This page will address both Shipping and Returns of TopKayaker Orders.
Please scroll down to find the information that you are looking for.
SHIPPING
Holiday 2024 Shipping Deadlines:
Domestic Ground Advantage. Place your order by December 17th.
Domestic Priority Mail. Place your order by December 18th.
Domestic Express Mail. Place your order by December 19th.
International Express Mail Only! Place your order by December 5th. International shoppers must contact us before placing an order!
Ground, First Class and Priority, domestic or not, do not offer a guaranteed delivery date, only Express Mail does.
We ship via the United States Postal Service (US Mail) unless otherwise indicated. While we accept international orders we do not ship to every country. International shoppers must contact us before placing an order! Shoppers in Canada do not have to contact us, but can for details.
Domestic Mail; Ground 3-7 days, Priority 2-3 days, Express 1-2 days, expect a chance of 3 days.
International; First Class expect about 2 weeks or more, Priority 6-10 days, Express 3-5 days.
Ground, First Class and Priority, domestic or not, do not offer a guaranteed delivery date.
We normally ship your order on the next business day, sometimes the same day, but at least within three business days. If we are unable to dispatch your order in a timely manner we will contact you by email and advise you of the estimated shipping date.
Please check your delivery address carefully as we are not be responsible for delivery to an incorrect address. The customer shall be responsible for the cost to resend a parcel that is returned because of an incorrect address. This applies to ALL packages returned to sender by USPS no matter what the reason. It is up to you to provide a deliverable mailing address.
If the Shopping Cart is not calculating postage rates, the only option is Store Pick-Up double Check your Zip Code! If correct please scroll down to the bottom of this page.
TopKayaker is not responsible for packages stolen from your property! If a package is scanned as delivered but missing, please contact your local Post Office for information and file a police report as needed if a Porch Pirate is suspected.
TopKayaker is not responsible for late or lost international packages! International customers please ship to a USA address if at all possible and then have your package forwarded by a friend, family member or associate or via Package Forwarding or a parcel service you have had success with. If you have a domestic or international delivery problem with a package sent to a Package Forwarding Service please work that out with the Package Forwarding Service. Package ID numbers for First Class international packages are not true tracking numbers, but will show some results that can be used for the purpose of tracking.
We have limited ability to change your order once it has been placed. We can correct an address problem before it ships, but only if you contact us right away. While we can sometimes remove an item from the order. We cannot add more items.
ONCE YOUR ORDER HAS BEEN SHIPPED YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO CANCEL YOUR ORDER. Please Refuse Delivery as needed. Do Not Open the Package. Ask your local Post Office for help. TopKayaker does not issue a postage refund for returned packages and-or items.
TopKayaker is not responsible for delivery error by USPS (or international) letter carriers (or other parcel service providers). It is your responsibility to enter an address that that is served by postal service. If your package was delivered to the wrong address, if held at the post office (or package drop site), you the recipient of the package must sort this out with the United States Postal Service (or other parcel service providers). The staff at TopKayaker has limited ability to sort these situations out for you. We cannot redirect packages that are already in the Postal System. A package mailed to undeliverable address (or Forward Expired) will be Returned To Sender, if so we will contact you. Any signifigant errors made by the TopKayaker Staff will be sorted out, no additional charge to you.
The TopKayaker staff cannot direct the operations of the United States Postal Service (or other parcel service providers). We are not in control of how USPS conducts their business, routes your package and sorts the mail. Nor do we have ability to control how international import customs departments conduct their business.
RETURNS POLICY
For customer service concerning existing orders please email shipping@topkayaker.com or Phone 603-323-6017. Hours 9am-5pm M-F Eastern Standard Time (expect limited hours in winter).
The return address and instructions are on the paper that came with your order and also below.
Report shipping damage, a defective item, packing errors and shortages within ten days of receipt. We will work with you to sort these issues out. You may be asked to provide a photograph. Please explore the packaging and paperwork that comes with your order very carefully for small items that can be hidden in the padding materials or stapled to the paperwork.
If a product fails to meet your expectations, does not fit, or is unwanted for some reason you may return it. You have up to 30 days to make your return from the date it was purchased. Products in new condition (as you would hope to receive them) 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.)
It is up to you to return the item to the address below at your expense. A copy of your invoice, or at least a note, must accompany all returns. Returns can be mailed or shipped to the address below:
TopKayaker, 680 White Mountain Hwy, Unit 6, Tamworth NH 03886
Feel free to reuse and re-label the original packaging. Make a record of the Tracking Number to receive proof of delivery and watch package tracking. Keep the Tracking Number until the issue is resolved (you are welcome to share it with us). You may use insurance or signature confirmation if you like. Your local post office (or UPS, FedEx, Mail Box Store) 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. Please ship in sensible packaging that will protect the products from damage. You are responsible for getting your return item back to us in good shape!
Refunds:
All refunds will be made to the card account (or PayPal account) that the original purchase was made with. Your refund will not be posted until the product has been returned to TopKayaker. Please include the original Invoice, a copy of it, or at least a note, with your return. Return authorization permission or codes are NOT required.
We will refund the purchase price of the product(s). The Shipping and Handling charges, as well as your 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.
We cannot exchange items. Please place a new order if you needed something but ordered the wrong size, color or brand.
At some point in time a refund will become impossible for a very late return. Such transactions cannot be processed because the transaction is so old. This is why you should not delay your return.
Restocking Fees:
A restocking fee may apply to the refund amount of your return or exchange. Restocking fees do not apply to warranty issues.
Products returned during the 30 day satisfaction period unused and in original condition will receive a 100% refund of the purchase price.
Products returned after the 30 day satisfaction period, unused and in original condition, will be charged a 5% to 10% restocking fee.
A restocking fee of 15%-50% will be deducted from the purchase price of items returned during or after the 30 day satisfaction period that are damaged by user, that need repackaging, that have been used, on or off the water, and any item that is not in original sellable condition. The amount of the restocking fee will be determined by the TopKayaker Staff and is not open to negotiation.
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 and those that have become a permanent part of your kayak (or other item), are not returnable once the product has been installed. Kits with multiple parts that have been opened, but not installed can be subject to restocking fee of 15% to 50% after an inventory of the parts has been made by the TopKayaker staff. This applies to, but is not limited to, rudder kits, hatch kits, self-adhesive seat pads and assorted supplies.
Glues, adhesives, sealants and epoxy are not returnable if opened.
Worn, used or soiled garments are not returnable, unless found defective. New, unused and clean garments CAN be returned, presumably for wrong size selected.
Expect a restocking fee of 15% to 50% for the return of ALL Books and DVDs. The TopKayaker Staff will make a judgment call as to the exact amount depending on circumstances.
Food items are not returnable, unless found defective.
Gift Certificates are not refundable.
WARRANTY
All New Products sold by TopKayaker are fully guaranteed against defects, unless otherwise stated. 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 manufacturer. 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 parameters of a kayaking product. Situations of product failure and or abuse will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
TopKayaker sometimes sells Used Products. Used Products do not have any inherent warranty such as new would. If you purchase a Used Product and it fails sooner than expected you can contact us within one year about the problem. Refunds or adjustments on Used Products will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Shopping Cart Shipping Calculations
We ship via the United Sates Postal Service, often referred to as USPS. TopKayaker does not offer a free shipping option.
If the Shopping Cart is not calculating postage rates there could be one of two reasons.
The TopKayaker Shopping Cart calculates postage, with the help of USPS, based on the estimated shipping weight of the item(s) in your shopping cart and your Zip Code (aka postal zone).
If you see Store Pick-Up as the only shipping option... Please check your Zip Code for typographical errors. The shopping cart cannot present postal rates for an invalid Zip Code. As such it can only offer Store Pickup as an option.
The USPS internet server communicates with the TopKayaker.com online store to calculate postage for your order. While rare, this server can be down and not functional. If you only see store pickup as an option, please contact us about your order, or Check the USPS Server Status with this link. In these unlikely events the TopKayaker staff will implement an alterative shipping rate calculation method as soon as we become aware of a USPS outage.
Very large and bulky items will calculate at higher rates. These higher rates are calculated using Dimensional Weight (click the link to learn more) and can be difficult to calculate accurately. Any package that is larger than a cubic foot will receive these rates. We always pack in the smallest box possible that will deliver your goods to you safe and sound.
It is difficult for us to combine existing orders. If we do so it is a courtesy only. Our policy is to ship separate orders in separate packages. Please take your time to make sure you have ordered all the parts and supplies you need in one order. Create a TopKayaker account to build your wish list over time as needed. We will try to respond to email requests to combine. The comments box at checkout can be used to reference order numbers to be combined. If the shipping staff has been successful in order combination into a single package the difference in postage will be refunded. Order combination and postage adjustments are a courtesy only, not an entitlement. (Read onto the next paragraph.)
The TopKayaker Shipping Staff watches the postage rates paid for each and every order. If you have paid far too much for postage you will receive a courtesy refund of the difference without any prompting. If you feel that you have paid too much, and did not receive a courtesy refund, you can contact us about it. If you are yet to place your order and are concerned about the shipping rate you can contact us about it. Please understand that machines, with no real knowledge of the physical world are trying to make accurate predictions of what it will cost to ship 3 dimensional real item(s) in real 3 dimensional packages to an actual location on planet Earth. We have fine tuned this process as much as we can, but understand that it will never be a 100% match to the actual postage costs, there are too many variables. We will only issue a courtesy refund for a significant difference in price. We will NOT bother with a minor difference. This is a courtesy only! By placing your order you have agreed to the postage rate as calculated by the shopping cart.
TAX, Etc...
NO Tax will be charged. We do not charge any tax of any kind. As such the TopKayaker will not address issues of tax exemption.
We do not collect sales tax for domestic orders shipped to any State or Territory in the USA. Any sales tax is between you and your state. Your state may want you to voluntarily report internet purchases and pay the sales tax direct to that state. TopKayaker will not be involved with that process.
We do not collect Import Taxes, Duties, VAT or Brokerage Fees for international shipments. The customs department and-or postal service of your country will collect that tax if the shipment is taxable. Import Taxes, Duties, VAT is solely the responsibility of the recipient.
The staff at TopKayaker will not be able to fill out tax information forms requested by individuals or organizations who may want such. Consult with your accounting staff as needed to sort that out. TopKayaker is a retail store, not an independent contractor.
The staff at TopKayaker will not be able to fill out any forms that request to know what kinds of computer technologies are used for our operations. The staff at TopKayaker is not privy to such information and cannot provide a signatory authorized to accurately address this matter. Consult with your legal staff as needed to sort that out.
