax amount for each county. Our solution to that? Sales tax for all New York residents will be calculated at the lowest rate (7%). If you reside in a county that charges a higher percentage sales tax, don't worry - we'll compute and pay the difference. Just think of it as an extra benefit to shopping with us!

What do I do if I need a refund, exchange or replacement item?

For U.S. orders, just send us an e-mail (contact us) or give us a call (888-273-8502) if you need help with a refund, exchange, replacement, etc. We'll provide you with a Return Authorization or whatever is needed to resolve the issue promptly.

Because of the high cost of shipping involved with international orders, replacement must be limited to items that are defective. Please contact us regarding any such problems. Thanks!

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