Shipping Policy

EXPECTED DELIVERY TIMES

The most frequent question we receive is "When I can expect my order to arrive?" This is determined by several factors including: (1) the method of shipping you select, (2) the day of the week you placed your order and (3) the orders placed ahead of yours. In general, we function on a first come - first serve basis. We do try to get orders out of our warehouse within 24-48 hours, however, there are times of the year when shipping times are increased, such as during the holidays or if weather (heat) prevents us from mailing perishable products. 

Your delivery date will be determined by the shipping method you select. There are four methods of USPS shipping that you may be able to select when you place your order:

• First Class Mail - Applies only to orders under 13 ozs, such as a CD, Special Report or IC Optimist. First class mail is NOT trackable thus we will not be able to tell you where your item is after it has been placed in the mail. If tracking is important to you, please select Priority or Express mail. PLEASE ALLOW 2 WEEKS for shipping and delivery first class items.
  
• Media Mail - Media mail can only be used if you are selecting printed or audiovisual items like books or CD's. Yes, it is very inexpensive but also takes much longer to arrive. These are not trackable. PLEASE ALLOW 3 WEEKS for shipping and delivery of media items. 
  

• Priority Mail - Priority mail is the most commonly used shipping method for shipping in the USA and delivery is relatively quick.  PLEASE ALLOW 3-5 days FOR THE SHIPMENT AND DELIVERY of Priority Mail.

• Express Mail - Express mail is the most reliable and most expensive form of shipment. You must be available to sign for a package when you select Express Mail. PLEASE ALLOW 1-3 days FOR A EXPRESS MAIL ORDER TO BE SHIPPED AND DELIVERED - Express Mail is NOT overnight or second day delivery but is the speediest shipping method offered by the US Postal Service.
  

WHEN WE REQUIRE A SIGNATURE FOR DELIVERY

Postage Alert - Due to a dramatic increase in mail theft, all orders over $150 are sent via USPS with signature required, including supplement three packs. Please make sure that you have this delivered to a location where someone is available to sign (perhaps work) or to a PO Box. If you want to waive the signature confirmation, please call our office directly.

URGENT PACKAGES

If you require an item to be delivered at a specific period of time, it is ALWAYS suggested that you call us and place your order by phone so that we can determine if we can meet your needs. This is particularly true if you are running out of an item or going on vacation. Orders placed on-line are completed on a first come, first serve basis.. thus even though you may have selected Express shipping, there may be fifty orders ahead of you.

DAMAGED PACKAGES

International and Domestic Customers - If you receive a package that is damaged, please do NOT open it at home. You must open it in front of a postal representative (either at your door or at your postal office) who can then see that the package was damaged, the items are damaged and then request reimbursement. If you open the package at home and then claim it was damaged, the postal service and/or UPS will NOT BELIEVE YOU and they will not provide compensation for the damage.

BACK ORDERS OR SOLD OUT ITEMS

While we try to keep all of our stock current, there are times when shipments are delayed, such as manufacturers shortages, power outages and evacuations during the fire season here in California. These are out of our control. If you place an order that includes an item which is out of stock and that item is scheduled to arrive within a few days, we will hold your order until that item is received. If it looks like that item will not be available within a reasonable period of time, we will remove that item that you've ordered and indicate on your sales receipt that the item is sold out or on back order. We will then contact you when the item is available. We are often given estimated arrival dates that are off by a week or more. We are doing our best but this is beyond our control.

SHIPPING RATES AND FLAT RATE BOXES

All USPS shipments were based primarily on weight and destination. Thus, the closer you are located to the shop and the lighter the package, the cheaper the shipping would be. Flat rate boxes and envelopes dramatically reduced shipping expenses, particularly for heavier orders going longer distances, because it charged on set, and usually lower fee. The challenge is fitting the products you've ordered into a box.

What can fit in a flat rate box or envelope??

Flat Rate Envelope Examples: Flat rate envelopes can no longer be used as mini boxes. Many postmasters are now charging customers an extra fee if they receive a flat rate envelope that is "not reasonably flat." We cannot use these envelopes to ship any of our supplements in round bottles but we can stuff them with flatish items like ten packs of Bodiheat heating pads, smaller books (IC Survival Guide, Confident Choices, First Year IBS, etc.) and/or IC Optimist orders.

Flat Rate Box Examples: Flat Rate boxes come in two sizes and can usually hold larger orders as long as they aren't higher or longer than the box itself. Thus, we can easily fit a newly diagnosed kit, several books, Puroast Coffee Orders, candies, a few boxes of Dr. Oetker baking products, etc. A Taste of the Good Life: A Cookbook for an IC Diet ships easily in this box.

Large Dimension Orders: Several items will not fit into the flat rate boxes, including chair cushions.. These items are placed in larger plain cardboard boxes or tyvek envelopes and can only be shipped based upon their weight and destination.

DO WE SHIP BY UPS OR FEDEX?

We would be happy to ship via UPS however it is frequently much more expensive than USPS. UPS shipments cannot be processed via this web store and those customers requesting UPS service must call in their order to our order phone number (800) 928-7496. We cannot ship via FEDEX as there is no longer a package dropoff location near our shipping center.