Frequently Asked Questions
Please read the questions and answers here, before submitting an e-mail. The most frequently asked questions are answered here, and can save you the time of composing an e-mail and waiting for a reply.
Payment Questions:
A: We accept American Express, Discover, Visa, and MasterCard credit and debit cards. Apple Pay, Google Pay, Stripe Payments You may also purchase by pre-paying with a check, money order, or wire transfer (a $25.00 fee is added to wire transfer orders.) Government and educational organizations may purchase up to $2500 on Credit card after that a ACH or wire is required. Businesses which have submitted a credit application and have been approved, may also purchase on up to $2500 on Credit card and ACH or wire after that.
All of these forms of payment are accepted right here on the website. You do not need to contact us to perform a wire transfer, pay by check, or submit a purchase order. When checking out, our order form will allow you to select any of these payment options.
If this is your first order with us, and your credit / debit card billing address, or your shipping address are not within the United States, you will be required to supply front and back images of your credit / debit card by secure upload or e-mail. We will not process your order without these images. Complete instructions are provided on the order entry page, and will also be e-mailed to you, after placing your order.
We currently do not accept credit / debit cards or checks for orders associated with Indonesia, Singapore, Nigeria, and all former Soviet Union countries. We only accept payments by wire, for shipments involving those countries.
Ordering Questions:
A: There are several similar ways to view an item’s availability. Primarily, you can see availability on an item’s detail page. Specifically, every item in our catalog has its own page, which can contain images, details, specifications, and availability. This information is displayed in a tabbed format for desktop browsers, and in a collapsed accordian menu format for mobile browsers. In a desktop browser, you can view the availability by simply scrolling to the middle of the page and clicking on the Availability tab. In a mobile browser, simply expand the Availability section by tapping it. Click here for an example.
If you aren’t viewing an item’s detail page, then you may be viewing a catalog listing page, search results page, or your shopping cart, where several items may be listed at once . If so, click the product’s Item Number, to check real time inventory. In a desktop browser, the Item Number is the six or seven character number in the leftmost column. In a mobile browser, the Item Number is in a blue bar above the item’s details. A window will pop-up displaying inventory for the item. Also, clicking an item’s description will bring you to the item’s detail page, as described above.
These options display identical information. Additionally, if a table of warehouses is displayed, please carefully read the information beneath the table for additional stock information. If you don’t understand what a particular column in the table means, click the title of the column for an explanation. The stock information shown is REAL-TIME and accurate. It is based upon the same system we use internally, and what you see is exactly what we see.
Lastly, there may be no table of warehouses listed for an item. This is the case for items which ship directly from a manufacturer to you, items that are delivered via e-mail, or items which are ordered or made on demand. The standard lead time for items like this is 15 business days, but the information shown will be more specific for that particular item. We don’t have or display live inventory information for manufacturer direct ship items.
Shipping Questions:
A: Our shopping cart system will estimate shipping charges for most shipping methods. Add items to your cart for shipping estimates. Shipping and handling charges differ depending upon your location, as follows:
- Shipping in the US:
We ship domestically in the contiguous 48 states using UPS and Federal Express. We also offer US Postal Service methods to AK, AS, FM, GU, HI, MH, MP, PR, PW, and VI only. We use only US Postal Service methods to ship to US military addresses in AA, AE, and AP. We pay for ground shipping in the contiguous 48 United States on most orders of $10.00 or more, for items purchased at our published web prices, that ship from our warehouses. For orders less than $10.00 shipping by ground, all FedEx orders, all manufacturer direct shipments, all special order shipments, custom priced orders, and heavyweight or very large item shipments, you pay the shipping charges. Our shopping cart system will estimate shipping charges for most shipping methods. These estimates do not apply to the exceptions noted above, and if shipping charges are other than estimated, you will be contacted before your order ships. You can also use your own FedEx account number, if you wish FedEx to bill you shipping directly. We reserve the right to change your shipping method to an equivalent or faster method, at no additional charge to you. A $2.00 handling charge applies to most orders under $1,000.00.
- International and Overseas US Military Shipping:
We ship internationally using the US Postal Service and Federal Express. An $8.00 handling charge applies to all international orders. The shopping cart displays this handling charge, and displays an estimated shipping charge for some US Mail shipping methods. The estimate is based upon the assumed weight of the items ordered, plus packaging, and an averaged freight rate. The estimate shown, however, is not a guarantee of shipping cost, which may be more or less than the estimate. Usually, actual US Mail freight charges are less than estimated. For US Mail methods that are not estimated, you can visit the US Postal Service’s website to perform an estimate.
Shipping costs for FedEx international methods are not estimated as they are dependent upon the destination, weight, and dimensions of the order. Therefore, if you want an estimated cost of shipping by FedEx internationally, in advance, you can visit the FedEx website to perform an estimate. The shopping cart displays the estimated weight of each item, before you check out, which will assist you in estimating the shipping costs. We recommend that you use at least a minimum weight of 4 lbs, dimensions of 12 x 9 x 5, and an origin zip code of 06447, when estimating FedEx International rates. Additionally, we provide a 10% discount off the Federal Express published international rates, so you may include that in your calculation. You may use your own FedEx account number, if you wish FedEx to bill you shipping directly.
Lastly, most international destinations impose duties and tariffs, over which our company has no control, and cannot estimate for you, and we will not declare merchandise as “gifts” as this violates US export law.
- Please note that we’re not in business to make our money on shipping charges.
Many other companies sell their products at cost, then grossly overcharge on shipping to make their profit, or have incremented rates ($5.00 minimum, $10.00 if it weighs x amount, $15.00 if it weighs this much, etc.) We think this is unfair and misleading, and have no such scheme. Rest assured, we will do our very best to keep shipping costs to a minimum.
Product Questions:
A: On the majority of products, the manufacturers have provided additional technical specifications or information. These products will have links in the “More Info” column named [Specs] and / or [Brochure]. When the [Specs] link is clicked, it will open another browser window containing all the additional specifications we have on that item. When the [Brochure] link is clicked, you will download a ZIP file containing a product brochure or additional technical specifications provided by the manufacturer. These links will be missing from the products on which we have no additional information. Every item also has a [Details] link, which will bring you to a page where you can place your order, view specifications, view availability, and download a brochure.
Please note that if you contact us for information on any item, we’re only going to be able to provide you with what is available on the site. In other words, if we have any more information, it’s all available here. If we don’t, then you should contact the manufacturer, as we won’t have any other product information.
Warranty Questions:
All payments will be refunded within 30-days or unless other arrangement has been made.
Returns Questions:
We are easy with Returns.
30-Days return on all products DOA or workmanship errors.
Refunds Questions:
All payments will be refunded within 30-days or unless other arrangement has been made.
Other Questions:
A: Drop us an e-mail or give us a call. We’ll be happy to answer your questions the best we can. Please remember, however, that the manufacturers are the best source for product information and specifications.