Company Policies > Shipping Information

 

Destination		Retail Value of Goods Shipped
United States #	N Scale	6% of Total Value of Goods Shipped, minimum charge of $14.00
	HO Scale	6% of Total Value of Goods Shipped, minimum charge of $14.00
Canada		Varies based upon actual cost to ship (Prices typically average $14.00 to $20.00): see Canadian Shipping below.
International		Varies based upon actual cost to ship: see International Shipping below.

 

# General note on shipments to the United States:

 

Shipments to the US use United Parcel Service (UPS). If you would like to use an alternate means of shipping, i.e., pickup yourself or by courier, etc., put a note to that effect on your order. Such alternative means must be arranged and pre-paid by you and appropriate notice must be given to us.

 

The prices above reflect our basic shipping/handling charge, including insurance but not signature required. Insurance is based upon the full retail price of the goods, not the discounted price; this is necessary in order to pay just the replacement cost for any damaged or lost shipment.

 

Most packages of two or three cars, in either HO or N Scale, or two N Scale engines, or one HO engine will cost this minimum shipping charge. Even a single car will cost the minimum shipping charge in most cases.

 

If a signature is requested, then UPS adds an additional $2.50 charge. This charge will be assessed the customer every time signature required is requested.

 

Shipments which have excessive weight will be shipped at actual shipping cost plus a handling fee of 1% of retail value of the goods.

## Despite our every effort to keep costs down, we have been charged more for shipping than we have collected. With regret, we need to increase what we charge customers just to pay the costs of shipping their products to them.

Canadian Shipping

Shipping in Canada is via Canada Post. Canadian shipping prices have changed significantly in the past year or two. Canadian prices on shipping vary depending upon the destination, whether it is on the opposite coast, in Toronto, Ontario, or in Small Town, Ontario, or in Alberta or Manitoba.

In addition, due to the continued practice of Canada Post in cubing weight, the size and value of the package as well as its destination are reflected in the amount we must charge. The cubed weight is used for Canada Post charges, unless the actual weight is greater than the cubed weight of a package. For example, if the actual weight (as of lead) is heavier than the cubed weight, the actual weight is used for their charges.

Insurance is limited to $1,000 per package.  Any shipment over that value, must be at the customer's intelligently-undertaken risk, or we will ship at that amount in multiple packages. We must enter values for the product at retail value in order to ensure insurance will be paid for claims.

Therefore, to ensure all customers get the best possible service and know what to expect, we have decided to alter our previous policy on shipping and post it in advance. We will no longer supply a minimum rate that can be expected to cover shipping all across the Canadian part of the continent and for a set amount of product or dollar value. Instead, we will pull the product, pack it up, weigh and measure, and do the actual shipping calculation before invoicing and charging the shipping costs. We will then charge customers the Canada Post rates plus a small handling fee of 1.5%.

If you would like to use an alternate means of shipping, i.e., pickup by yourself or courier, etc., put a note to that effect on your order. Such alternative means must be arranged and pre-paid by you and appropriate notice must be given to us.

 

Shipping Overseas

We had many requests for a more economical way to ship products overseas. After research and due preparation and planning, PWRS launched an experiment in shipping via United States Postal Service for shipments to overseas customers. In more than a year, we have had very few problems and those have been settled without too much trouble.

This method of shipping will, therefore, apply to all customers who:

1.  do not specifically request an alternative means of shipping, or

2.  who are presently being routinely shipped high-value packages.

In addition, each customer is responsible for deciding whether or not this shipping option is best for him with regard to customs issues. That is a separate matter entirely.

Below, please see the basic rules for this new shipping option and also the basic cost for the freight itself (not including insurance, handling, etc.):

United States Postal Service

SHIPPING TO OVERSEAS CUSTOMERS

1. Maximum retail value per package is $500.00

2. Each Customer must be prepared to pay the actual cost of freight, insurance, and a shipping and handling charge.

3. Should we be required to take the package to the post office in person, an additional $20.00 per package will be charged.

4. A heavier weight (rounded up to the next pound) than actual will be used in order to ensure that packages have sufficient postage and are not returned to PWRS.

5. Shipping costs reflect the price increases effective May 12, 2008

6. Flat Rate packages will only be used if and when there is sufficient weight and/or value to warrant the cost.

Pricing by Weight and Price Group (Retail Pricing)

Weight Not Over (pounds)	Price Groups
	1 Canada	2 Mexico	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	$23.25	$28.25	$34.75	$35.00	$35.00	$34.25	$34.75	$31.75	$31.50
2	25.80	31.80	39.10	39.55	38.85	37.90	39.50	36.00	35.45
3	28.35	35.35	43.45	44.10	42.70	41.55	44.25	40.25	39.40
4	30.90	38.90	47.80	48.65	46.55	45.20	49.00	44.50	43.35
5	33.45	42.45	52.15	53.20	50.40	48.85	53.75	48.75	47.30
6	36.00	44.80	54.90	57.15	52.55	52.70	58.50	52.10	50.25
7	38.55	47.15	57.65	61.10	54.70	56.55	63.25	55.45	53.20
8	41.10	49.50	60.40	65.05	56.85	60.40	68.00	58.80	56.15
9	43.65	51.85	63.15	69.00	59.00	64.25	72.75	62.15	59.10
10	46.20	54.20	65.90	72.95	61.15	68.10	77.50	65.50	62.05
11	48.75	56.15	68.65	76.90	63.20	71.55	82.45	68.95	65.00
12	51.30	58.10	71.40	80.85	65.25	75.00	87.40	72.40	67.95
13	53.85	60.05	74.15	84.80	67.30	78.45	92.35	75.85	70.90
14	56.40	62.00	76.90	88.75	69.35	81.90	97.30	79.30	73.85
15	58.95	63.95	79.65	92.70	71.40	85.35	102.25	82.75	76.80
16	61.50	65.90	82.40	96.65	73.45	88.80	107.20	86.20	79.75
17	64.05	67.85	85.15	100.60	75.50	92.25	112.15	89.65	82.70
18	66.60	69.80	87.90	104.55	77.55	95.70	117.10	93.10	85.65
19	69.15	71.75	90.65	108.50	79.60	99.15	122.05	96.55	88.60
20	71.70	73.70	93.40	112.45	81.65	102.60	127.00	100.00	91.55
21	74.25	75.65	96.15	116.40	83.70	106.05	131.95	103.45	94.50
22	76.80	77.60	98.90	120.35	85.75	109.50	136.90	106.90	97.45
23	79.35	79.55	101.65	124.30	87.80	112.95	141.85	110.35	100.40
24	81.90	81.50	104.40	128.25	89.85	116.40	146.80	113.80	103.35
25	84.45	83.45	107.15	132.20	91.90	119.85	151.75	117.25	106.30

	Canada / Mexico	All other countries	Size
Priority Mail Flat-Rate Envelope (up to 4 pounds)	$12.95	$16.95	12.5'' x 9.5''
Priority Mail Flat-Rate Boxes (up to 20 pounds)	$32.95	$47.95	11'' x 8.5'' x 5.5'' 11-7/8'' x 3-3/8'' x 13-5/8''
Large Priority Mail Flat-Rate Box (up to 20 pounds)	$39.95	$69.95	12'' x 12'' x 5-1/2''

 

P.S. Our experience dictates that the flat rate box may be: a) more costly than expected and/or b) impossible due to size constraints.

Overseas customers have, at times, requested we use lower pricing on customs documents in order to save them Value Added Taxes and/or other customs duties. Not only is this unethical, it it contrary to law. It is, in fact, a fraud practiced upon the sovereign power of another nation. Should Pacific Western Rail System ever be found to commit such falsification, not one of our shipments or customs documents could or would be trusted by any foreign government ever again. It would be devastating in terms of time, i.e. delays at customs, as well as extra attention and searching, and heavier penalties for any slight error, to our customers all around the world. We cannot, in good conscience allow even the suggestion of such a practice to be associated with our name. We hope all our customers will not only understand but support our stand in this matter.

The Goodie Box

The term "goodie box" refers to a system of holding goods for customers in order to maximize shipping costs.  Only invoiced and paid-for goods can be placed in a goodie box, nothing that has not been paid for will be held in a goodie box.  The contents of the goodie box belong to the customer, not to PWRS; ownership changes hands at the time the product has been paid for.

PWRS will hold the product in a goodie box for up to six months.  We do this at our cost, without charge to the customer, as a service to our customers. Longer periods of holding product may be arranged, on an individual basis, if need be (customer is out of the country working temporarily--not permanently; delayed product is coming from vendor, etc.).  But the standard rule is that PWRS holds the customer's property for up to six months and no longer.  It is the customer's responsibility before the end of that time (unless specifically agreed upon between customer and PWRS), to advise us to ship now.

Should a customer be notified he has product that needs to be shipped, and he refuses to pay shipping charges, he is abandoning his property.  Should it be impossible to contact the customer, he is abandoning his property.

Goodie box product belongs to the customer and the standard policies for returns apply to goodie box products, with one exception.  All convenience returns (change of mind, change of scale, out of hobby, etc.) must be made within thirty (30) days of payment for the product.  The only exception to the thirty-day (30 day) rule is defective goods; defective goods will be replaced in accordance with the standard Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) policy.  No returns and no refunds will be made on goodie box products (except for RMAs within 30 days or if defective).

Abandonment by the customer may result in a loss of the product as well as a loss of the money outlaid to purchase the product.  Abandonment results after six months without provision for shipping of the goods in the goodie box.  PWRS is not required to contact the customer, though we usually do try to contact and consult the customer as to his wishes. Once abandonment occurs, PWRS will no longer be responsible for the product.

We are happy to accommodate our customers, holding product to wait on other items coming from dealers and suppliers. But we cannot increase our warehousing space just to provide a free service to our customers.  We have no intention of abolishing the goodie box system.  Over the years, our customers have been very cooperative in the goodie box system; but a few always make it necessary for hard rules to be laid down and enforced.  Please help us to continue offering this service.