Shipping Policy

International Shipping Options

We offer the following options for international delivery:

Priority Mail International -- Insured

6 to 10 days to most countries. We recommend this service for the fastest and most reliable shipping to most destinations. While the tracking is less robust than Express Mail International (EMS), in our experience Priority Mail packages clear customs more quickly and are delivered faster than the other shipping options. For most packages, the carrier will require a signature for delivery.

Insurance

All Priority Mail International packages are shipped insured. Insurance typically covers damage or loss of items during transportation. Once a package clears customs, it is handed over to your local postal carrier or a contract delivery service and they are responsible for declaring when the package is delivered. Insurance claims cannot be filed once a package has been declared 'Delivered' by the local carrier. If a package that has been declared 'Delivered' by the carrier goes missing from your mailbox or front porch after delivery, your best chance of recovery is to contact the delivery service yourself as quickly as possible. You may contact us and we'll do whatever we can to help from our end, but in most cases it will be up to you to dispute the 'Delivered' claim of the carrier.

Duty Happens

Depending on the customs regulations in your country, you might be charged duty, taxes or other fees. We have no control over fees dictated by your government and no way of knowing whether they'll be assessed on any given package. Sometimes fees are assessed and sometimes they aren't and that decision is made by the customs agents at the point of entry to your country.

We adhere to all United States laws regarding international shipments. We attach and properly fill out all customs forms as required by law. Packages under $400US are marked 'Craft Supplies'; packages over $400US require a full commercial invoice which must be accessible to the customs agents. All international packages are subject to inspection by customs agents in either the US or in your own country.

Occasionally, a customer requests that we mark a package as a gift or with a lower than accurate value. That's customs fraud and wildly illegal, so as much as we'd love to save our customers the fee and thwart unfriendly trade practices, we're unwilling to go to prison for it, so we don't do it.

Customs Delays

Packages usually arrive within the shipping times listed above. However, customs officials have no obligation to observe the time estimates and can delay the delivery of your package by several days at their discretion. Customs or your local post office may contact you about why the package is being delayed, but sometimes they just hold the package and wait for you to contact them. In our experience, packages shipped using Priority Mail International generally clear customs faster than other shipping methods, including EMS.

Because our packages are shipped through the US Post Office, once the package leaves the US our ability to determine the status is limited. The postal carrier in your country might be able to provide more detail if there is a delay. Again, we adhere to all US laws regarding international shipments and we do include all of the required documentation. If you need any help in determining why your package has been delayed by customs, contact us and we'll do everything we can to help, but typically, the best course of action is for you to contact your local post office with your tracking number and they can usually determine the reason for the delay or put you in contact with the appropriate customs officials.

Resources

For information on US Customs laws and regulations regarding your country, click on the following link: Postal Regulations by Country. For more specific information regarding duty and postal fees in your country, please consult with your local customs officials.

Shipping and Delivery

Urban Maille is a factory, as opposed to a warehouse. We currently make to order over 30,000 maille ring sizes and styles in two production runs per week. When you place an order, it is first processed and then shipped. Processing an order for stock items takes 1-4 business days before shipping. Orders for MTO (Make to Order) items can take up to 10 business days to ship.

All ship times listed below refer to the transit time from our facilities to your shipping address. That time begins when you get your email notice letting you know that your order has been shipped. Some of the shipping options described below will shorten the transit time and get your order from our facilities to your shipping address faster, but none of the shipping options will shorten the time required to process your order. Overnight shipping does not mean that your order will arrive the day after it's placed; it means your order will arrive the day after it's shipped. We'll prioritize orders with speedy shipping in the production schedule if we can, but it isn't always possible. Contact us if your order requires special handling or you are trying to meet a specific deadline.

Domestic Shipping Options (USA)

We use USPS Priority Mail or UPS for all of our domestic shipping. The specific options available to you at checkout are determined by the dollar value of the order you're placing, with very high value orders limited to the most secure shipping options. The various options are described below, sorted by order value. Below that, those same options are described again, but arranged by carrier. If you cannot abide either USPS or UPS or would like your order sent another way, place your order with one of the available shipping options and make a note in the comments field listing the carrier and shipping option you'd prefer. We'll get back to you with details and a quote if there are additional costs.

Orders under $300

All shipping options are available for packages valued under $300. USPS Priority Mail and UPS Ground are the least expensive. Both of these options include Delivery Confirmation which provides the date and time a package was delivered or delivery was attempted. A signature is not required.

$300 -- $750

We ship packages over $300 requiring Signature Confirmation. This method provides the date and time a package was delivered or delivery was attempted. Someone must be present at the delivery address to sign for the package. If no one is available when delivery is attempted, the postal carrier will leave an orange slip to let you know that the package can be picked up at your local post office or the UPS driver will leave a Delivery Attempted notice at your door. UPS will attempt to deliver 3 times before returning the package to us. If you want an over $300 package sent with No Signature Required, see the No Signature option below.

$300 -- $750, No Signature Required

If your package is valued at over $300 but less than $750 and you want it delivered with No Signature Required, you must accept the liability for the loss of the package, should it go missing. We will ship this way at your request, but we will not be able to locate or replace a missing package shipped this way. To request this type of delivery, paste the following text into the comments field of your order (with your actual name in place of [Your Name], of course):

"Please send my order without signature confirmation required. I understand that I am waiving any claim to refund or replacement of my order once the carrier's records show it's been delivered. [Your Name]"

Over $750

For packages valued at over $750, UPS is the only shipping method offered at checkout, due to the more robust tracking and faster insurance recovery. UPS offers delivery times comparable to Priority Mail for most destinations. If your order is over $750 and you do not want UPS delivery, we suggest placing two or more lower value orders and choosing among the options available above for each of them. If you'd like to make alternate delivery arrangements, contact us before placing your order to discuss other options.

Insurance

All Priority Mail and UPS packages are shipped Insured. Insurance typically covers damage or loss of items during transportation. Neither UPS or the Post Office will pay a claim once they have reported an item as 'Delivered'. If a package goes missing from your mail box or front porch after delivery, the carrier may be able to help you by contacting the delivery person but there is no guarantee that the package will be recovered. You may contact us and we'll do whatever we can to help from our end, but in most cases it will be up to you to dispute the 'Delivered' claim of the carrier.

You may request that we send any package 'Signature Required' for added security. We ship all packages over $300 'Signature Required' by default.

Deadline?

We currently process and ship stock orders within 1-4 business days. USPS Priority Mail usually takes 2-3 days to arrive, including Saturdays, but that isn't guaranteed. So while you can usually expect your order to arrive within 3-6 days from the time it's placed, if you have a deadline that requires a guaranteed delivery time, you might want to consider upgrading your shipping method to UPS 2nd Day or Next Day service. Our production time of 1-4 business days will remain the same but your order's transit time will be guaranteed at two days or overnight, depending on the option you choose.

USPS Priority Mail -- Insured

Delivery within 2 to 3 business days to most domestic destinations. Although the postal service is quite reliable and economical, delivery times are not guaranteed so if your order must arrive by a specific date, UPS might be your best option. Priority Mail packages under $300 are shipped using Delivery Confirmation which provides the date and time a package was delivered or delivery was attempted. Packages over $300 are shipped with Signature Confirmation required. If no one is available when delivery is attempted, the postal carrier will leave an orange slip to let you know that the package can be picked up at your local post office. If you do not want your over $300 package sent with Signature Required, see the No Signature option above.

In some locations we can ship your package as 'Hold For Pickup' at the Post Office. Using the Hold For Pickup service, Priority Mail items are held at a designated Post Office location for pickup by a specified addressee. Upon arrival of the package at the destination Post Office, the addressee will receive an email notification from the Postal Service. If you want this service, please contact us to make arrangements.

UPS -- Insured

UPS's robust tracking system specifies the expected day of delivery, which is usually within 2 to 4 days from our central US location. If your order is over $300 a signature will be required. If no one is home to sign for it, the UPS driver will leave a Delivery Attempted notice at your door. UPS will attempt to deliver 3 times before returning the package to us. If you do not want your over $300 package sent with Signature Required, see the No Signature option above. For packages valued at over $750, UPS is the only shipping method offered at checkout. If you do not want UPS delivery for your high value package, please make a note in the comments field of your order and we'll contact you with alternate delivery options.

UPS Ground

Delivery within 1 to 7 business days.

UPS 3 Day Select

Deliver by the end of the third business day. Some locations in Alaska and Hawaii require additional transit time. Because we are located in the center of the country many of our Ground packages arrive within 3 business days. UPS Ground service offers the same tracking and delivery guarantees as the 3 Day and other services, so make sure to check the UPS Time Calculator below to avoid paying unnecessary shipping costs.

UPS 2nd Day Air

Delivery by the end of the second business day. Some locations in Alaska and Hawaii require additional transit time.

UPS Next Day Air

Next business day delivery by 10:30 a.m. to most locations. Some locations will be 12:00 noon or end of day, depending on destination.

You can calculate the delivery time for all UPS shipping options on the UPS website. Just go to the link below and choose 'Time in Transit', enter our zip code - 80470 - in the 'Ship From:' form and enter your zip code in the 'Ship To:' field. Then click 'Next':

Link: UPS Time Calculator