International Shipping rates have increased for flat rate envelopes by $1.00 with the small flat-rate box increasing $2.00 and the large box an additional $4.00 as of January 10, 2009 due to US Postal Service increases. Sorry.....
International shipments are sent through the U.S. Postal Service .
All international shipments are sent fully insured (read more).
The cost of insurance is included in the prices below.
We can ship a flat-rate envelope by Priority Mail International (air mail); the cost is $11.75 to ship to Canada, and $13.75 to selected other countries. One envelope will hold up to 8 yards of regular cotton fabric, or four yards of heavier fabric, such as "cotton duck", canvas, or flannel.
Large orders that will not fit in a single envelope may either be split into several smaller parts (to be sent in separate Priority Mail International envelopes) or we can ship it in flat-rate boxes. Up to 22 yards of regular cotton (or 12 yards of heavier fabric or flannel) will fit into a small flat-rate box. The cost for shipping one of these boxes is $28 to Canada, and $43 to selected other countries. Whether you want us to split the order or send it in one package may depend on whether there are value thresholds for your country below which no duty is charged. If you don't tell us how you want it shipped, we will always choose the least expensive way.
This price we charge for shipping just includes the shipping cost. Your country may charge customs fees and/or duty and taxes; these will be collected in your country when the package is delivered. All international shipments must be accompanied by a customs form. We are required by law to list the contents of international shipments and the value (read more by clicking here).
Canadian customers please note that we ship through the US Postal Service as they do not charge brokerage fees. There is a flat $5 administrative fee that will be collected in Canada when your package is delivered, and you will also be charged the GST/HST at that time. In accordance with the NAFTA trade agreement, you will not have to pay duty as the country of origin will be marked "US". If your package is valued at $20 or less (Canadian dollars) you may not have to pay the GST/HST; follow this link for details: www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/courier/postal/ind_duty_free-e.html.
For customers outside of Canada and the US, additional information regarding customs and duty fees may be available by following this link: www.usps.com/global/duties.htm
Please read the following important information about Priority Mail International!
The US Postal Service has changed most of its international shipping options as of 5/14/07. The most important changes is that all economy (slow boat) shipping options have been discontinued. Therefore, all our international shipments will be sent by Priority Mail International as it is the least expensive option. It it essentially the same service as what was previously called "Global Priority Mail", with a few important differences:
- it costs more (sorry!)
- most packages are still NOT trackable, despite what you may have read on the US Post Office's website.
If package tracking is very important to you, then you must choose Global Express Guaranteed (GXG) Non-Document Service as it is the only selection which offers parcel tracking. However, it is VERY expensive - at least triple the cost of Priority Mail International. Therefore, we don't generally use this shipping option. GXG is actually handled by FedEx.
Delivery times in our experience are about 7 business days to reach Canada and Europe, and about 10 business days for Australia and Japan. This is just the time it takes to reach its destination county; please allow extra time for the package to clear Customs and be delivered by your local Postal Service.
Once we ship a package, it is out of our hands and we can do nothing to speed up the shipping process. Delays can and do occur (usually at the border due to customs), though most packages arrive on time. If package tracking is very important to you, then you must choose Global Express Guaranteed Non-Document Service as it is the only selection which offers tracking. You will need to e-mail us for a specific quote. We will need to know which fabric(s) you are interested in, how many yards of each, and what country you are in, otherwise we cannot provide a quote.
Great Britain & Northern Ireland (Includes England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and the Isle of Man) click here for additional information
For our customers in the UK, we have a little additional information that we have learned from our customers abroad.
It takes about a week for our packages to arrive abroad in the UK. It may take an additional week for them to clear Customs, then they are delivered by Royal Mail or ParcelForce. A £8 Customs Clearance fee and VAT will be collected by Royal Mail when they deliver the package. If they are unable to collect the fee when they attempt delivery (for instance, you're not at home), they will NOT deliver the package. They will take it back to the Post Office, and you will have to go and get it. They are supposed to leave you a note, to let you know that they have your package. If you do not come and get it, after a certain amount of time, they will just return it to us. We have had one package returned, and it appears that RoyalMail waited six weeks before returning it. Please note that ParcelForce may charge hefty storage fees if you do not claim your package within 20 days.
As of December 1, 2008, shipments valued at less than £105 are not subject to the Customs fee. (This is increased from the previous threshold of £18.) However, VAT will still be charged. UK readers, if you have additional information to share with us, please send us an e-mail.
Please read this excerpt regarding the exchange rates, which was taken from the customs.hmrc.gov.uk website: The rate of exchange is subject to an annual review, and may be adjusted, as a result of the euro exchange rate announced in the European Commission Official Journal on the first working day in October to take effect from 1 January. We are not sure, but it would seem that this means that they will base the exchange rates on whatever the rate was on the first business day in October. Again, we invite our UK customers to share their experiences with us, so that we can keep this page as accurate and helpful as possible!
We are occasionally asked if we can mark a package as a gift, or record the value of the package as less than what it really is, to avoid customs / duty fees. The answer is no - and we won't even say "sorry"! We would prefer to lose a sale, but retain our reputation for being completely honest in all our business dealings.
If you think we should do otherwise, please consider the following. We ship a number of international packages each week through our local Post Office, where the clerks know us by face and by name. While we are happy to recall that we do have friends living in many countries, we mail far too many international packages to have them all be "birthday gifts" and the like. So the packages must be marked what they are: merchandise. How could we mail our packages, greet the Post Office workers, and then lie to them? We don't do business that way.
Similarly, we can't mark the packages as all having a low value, so that the recipient can avoid paying duty and/or fees. Now, we don't like paying taxes and fees any more than anybody else does. (We'd all rather keep the money!) But what would happen if we wanted to insure a valuable package against loss? We can't very well insure a package for $200, and then declare its value as only $30.
The bottom line is that we want to be known for our honesty. And we don't want to break the law, either. So please don't ask us to lie!
A word about shipping insurance: while most international packages are delivered promptly - usually in about two weeks - it is not uncommon for packages to take much longer. Therefore, we cannot put in an insurance claim for an undelivered package until it is 45 days after mailing. We do not make this rule, it is made by the insurance company and we have no choice but to abide by it. If you are expecting a package and still have not received it after 45 days, please let us know about it, so that we can initiate a claim. As soon as the claim is paid (this usually takes about a week), we will refund your money or re-ship your order.
Please note that send an automatic e-mail when packages are shipped, telling you what the package number is. If you cannot find your copy of this e-mail, and need to know the package number, send us an e-mail and we will be happy to provide you with this information at any time.
