Shipping Methods & Rates
As part of Ant Farm Universe's philosophy of transparency and full information disclosure to our customers, we have prepared the following information to help you understand your shipping choices.
On select items within AntFarmU.com, you will find that we offer "Honest to Goodness" FREE Shipping. These items are identified by the "Ships Free" symbol on the individual product page. To qualify for free shipping, the item must ship by our standard ground carrier for delivery within the 48 contiguous states. All other items and shipping methods are subject to the normal shipping rates as defined below.
Standard Ground: Ground shipping cost is based upon the product shipping weight and the carrier zone charges. The closer your shipping destination is to our Idaho warehouse, the lower your shipping cost will be.
Economy Air: $14.75 for the first pound + $2.00 per additional pound (dimensional weight).
Overnight: Limited to "in stock items", call for delivery quote, billed at actual shipping cost.
Motor carrier shipments: Call for delivery quote, billed at actual shipping cost. Customer must arrange for offloading the shipment and transport from the "dock/curb" to the customer's premises.
Carrier selection:
• Ant Farm Universe reserves the right to use any of the major express carriers including UPS, FedEx, & USPS in fulfilling our obligation for standard ground shipments.
• Ant Farm Universe strives to choose the fastest, most convenient carrier which can be secured using the shipping fees collected. The carrier used for your shipment can vary depending on your location, the size, weight, and number of cartons included in your shipment.
• Customers may specify a specific carrier for their shipment but may incur additional shipping charges in doing so. Please contact Ant Farm Universe customer support to make any special shipping arrangements.
• Unusually large shipments, specifically those that are either too large or too heavy for the identified express carriers, must be shipped by Motor Carrier.
The price element... All of the major shippers consider both weight and volume when calculating their shipping fees. Light weight yet bulky packages incur higher shipping charges than their weight alone would indicate. By careful selection of the best value shippers, Ant Farm Universe continuously works to keep your shipping costs as low as possible.
The speed element... There are essentially two methods for transporting consumer shipments within the continental United States. You can ship via ground transport or by air transport. The obvious advantage of air transport is the much quicker delivery times. The disadvantage of air transport is the much higher costs that are associated with the faster delivery. The converse is true for ground transport, with the comparative delivery time being somewhat slower while the costs are correspondingly lower as well. A typical ground shipment will take from 1 to 6 business days for delivery and will be roughly 30% to 40% of the cost of a 3 day air shipment. To meet your needs, Ant Farm Universe offers both methods of shipping.
The convenience element... FedEx, UPS, & USPS, are all "door to door" shippers, as compared with motor carriers which are normally "dock side" or "curb side" delivery carriers. For this reason we recommend and use the express carriers as the most convenient option for you. (Those orders that must be shipped via motor carrier will be communicated to you upon receipt of you order.)
Multiple carton shipments... Most Ant Farm Universe shipments will fit easily into a single carton. In the event that the dimensional weight of the order would push the carton beyond the size/weight limitation of the chosen express carrier, Ant Farm Universe will package the order into multiple cartons. (For most orders, it is less expensive to ship multiple cartons via an express carrier than to ship a larger single carton via Motor Carrier.)
Insurance... All shipments include insurance* for the full price of the contents. Since all shipments are FOB our distribution warehouse(s), we feel it is in your best interests to make sure your products are properly insured against loss and breakage. (*Insurance coverage provided by the carrier or self insured by Interface Network Inc.)
Calculating your shipping costs... Each item on our web site has a "Product Weight" and a "Dimensional Weight" listed. The product weight is provided so you have a reasonable indicator of how heavy the item will be when it is unpacked and on display in your home, office, or classroom. The dimensional weight is used to calculate the shipping cost when considering the weight to volume ratio of the packaged product. Don't worry, the appropriate shipping charges are calculated automatically during the checkout process. If you wish to verify the shipping cost, simply fill in your address and zip code and select the "Update" button to calculate the exact cost of shipping for your order.
