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How We Ship We Ship with UPS We use UPS for all orders that we ship in the Continental USA, as well as foreign orders. The only exception to this is when we ship to AK and HI. To these locations we ship USPS. We do this for two reasons. First, we pass the savings we get from UPS for being exclusive right to your pocket book. We charge you what they charge us, and they charge us less. Second, if something gets damage in shipment they take care of us, so we can take care of you. Please remember that Large Scale Trains are heavy. Heavy things cost more to ship. The farther you ship something the more it costs. An Eggliner going to the next state is going to be a lot less to ship than a USA Trains SD-70 going to Australia. Please remember that we get great prices on shipping and we pass thoses savings onto you. Adding internet shopping to the already substantial mail-order venue has increased the likelihood that customers will occasionally receive a shipment that contains a damaged item, or has one or more items missing. Dealing with these situations properly will insure that the customer’s interests are upheld. First, inspect the shipment immediately upon receipt. The ability to process a satisfactory claim for damaged or missing items diminishes quickly with time. Neither the store nor the shipper can be held responsible for claims that were not initiated within two weeks receipt of the shipment. Take note of any damage to the outer packaging, (crushed corner, box puncture, moisture, etc.). If the delivery driver is present have that person make an official record of the visible outer damage. Please note that the absence of visible damage to the outer packing does not necessarily mean that the contents are not damaged, or that such damage could not have occurred during shipment. Any carton dropped squarely on one of its flat sides will not show evidence of that drop, even though the contents may have been destroyed in the process. When a damaged item is received the customer should notify both the store and the shipper (UPS, FedX, etc.) These notifications will initiate the claim process. The customer must call the shipper because there is often a need to schedule a visit by the shipper’s claims representative. The store cannot effectively make appointments between the customer and the shipper. Also, it is essential that all of the packaging materials be retained by the customer until the store or the shipper authorize otherwise. Once these notifications have been made and the instructions, if any, from the shipper or store are followed, the customer’s role in the claim process is complete. The customer will then receive an undamaged replacement at no additional cost, regardless of the final disposition of the original damage claim. Only if the customer’s actions or lack of action become the reason a claim cannot be processed is the customer at risk. Customers should also check the contents of their shipments against the accompanying packing list or sales receipt. Shortages should be reported to the store. The store will be able to determine if the missing item was drop-shipped direct from the manufacturer, shipped from the store but in a second box, or was backordered. Multiple box shipments may only have one sales receipt, and may not all arrive on the same day, even if they were shipped together. Items appearing on the sales receipt but at a zero quantity were likely backordered. If all indicators suggest that the item should have been in your shipment the store can reconstruct the order by dimension and weight. With that information in can be determined if the missing item was mistakenly omitted from the parcel, or if the item became missing during the delivery process. In the later case the customer may be asked to initiate a claim with the shipper. Both UPS and FedX operate a comprehensive and expeditious claims processing system. The store usually has all the documentation necessary to replace the damaged or missing item within two business days of initiation of the claim process. Claims against insured mail, on the other hand, are far more difficult and far less timely. They often take weeks, even months to resolve. That is why some stores, including the St.Aubin stores, will not use the US Mail for domestic shipments.