Shipping Policy
One of the many advantages of choosing Hardwood Floor Depot for your hardwood flooring needs, is our high quality, fast speed, and low-cost shipping services. From the beginning, we understand how important shipping services are for internet sales. We strive to provide fast shipping services that are hassle free and damage free. In our shipping policy below, we address the issues that are of concern to our customers.
Delivery Time
Most of our products are stocked at the many partner mills across the country and these products ship quickly. Once an order has been placed for an in-stock item, Hardwood Floor Depot tries to have it on the truck in 1-2 days from date payment is processed, however, we cannot guarantee a delivery time. In some cases, Hardwood Floor Depot, can ship out the same day. Transit time for in state orders are usually one day and for locations a couple states away, 2-3 days. Beyond a few states in distance, it typically takes 3 shipping days and for the west coast expect anywhere from 3-5 days. Shipping to a Residential Location may add time. Your sales representative can clarify approximate shipping times.
~ If you need the material held because you are not ready for delivery, we can oblige that for you. Please speak with your sales representative if you need the material held for a period of time at the mill. ~
*** DO NOT SCHEDULE INSTALLERS UNTIL THE FLOORING HAS BEEN DELIVERED AND IS IN YOUR POSSESSION. HARDWOOD FLOOR DEPOT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ADDITIONAL CHARGES ASSUMED BY THE CUSTOMER FROM THE CONTRACTOR FOR A DELAY IN A CONTRACTED STARTING TIME. ***
Hardwood Floor Depot offers 3 Methods of Delivery Options for our Customers
Residential Delivery (with or without Lift Gate):
When choosing to have your material shipped to a Residential Location (your home, your project, etc.) you will receive a PRO Tracking Number for your order once it is picked by the LTL shipping company. It is recommended you call your local terminal with the phone number provided on your invoice and this tracking number to make an appointment for a date and time of delivery. Do not leave your material at the terminal longer than necessary as the shipping companies will start charging you a storage fee. If you need the material held at the mill (prior to shipping) because you are not ready for delivery, we can oblige that for you. Please speak with your sales representative if you need the material held for a period of time at the mill. Hardwood Floor Depot also recommends contacting the shipping carrier the day of delivery to confirm your appointment.
*** Offloading at Residential Delivery ***
Residential Delivery includes curbside service which means the freight truck will arrive and place the pallet(s) off the street, typically on the curb or just inside the driveway. Your hardwood flooring will be packaged in either boxes or bundles and your responsibility to unload the truck. Any material that is no longer than 7’ in length and weighing no more than 2,000lbs per pallet will be provided with a Lift Gate, at an additional cost (approx.$75-$100), that lowers each pallet down from the trailer to the ground level. You are expected to move the materials from the curb into your home, the driver will not help without charging an additional cost. Any material that is longer in length or weighing more is the customers responsibility to hand unload the truck. It is best to coordinate some helpers to unload the truck. Drivers will not bring the flooring inside your home as it’s against their shipping companies’ policies for insurance purposes.
Upon arrival, your flooring order should be inspected in two ways. 1) Be sure that the correct number of boxes or bundles were delivered as ordered. 2) Be sure to match the product with the product listed on your invoice from Hardwood Floor Depot. Check for any possible shipping damage and note on delivery receipt as well as take pictures. If you feel that there is a shortage of flooring, please note on the delivery receipt the number of bundles or boxes that are missing and contact Hardwood Floor Depot immediately. If there is any issues, DO NOT reject the shipment. Accept it but make the appropriate notes on the Delivery Receipt. Be sure to keep your copy. Call us, and we will handle it from there. Claims must be made within 15 days of delivery.
Local Terminal Pick Up (our most budget friendly option):
When choosing to have your material shipped to your Local Shipping Terminal for Pick Up, you will receive a PRO Tracking Number for your order once it is picked by the LTL shipping company. It is recommended you call your local terminal with the phone number provided on your invoice and this tracking number to schedule a date and time that you will be going to your terminal for pick up. Do not leave your material at the terminal longer than necessary as the shipping companies will start charging you a storage fee. If you need the material held because you are not ready for delivery, we can oblige that for you. Please speak with your sales representative if you need the material held for a period of time at the mill. Hardwood Floor Depot also recommends contacting the shipping carrier the day of delivery to confirm your appointment for pick up. The LTL shipping company will load up your truck, trailer, etc. for you. Please be sure to bring straps to hold the material down and tarp if the weather is going to be a problem.
Upon picking up your order, please inspect it in two ways. 1) Be sure that the correct number of boxes or bundles were delivered as ordered. 2) Check for any possible shipping damage and note on delivery receipt as well as take pictures. If you feel that there is a shortage of flooring, please note on the delivery receipt the number of bundles or boxes that are missing and contact Hardwood Floor Depot immediately. If there is any issues, DO NOT reject the shipment. Accept it but make the appropriate notes on the Delivery Receipt. Be sure to keep your copy. Call us, and we will handle it from there. Claims must be made within 15 days of delivery.
Commercial Delivery with Dock & Forklift Accessible (our 2nd most budget friendly option):
When choosing to have your material shipped to a Commercial Location first please be sure they have at least a dock and preferably a forklift. You will receive a PRO Tracking Number for your order once it is picked by the LTL shipping company. It is recommended you call your local terminal with the phone number provided on your invoice and this tracking number to schedule a date and time for your delivery. Do not leave your material at the terminal longer than necessary as the shipping companies will start charging you a storage fee. If you need the material held because you are not ready for delivery, we can oblige that for you. Please speak with your sales representative if you need the material held for a period of time at the mill. Hardwood Floor Depot also recommends contacting the shipping carrier the day of delivery to confirm your appointment for pick up. The LTL shipping company will back up their truck and unload it onto the Commercial Locations dock.
Upon arrival of your order, please inspect it in two ways. 1) Be sure that the correct number of boxes or bundles were delivered as ordered. 2) Check for any possible shipping damage and note on delivery receipt as well as take pictures. If you feel that there is a shortage of flooring, please note on the delivery receipt the number of bundles or boxes that are missing and contact Hardwood Floor Depot immediately. If there is any issues, DO NOT reject the shipment. Accept it but make the appropriate notes on the Delivery Receipt. Be sure to keep your copy. Call us, and we will handle it from there. Claims must be made within 15 days of delivery.
Missing or Damaged Items:
Missing Items
In the event that material is missing from a single shipment NOTATE the delivery receipt and call us immediately to report the situation.
Damaged Items
Hardwood Floor Depot selects freight carriers through stringent guidelines for service and quality to see that your flooring arrives to your home in new condition, free of any amount of shipping damage. Out of our total orders placed and shipped, we only receive 1.2% (actual percentage) in claims initiated by customers. Usually, shipping damage happens when flooring is transferred from one truck to another by forklift at the freight companies’ different terminals across the country. Often when boxes are damaged there is no damage to the actual flooring itself just the box. Some damage to tongues and ends of boards for unfinished flooring is not a basis for refusal to receive the order. These few boards can be squared off and installed near walls, closets, or corners.
In the rare occasion that you receive damaged material the following rules will apply:
- NEVER refuse a delivery – Your material is shipped insured… Refused deliveries incur additional costs and decrease the chances of getting a resolution in a timely manner. Refused deliveries are also subject to costs outlined in the Returns & Cancellations Policy. Any damages from refused deliveries are non-refundable, and because it was refused, would not be notated on the delivery receipt. We are not responsible for ANY costs associated with a refused delivery.
- Any damage to some of the product or visual defects does not constitute a basis for rejection of the whole order. There has already been a shipping cost that has incurred to ship the floor to you which will double if the material is rejected. Rather, accept the shipment and make note of the problem on the Delivery Receipt and we will replace the problem flooring efficiently. Call your sales representative and they can review with you everything regarding the situation and we will handle it from there. If the order is sent back without agreement from Hardwood Floor Depot, you agree to pay shipping both ways and the restocking fee of 20% from the mill. The whole order is not to be rejected for just a part of it. Hardwood Floor Depot does and will back up what we sell.
- The Delivery Receipt is part of our contract with the freight company. Be sure to note the number of bundles or boxes that arrive on the delivery receipt. If there is any damage to the boxes or bundles, just write “Damaged” with a brief description of the damage on the delivery receipt BEFORE you sign it and release the driver. If you notice damage while still on the truck, be sure to take pictures before unloading. If damaged after unloading, please take pictures then as well.
- DO NOT DISCARD the damaged material. By law, once reported, the damaged material is the property of the carrier and they have 120 days to decide if they wish to inspect, pick-up or discard the material. The freight carrier is responsible once the product leaves our possession.
- NOTIFY us immediately. You have 15 days from product delivery to acknowledge a claim.
Again, we have found there is only a damage rate for all our shipments of 1.2%. This is a very unusual occurrence and we want you to be best informed and prepared. If this does happen don’t forget to take before and after pictures if there is any damage.
Reconsignment Fees
A reconsignment happens when freight that is already in transit is re-directed from one delivery location to another. This charge can vary based on how far apart the delivery locations are. If your plans change and you need to redirect your shipment to another there will be a Reconsignment Fee you are responsible for. Please contact your Hardwood Floor Depot sales representative for pricing and help.
We must send written authorization to make the change to the carrier. A Bill of Lading is a legal contract, so any changes made must be in writing. Authorization must be made by the shipper or paying party always.
The carrier will enter the information into their online system and image your authorization.
A rating analyst reviews the request, verifies that we have authorization to make the change, and completes the request.
Notification is sent to the terminal who currently has, or if it is in transit, who will have the freight.
New labels must be generated and put on the freight.
Typically, your charges end up being broken down into the cost from origin to reconsignment point, and reconsignment point to new destination, and fees for marking and tagging of the freight. If your freight has to backtrack, you will pay for every mile it has traveled.
Other important points to note as well regarding Reconsignment:
- If you are not the shipper or paying party, you cannot use your authorization to make changes to the BOL.
- If your name doesn’t appear anywhere on the BOL, see #1 above.
- If the driver arrives and you say that it needs to go to a different address across town, this constitutes both reconsignment AND redelivery. And it can’t be done without authorization, as above.
- This process represents a significant amount of labor time and fuel. Even a local reconsignment (change in address within a local terminal service area) requires these steps.
