Character Collection by Somerset Hardwood 4in. Hickory Saddle

Shipping

Home Residential Delivery

In most cases residential deliveries will be made with large tractor trailer trucks. These are the same large ones you see whizzing by you on the interstates. It's important, especially with home deliveries, the freight company is made aware of where it's going. If you have a driveway or road that's inaccessible for large trucks such as the one shown on the left, it will have to be offloaded at the closest point where you will be responsible for it from there. In these cases you may need a pickup or van to transfer the flooring from this point to your home.

Residential service is considered "curbside delivery". Curbside is defined as the truck will only go as far as the end of your driveway. Drivers will assist in handing down boxes from the truck but it will be your responsibility to get it into the home from there. Be prepared. Have plenty of able bodied help available. Boxes or cartons of prefinished flooring can weigh anywhere from 25 to 60 pounds depending on the species or style selected(solid or engineered).

In cases where there is hard asphalt or concrete, and the truck can get close to your home or business, a lift gate service is offered at an additional cost. Pallet jacks are often used(shown on the right) only if there's a smooth hard surface to roll it on. Any additional services on delivery not included on our signed order confirmation must be authorized by us.

With lift gate service, the driver will off load the pallet(s) and get it as close as possible to your home or business. If it can be rolled into the garage or another area where it will be protected from the elements, the better** In order to make a more pleasant experience for all, please be ready and accommodate the drivers as they have other places on their schedule. Clear pathways etc. Pallet jacks cannot be pushed up or down steep inclines.

Freight Terminal Pickup

Freight terminals are points we ship to in your region. They are large warehouses where products are staged for shipping to local addresses. There are two ways you can handle this method of freight. If you have a large enough vehicle such as a pickup truck or van, the freight guys will simply load the entire pallet onto your vehicle with a forklift away from the warehouse in the parking areas. If the pallet cannot fit, they will place it next to your vehicle where you will be responsible for loading the boxes into the vehicle.

Business Deliveries

If you happen to own a business, or know someone that owns a business, we can ship there for the same rate as shipping to a freight terminal. These businesses must be in a commercial area, and not work out of the home type. They must also be open during regular business hours with someone able and available to receive the flooring.

Count Everything Twice!

When a shipment is received, count everything with our checklist and the delivery receipt that will be provided from the trucking company during delivery or pickup. Make sure the number of boxes and other accessories have been received. In many cases transition (trim molding) pieces may be separate from the flooring pallet and packaged differently. It is not necessary to open boxes of flooring, but make sure the product description matches with what you have ordered. Transition pieces are generally shipped in boxes or round cardboard tubes ranging in length of 72" to 96" Widths or diameter average 3 or four inches. It is vital you open each one and compare to our checklist assuring you have received the correct ones. Check each container making sure you have received the correct amount, color, and style. We cannot be held responsible for shortages after the shipment is signed for.

Freight Damage

It can happen. Often only one or two pieces are damaged. How often does this happen? An accurate and honest answer is less than 2% of the time. Don't be alarmed if this happens to you! The damage affects six to seven inches on a few pieces and should not be a concern. What's not covered under freight damage? Today's prefinished hardwood flooring is packaged in corrugated cardboard, and strapped with plastic bands. Tears, broken bands, scuffed, or rippled packaging is not considered damage. Freight damage is exclusive to actual damage of the hardwood flooring itself. Damage to one or two boxes is not considered a total loss. Often a few pieces are affected as up to as many as 30 pieces can be contained in one box of hardwood flooring depending on the product purchased.Up to 3% of damage is considered to be acceptable for the waste factor . For damaged boxes we suggest opening them when you have it in your home to assess how much has been affected. Place all good pieces back in the original carton and don't open until the actual installation.

In the rare likelihood of freight damage, or items that have not been received, you must note it on the delivery receipt before you are finished receiving the shipment. Don't rely on the driver making notes. You must be specific and clear. We cannot be held responsible for damage or shortages after the shipment is signed for.

Notify us immediately of any freight damage or missing items. Even though you've made your notes while signing for the items, freight companies don't tell us about it. It will be your responsibility to contact us immediately to expedite any replacements. In the rare case of damaged freight, we also require taking digital pictures and sending them to us as soon as possible. The more information we receive, the quicker replacements will be on their way. Without written documentation of damaged freight or missing items we cannot proceed with any claims or replacements.

Refusing shipment for any reason without notifying us immediately will be considered a canceled order and you will pay all associated costs mentioned above.

Return Policy

• All Returns & Exchanges must be approved by the distributor or manufacturer.
• Unopened items may be returned within 7 days of receiving (once approved)All products returned must have 5 cartons (of the same color) for returns.
• No sheet goods or rolls of material can be return under any circumstances.
• All accessory products/adhesive cannot be return under any circumstances.
• All returns are subject to a $75.00 minimum or 35% restocking fee.
• Special order items can not be cancelled or returned.

You should expect to receive your refund within 30 business days of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly if processed online. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper 5-10 business days, the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it 3-5 business days, and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request 5-10 business days.