Regarding Shipping and Crating

 

For certain orders of a varible volume or value, Charles will normally wave the shipping and crating fee.

Your shipping costs are otherwise dependent upon what you order and where it is going. Within the regular shipping lanes, dominated by the bulk of American commerce, the rates are less than if you are located in a remote corner of, say, the upper Michigan penninsula. 

Because CPW is a Build-To-Order business, each crate and shipping rate becomes custom. If we sold one gate at one specific size, we would of course have a volume of crates or boxes fabricated to that size. But we do not sell just one gate and one size, nor even a limited inventory of ready-made sizes and designs.

If your decision on whether or not to purchase a CPW product hinges on our reasonable shipping cost, you might consider limiting your wish list and opt for a company offering free or discount shipping, These offers will often appear in large red print, followed by an exclamation point.

Otherwise, relax. CPW's shipping rates are surprisingly affordable.

Crating:
A word regarding just how your order arrives. Most garden gates, drive gates, and flanking fence panels are crated in double 275-lb test cardboard and rigid corners. The UPS Freight driver will off-load your box or crate(s) at the foot of your driveway.  It is your responibility to either transport this to a preferred location, or simply open the crate or box and move the contents to the preferred location.  It is also an acceptabe courtesy to ask the driver, for a reasonable stipend, if he will use his hand hoist to move the crate beyond the foot of the drive. The drivers, by union contract, are not obligated to leave the crate anywhere but the foot of the driveway.

It is also common that your installer / contractor will arrange to be present for delivery.

UPS will call your contact phone when they arrive at the local dock, arranging a delivery time.

If your order is crated instead of boxed,, CPW will insure the truck is equipped with a lift gate.

Damage:

Remember, if you sign off to have the crate delivered with no one present, you are essentially relieving yourself of any rights to a damage claim.  Although it is extremely rare to incur damage to a crate during transport, it is nevertheless a good idea to have someone present for delivery.  If the crate appears damaged, make a note of it on your paperwork you will be asked to sign. When later you open your crate and do actually find damage to the product, CPW will file the claim, using the notes you made at the point of delivery.  It should be noted that this has happened only once, and with a different carrier than UPS.