Shipping Information

At Culitrade, we work diligently to negotiate the best shipping rates and freight service possible for our customers. Shipping rates are calculated based on the weight and freight class and can vary based on delivery requirements. Selection accuracy is important, in order to avoid supplemental charges. As you work through the order process, please review each component carefully. Read below for all information related to shipping and receiving products purchased from Culitrade.

Tracking your Shipment

Once your order has shipped, Culitrade will send you a shipment confirmation email containing all tracking numbers for your shipment. You can also track your shipment via your account login on our website. Simply click the My Account link at the top of the site to login. Then, use the left-hand navigation to review your recent and past orders along with shipping information. Please note that the carriers typically take up to 24 hours to update their system. So once you receive your tracking number, it still may show as pending. After 24 hours you will start to see live tracking information.

Shipping Tips

In order to provide you with the best shipping experience possible, please keep these tips in mind when purchasing from our site:

• Double check to make sure you entered your shipping address correctly.
• If a shipment is going to a business or commercial address, and not a residence, please list the name of the business so the carrier delivers the shipment to the correct business location.
• Carriers do not deliver to PO Box addresses, please do not list a PO Box as your shipping address. If so, this may cause a delay in processing your order.
• Shipments to a business operating from a residence will be considered delivered to a residential address and charged as such.
• Be sure to include an accurate phone number when placing an order online. If anything happens with your shipment, we will contact you. Additionally, if you select “Call before Delivery” option during checkout, the carrier will call ahead to verify that someone will be at your business location to accept delivery. If the carrier is unable to reach you, they may not be able to deliver your shipment.

Products May Ship from Multiple Locations

Culitrade is a marketplace website. If you purchase multiple products in one order, they may be shipped from multiple locations. As such, products that you order may arrive in multiple shipments at varying times.

Delivery Timing

Since products will be shipped directly from the manufacturer or our dealer partners, delivery times may vary. Common carrier shipments take between 1 to 10 business days to arrive, depending on your proximity to the shipping origin. Ground shipping takes anywhere from 1 to 7 business days. If your shipment is scheduled to arrive on a holiday, please add an additional day for delivery. All common carrier and ground shipment delivery times are estimates and not guaranteed.

If you need rush delivery, select Second Day or Next Day in your shopping cart (availability is dependent upon location). These options ensure that “in stock” items receive priority in our system and arrive by the end of the following business day (Next Day), or the end of the second business day (Second Day). These options are only available for ground shipments. Inclement weather or Covid-19 related issues may cause shipping delays. Our manufacturer partners may have different cutoff times for expedited shipping. If your order is processed after their cutoff time, then it will not ship until the following business day.

Standard Common Carrier Delivery

All standard common carrier shipments are curbside delivery only, inside delivery, uncrating and installation are not included. If you do not have a semi-truck compatible loading dock or a forklift, you must request “liftgate service” at the time of purchase (as detailed below).

Liftgate Service

A liftgate is a motorized platform on the back of the truck that will lower your shipment from the truck down to the ground. This service is very important for customers that do not have a semi-truck compatible loading dock or a forklift. When you place an order with Culitrade that will be shipped via common carrier, you will have the option to add liftgate service to your order.

• Adding liftgate service is an additional fee to be assessed during checkout
• Liftgate service is mandatory for residential delivery (see below for residential versus commercial delivery).
• Liftgate service refers only to getting your shipment to ground level, no further.
• Liftgate service does not include taking items into your business.
• The driver is not permitted to assist in unloading your shipment.
• Liftgate service is not included in Free Shipping promotions.

Residential Versus Commercial Delivery

During the checkout process, you will be asked if you are shipping to a residential or commercial address.

• A residential address is any house, apartment, dormitory, prison, military base, farm, ranch, or other living space, even if you operate a business from such an address. Please note, schools and churches are also considered residential addresses by common carriers.
• Common carriers define a commercial address as any commercial or industrial site with a semi-truck compatible loading dock that is open during normal business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). If your order is shipped via common carrier, the carrier will contact you to arrange delivery if you choose “Call Before Delivery” option during checkout.

Residential or Limited Access Shipping Information and Notice

Deliveries made to residential or limited access areas, such as a university, prison or military base may incur an additional shipping charge. It is the purchaser’s responsibility to identify if the shipping destination is residential or limited access. If the information provided is incorrect, Culitrade reserves the right to charge the purchaser upon receipt of charges from the carrier. An order placed by a business operating at a residential address will be considered a residential shipment and be charged as such for delivery.

Call Before Delivery

Culitrade gives you the option to select “Call Before Delivery” during the checkout process. This service means the common carrier will contact you approximately 24 hours before the estimated arrival of your order to schedule a delivery appointment. Selecting this service may add an additional day to shipment transit time. A 4-hour delivery window is typical for a delivery appointment; this may vary by carrier and shipping destination.

A "Call Before Delivery" is required for residential deliveries and recommended for commercial locations with irregular hours (outside normal busines hours of Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). "Call Before Delivery" only applies to orders shipping via common carrier.

If the carrier misses the delivery appointment, they will reschedule it. If you are unavailable to accept your delivery during the scheduled appointment, you will be responsible for any redelivery fees owed to the carrier. Additional fees will apply if you require a time-specific delivery in which the typical 4-hour window needs to be shortened.

If a delivery is unable to be completed because a "Call Before Delivery" was not selected during checkout, the carrier may charge a redelivery fee in order to reattempt delivery. In these situations, we will contact you via email regarding the fee and charge the card on file if necessary, in order for you to avoid additional fees with the carrier.

Redelivery or Reconsignment

If a shipping address needs to be changed once an order has been processed, carriers will charge a reconsignment fee to change the shipping address.

If an address change is requested, we will contact you via email regarding the amount of the carrier's reconsignment fee. If we do not receive confirmation accepting the fee and confirming the address change, we will leave the address as it was originally entered during the checkout process.

Redelivery fees may apply if the carrier attempts delivery and is unable to deliver for reasons that are within your control.

Inspecting your Shipment for Damage

While the delivery driver is present, you must inspect your shipment for damage. Once the driver leaves, you become responsible for reporting any damages to the freight company.

Verify that the products delivered are what you ordered. Unpack everything and keep all the original packaging materials. Do not discard pallets or boxes until you are certain you want to keep everything.

Inspect the shipment to identify if anything is damaged or missing. If you suspect products are missing, ask the driver how many boxes are listed on the bill of lading so you can count and make sure all boxes are present.

Inspect each box for markings, dents, dings, creases, holes, punctures or broken pallets. Be sure to take pictures of all damages. Note any damage on the proof of delivery receipt and request the driver open the damaged box. If the driver refuses, you can either contact us at customerservice@culitrade.com to report this or refuse the shipment and note refusal on the proof of delivery receipt.

If the boxes are in perfect condition, and you are unable to open them, you should write “subject to inspection” next to your signature so you may inspect for concealed damaged. If any damage is not reported before the delivery truck departs, Culitrade will be unable to offer reimbursement for the damaged products. Once the driver leaves, you have 48 hours from delivery to notify us of any damaged or missing products.

If there is no damage and everything is perfect, accept the shipment and sign off on the proof of delivery receipt.

• If there is slight damage, write down all the damage you see on the proof of delivery receipt. If the slight damage is not acceptable, refuse the damaged product by noting “refused” on the proof of delivery receipt and contact us at customerservice@culitrade.com within 48 hours of delivery.
• If you keep the shipment, make sure you note the slight damage on the proof of delivery receipt that you sign. Make sure the delivery driver acknowledges the slight damage noted on the form by signing it before departing.
• If the product is significantly damaged, refuse the shipment. Please make note of the damage and be sure to take photos of the damage and the packaging. Contact us at customerservice@culitrade.coma within 48 hours of delivery to start the return process.If part or all of your shipment is damaged and you do not note this in any way on the form, we CANNOT guarantee any reimbursement for damages.