FAQ

Can you give me a shipping cost prior to ordering?

If you want a shipping quote, place a mock order as though you are placing an on-line order, which will give you the total with shipping. The second screen will give the shipping selections. Print and send this second shopping cart page with the payment. This method will not work for items, which are oversized or need to ship by truck, such as large geodes.

For most products the shopping cart calculates shipping when you place an order. For items, which ship by truck rather than standard UPS or FedEx, we will have to research it once an order is placed. For international orders we will advise of the options for shipping once the order has been place.

What is the order processing and shipping time? We aim to ship orders within 24 hours. Otherwise; orders will ship within two business days after receipt of order based on the volume of orders, and availability of items on the given order. During the holidays it sometimes takes an extra day or more because of the heavy volume. We do our best to maintain speedy responsiveness to getting orders shipped out quickly. If you have a deadline, it is the customer’s responsibility to let us know.

Domestic, in country transit time is typically 5-10 business days, not calendar days, after we ship the order. A business day is Monday-Friday, and does not include weekends, or holidays, the day before Christmas, the day before New Years, and other holidays. This is because freight carriers do not pick up or deliver on those days. Air services are delivered on business days, not weekends.

International air shipping transit times are lengthy unless you ask us to ship by Federal Express. US Mail air services are taking from 2-4 weeks to arrive for most countries. However, because of local mailing and customs delays it may, on occasion take longer.

Refunds cannot be provided due to lengthy delivery times. It is not our responsibility how long a package takes to arrive. If you need it quickly, request delivery by Federal Express worldwide economy service. This takes from 1-2 weeks and costs about 2 or 3 times as much as airmail.

International economy, also called "surface", shipping transit times are from 2-3 weeks for Canada, to 6-8 weeks for the rest of the world. Please note that these are estimates.

International orders? International orders are shipped via US Mail or Federal Express Worldwide. We add approximately $5.00- $7.00 per package for handling, plus US Mail or FedExcost. Some additional costs may be added for insurance.

What about customs fees and duties? Customs and import fees are levied by your own country once the package reaches your destination country. If you do not pay them, and invoices are sent back to us as the shipper, you will be billed using your credit card as security for the customs fees, plus a handling charge for our staff taking the time to research the case. Please take care of these fees once you contacted by the authorities.

How do I select a shipping method? When you are completing an order, there is a drop down menu from which to select shipping during check out. The drop down menu will give you a choice of next day, second day, third day air or ground. If there is an error in your order confirmation after you have placed the order, contact us by e-mail immediately (within a few hours after placing the order) for any changes or corrections you wish to make.

OOPS, What happens if I did not select the desired shipping method upon checkout? If you wish to make a change, DO NOT recreate the order, just e-mail us with the correction.

What if I want a guaranteed arrival date? Select an expedited service, such as, next day second day or third day service. Please note these services can be costly depending upon the size and weight of the item. Saturday delivery adds additional cost, since it is not a business day.

Expedited air services have higher rates for box sizes greater than 12" x 12" x 12". Additional charges will be calculated based on the carrier’s "dimensional weight" formula after we review the order and know the correct information.

If there is a problem with the order, such as, invalid card number, bad addresses or the like, then orders will be held until these issues are resolved with the customer.

Special orders, custom orders and back orders can take 2-4 weeks, depending upon the item. Long lead-time items are usually noted on the website.

What are Shipping and handling costs for 48 contiguous states? Please note large items may need to be shipped via trucking or freight lines since they are either too heavy or too large for UPS or FED Ex. During checkout you must select the method you desire from the drop down menu. This calculates the correct cost for shipping based on UPS rate tables, unless it is oversized or requires multiple boxes on larger orders..

The exact shipping costs are determined by weight of the package and zip code.

Can you give me an example of how shipping is calculated? Sample rate calculation would be: if FedEx charges Sunburst Oasis $6.00 for freight, the handling cost of $1.50 per box (for small to medium boxes) is added to that for a total of $7.50. If a large or extra large box is required additional costs will apply. Oversize shipments where the box is greater than the shippers regular box minimum will have additional charges.

Are there separate charges for order with multiple boxes? If your order requires more than one box, and/or there are large boxes, we will manually calculate the shipping cost after we receive the order. We will make every effort to notify you of this. The on-line shipping software can only make a single order charge, and cannot calculate additional box charges based on the size and/or multiple boxes.

We generally do not ship via US Mail, except on some rare occasions for small overseas orders, APO, Alaska, Hawaii and some inexpensive back ordered items.

Heavier shipments over 70 lbs or oversized beyond FedEx capability will likely be shipped by truck lines. These types of orders will need manual calculation

Why are oversized or heavy items charged more? UPS and FedEx both charge a volume rate based on the weight and dimensions for larger packages. This applies to air services and, height width and depth over a certain size. The shopping cart cannot calculate the oversized charges automatically (we sure wish they could since we must call to get a rate, and it creates more work for us) But, as a customer service, we are glad to do it, but please note, we do not create these rates, but must implement them

Charges for Intentional orders are calculated after your order is placed. We will contact you with the options and shipping rates if the orders are heavy and costly.

Most larger dollar value International orders are now shipped via Federal Express Worldwide Service, unless the value is less than $100.00, or is oversized from the US postal service standards. In the past it has been our intention to save int’l customers on shipping by using US Air Mail. However, recent US Postal rate increases, inconvenience to customers in late or delayed packages, and a lack of reliability in mail service have proved that we should use FED EX for int’l customers on many orders..

We can make exception in using Int’l US mail if you provide a release in writing accepting all responsibility for your shipment.

Why is my package taking so long to arrive? Local customs departments within the recipient country may cause delays once they arrive in your country. Be sure to include the correct local postal code. Customs and import fees are levied once the package reaches your destination country. Our company has nothing to do with the customs process, charges vary as you well know. Contact your local customs authority to find out about import duties for international shipments.

Our company cannot be responsible for customs delays and your country’s internal procedures or delays. There may be customs charges. Contact your local customs authority to find out about import duties for international shipments.

Customer Order Line: 1-800-571-0239, New York and international order line 1-914-242-5055
Business Relations, vendors and other inquiries: 1-914-242-5055.

Our fax number is available with prior authorization and should be used only for ordering purposes.
E-mail address: info@sunburstoasis.com

Important note: You can leave us a voicemail or email 24/7and let us know the best times to get back to you.