Shipping & Returns

Shipping Information -

Most orders are shipped via the United States Postal Service. We use the U.S. Postal Service because it keeps shipping costs down and goes just as fast. A postal tracking number is standard on domestic mail and will allow you to track the package.

Please enter your card account billing address first, your shipping address second, if different. PO Boxes are OK. You can also ship an order to a friend or family member. Carefully enter your shipping address. Typically we will print the shipping label exactly as you type it. Shipping addresses may be auto corrected with an address correction system. Please use proper case, and format common for a mailing address. Be sure to use "Care Of" when mailing to your workplace or other address as applicable. Your address will not be used for junk mail.

Most orders will be shipped the following business day. Orders placed early in the day may ship the same day. In some rare cases it can take longer before an order is shipped, you will be notified of late shipment. Every effort will be made to get your order to you as fast as possible.

Packages with a U.S. domestic destination will be shipped via First Class Mail, Parcel Post, Priority Mail or Express Mail. The online shopping cart will display transit times. Please expect some additional transit time for the best results. Orders shipped to the North East will arrive faster than those shipped to the South West Coast, because of our New Hampshire location.

Express is the fastest service, overnight to most locations. Place your order in advance for the best results. Priority Mail takes 2-3 days. First Class will take 2-5 days. Parcel Post (Free Shipping when applicable) will take 7 plus days. Transit times refer only to location in the continental U.S.

A signature is required for orders that total more than $200. You may want someone be at the delivery address to receive and sign for the parcel, or you may have go to the Post Office to pick it up. Please plan ahead to sign for the package. Signature is not required for First Class and Priority Mail packages of lesser value.

A Shipping Confirmation will be e-mailed to you when the package has been shipped. In almost every case this will be on the day the shipment has been mailed. This message will go out just before or just after the shipment has been mailed. If may contain a tracking number and other package service information. Tracking numbers can be used to track packages through the US Mail. In the rare instances when your order is shipped via UPS or FedEx you will cut and paste your tracking number into the appropriate website.

Your order will be shipped from TopKayaker.Net, 1805 Route 16, Center Ossipee NH 03814.

A few items are shipped direct from our suppliers to you. In this case they may be shipped via UPS or FedEx Ground (2-5 days). Items that may be drop shipped via UPS or FedEx, from the manufacture to you, will have a notice of such in the product description. Additional charges for overnight and international shipping may apply.

For large quantity orders and for some back orders the shipment will be made via UPS or FedEx direct to your address from the manufacture of that product. No extra shipping charges will be due. Some large quantity orders and some back orders will be shipped in multiple boxes.

Many of the products sold by TopKayaker will not fit into mailboxes and slots. If you are not home to take delivery of a package the letter carrier may decide to leave it in a secure location. The letter carrier may decide to leave a notice. You will have to make arrangements to pick it up at your local Post Office or schedule re-delivery. You can leave instructions at your door, or type them into the "special instructions" field during checkout. You and your local letter carrier know best how to handle deliveries, signatures and post office pick up.

Bear in mind that while we make every effort to get your package shipped quickly, once it is out of our hands and in the postal system (or parcel service), options to change the order or to upgrade the shipping are limited.

International Shopping and Shipping
Shoppers out side of the USA and Canada MUST contact us prior to placing their order for special instructions. Contact Us. U.S. military and U.S. territory customers with a USA Zip code, as well as customers from Canada do not need to. Failure to contact TopKayaker prior to placing an order will result in order cancellation, delay or additional shipping charges. Topkayaker does not ship to all countries of the world. Our system accepts orders from a select list of countries. We reserve the right to accept orders and ship them at our discretion.

International orders will be shipped via United States Postal Service, or via UPS or FedEx at our discretion. If shipped via USPS parcels will be delivered by your local letter carrier. International orders will be shipped via Air Mail or Air Parcel Service. The transit time will be hard to predict, most packages will take a week or two, some packages to some countries may take much longer than that. Do not select First Class or Priority Mail International for any order that must arrive on time. Please select Express Mail International for best results and for all orders of greater value.

All International orders may be subject to import tax. Customs, duties and taxes will be your responsibility. We have no way of knowing in advance what the cost will be. Please do not ask us to falsify customs documents.

Parcels can be delayed in customs by considerable amounts of time, and local postal services and parcel carriers may not be dependable. Please have patience.

Returns and exchange from overseas can be costly to the buyer. Take extra steps to be sure the items that you purchases are going to work out for you, or have a high degree of probable success. While we are happy to refund or exchange we do not offer a refund for your original international shipping and handling charges, your return postage, nor can we offer free re-shipping of international exchange items.

All prices are in US Dollars. It is up to you to calculate exchange rate. The online shopping cart will display product prices and calculate shipping charges for you, prior to check-out. Free Shipping is never an option for international orders.

Shipping & Handling Fee
The TopKayaker Shopping Cart will calculate the shipping charge (postage) for your order based on the shipping weight of the product(s) in your order. Enter your Zip Code (or international location) to see shipping costs.

The postage charge is referred to it as "shipping and handling" or "shipping and packaging". The shipping charge does not represent an exact postage charge. There is too much diversity in product combinations, package options, packaging weight, service options, fragile and heavy items. USPS flat rate boxes (by volume, not weight) cannot be integrated into system. Oversize dimensional and balloon rates (by volume and weight) cannot be integrated into the system.

You will not be billed for more than what the cart has calculated, unless otherwise stated prior to check-out. Those who, by chance, have paid considerably more than the actual postage costs will have a shipping adjustment made by refund. Packages that are close, by a few dollars, will not have shipping adjustments made. Those orders that were charged too little for shipping will not be billed for more, unless otherwise stated. Anyone can request a shipping adjustment by e-mail if they feel they are entitled. Shipping charges for international orders are not handled in this manner.

Please bear in mind that by submitting your order through the TopKayaker shopping cart you have accepted the terms and agreed to the shipping charges. Shipping adjustments are a courtesy and may take extra time to update.

Free Shipping Policy
TopKayaker sometimes offers Free Shipping to U.S. Domestic customers. Free Shipping is subject to change, may not apply universally to all products, or locations and may be suspended at any time without warning.

Products returned for refund on orders that qualified for Free Shipping will be subject to a shipping surcharge if the final order total drops below the Free Shipping limit. The surcharge will be calculated the staff of TopKayaker and is not open to negotiation. The surcharge will be deducted from the refund amount of the returned product(s).

Expect Free Shipping orders to be mailed via Parcel Post, transported by truck. The U.S. Postal Service suggests Parcel Post will take 7 plus days to deliver your parcel. It may take significantly longer than promised or expected. Once in the hands of the U.S. Postal Service the final delivery date is out of our hands. Parcel Post shipment to Alaska, Hawaii or Petro Rico may take several weeks. It is advised that you do not select Free Shipping to these locations. First Class, Priority and Express Mail are transported by air.

Free Shipping is not offered to military address and to most other US territories. Free Shipping is never an option for international orders.

Some Free Shipping orders may be delivered via UPS to FedEx Ground at TopKayaker discretion. Please enter an address that is both US Mail and parcel carrier friendly.

In Store Pick-Up
You will have the option for in store pick-up at checkout. Orders selected for In Store Pick-up will not be shipped. Select this option only if you can actually come to our shop in New Hampshire. TopKayaker is open Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm. Please call ahead before you place an order for In Store Pick-Up to ensure a staff member that can help you is available. Call ahead to get directions, special instructions, and to check on current stock status of the items you wish to see and buy.

TopKayaker is an on-line shop. We welcome the public to visit and shop, however we do not have a fancy show room or sales staff, nor do we accept personal checks. Good reasons to come in person, maybe with your kayak, are to fit a hatch cover or get repair and custom install advice. Feel free to drop in if you live very close, want to try on a life vest, or see something in person before you buy.

Warrantee, Returns, Exchange and Refunds
All products sold by TopKayaker.Net are fully guaranteed against defects. If you receive a defective product please contact us via email or phone as soon as possible for customer service. You may be directed to return the product to the maker. TopKayaker will cover any item sold for up to one year from purchase date against defects in materials and workmanship. Users of paddle sports equipment sometimes exceed the intended use of a kayaking product. Situations of product failure and or abuse will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

If a product fails to meet your expectations, does not fit, or is unwanted for some reason contact Tom. You have up to 30 days to make your return. Products in new condition (as you would hope to receive them in the mail) can be returned for a refund within this time period. (Please see restocking fee info below.) Items installed on your kayak cannot be returned. This applies to, but is not limited to, self-adhesive seat pads, rudder kits, and other parts meant to become permanent parts of a kayak. (Please see Non-Returnable Products below for more information.)

All refunds will be made to the card account that the original purchase was made with.

Shipping and Handling charges and Return Postage is not refundable. It is solely our discretion to refund these charges or not. In situations of error on our part, defective products, and shipping damage the shipping costs will be covered by TopKayaker. A shipping surcharge may be applicable to Free Shipping orders.

Your refund will not be posted until the product has been returned to TopKayaker.Net or to the maker. Please include the original Invoice or copy of it with your return. A return authorization number is NOT required. Enclose a note with instructions for return, refund or exchange, as needed. Do not ship UPS or FedEx packages to our PO Box address, use the street address. Please ship all returns return to:

TopKayaker.Net, 1805 Route 16, Center Ossipee, NH 03814.

Feel free to reuse and re-label the original packaging. Please also use a US Mail Tracking Number to provide proof of delivery and a package tracking. Keep the Tracking Number until the issue is resolved. You may use insurance or signature confirmation if you like. Your local post office will have in stock all the supplies needed, labels boxes and such. (Maybe not very large boxes.) Supply your own packaging as needed. Recycle, Reuse, Reduce. Ship in sensible packaguibg that will protect the products from damage.

We do not charge additional postage for exchange of like items. In some cases the exchange of an item may require some additional postage to be paid. Exchanges for alternative sizes and models can be made on a case-by-case basis, stock levels permitting. Swapping items of equal value will be no problem. Swapping items of dissimilar value will require a refund, an extra charge, or possibly a new order to be placed. These terms do not apply to international orders.

Restocking Fees
A restocking fee may apply to the total refund amount of your return or exchange. Your shipping and handling costs will not be refunded. Restocking fees do not apply to warrantee issues.

Products returned during the 30 day satisfaction period unused and in perfect re-sellable condition will receive a 100% refund.

Products returned after the 30 day satisfaction period unused and in perfect re-sellable condition will be charged a 5% to 10% restocking fee.

A restocking fee of 15%-50% will be deducted from refunds for items returned during the 30 day satisfaction period that are damaged, that need repackaging, that have been tested or used, on or off the water, and any item that is not in perfect re-sellable condition. The amount of the restocking fee will determined by the TopKayaker Staff and is not open to negotiation.

Returns for refund on orders that qualified for Free Shipping will be subject to a shipping surcharge if the final order total drops below the Free Shipping limit. The surcharge will be calculated the staff of TopKayaker and is not open to negotiation. The surcharge will be deducted from the refund amount of the returned product(s).

Non-returnable Products
There are some products that cannot be returned for refund or exchange.

Kit products that are meant to become a permanent part of your kayak, or become a permanent part of any other item, including, but not limited to outdoor accessories, are not returnable once the product has been installed. Kits with multiple parts that have been opened, but not installed are subject to restocking fee of 15% to 50% after an inventory of the parts has been made. This applies to, but is not limited to, rudder kits, hatch kits, self-adhesive seat pads and assorted supplies.

Food items are not returnable, unless found defective. Glues, adhesives, sealants and epoxy are not returnable if opened. Worn, used or soiled garments are not returnable, unless found defective. Gift Certificates are not refundable.

The types of items above cannot be returned for refund or exchange.

Shipping Damage, Shortages and Other Problems
TopKayaker will fully cover any items damaged in shipping. If you receive an order that is incomplete, or mixed up it will be covered at our expense. Please call or email within 10 days of receipt of a damaged shipment, wrong quantity or mix-up.

There may at times be a delivery problem. This is why we ask that you pay special attention while entering your shipping address. Yes, the Post Office can make a mistake, or misplace a package, but this is extraordinarily rare. Double check the locations a parcel carrier may leave a package. Apartment dwellers should contact the building mail manager, and their neighbors. Check with friends, family and neighbors who may be involved with your deliveries. Sometimes notice is left on your door or in your mail box, sometimes it is overlooked by you or even the carrier. If there appears to be a problem call or email TopKayaker and your local Post Office as soon as you are aware of it. There are ways to expedite the recovery of a lost or misdirected package, quick notification of the post office is the key. Bear in mind that once your package has been shipped it is out of our hands and our options are limited.

Out-of-stock and Back Orders
There will be times when the shopping cart will indicate that a product is temporarily unavailable. The add-to-cart-button will not show and will be replaced with a More On Order notice. You will not be able to place an order for an item that is out of stock. Call or email to find out when the product will be back in stock. Items that require a selection, such as sizes and colors Will show a low-stock-status when viewing the shopping cart contents page. Return to the product description and select a different color or size, or change the quantity to a lower number. The quantity in stock is displayed in the product description.

Restocking can take as long as one week or as much as a month or more, depending on the product and the season. Restocking in the summer can take longer than the winter. Bear in mind that production and arrival of incoming stock is out of our control. Every effort will be made to keep an adequate supply in stock on hand.

On some rare cases the shopping cart will let you buy a product that is actually out of stock, or the quantity ordered exceeds the quantity currently in stock. We try very hard to not to allow this to happen. If this happens you will be notified with available options. In most cases you will have to wait a little longer, or that item(s) will be cancelled from the order and you will not have to pay for it. Sometimes a substitution can be made. The TopKayaker staff may refer you to another source where that item or similar product can be obtained. If you are not available to choose an option The TopKayaker staff will proceed with what we think is in your best interest, knowing that it can be sorted out to your satisfaction later.

Your TopKayaker account and shopping cart use
The TopKayaker shop requires you to enter some basic information into the system. This creates a customer account that has many uses for you as the shopper. Take a minute to understand the process.

As stated above you will enter your card account billing address first, this will be your primary address. You will enter your shipping address next page, so be patient. We ask for a phone number. We do not share or sell phone numbers. We will only use the phone number provided for customer service purposes and only if needed. You may enter two phone numbers if you like. Ignore the word Fax, we will not send you a fax, unless you specially ask for it. You can enter home phone, cell phone or work phone as you see fit. Please enter your phone number carefully and correctly.

We ask for an e-mail address so that we can e-mail you your order notifications. We do not share or sell your address, nor do we spam. This address is for customer service purposes and used only as needed. Enter your address very carefully, and correctly. If you have a mail screening system please set it to accept e-mail from topkayaker.net and topkayaker.com.

You will need to create a password. Please do not use your PIN number for sensitive account access. Create an easy to remember unique password that you can tell verbally to the staff of TopKayaker if needed. I suggest the name of your kayak, or maybe just kayak. Your TopKayaker account is secure. Card account numbers are not stored.

Your e-mail address and your password are used for your TopKayaker account log in. Please double-check your e-mail address as you enter it the first time, and write down your password or memorize it as you create it. Our system can send you a new password quickly, but only to the e-mail address you entered, so be sure it is correct. You may select the e-mail format the order notifications will come to as.

There will be a comments section at check out. Please use this space to provide notes, instructions and delivery requests, as necessary.

You may ship your order to an address other than you primary. You can ship to a friend, or family member, a beach home, general delivery, a PO Box, to your work place or any real address that takes delivery. Several addresses can be saved for future use.

TopKayaker.Net does not save card numbers, expiration dates, nor CVV codes. This has to be entered in new each time. Your information is secure.

Once you have an account you can save items in your shopping cart, turn off your computer, and come back at a later date, or other computer, to find all the items still waiting for check out.

You have an option to subscribe for the TopKayaker Newsletter on every shop page. The Newsletter is mostly informational and educational, with only a brief mention of what is happening at the shop. Topics covered will be new articles of interest to kayakers, general site news, forum and classifieds highlights, new products at the shop and special sale announcements.

Your TopKayaker Shop account, TopKayaker Forum membership and TopKayaker newsletter subscription are not related or linked and are all completely different systems.

Product Reviews and Tell A Friend
With a TopKayaker account you can Write a Review of the products you have purchased and those that we sell at TopKayaker.

Your TopKayaker account will also allow you to Tell A Friend by clicking the link in a product description. An E-mail with a note from you will (or to you) will be sent by our system with return links to make the product easy to find.

Discounts, sales and coupons
TopKayaker runs special sales and discounted prices from time to time. You can find a list of sale items using the site map by clicking on the Specials link. It is not necessarily a complete listing of all discounted items. Sales highlights are announced in the newsletter.

TopKayaker offers discount coupon codes from time to time. These promotional coupon codes are published in the Newsletter. You may on occasion find our coupon codes published elsewhere. Coupon codes have an expiration date, like any other coupon, so use the code as soon as you can.

Rate TopKayaker.Net
We welcome you to rate your shopping and customer service experiences. Please use the link below to share your comments about shopping at TopKayaker. We'll post all customer comments below. So LET US KNOW!

TopKayaker.Net is a small independently run business. Show your support of TopKayaker.Net, the informative articles, interactive tools, the Forum bulletin board, classifies ads and Q&A e-mails by shopping at The TopKayaker Shop www.TopKayaker.Com. Thank you.

Just a few Customer Comments:

--I searched and searched to find bungee cord that was just right for what I needed. The Topkayaker Shop was the best place out there. Granted I only ordered a small amount, but the product came in a very short amount of time (ordered Friday, received Monday). Also, Tom was kind enough to help me cut the bungee to the correct size by providing step by step instructions. Good products, fast delivery, great customer support! Thanks Tom

--I had purchased a used Wilderness System Alamax surf kayak on Ebay. It had a very large fin, retro-fitted in the center fin box. The kayak surfed ok, but was difficult to turn and impossible to launch off the beach unassisted. I emailed The Topkayaker Shop with my dilemna. Tom was prompt with an answer and had taken some time and effort in researching for me. He made a suggestion to use three 3.5-inch fins. I purchased and installed them. They were definitely the solution and the surf kayak handled better than ever. It was easy to launch from the beach and it turned on a time to catch more rides. I would highly recommend The Topkayaker Shop! Steve Fries

--I wanted to purchase knee-pads for my kayak and I found them at The TopKayaker Shop. However, the website showed that there were none in stock. On Monday, April 19th, I contacted the shop and asked when they expect to receive them and was told that it could arrive as early as the same week. During our phone conversation, Tom offered to take a pre-order and to my huge surprise I received the knee-pads on Thursday of the same week - just 72 hours after I made that phone call. Tom even included a printout with detailed instructions on how to attach them properly - which I appreciate greatly.

--I am very happy with my knee-pads, which I could not find anywhere else, and with how quickly they arrived and I highly recommend The TopKayaker Shop.

--Tom provided excellent service and info. from registration thru shipment of items ordered! His business is top notch in the field of kayaking! Albert K. Basilio(Hawaii)

--The service had been superb in helping me get my kayak back into the water again! Tom Holtey went to great lengths to identify and locate parts for my broken rudder, providing personal assistance and communication throughout the process. Tom went through extraordinary efforts to locate a missing rudder part for my discontinued model and kept me in the loop and throughout the process. If only every online vendor responded like Tom! Terrific service, 100% satisfied customer!

--Excellent selection of products. What makes this site so different is the wide variety of articles about kayaking, importantly including detailed instructions, with pictures, of installation and repairs. When I had a problem, I emailed them and within an hour had a detailed set of instructions. This is a great company with excellent service and knowledge of their products and the sport (sea kayaking).

--I have asked Tom questions for the past two years and always get sound advise. I purchased a few small items one day apart - Tom shipped the items together and then issued me a shipping credit without being asked. You can not go wrong dealing with Tom!! Jay