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 We partner with manufacturers in both Canada and the U.S. We
leverage the relationship our manufacturers have with all
the major shipping companies and ship direct from
manufacturer to your home, business or campground. It
will be the manufacturer of your purchase who will package
and ship the product.
Check out our Blog post on LTL shipping...
https://homeporchpatio.blog/2017/11/14/ltl-hppki-and-you/#more-108
Estimated
delivery times (usually 3-4 weeks for most
products) should never
be considered a guarantee. We work with our manufacturers to track
the progress of
your order as it moves through manufacturing, packaging and
shipping.Home Porch and Patio Kits Inc.
generally receives shipping information after the product
ships and we are committed to sharing that information with
you as it comes available to us.
We encourage you to call after
about 3 weeks to check on the progress. Though it might take
a couple of days to get information, we will be pleased to
provide updates.
How We Ship
UPS / FedEx Ground
Smaller items, like window awnings or post purchase
accessories or backordered items to fulfill the order, will ship by
UPS
or FedEx ground within the contiguous US.
UPS / FedEx will not deliver to APO, FPO or PO Box #'s.
We do not offer "Special Shipping
Options" (3-Day, 2-Day, Overnight, etc.). Contact UPS / FedEx
regarding standard delivery practices in your area.
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Common Carrier / LTL Shipping
Larger items will be
delivered by Common Carrier, Less Than Truckload shipping. Some of the
companies used by our manufacturers are ABF, ODFL, N&B, APA, YRC,
Overnite Express or Estes. They typically use a large truck / 18 wheel
semi-trailer with a 53' trailer for delivery purposes.
There is no way we can know whether
your neighborhood has 'difficulties' (mountain roads, overhead
wires, dead end streets) which prevents a tractor trailer from making a
delivery.
It is your responsibility
to make this known at the time you place your order and we can talk
about a 'plan B.'
The Process
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Once your order is ready and has been
boxed or crated the carrier is notified and they zip over to the
manufacturer to pick it up.
-
Your order is then brought to the
carriers origin service center where it is scanned and prepared for
the journey to you.
-
At this point a tracking number is
activated for your order so that it can be tracked on its way to
you. When we are provided with this number we share the carrier and
tracking number with you.
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Your order will likely make a few
stops along the way as the carrier picks up additional products for
distribution from your local service center for that carrier
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At this point, the carriers local
service center is commissioned to call you to set up a delivery
time. They are generally pretty flexible in setting the day and time
since you will need to be there to receive the product off the truck
and sign for it.
-
Last step is delivery day!
Helpful Tips
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We strongly advise
taking down the name and phone number of the local
shipping dock that calls. In the unlikely scenario that
they are not on time, it would be the local
shipping dock you would call.
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LTL
shipments are delivered as 'curbside delivery.' The
truck will stop at the bottom of the driveway.
The driver's responsibility ends by opening up
the back of the truck. The driver is not responsible
for unloading the product. It is highly
recommended that you have someone to help you unload
your material from the truck and into the garage or
backyard. That said, most driver's will be kind and
helpful during this process!
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In all cases your
material / product will be packaged and shipped such
that two people can carry the largest of the boxes. More
often than not the boxes may be more awkward (long) than
heavy. This is often what dictates the necessity of two
people.
The driver will always give you plenty of time to unload
and inspect the boxes.
-
The shipment of your material is
prepaid! Freight
Carriers should not be charging you
for deliveries described above. In the event that a
clerical error has occurred - call us as soon as you can
at 1.844.404.0484
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If you believe you need
help from the shipping company to offload your material,
most docks have additional services that you can pay
for. You can discuss this with the shipping company when
they call you to set up a delivery time with you.
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Though Home Porch & Patio Kits
Inc. has no control over how shipping companies run their business,
we are always standing by to help in any way we can.
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"Hot Shot" Shipping
Larger items are also
delivered by trucking firms that work with us to fill a single flat bed
truck for deliveries into a number of states along the way. They
typically use a large truck / 18 wheel semi-trailer with a 48' trailer
for delivery purposes.
There is no way we can know whether
your neighborhood has 'difficulties' (mountain roads, overhead
wires, dead end streets) which prevents a tractor trailer from making a
delivery.
It is your responsibility
to make this known at the time you place your order and we can talk
about a 'plan B.'
The Process
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Once your order is ready and has been
boxed or crated the carrier is notified and they zip over to the
manufacturer to pick it up.
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Your order is then loaded on the flat
bed with between 6-9 other orders depending on the size of the
units.
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The manufacturer works with the single driver (no
service center stops or unloading and reloading of material) and
plans the route through several neighboring states.
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At this point, the driver begins to
make appointments with the first couple of stops. He can only do
this for one or two orders at a time since traffic, detours and
other time sensitive factors are not under his control.
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The driver will likely be able to give
you a 6 -12 hour advance notice of delivery. He will not
be able to make other arrangements for another day. You will need to
be there to receive the product off the truck and sign for it.
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Last step is delivery day!
Helpful Tips
-
We strongly advise
taking down the name and phone number of the driver that
calls. In the unlikely scenario that they are not on
time, it would be the driver you would
call.
-
The truck will stop at the bottom
of the driveway.
The driver's responsibility ends by releasing the
straps over your order. The driver is not responsible
for unloading the product. It is highly
recommended that you have someone to help you unload
your material from the truck and into the garage or
backyard. That said, this method usually ends up with
the most amount of praise for the drivers! :-)
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-
In all cases your
material / product will be packaged and shipped such
that two people can carry the largest of the boxes. More
often than not the boxes may be more awkward (long) than
heavy. This is often what dictates the necessity of two
people.
The driver will always give you plenty of time to unload
and inspect the boxes.
-
The shipment of your material is
prepaid! Freight
Carriers should not be charging you
for deliveries described above. In the event that a
clerical error has occurred - call us as soon as you can
at 1.844.404.0484
-
Though this method might not give
the delivery flexibility that comes with regular LTL it
does minimize shipping damages and is worth your while
working with it!
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Though Home Porch & Patio Kits
Inc. has no control over how shipping companies run their business,
we are always standing by to help in any way we can.
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*IMPORTANT*
Shipping product around North America is a complicated business.
Their employees are generally great people, with families and
responsibilities like you and me. They honestly do their best to get the
product to you undamaged, however damage and accidents can occur.
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Most companies, in
the case of damage, will ask you to file a claim with the
shipping company, pay for the replacement material to be
sent out and then you would have to wait for the shipping company to give you
a refund. NOT US! And this sets us apart...
It is imperative that
you follow the instructions below,
it allows for us to take the responsibility of dealing with shipping companies.
By following the
instructions below we will be able to send out the
replacement material with no paperwork or cost to you. |
To
help avoid damages, some of our "materials supplied kits,"
which have materials longer than 16 feet,
may be cut down to smaller sizes, but still work with the
design of your specific unit.
How to Receive Your
Product
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Inspect the boxes.
If there is damage to the box, whether it is a
crease in a long box or holes/tears in the
cardboard take the time to
open the box where the damage is and make sure
there is no damage to the contents of the box.
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Exercise good judgment! For
example if the total width of your unit is 16'
and there is damage to the last 2' of a 20'
piece of gutter, then your can receive the
damaged material and complete your installation
without delay!
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Refuse the shipment entirely
ONLY if there is extreme
damage to most of the product. If you are unsure about what to do, call us toll free
(1.844.404.0484) while the driver is there and we will help with
the decision. Know, in the case of an entire shipment being
refused that it may take a number of weeks or more (depending on the
season) to get replacement material out to you
UPS / FedEx Shipping
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It is rare that this method of delivery results in
damaged material. If it does, please take pictures of the box, the
damaged material and the bill of lading. Send the pictures and
information to us at
damage@homeporchandpatiokits.com
Common Carrier / LTL Shipping
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If there is damage to the contents of any box,
the entire box is to be
returned with the
driver.
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Keep all boxes whose contents are not damaged!
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Please note
All Damage on the bill of lading which the driver has you sign.
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Take pictures of the box(es) you are sending back,
the damaged material and the bill of lading that the driver has had
you sign.
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Please make note of any
descriptions on the boxes that are being
returned. This will help us know what needs to
be sent out to you without waiting for it to be
returned! Boxes that are properly documented and sent back will then be replaced and shipped out to you promptly.
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Send the pictures and information to us at
damage@homeporchandpatiokits.com
Hot Shot Shipping
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Receive the entire shipment. If there is damage to the contents of any box,
please note All Damage on the bill of lading which the driver has you sign.
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Take pictures of the box(es), the damaged material
and the bill of lading that the driver has had you sign.
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Please make note of any
descriptions on the boxes that are damaged. This will help us know what needs to
be sent out to you without waiting for it to be
returned! Boxes that are properly documented and sent back will then be replaced and shipped out to you promptly.
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Send the pictures and information to us at
damage@homeporchandpatiokits.com
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In the Case of Shipping Damage or
Manufacturer Error
We
WILL ...
...work with you, the shipping company and the manufacturer to get you the replacement parts as quickly as possible. Manufacturing times and shipping distances
will obviously affect timelines.
We will NOT ...
Respond to abusive behaviors. Like
you, all parties involved are human and deserve respect, patience
and understanding.
Be responsible for replacement materials for damage that is not noted at the time
of delivery.
Be responsible for claims of damage after the unit
has been signed for 'as received in good condition.' Though we
always go the extra mile, our ability to honor
such claims is
extremely limited.
(Click here for further explanation)
Nor can we...
Offer monetary compensation for
customers' installation timelines that change due
to manufacturing or shipping delays.
Offer monetary compensation for
customers' installation timelines
that
change due to damage during shipping.
Offer monetary compensation to the customer or their contractor
for installation timelines
that change due
to manufacturing or shipping
damage/delays.
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The above set of instructions is given
for the benefit of our customers - -
minimizing paperwork, time and inconvenience in the case of damaged
material.
Please be sure you have read them in their entirety.
If you need points clarified, please feel free to contact us at
anytime with your questions.
Doing it yourself does not mean doing
it alone!
Toll Free: 1.844.404.0484
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