On this page
- Limited Access to Inventory
- Inventory Forecast
- Defective Inventory or Packaging; Obsolescence; Disposal
- Having Shipwire Ship On Your Behalf
- Submitting Orders from E-commerce Tools
Storing and Shipment of Goods Policy
This storage and shipment of goods policy (“Policy”) is incorporated into the Shipwire terms of service as published on the Shipwire website (“Terms”). In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between this Policy and the Terms, the Terms shall control. All capitalized terms not otherwise defined in this Policy will have the meaning given them in the Terms.
1. Limited Access to Inventory
1.1. Once inventory is received by Shipwire, such inventory is unavailable for inspection, exchange or pickup without an outbound shipment including handling fees. You must submit a standard order for shipping if you wish to move the inventory to another location, including an alternate Shipwire warehouse.
1.2. You cannot drop off or pick up inventory at Shipwire warehouses in person. Please see Receiving Policies discussing freight carriers.
1.3. If you are on a legacy Shipwire plan, submitting a large order for shipping may require you to upgrade your plan accordingly. All plans have a limited set of shipping options available.
1.4. Shipwire can without notice move the goods within a warehouse and between warehouses. Notice will be provided before warehouse inventory moves between states or countries.
1.5. You are not permitted to visit any Shipwire warehouse, they are secured facilities and not open to the public.
2. Inventory Forecast
Shipwire may require that you provide daily, weekly and/or monthly forecasts of (a) goods that you or your suppliers will deliver to our warehouses (“Inbound Forecast”), and (b) the number of orders and units that you plan to ship (“Outbound Forecast”). Shipwire reserves the right to limit the number of units that may be delivered and/or stored at a warehouse.
3. Defective Inventory or Packaging; Obsolescence; Disposal
3.1. Prior to sending any quantity of merchandise to Shipwire, we strongly recommend you (i) check product and packaging for shippability, and (ii) send a small sample to Shipwire, and ship it back to yourself, to confirm “shippability”.
3.2. We reserve the right to refuse, dispose of and/or return at your cost any inventory we deem unfit, dangerous, requiring special attention, or otherwise interfering with our normal operations. You are also liable for any additional labor and materials needed to handle defective product or packaging.
3.3. If you provide pre-packaged inventory, we may determine your packaging to be insufficient for shipping, and an outside box required. At our discretion, we may offer an outside box and packaging solution for an additional fee, or we may return the inventory to you at your cost.
3.4. Disposal of your merchandise may be subject to additional handling and fees. Generally with respect to the cost of handling, the merchandise will be handled as a normal outbound order. However, damaged inventory, inventory requiring inspection or inventory that needs to be deconstructed prior to disposal (e.g removing batteries) may incur additional handling charges. Any disposal order will incur charges to cover a waste removal charge. Certified disposal is not recommended but can be arranged via a project if necessary. Shipwire at it’s discretion may refuse to accept a disposal order. A sufficient available balance is needed to cover the cost of handling plus any additional fees. Storage fees will be required until all items are disposed of or shipped out.
4. Having Shipwire Ship On Your Behalf
4.1. Application of Rates and Charges
4.1.1. Basis. Rates and service quotations are estimates and will be based upon the information provided by you, but final rates and service may vary based upon the shipment actually tendered. Charges will be assessed at the rates effective the day the shipment is processed for fulfillment. Due to potential delays beyond the control of Shipwire in the discovery of errors Shipwire reserves the right to retroactively assess or adjust fees, and to make certain aspects of an Account not editable at Shipwire’s discretion in order to avoid further errors.
4.1.2. Billable Weight (Dim Weight). The costs to transport goods are dependent upon carrier space and weight limitations and carrier dimensional weight policies. Thus, bulky shipments requiring considerable space are often charged a dimensional weight.
At Shipwire, each shipment tendered to us is charged according to the actual weight or the dimensional weight, whichever is greater. Dimensional weight is computed by taking the cube of the exterior dimensions of the shipping carton (Length x Width X Height) / Dim Factor. Differently carriers and services use different dim factors and may change these from time to time. Shipwire will compute the dimensional weight for each carton based on the carrier terms and conditions in place at the time the order is tendered for processing. Actual Weight is calculated by taking the product weights + carton tare weight (this is the empty container weight) + void fill weight. Billable weight is the greater of the Dimensional weight or Actual weight and rounded UP to the next billable weight break (typically the next ounce, lb, gram or kg) for that carrier and service. Some carriers treat multiple cartons tendered on the same day as a shipment others treat each carton individually. Understanding dimensional weight blog post.
4.1.3. Additional Fees. Fees related to Customs and security, failed pickup or delivery, returns, labor and waiting time, and reconsignment, may be assessed and these additional charges and may incur additional transit day(s). Shipwire further reserves the right to bill additional fees, along with Shipwire administrative fees, for address corrections and other carrier adjustments that are billed to Shipwire by transportation carriers and agencies.
4.1.4. Third Party Parcel Carrier. Shipwire offers a service to ship order(s) on a third party shipping Account (“third party parcel carrier” shipment). When using a third party carrier in conjunction with Shipwire services, you shall be responsible for any associated fees billed to Shipwire. Shipwire shall not be responsible for determining if fees are correct, delivering messages between the carrier and yourself, or otherwise acting as an intermediary. If an invoice arrives at Shipwire, for fees applicable to your shipment, these fees will be billed to your Account along with discretionary fines. If notice of fees is determined at a later date, all penalties and holds will be immediate and retroactive. Shipwire specifically disclaims any liability for third party carrier fees. Scheduling of third party carriers is considered a project, and carries with it standard project service levels.
4.1.5. Ancillary, Brokerage, Fuel and Beyond Charges. A shipment that originates from, or is destined to, a rural location or a location distant from a commercial center may be assessed additional charges and may incur additional transit day(s). Known surcharges like Fuel surcharge and Delivery Area surcharges will typically be included at the time of shipment. Some surcharges and fees are not known until after delivery has been made, (e.g. wait time, additional delivery attempts, redirect fee’s, address correction fees). you are responsible for any invoiced surcharge or fee for shipments from your account. Shipwire may bill these charges in arrears without additional notice.
4.1.6. Product Descriptions, dimensions and weights. When you input new product SKUs into Shipwire you must enter accurate weight and product dimensions. If your weight or dimensions are smaller than the actual product, Shipwire shipping estimates will be low and when the actual shipping price is incurred by the carrier your Account will be back-billed the difference. If your shipping weights and dimensions are greater than the actual product, Shipwire will overpay the postage and the carrier will not notify Shipwire or you of the overpayment. Shipwire will not be responsible for refunds for overpayment of carrier fees due to erroneous product weight or dimensions. If you do not know your exact product weight and dimensions please submit a Project request to measure your inventory for weight and dimensions. All shipping costs quoted are estimates until billed by carriers. Shipwire reserves the right to edit dimensions and weight at its discretion to reflect actual packing requirements.
4.1.7. Shippable Addresses. You are responsible for the accuracy and deliverability of order shipping addresses. Shipwire may, at its discretion, verify some order shipping addresses, but this is not a replacement for merchant address diligence and verification. If Shipwire provides an order shipping estimate on the basis of an address later discovered to be inaccurate or incomplete, the merchant is responsible for any applicable address correction fees, or for any difference in shipping cost due to differences between the merchant-provided address and the actual address. Examples of discrepancies for which the merchant may be responsible include, but are not limited to, incomplete addresses, commercial/residential address status, and rural address status.
4.1.8. International Shipping. Shipwire offers International shipping from most warehouses on a best efforts basis. Shipwire reserves the right to charge additional item, international documentation or per shipment handling fees for any international shipment, Shipwire will make best efforts to display these in shipping estimate. Shipwire offers International shipping on a “best efforts” basis because we cannot guarantee delivery due to the unknowns involved with cross-border shipping. Customs and Customs agents can delay, refuse to process, assess brokerage, lose or impose unanticipated customs, tax or duties to international shipments at their discretion. Even perfectly documented shipments can be returned to the warehouse with no reasons indicated. Whenever possible you should avoid the unknowns and extra costs of international shipping by using our local warehouses to ship locally. Shipwire will not refund or guarantee an international shipment that was lost or returned. We recommend that all international shipments be tracked and insured. REMEMBER IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM INTERNATIONAL FRAUD. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY ALL FEES RELATED TO ORDERS WHETHER THE ORDER IS FRAUDULENT OR THE PRODUCT IS DELIVERED OR NOT.
4.1.9. International Returns. International shipments that are not delivered are often returned by the carrier and assessed return shipping, brokerage and returns processing carrier fees. These fees assessed by the carriers are billed through to merchants, often without notice. Shipwire strives to work with merchants to circumvent International returns or abandon inventory at the merchant’s request; however, this is done on a best efforts basis and Shipwire reserves the right to access administration fees.
4.1.10. International CDT. Customs, Duties and Taxes (“CDT”) on any international shipment charged by the carrier are the responsibility of the merchant and will be charged back to the merchant regardless of whether they were or were not in the initial shipping estimate, or whether the order was or was not delivered.
4.1.11. Shipping Quotations are Estimates Only. Quotations as to shipping fees, rates of duty, international brokerage charges, freight charges, insurance premiums or other charges given during your use of Shipwire Services are for informational purposes only and are subject to change without notice and shall not under any circumstances be binding upon us. Quotations accepted through Shipwire Services’ online interfaces and APIs are estimates based on the information you have supplied. Your final shipping charge may differ based on carrier shipping prices, the actual characteristics of your product, the delivery address, and services requested during the normal course of delivery. Shipwire specifically disclaims liability for any shipping rate errors due to information you have supplied, such as dimensions and weights you have entered into our system. Shipwire disclaims liability for any shipping rate errors due to failures in communication with shipping carriers that are outside of Shipwire’s control.
4.2. Computation of Days. Unless otherwise provided, in computing time in days, business days will be used.
4.3. Conditions of Transportation. Except as otherwise provided for in our Terms of Service, we assume no obligation to commence or complete transportation of a shipment within any specific period. Shipwire will determine the routing of any shipment not routed by you, including the mode of transportation used, and may use air transportation, ground transportation, ocean transportation or any combination thereof in providing shipping services. Shipwire reserves the right to divert any shipment (including use of other carriers) in order to facilitate its delivery. The carriage charges for a shipment will be based on the corresponding rates scale, calculated using the origin to destination, plus the addition of all applicable additional charges. Shipwire shall not be liable for delays in obtaining and loading cars, trailers or other containers for outbound shipment. Warehouse shall have a reasonable time to make delivery after inventory is shipped out and shall have a minimum of 10 business days after receipt of a delivery order in which to locate any misplaced inventory.
4.3.1. All instructions and requests for delivery of inventory or transfer of title are received subject to satisfaction of all charges, liens and security interests of Shipwire with respect to the inventory whether for accrued charges, unpaid fees, or advances or otherwise.
4.4. Superior Interests. Shipwire may require, as a condition precedent to delivery, a statement from you holding Shipwire harmless from claims of others asserting a superior right to you to possession of the inventory. Nothing herein shall preclude Shipwire from exercising any other remedy available to it under the law to resolve conflicting claims to possession of the inventory.
4.5. Undeliverable Shipments/Returns. Shipwire can only receive merchandise with a proper ASN # or RMA # attached. Merchandise returned directly to Shipwire without a proper ASN # or RMA # will either be refused or discarded without notice to Account holder. In the case of an undeliverable shipment being returned to the warehouse, Shipwire will attempt to trace the return to it’s order and process as a return. It is your responsibility to submit deliverable orders, and to ensure returns are handled properly. Further, you agree that the condition of a return is subjective, and that Shipwire is in no way liable for inspection, or for storing, handling, disposing of, or re-shipping returns that appear damaged.
4.6. Premium and Oversized Packaging. Shipwire provides basic packaging included with the item cost of each outbound shipments, packaging availability varies by the warehouse. Free packaging is detailed in the support center and can change without notice. Inventory that does not require Shipwire packaging does not result in a credit. Shipments requiring packaging that is not included free may result in a Premium or Oversized Package charge or back billed on a per order basis.
5. Submitting Orders from E-commerce Tools
Shipwire, developers and third-parties may offer connections to the Shipwire API and software interfaces via third-party applications and Web services (“Connections” or “Sell Tools”) as a convenience for our merchants. It is your responsibility to test the interface between Shipwire and Sell Tools. We recommend you test early and often. Shipwire is not responsible for translation issues, held orders, or any other issues related to communication with Connections. In addition to strongly recommending frequent testing, Shipwire also provides the ability for transmitted orders to be held before being sent to the warehouse. It is your responsibility to investigate all these features, set them up properly, do any testing, and inquire with Shipwire about any questions or concerns BEFORE going live with your online store. Please be responsible and test in small batches or individual orders. Shipwire is not responsible for e-commerce tool order submission errors or order cleanup.