Shipping Policy


FILLING YOUR ORDER

If we are out of anything on your order we will attempt to contact you using the contact information you give us while placing your order to advise you of the out-of-stock item and give you the option of shipping what we have, holding your order to wait for the missing item, or cancelling it altogether. If we do not receive a response from you within two business days we will process your order with what we feel is the most suitable substitution. If we have not received a response from you and we do not have a substitution we would use ourselves, we will ship your order minus the missing item while placing the item on backorder for shipment when it comes into our warehouse. Depending on the missing item, we may be forced to cancel your order if we do not receive a response from you.

98% of our orders are filled and shipped on schedule, not delayed by any out of stock items.  However, if your order is urgent and can not be delayed while we attempt to contact you regarding an out of stock item, please send an email to us at info@winemakersdepot.com so we know this.

ORDER and SHIPMENT CONFIRMATION

When your order has been received by our system you will receive an automatic email from our system confirming that your order has been received. 

When you order has shipped you will receive an email from our shipping department confirming your order has been shipped with a link to our system for tracking your shipment.  This link will include your tracking numbers for future reference.

SHIPPING SCHEDULE

Due to the ongoing, well publicized shipping crisis, FedEx, FedEx Express, UPS and many if not all other carriers, which include Ground and Air and Ocean Services, are experiencing longer than normal transit times and at times are suspending any Guarantees on Expedited Services and have at times outright suspended services completely.

Whether your order is shipped via Small Package or Truck, any reference to number of days for transit time does not include the day of pick up and does not include weekends or Holidays.  For example, 3-day transit for a shipment picked up on a Tuesday would have an expected delivery day of Friday.

Small Package Orders:
Orders placed Tuesday through Friday before 12:00PM CST will usually ship the same day. Orders placed Tuesday through Friday after 12:00PM CST will usually be shipped the next business day. Orders placed on Saturday, Sunday and Monday or on a Holiday will ship in 1-2 Business Days.

Orders with Expedited Shipping (1-Day, 2-Day, 3-Day, Priority Mail), Must be placed No Later than 11:30AM CST to be shipped that same day. As is standard with all transport companies any date-specific shipping method (Next Day / Overnight, 2-Day, 3-Day, etc.) refers to business days- i.e. orders placed on Friday for "Next Day" delivery will be delivered on the next business day (Monday, unless it is a national holiday). Saturday deliveriy for expedited/air service is available for next day air service only and can be selected (if available in your area) from our website or can be arranged by contacting us directly via phone or email prior to us shipping your order.  Extra charges do apply for Saturday delivery.

Keep in mind even if you selected a Fedex Ground Service, at the time of shipping we switch many of these ground orders to USPS Priority Mail (2-3 Day Delivery).  These orders that are switched to USPS Priority Mail are typically smaller orders that weigh less than 2 lbs.  There are a lot of factors that a website shipping program simply can not take into account.  At the time of shipping all factors are taken into account and often times we upgrade the service to USPS Priority Mail, and always at no additional expense to our customers.  If you have selected a Fedex Ground Service and cannot accept a delivery from the USPS, please let us know via the Add a Note option at the end of Checkout or send us an email.

Click TRANSIT TIMES for FedEx Ground Delivery.

Truck Shipments:
Larger equipment typically requires palletization, protective packaging, and sometimes crating, and will ship 1-2 days after your order is placed/taken.  Due to high volume lead times for shipping may be longer leading up to and during harvest.

SHIPPING METHOD

We ship all orders with either Fedex, UPS or USPS.  The shipping charges you see during check out are based upon shipping weight and or size of the package, shipping distance, the service selected (Air, Ground, etc.), and carrier published rates.  There are variables related to shipping created by the combination of buyer selected items that can not be accounted for by any website and computerized shipping program.  Winemakers Depot reserves the right to select which carrier to ship with based upon these variables at the time your order is processed for shipment.  We will absolutely honor your requested mode, i.e. Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, etc., but we may choose a different carrier than that selected at Checkout.  If one of the offered carriers, for whatever reason, can not provide service to your delivery location please notify us by attaching a note to your order, via email, or a phone call at the time you place your order.  Keep in mind, if you select a USPS mode of shipping, the Post Office does not guarantee delivery nor do they insure their packages for loss or damage. 

To help ensure prompt delivery of your order we transfer to the shipping label any phone number you have given us so that if there are any devilvery questions or problems the carrier can get a hold of you.

LARGE OR HEAVY ITEMS

Products such as Presses, Destemmers, Larger Pumps, Multi-Head Bottle Fillers, MUST be sent via a commercial truck and these costs can be expensive. The shipping estimate produced by our website may have to be adjusted for one of these items. We will be more than happy to give you a shipping estimate over the phone or through email if you prefer.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPMENTS

Yes, we ship our professional equipment all over the world.  Typically customer arranges transport so they are in control of the carrier, mode/speed of transport, insured value, customs clearance at destination, and of course cost so that there are no surprise fees at time of delivery.  However, we do package and crate for international transport.

SHIPPING RATES

As mentioned above your, shipping charges will be calculated based upon the shipping rates we are charged. However, all shipping rates are subject to change at any time. Fedex and UPS typically adjusts their rates in early February of each year and the commercial truck carriers currently do not follow any specific schedule for rate adjustments.

WHO HAS FREE SHIPPING?

NOBODY DOES – UPS, FEDEX, nor The Post Office pick up and deliver packages for free, they always bill somebody for the costs. Anybody that offers free shipping is paying the shipping costs and adding the costs somewhere, which is typically to their prices. The only exception to this might be a limited time promotion of some sort. When you compare our prices to those that offer free shipping you will typically find that their prices are 20% to 200% higher than our prices.  Really, 200%! These higher prices need to be charged to cover their shipping.