Shipping and Returns

Shipping and Returns Policy

Economy Ground Shipments: UPS, USPS, Speedee Delivery Small items will be shipped via Ground Services such as UPS Ground, USPS, and Speedee Delivery. All ground orders, with no custom work, will generally ship the business day after it was placed. Orders placed over the weekend, or during peak times, may take 1-2 days to be shipped depending on order volume. You will receive a shipping email as soon as your package label is printed.

Typical ground shipping times range from 3-7 business days with UPS and USPS, depending on your distance from our facility in Central Iowa. Speedee Delivery services areas here in the Midwest, and their transit times are typically 1-3 business days.

Please note: due to additional handling large or oversized packages may take 1-2 days longer for delivery than smaller-sized packages.

Upon receipt of your shipment, it is advisable to open and unpack the items immediately to allow proper airflow. Leaving the order wrapped on the pallet or in the crate will encourage the wood to move and can lead to cracks, checks, warping, etc. If the item is not unpacked or is stored improperly after receipt, Central American Wood Depot is not responsible for any changes in the item.

Shipping and Returns Policy

LTL Freight Shipments: Residential, Commercial, Terminal Pickup Due to the size and weight of our products, some orders are shipped via LTL Freight. Freight shipments can be delivered to a commercial address, held at a local freight terminal for pickup, or delivered to a residential address. We use several different freight carriers and will notify you by email of who we shipped the order with and the tracking number once your package has been loaded on a truck at our facility. This email will also contain information about what to expect at the time of delivery.

We highly recommend reading over this information so you are prepared to accept your shipment as once your package is loaded on the truck, ownership has been transferred from Central American Wood Depot to you.

Residential Freight Deliveries Residential Freight – NO LIFTGATE This delivery option includes a delivery appointment scheduled with the carrier within a given time frame. This time frame varies from 2 to 5 hours, depending on the terminal and carrier’s scheduling. You as the receiver are responsible for unloading the freight from the truck, and the driver will not provide help via liftgate.

Residential Freight – This delivery option includes a delivery appointment scheduled with the carrier within a given time frame. This time frame varies from 2 to 5 hours, depending on the terminal and carrier’s scheduling. The driver will provide a liftgate service on all packages under 8′ long. If your package is over 8′ long, the carrier will use their discretion on whether or not the liftgate can be safely used to unload the shipment. If it cannot be used, you are responsible for unloading the freight.

See next slide for additional information…

Residential Freight Deliveries Cont. For Residential deliveries, the carrier will call once your package has arrived at the terminal to schedule a delivery appointment. Residential shipments under 8′ long and 48″ wide will be shipped with Liftgate Service to help with unloading the shipment. If your shipment is over these dimensions, the driver will be unable to use the liftgate, and you will need to prepare a way to unload the shipment.

Residential deliveries should be scheduled in a timely manner to minimize handling by the freight carrier and to get the shipment from an uncontrolled environment to your home. If the appointment is not set within 2-3 days, the carrier may begin to charge storage fees. These are the responsibility of the consignee and not Central American Wood Depot.

Residential deliveries are delayed by a day or two because of appointment scheduling. To receive your package quicker, we recommend choosing the terminal pickup or commercial option.

Commercial Freight Deliveries Shipments to a commercial address will be delivered Monday – Friday during normal business hours. If your company has differing or odd hours, please note this when placing your order. Commercial freight shipments do not include liftgate services at delivery, regardless of package size, and you will be responsible for unloading the shipment.

Freight Terminal Pickups If you choose for the package to be held at the terminal, our shipping department will reach out after the order has been placed with the local freight terminal address. The carrier will call you as soon as it is available for pickup. The pickup days and times vary from terminal to terminal, and this information should be provided when they call. All packages should be picked up in a timely manner to minimize handling by the freight carrier, avoid additional storage fees, and to get the shipment from an uncontrolled environment to your home.

*If storage fees are charged, these are the responsibility of the consignee and not Central American Wood Depot.

Key points to remember when accepting & receiving your shipment If you notice any changes in the shipment or damage to the shipment, please be sure to note it on the BOL or Freight Bill prior to signing it (i.e. hole in side, crushed corner, ripped packaging, etc.). If the driver does not permit you to note the damage, ask them to make the damage notes before signing it. If they state they will NOT note the damages or will not allow you to when there is obvious external damage, call us immediately at (321) 299-7448.

If you do not inspect before signing and/or do not note any changes or damages on the BOL or Freight Bill, you are, for all practical purposes, waiving the right to collect on a damage claim, even if the damage is discovered later (known as concealed damage). If you suspect there is concealed damage, open the container before signing the BOL and inspect the contents. The driver must stay until the BOL is signed, so do not be intimidated or rushed by them. If you are unable to inspect the contents at that time, please note “Subject to Inspection” on the BOL.

Upon receipt of your freight shipment, it is advisable to open and unpack the items immediately to allow proper airflow. Leaving the order wrapped on the pallet or in the crate will encourage the wood to move and can lead to cracks, checks, warping, etc. If the item is not unpacked or is stored improperly after receipt, Central American Wood Depot is not responsible for any changes in the item.

Wide Slabs and/or Table Tops may be shipped with temporary struts attached to help keep the slab flat during shipping. These will be mounted to the bottom side of the piece and can be easily removed upon receipt.

International Shipping We can ship worldwide; however, the buyer is responsible for verifying that our product can be shipped into their country and is fully responsible for all broker duties and taxes. For international shipments, we recommend setting up an account with www.myus.com, or a similar shipping service. They are a facility where you can have items shipped in from all over the US and then have them all shipped out to you together. The company will provide you with a US address to ship to, allowing you to take advantage of many Free Shipping promotions! Their rates are based on total weight and they are able to offer much better rates through the Post Office, FedEx, UPS, and other carriers.

Canadian Shipments Orders shipped to Canada will incur additional duties, taxes, and other fees. These additional fees associated with shipping are the customer’s responsibility and are not included in shipping fees charged. The