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Frequently Asked Questions
Below are what we believe to be the
most frequently (and perhaps some not so frequently) asked questions
about CaribbeanArt.com and Caribbean Stuff, LLC. If you have a
question which is not covered here, please e-mail it to info@caribbeanart.com and
we will respond with an answer.
About my order:
How soon will my order ship?
When will I receive my order?
What forms of payment do you accept?
When will my credit card be processed?
Can I track my shipment?
Where do you ship from?
What countries do you ship to?
What is a “Drop Shipper”?
What is your return policy?
What if the package arrives damaged?
How are shipping charges calculated?
How can I contact you?
About the Website:
Who are you?
What’s your mission?
How do you select products to sell?
How do I know I can trust you?
About Bonaire:
Where can I get more Bonaire information?
About my order:
Q: How soon will my order ship?
A: It typically takes two to three (2-3) business days to process
an order when it comes in, and assuming everything you ordered
is in stock, we will ship the order after it is processed. At the present, same day shipping is not possible.
Shipping quotes are made first on original artwork and must be approved by the customer before payment and shipping is done. Original artwork will take a few days to package up and then shipment
from Bonaire depends on your location and customs processing.
Q: When will I receive my order?
A: At some point after we have shipped it. How long after we shipped
it will depend on what type of shipping you selected from our
shipping options when you placed your order. For continental
U.S. shipments, UPS Ground service can take from one to seven
business days depending on your proximity to New Hampshire (where
we ship from) and seasonal issues (e.g. storms or holidays) which
may slow UPS delivery. For shipments
outside the continental U.S. it all depends on how long your
shipment takes to get to where it is going plus the added time
resulting from any customs clearance that might be required if
you are in another country. For orders outside the U.S. we may
also contact you to suggest a more efficient method of shipping
than UPS. Shipments from Bonaire are via Insured Federal Express
International service which usually takes 3-7 days.
Q: What forms of payment do you accept?
A: We take all major credit cards via the secure form on our web
site – specifically American Express, Discover Card, MasterCard,
and Visa. You may also opt to pay via PayPal if you prefer.
Q: When will my credit card be processed?
A: Your credit card order will be processed when we are certain
all items you ordered are in stock and ready to ship. This will
typically be within one business day of receiving your order
as well as within one business day of shipping your order. You
will receive an automatically generated e-mail when we have successfully
charged your credit card to let you know it has happened.
Note: Credit Cards are processed through our company CaribbeanStuff LLC. And this is the name you will see on your credit card
statement not CaribbeanArt.com which is just the web site name.
Q: Can I track my shipment?
A: When we ship your order, your record in our ordering system
will be updated with your order’s tracking number, and
an e-mail with that UPS tracking number will automatically be
sent to you. You can then go to http://www.ups.com and
track your shipment. Note that it may take up to one business
day after we have sent you the tracking number before it shows
up in the UPS tracking system. We’re not sure why this
is, but that is the way it is with UPS.
Q: Where do you ship from?
A: Most products ship from our warehouse in tax-free New Hampshire,
although some specialty items, such as original artwork
for example, may end up being shipped directly from the artist – this
is called “Drop Shipping”. Drop shipping may add
some additional time or cost to fulfilling an order, but such
information will generally be clearly outlined in the description
for a drop shipped product on our site.
Q: What countries do you ship to?
A: We currently ship to the USA, Canada,
and the Netherlands Antilles, of course, since that is where we call home..
Q: What’s a “Drop Shipper”?
A: A “Drop Shipper” is a supplier we work with who
ships ordered product directly from its facilities. We use drop
shipments for unique and specialty items for which it might not
make sense to keep in inventory. See previous item on “Where
do you ship from?” as well.
Q: What
is your return policy?
A: You must contact us to receive an Return Merchandise Authroization
number (RMA). If you receive something and decide you do not like
it, you may return it at your cost for shipping and we will give
you store credit for the item, less a 15% restocking fee. If that
return policy doesn’t
sound particularly attractive, please note that is intentional.
We would much prefer that you do not buy from us on whim under
the assumption you can return anything you like. We have relatives
(and chances are you do too) that continually do this order/return
thing with large mail order companies who have liberal return policies,
and frankly, that drives us nuts. It costs merchants a huge amount
of additional time and money to take back and process returns,
and we’re
not large enough to absorb that overage easily. Therefore we hope
that when you buy from us, you’re
doing so because you know what you want. However, as we are a small
company, we will also deal with each situation on a one-by-one
basis, and certainly can take extenuating circumstances into account.
Q: What if the package arrives damaged?
A: If the item you received from us is defective (e.g. damaged
in transit), we will happily coordinate getting you a replacement
(which may require us getting the damaged/defective item back,
for which we would arrange with UPS to provide a pick-up tag).
Original
Artwork shipped from Bonaire is insured through Federal Express.
You will need to file a claim with Federal Express for damages
and include pictures and documentation of any damage. We have
found it best that if the damage is to the frame only that it
is usually easier for the customer to repair or replace the frame
himself using the proceeds from the insurance claim.
Q: How are shipping charges calculated?
A: Automagically. We actually really don’t understand the
nitty gritty details other than that our shopping cart software
adds up the weight of all the items in your shipment, and sends
that off to a UPS server somewhere. Said UPS server then spits
back all the numbers on how much it would cost to ship via a variety
of UPS methods. Poof. Magic. And we do not pad the numbers from
UPS (we don’t know how). However, we do charge a $2.00 handling
fee to cover the costs of packaging, gasoline, and other costs
leading to processing and shipping out your order. That handling
fee shows up as a separate line item on your order confirmation,
incidentally – no hidden costs.
Shipping charges for Original Artwork shipped from Bonaire are
determined after the order has been placed. We estimate the
measurements and weight of the artwork packaged. Using the name
and address information on the order, we will get a quote from
Federal Express. The customer will be emailed the shipping fee
charges plus 5% to cover local tax. At this time the customer may
choose to cancel the order. The customer's credit card will be
charged only after the shipping fees have been approved by the
customer.
Q: How can I contact you?
A: The best way is via e-mail at info@caribbeanart.com – that
e-mail address goes to multiple people which better ensures that
your message will get prompt attention. However, if you are e-mail
phobic or just prefer to use old technology (like a phone), then
you can call us at (603) 218-6389 – note that most often you
will get voicemail instead of a live person however, and only one
person checks that voicemail box. In your message to us, please
include your contact information, your name, your order number
(if this relates to one) and what the problem is.
About the Website:
Q: Who are you?
A: CaribbeanArt was originally created as an off island outlet
for the artwork of Jake and Linda Richter. The Richters have lived
in the Caribbean, specifically on the island of Bonaire, since
1997. Now, we are expanding with new artists with art from an even
broader Caribbean base.
Our shipper Caribbean Stuff, LLC was formed
in 2005 and is also the company
that created the island specific site BonaireStuff.com which sells
speciality items from Bonaire. and intends to make an ever broader
range of Caribbean products available in the U.S., shipped from
New Hampshire.
Q: What’s your mission?
A: To offer Caribbean artists a broader audience for a variety
of artwork.
Q: How do you select products to sell?
A: See our Artists Program page.
Q: How do I know I can trust you?
A: Jake & Linda Richter stand behind CaribbeanArt, and both
are well known personalities on the island of Bonaire as well as
internationally. You can Google “Jake Richter” to see
his background (and other than any links that show up pertaining
to hockey, wrestling, or other team sports, all of the other 2000+
hits for that search relate to the right Jake Richter). Likewise,
you can go to www.BonaireTalk.com and
see what folks there think of the Richters and Caribbean Art.
About Bonaire:
Q: Where can I get more Bonaire information?
A: The three best places to get information about Bonaire are:
1) http://www.InfoBonaire.com – the
official web site of Bonaire;
2) http://www.BonaireTalk.com – the
open forum about everything and anything Bonaire; and
3) http://www.BonaireWebCams.com – where
you can see live images from Bonaire 24 hours a day, including
the world’s only full time open ocean underwater ReefCam.
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