Avoid Shipping Delays with These Shipping Tips & Tricks

As we all know, e-commerce has been booming since the pandemic and carriers have been overwhelmed with the volume of packages.  Do you remember last April when Amazon cancelled Prime delivery?!   I have hopes that the system is better poised to handle the volume of online orders this year but it is still best to shop early, especially with another lockdown across Ontario and other parts of the country.

Another gifting period – Mother’s Day – is upon us and we don’t want to let Mom down!  Here are some tips and tricks to ensuring your gifts arrive on time, no matter where you shop!

1. Support your favourite local stores - while they may be closed for in-person shopping, many are offering curbside pickup.  Check their website and social channels to see if this is available.
2. When shopping online, look at the company’s shipping policy page and try to determine where the goods ship from.  If it is international, account for an additional week for Customs Clearance delays and review if Duties will be due at time of delivery.
3. Allow for processing time.  Delivery timeframes usually do not include the time it takes to pick and pack the order.  Depending upon the company, this can usually take 1-3 business days.
4. Be vigilant of shopping from Marketplaces such as Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart.  Always check who the Seller is - if it is not the retailer, the package could be shipping from anywhere which could result in longer delivery timeframes.
5. When Canada Post is overwhelmed, sometimes a package is not scanned even though it is on the move.  Allow a few days to see an update.  If there is no movement after 3 business days, call Canada Post.  A "lost" package is often found after a call has been placed to Canada Post.
6. If you have your tracking number, it will be faster to call the carrier yourself. Also send an email to the company you purchased from so that they can follow up on your ticket with the carrier.  
7. Pay attention to the return policy, especially on Marketplaces and the Seller's return policy can differ from that of the Retailer.  Can you return to the store or does it have to be mailed?  If mailing, always used a tracked service.  The tracking number will provide proof of delivery to ensure your refund.
8. When shopping with The Northern Kiln, click on the Canadian Potter's name to be taken to their collection page.  This will list their location and where the pottery is shipping from.  The majority of our orders are processed within 24 hours although we do allow our potters 3 business days to prepare and pack the order and deliver to Canada Post.
9. Consider adding Route protection insurance to your order of handmade Canadian pottery.  This offers an extra layer of protection against lost, stolen or broken packages.  
10. Take advantage of our offer of free shipping on your first order with promo code W1S7QYFEN8QC

If you have any other shipping questions when purchasing handmade Canadian pottery through The Northern Kiln, please read our Shipping Policy or email us directly at hello@thenorthernkiln.ca

What to buy Mom is a whole other problem, if you aren’t sure what to get, check out our Mother's Day Gift Guide.