Shipping Cost, Times and Information
We now use Eco-Friendly Packaging!
***If you live in Australia or New Zealand please bear with us. There are some shipping delays on small purchases going to Australia and New Zealand. Large orders over $350 are usually shipped to these areas via UPS and are not currently delayed, however small packages which are usually shipped USPS First Class or Priority Mail are delayed due to shipping regulations from current world events. These delays are not currently affecting shipments within the US or other territories.*** Updated 10/27/21
****CHRISTMAS ORDERS FOR 2021
If you are buying items in anticipation for a gift for 12-25-2021 we at Blue Bear Flutes ask that you please place your order by November 27th, 2021. This is OUR PROMISE to you: we will do our absolute best to get your item(s) to you by December 25th, 2021. See what we did in 2017 if you are wondering how far we'll go to make a customer happy! Just kidding, you don't have to watch that video, but what our promise means is that we'll do our very best to get your shipment to you in time for a "before Christmas delivery". The reason that this is a promise and not a guarantee is because the couriers have stated publicly that there will be shipping delays. All couriers have said this and have not given any specific delay time frames, as it is probably not possible to do so. I am basing our deadline on what I believe is do-able based on our current production time frames and our previous experiences in shipping. This isn't to say that we won't ship your items 6 or 7 days before Christmas if the courier we choose looks like they'll deliver by the 25th! Today, UPS will deliver just about anywhere in the world in 5 days or less, however if you order an inexpensive item that costs less than the cost of UPS shipping, we will likely ship it USPS (post office) unless you wish to pay the difference in shipping cost. Now, we'll try to ship less expensive items as such well before the deadline in order to keep that from happening, however what this all boils down to is that we are going to do our best in these trying times, we appreciate your business and your patience. As always, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions! Thank you all very much!
We often get asked about our shipping times and fees, so here is an explanation of all of that!
Shipping Costs-
*Shipping within the USA is currently Free! This also includes its territories.
*Shipping for the rest of the world is based on your order total cost (not per item).
Cost of shipping does not include your country's imposed import duty/tax. Some countries have import duties and some do not and the amounts vary greatly, so please check with your government for details.
Shipping times explained-
*Because of such high demand for our wonderful flutes, at times we may get a little behind. Yes, you found us out! We're human! Our usual shipping times are about 7 to 14 days for most items. This means that the flutes we usually make (Western Cedar key of A flutes, Cherokee 4 hole whistles, Eagle whistles, etc.) get shipped out in about 7 to 14 days. If you are in the USA, your package would arrive within 3 to 5 days after shipping. Outside of the USA, once your order ships it usually takes about 5 to 7 days to arrive. Of course there are some countries which take less time for shipping and some that take more time.
Some items do require a little more time to complete than others and for this reason, we like to estimate 7 to 14 days and sometimes during busy seasons can take as much as 3 to 4 weeks to ship. Truthfully however, this is not a bad time frame for a completely handmade item which has been thoroughly designed, created, tuned, hand finished and inspected just for you! Of course, there are the exceptions... we try to ship items out sooner for those in a hurry (when we can) and for those giving gifts, and for birthdays...
All this aside, creation, handling and shipping times are as is much of life... Estimates and Not Guaranteed.
Tracking-
*In addition to the "Thank You For Your Purchase" email which is sent out once you place your order, there is also an email with itemized list of everything you ordered (this one has an order number - good to reference if you contact us about your order) and finally, a tracking email which contains a USPS tracking number and a link to find out where your package is currently located. Normally, when you receive this tracking email, it means your package is on the way. However, there are times which something may happen in the shop and there could be a delay from the time the label is printed until the item is actually shipped.
Contact-
*As always, please contact us if you have any questions. We usually reply to phone calls to our 800 number within 24-48 hours and emails are usually replied to within about the same time or a little sooner.