Ordering Information

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Terms and Conditions

Please take a few minutes to review the following terms and conditions under which we do business. Do not hesitate to call us at 1.800.206.6544 or send an e-mail to info@chichesterinc.com   if you have any questions or if we can be of service.

Overseas callers may call our Canadian administrative office at +1.416.232.0376.  We do not accept collect calls.

Why Buy from Us?

We have been in business for 14 years and provide quality merchandise to major museums, theme parks, stores, catalog companies, manufacturers, and individuals world wide.  Many of these products are not readily found elsewhere.  This is what we do for a living, and we want to remain in business for many more years.  For more information on us, click HERE.

Shopping Cart and How to Order from Us

We do not have a shopping cart.  Our experience has been that shopping carts rarely work well for our type of merchandise.  To order, please call us at 1.800.206.6544 or +1.716.298.1183, send a fax to +1.716.298.0313, or send us an e-mail at info@chichesterinc.com.  

We have looked into setting up a secure credit card transfer system and have discovered that there is no simple way to send a "secure" e-mail message. In the meantime, you can either call us with your order and the card details or send two e-mails: one with the card number and a second with the expiration date and security code. PayPal offers a secure transmission environment.

Payment Options  

**PayPal (See #4 below)

1) We accept major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and JCB), cash (all major currencies), PayPal, money orders, bank drafts, some business checks with an approved application on file, and wire payments.   

2) Credit cards and PayPal are our preferred means of settlement.  If you specify a credit card for payment and there is a backorder, we will use the same card to process the backorder unless you tell us differently.  We will send a copy of the invoice along with your order.  The invoice will be taped to the outside of the box.  If you require a phone call with the total, please let us know at the time of ordering.  Credit card orders will be limited to US$500.00 per month per customer for a minimum of six months.  

3) Large orders can be paid for by bank draft or wire transfer (T/T).  For wire/banking instructions, click HERE.  There is a US$35.00 additional charge for wire payments to cover the cost of the incoming wire fees. 

4) To pay by PayPal, click the PayPal icon above or go to www.paypal.com and enter in the requested information. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can sign up for a free Personal account. Call us at 1.800.206.6544 or e-mail us at info@chichesterinc.com if you want to pay through PayPal. Please do not pay us until we confirm that we have the item(s) you want to order in stock and give you a total including shipping. 

5) We no longer hold orders for customers who want to send payment by money order or wire transfer.  Too often these checks and wires never arrive.  We have turned down customers who wanted to purchase merchandise by credit card while we were waiting for funds that never came.  If we give you a quote for merchandise and you send funds promptly, chances are that the merchandise will still be there and can be shipped promptly.  Should we sell out of an item while you are sending payment, we will give you an option to backorder the item, take a partial shipment, or get a complete, prompt refund.  

6) We restrict payment by COD to established wholesale customers and to new wholesale customers who have completed a COD Application and had it approved in advance.  This is not a preferred means of settlement by us.  If you are interested in paying by COD, please click HERE to review our COD policy.  Press your BACK button to return to this page.

7) If you send a personal check with an order, we will hold the check for up to 10 business days to ensure that it clears prior to shipping any merchandise.  If we decide not to accept your order, we will return the check.  In general, we prefer payment by money order instead of personal check--we have had too many problems with personal checks.  We will ship promptly all orders that are paid for by money order.

New York State Sales Tax

All New York residents will be charged New York State sales tax on both the value of the goods and freight unless a tax exemption certificate is on file prior to shipping.

Pricing

1)  All merchandise is priced in U.S. dollars unless explicitly stated otherwise.  Some large-scale trade deals are denominated in other currencies, such as euros, South African Rand, British pounds, etc.

2)  All prices are subject to change without notice.  Price changes will be confirmed before shipping. This website is updated frequently, so the prices shown should be the ones in force.  If there has been a change that has been overlooked or is in error, we will notify you before shipping and update the website promptly. 

We usually try to maintain stable prices, but recent volatility in foreign exchange rates has caused us to review prices more frequently.

Minimum Order is US$50.00

Given the high cost of handling small orders, we have a minimum order of US$50.00 per shipment.  You can mix and match merchandise, but the order must total US$50.00 before shipping cost. 

We get occasional calls from people hoping that we will waive the minimum order.  Unfortunately, the cost of preparing an invoice, packing an order, tracking, getting credit card approval, providing a box, etc., is too high for us to justify shipping orders under this amount.  Consequently, we enforce this policy.  Sorry.

Backorders

We stock about 4,500 items.  Many of these items are made by artisans or are imported.  Our goal is to attempt maintaining adequate inventory in all catalogued items.  In general, we can inform you of availability on our specific web pages or at the time of ordering.  If something is out of stock, we will attempt to let you know immediately.  You can either request that we backorder this or cancel the order. We do not enforce the minimum order for merchandise that is backordered. Backorders are open, active orders for a period of six months and will be filled as soon as the goods become available.  If you do not want this service, it is your responsibility to cancel back orders.  Returned back orders are subject to a 15% restocking fee. Shipping charges for backorders are to the account of the buyer.

Shipping by UPS

1)  We rely on UPS ground service. If you have special shipping requirements, please let us know.

2) All shipping charges are to the account of the buyer.  

3) Click on the picture below to determine shipping times by UPS Ground:

We can send parcels by U.S. mail if you wish.  Keep in mind that we cannot track the parcels once they are mailed.  Normally, delivery time is 2-3 days anywhere in the U.S. for Priority Mail.  We will insure the goods, but cannot be held accountable if the U.S. Post Office takes a month or more to deliver your parcel.

If you request that we ship by mail, we will send the parcel by Priority Post unless you instruct us otherwise.  For Alaska or other remote areas, there can be significant differences in price and delivery times between priority mail and parcel post. For larger cities, there is not much difference in the service or price.  If you want slower, cheaper service, please let us know.

For shipping quotes by U.S. mail, you can see their website at www.usps.com and then click on Calculate Postage in the red bar at the top of the home page.  Following the instructions and you can see how much it costs to ship varying weights by different service levels (priority mail, parcel post, etc.). All shipments by mail are entered into the USPS on-line system and are picked up the next day. If your require immediate shipment, we can take the parcel to the post office for same day shipping for an extra US$15.00.

If applicable, please click HERE for shipping information for orders to addresses outside of the United States of America.

Rush Orders

We process shipments in the order in which they were received.  If you require us to rush your order (i.e., ship your order the same day you call), we charge a US$15.00 "Rush" fee.  This service is subject to time constraints.  The later in the day you call, the less likely we can ship the same day.

Drop Shipments

We will not provide drop shipments unless we have a very high comfort level about the transaction.  In general, all orders must be shipped to the same address as the billing address for the credit card.  If you prepay by wire transfer or bank draft, we are more willing to consider drop shipments.

Insurance

Chichester, Inc. is a mail-order business, not a retail store or wholesale warehouse.  Our warehouse is configured for storage and shipping and is not designed for retail shopping. Because of business travel, holidays, meetings, and personal preferences, our offices and/or warehouse may not be open at all times during customary business hours. If you wish to meet with our staff, please call to make an appointment so you will not be disappointed. 

The main administrative and sales office is located in Toronto.  This office is closed during both major Canadian and U.S. holidays.  

Rest assured that you may return any item that you buy from us if you are not 100% satisfied at the time of receipt. Please call us at 1.800.206.6544 or +1.416.232.0376; write us at Chichester, Inc., 2045 Niagara Falls Blvd, Unit 9, Niagara Falls, New York 14304; fax us at +1.716.298.0313; or e-mail us at info@chichesterinc.com  within five (5) days of receipt to let us know that there is a problem and return the merchandise promptly--no more than 30 days after our ship date.

There is no re-stocking fee for returns on up to three (3) items on a single order.  We understand that customers may not like something that we send for whatever reason and respect this decision. Upon receipt of the returned merchandise in its original condition, we will issue a full refund for the value of merchandise, but not for shipping costs. You are responsible for shipping and insurance costs both ways.  We have had customers request that we ship something by next-day air and then want to return the item and get a full refund on the value of the goods and shipping.  Sorry, but we do not think this is reasonable.  If you are in a rush, please keep in mind that you will be paying the cost of expedited shipping.

If you place an order with us and then return more than three (3) items, we will charge a 35% re-stocking fee on the total value of all merchandise.  For example, you could return 50 rabbit skins without any problem, but not one each of 100 different products. It is very rare that someone will buy a bunch of items and then return most or all of them.  Nonetheless, there are some zingers out there who have no compunction about ordering 30 items and then sending most of them back.  If you place a frivolous order and want us to spend time picking and packing an order, preparing an invoice, incurring fees for using the credit-card payment system, and then send all of this stuff back and have us reverse the process, be prepared to pay for this service.  We also charge shipping and insurance both ways.

Please understand that we do not offer merchandise on a consignment or trial basis. No returns will be accepted after our guarantee period.  

We do not allow a longer return period for gifts.  Sorry. If you do not think that what you are considering ordering is something that the recipient will want, please do not order.

We have very few returns. We do our best to ship quality merchandise and to encourage customers to ask questions about our products prior to shipping.  If in doubt, please ask first.  This will save both of us time, money, and hassle.  If you have any questions or concerns, please send us an e-mail at info@chichesterinc.com  or call us at 1.800.206.6544.

Claims and Disputes

Our goal is to deal with any problems that arise as quickly as possible (i.e., less than 30 days).  If we owe you money for some reason, we will either send a check or credit your credit card or PayPal account promptly.  If there is a problem or we have overlooked something (lost fax, deleted e-mail, misplaced message, etc.), it is your responsibility to stay in touch with us to resolve the matter as soon as possible.  We will not process claims more than 30 days after the ship date. Please help us resolve claims or disputes quickly.  It's better for both of us.

 Wildlife Products

All wildlife products are shipped with the understanding that it is the buyer’s responsibility to ensure that he or she may legally possess the purchased wildlife products (e.g., furs, hides, skins, claws, teeth, etc.) in his or her jurisdiction. Any fines, fees, legal fees, penalties, loss of business, and/or court costs, etc. incurred on the part of Chichester, Inc. for illegal shipments will be to the account of the buyer. We will not knowingly ship illegal products. Each state, however, has its own laws.  There is no way we can keep track of all these changing laws. If you are uncertain about the legality of owning a specific wildlife product, check with your state’s officials before ordering.

Suitability for Children

Merchandise on our website is not recommended for children under five (5) years of age without appropriate adult supervision.

Tymeagain products are not recommended for aggressive or extremely physical children.  They are designed for role playing, not for combat.  Thousands of children play with these toys without any problem.  If you have doubts about the suitability of the Tymeagain toys for your kids, please do not order them.

If you have any doubts whatsoever about the suitability of our products for your children, please refrain from ordering them.

Country of Origin and Authenticity

We sell a variety of Native American-made products, products made by non-Natives, and imported products.  In order to ensure compliance with the laws concerning product markings and Native authenticity, it is important to leave the country of origin and authenticity tags on all products until they reach the final consumer.

Native American Products

If you have any questions about the authenticity or Native American origin of any of our products, please do not hesitate to call us at 1.800.206.6544.  Ask to speak with Paul Crosby.  Paul is the only person in the company authorized to make formal statements concerning the authenticity of any products.  We indicate as clearly as possible in our literature and on the website which products are Native-made or Native-assembled and which ones are not.  If you have specific questions, please direct them to Paul.  

We are strong supporters of recent legislation designed to stop the misrepresentation of imported or non-Native merchandise being sold as though it were Native made.  We also work closely with many Native American artists and craftsmen and want to ensure that there will always be a market for their work.

For more information on the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 and the Indian Arts and Crafts Enforcement Act of 2000, please see the website of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board at www.iacb.doi.gov.

Canadian and International Orders

We export to many countries and hope we can ship to you.  Please click HERE for special terms and conditions for shipments to addresses outside of the United States of America.  (Shipments to Puerto Rico are considered to be U.S. domestic orders.)

Special Terms for Wholesale Customers

Please click HERE for special terms and conditions for wholesale accounts.

Legal Jurisdiction

In the unlikely event of any legal proceedings, all parties agree that the jurisdiction shall be the State of New York.

Privacy Policy

We cherish our own privacy and respect yours.  We will neither sell nor give your e-mail address, address, phone number, or other contact information to anyone else. When we ask for a phone number or e-mail address it is so we can contact you in case of a problem with your credit card or if we have a question about your order.  E-mail addresses are used to send out tracking data from UPS or the U.S. mail so you can monitor the progress of your shipment. We hate spam and will not send any to you.

Contacting Us by E-Mail

When writing to us by e-mail, please try to use a clear subject message so we do not accidentally delete your e-mail.  We get many questions with missing subject headers or unclear ones.  When wading through dozens of spam e-mails each day, it is easy to delete these accidentally.  Also, please specify what it is you are asking about.  Nearly all web pages have options to e-mail and we frequently get questions about unknown items. Also, please specify your location when you ask how long it takes to ship something to you.  We try to answer all e-mails within 24-hours during business days.  We will not open attachments that we are unsure about.

Contacting Us by Instant Messaging

We do not respond to instant messages.  Please use e-mail, phone, fax, etc.

Federal Employer Identification Number

Please call our staff in Toronto at 1.800.206.6544 or +1.416.232.0376 if you require our federal EIN.

A Final Note

We value your business and look forward to serving you. These terms and conditions are designed to help avoid any misunderstandings between us and to facilitate a good business relationship.  

Thank you for letting us serve you!