Shipping Information
We ship Monday through Saturday and generally try to ship within 24 to 48 hours of payment. For orders paid by check or money order, we will ship once our bank shows the check as having cleared (which usually only takes a couple of days after being deposited)..
Shipping is charged based on the total amount of your order, after any discounts, coupons or reward points are applied and before sales tax, if applicable, is added. In the vast majority of cases, the amount charged will be less than our actual cost.
For orders within the continental U.S.:
For orders up to $50.00 - the shipping charge is $7.50
For orders between $50.01 and $100.00- the shipping charge is $10.00
For orders between $100.01 and $124.99 - the shipping charge is $12.50
For orders over $125.00 - we offer free shipping (see exceptions below) via the carrier of our choice (usually UPS Ground or USPS Ground Advantage).
For accessory orders - we offer an actual first class shipping cost basis option if less than the flat rate fee. Please contact us for rates if your order consists solely of pins, pin badges, necklaces or bear clothing items.
For orders shipped to Alaska or Hawaii::
Depending on the size and weight of the package, additional charges may apply..
Heavy or Oversized Items:
If the notice below is shown on a bear's listing page, that bear does not qualify for free shipping and a shipping charge may apply. However, it will be at a discounted rate (i.e. less than our cost).
Sale or Promotional Items:
Sale or promotion items do not qualify for free shipping and if part of a larger order their cost is not included in calculating the shipping charge or whether free shipping applies based on the total order amount. If sale items are included in your order and free shipping is shown at check out, please note that depending on the other items in your order, you may receive a separate PayPal invoice from us for a shipping charge. That invoice will need to be paid before your order is processed.
Orders where Reward Points are used:
Items paid for with Reward Points do not qualify for free shipping and if part of a larger order, their value is not included in calculating whether free shipping applies based on the total order amount. Also, for items that would normally have a flat rate shipping charge, the appropriate rate will still apply even though you are paying zero dollars for the item. Unfortunately in these circumstances the website doesn't calculate the shipping charge correctly and defaults to either free shipping or a $10 flat rate shipping charge. You may contact us ahead of check-out to let us know for which bear you wish to redeem your Reward Points and we will advise you as to how to pay the correct shipping amount at checkout. Or, if you proceed through check-out without contacting us first and an incorrect shipping amount is charged, we will let you know later how to pay any additional amount due and that amount will need to be paid before your order is processed.
For orders shipped to foreign countries:
Flat rate shipping charges and free shipping do not apply to overseas shipments. For shipments to most countries, if the package weighs under 4 lbs. and is valued at under $400, we can offer three shipping options: Simple Export Rate (similar to First Class Mail), USPS Priority Mail or UPS Worldwide Expedited. If either the 4 lb weight or $400 value is exceeded, the Simple Export Rate is not available. If a bear is referenced as having free U.S. shipping, then a discount will be applied to the actual shipping charge. We strongly suggest that our foreign customers contact us to discuss shipping options and charges before completing the check out process. Once the package arrives in your country, you the customer are also responsible for paying any import charges as well as local processing charges associated with collecting those fees. Please note, for our customers in the E,U., this may result in longer delivery times than if we elected to charge VAT up-front (at checkout).
Please note, due to local regulations, we are no longer able to process orders on our store website to France, Germany, Italy or the U.K. (the latter if the package total is under 135 GBP (approximately $170).. However, there may be a third party shipping option available. Please contact us (using the link in the left side panel), let us know the country where you live and which bear(s) you might like to adopt, and we can provide you with more information on this third party option.
Shipping Methods:
We ship regular sized packages via either USPS Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage or UPS Ground. Larger packages are generally shipped via either Fed-Ex Home Delivery (Ground), UPS Ground or USPS Ground Advantage. For accessory orders that can fit in a padded envelope or small box, we offer a USPS First Class option where the charge will be based on our actual cost rather than the flat fee. In all cases, the carrier and class of service are at our discretion. If you wish us to use a particular carrier or a different class of service (e.g. overnight delivery), additional charges may apply.
Shipping to P.O. Boxes:
Fed-Ex and UPS do not deliver to P.O. boxes so large shipments to such addresses may incur additional charges unless shipped via USPS Ground Advantage. If it is possible to split the order between two smaller boxes and ship them via USPS, and doing so will be cheaper than one large box, we will provide that to you as an option.