Terms of Service
PRIVACY AND CUSTOMER INFORMATION POLICY
At PIWC protecting our customers’ privacy and personal information is a core value. All customer information is kept in-house and is used solely to manage our customers’ orders and accounts and to communicate information to our customers. We request our customers provide email addresses so that we can communicate order and shipping information efficiently and, should the customer elect it, so we can send special interest information, notices of PIWC events and breaking news, and electronic documents such as invoices, credits, quotes and statements.
PRICES & WARRANTIES
Our intent is to merchandise quality goods at fair and competitive pricing. A change in catalog price may occur if supplier rates change significantly. The on-line catalog prices are current and supersede all other lists including those in printed catalogs. Our desire is that you be delighted with the products and service we provide. We will work in good faith to remedy any problems you may have. Manufacturer’s warranties will be honored and if fair and reasonable, we will go beyond that. Feedback on how we may provide better products or service is always welcome and appreciated.
Special note: Due to crating methods employed on crushers, presses and tanks imported from overseas, we occasionally receive product with superficial scratches and dents. The cost of insuring that no superficial damage occurs is not compatible with offering the most affordable pricing to our customers. These machines may not always be cosmetically perfect but we will ship no equipment whose performance or integrity is knowingly compromised.
ONLINE WINE ORDERS
Online and call-in wine orders are available for pick-up at the winery or for shipment within Pennsylvania or to addresses within select other states (AK AL AZ CA CO DC FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS LA MA MD ME MN MO NC ND NE NH NM NV NY OH OK OR PA SC TN TX VA VT WA WI WV OR WY). Unfortunately if your shipping address is not within PA or one of the listed states, we cannot process your wine order. Note that due to legal requirements orders for wine must be placed and shipped separately from orders for wine supplies and equipment. To enter the online wine shop and place an order the customer must be 21 years of age or older. By entering the online wine store and placing an order the customer affirms and acknowledges the following underage warning statement:
WARNING! Minors providing false information when obtaining alcoholic beverages over the internet will face criminal prosecution and civil liability. Violators may be charged federally with wire and credit card fraud and under multiple state laws prohibiting the attempted purchase or possession of alcohol by minors. Penalties include monetary fines, jail time, criminal probation, loss of driver’s license and a criminal record that must be disclosed on job and college applications. Licensed sellers of alcohol (including wineries and retailers) who pay large fines and lose alcohol license privileges for sales to minors are entitled to sue the minor for compensation. All internet customers must provide a credit card number and delivery address and can therefore be POSITIVELY identified to law enforcement. IF YOU ARE UNDER 21 – DON’T RISK YOUR FUTURE!
“Underage Website Warning Statement” – By entering the PIWC ONLINE WINE SHOP the customer affirms that they are 21 years of age or older and have read and understood the above statement and may legally enter the WINE SALES AREA of the website and purchase alcoholic beverages.
An Adult signature (21yrs or older) is required to receive delivery of all shipped wine orders. If an adult is not at home to sign for the delivery we recommend that you ship to your workplace address or redirect your shipment for holding and pick-up at a FedEx location. Presque Isle Wine Cellars cannot be responsible for failed/returned shipments due to lack of adult signature and re-shipments will require additional shipping costs.
Wine CANNOT ship via FedEx Smartpost. If this is chosen as the shipping method, we will automatically change the shipper to FedEx. Extra charges may be incurred.
ORDER FULFILLMENT
Orders can be placed online at www.piwine.com, via phone at 814-725-1314, or via mail (Presque Isle Wine Cellars, 9440 W. Main Rd., North East, PA 16428). For fastest service we recommend using our online catalog. Accepted payment methods include personal checks, Master Card, Visa, Discover and American Express. We typically ship orders no later than the next business day. During the busy times of our harvest (August-October) it may take longer but typically orders are shipped within 3 business days. There may be exceptions for very large orders, complex orders, truck orders, international orders, or items such as malo-lactic cultures or freezable items. Note that, due to legal requirements, orders for wine must be placed and shipped separately from orders for wine supplies and equipment. For customers who provide e-mail addresses and who desire the service we can send a message confirming shipment with tracking information and a copy of the order invoice.
BACKORDERS
We pride ourselves on maintaining stock in our wide inventory of items however occasionally due to unexpected order volume or supplier issues we will have backorder items. When this occurs we will contact the customer to advise of the backorder items and expected availability date and to confirm the customer’s desire with regard to releasing the remainder of the order, modifying the order with alternate in-stock items, canceling the backorder items, or holding the order until the backordered items arrive. If the customer does not respond to our inquiry within 3 business days, we will ship the remainder of the order to avoid further delay in getting the customer their items. When backordered items are received we will contact the customer before shipping to confirm they still want the items and whether they wish to add items to the order to maximize benefit for the shipping costs.
SHIPPING INFORMATION
Our goal is to get items to our customers as effectively and inexpensively as possible – we don’t treat shipping as a profit center for us or as a sales gimmick. PIWC philosophy is the same as it has been since 1964 - charge only the carrier’s rate plus handling calculated as close to cost as is reasonably possible. We typically ship via FedEx Ground Service and our website is configured with FedEx as the default carrier. Note that rarely but occasionally our online shipping calculators get flummoxed by order information that is not programmed and generate an erroneous shipping amount. Some observed examples have been when the order includes larger items that cannot be shipped in one package under the carrier’s maximum pounds per package limit or the item is too large to ship via FedEx or USPS. If the online shipping calculator significantly under-calculates the correct shipping cost we reserve the right to adjust it and we will contact the customer to confirm prior to shipping. If you feel the shipping cost for your order is excessive or may be in error, please contact us immediately and we will verify it and correct it if necessary.
Other methods and/or carriers are available upon customer selection or request. For special situations we may suggest and use alternative methods if mutually agreed upon with the customer. FedEx offers 3 Day Select, 2nd Day Air and Next Day Air service at extra cost. USPS is another possible carrier option for orders placed by phone. Express Mail is available to some areas as either a next day or 2nd day service. Contact us about rates if you need any of these services. For online orders alternate carriers can be selected but we will need to contact you before shipping to confirm shipping costs. Careful effort is put forth to package each order in as few boxes as possible to keep cost to the customer down. There are occasions when an order includes items that cannot be packed together and when this occurs we endeavor to keep the number of necessary packages to a minimum.
ITEMS WITH SPECIAL SHIPPING REQUIREMENTS
The vast majority of our catalog items can be shipped via FedEx or equivalent carriers. There are some exceptions to this method due to size or weight issues and those items must go via LTL (truck) carrier. Those items that must go via truck are marked with an asterisk (*) and/or otherwise noted in that product’s description in the catalog. If any part of your order must be sent by truck it will usually be cheaper to send the entire order that way. Items marked with a circumflex (^) or otherwise stated with the product description information can be shipped FedEx or equivalent, but at net shipping costs for the specific item. This means that no other items can be packed with this item. Items marked with a tilde (~) or otherwise noted in the product description information mean that a crating cost must be charged in addition to the freight cost.
Wine CANNOT ship via FedEx Smartpost. If this is chosen as the shipping method, we will automatically change the shipper to FedEx. Extra charges may be incurred.
INTERNATIONAL ORDERS & SHIPPING
So long as the customer is willing to accept the shipping and duty costs, we are happy to fulfill international orders with payment by credit card. We ship orders to Canada with some frequency and occasionally we have sent items to APO’s and other countries. Out-of-country customers should contact us for details and to confirm shipping and duty costs. FedEx offers service to Canada and for a fee will act as the Customs broker. Canadian customers should check with them for rates; a phone number must be included with the order.
Wine CANNOT ship via FedEx Smartpost. If this is chosen as the shipping method, we will automatically change the shipper to FedEx. Extra charges may be incurred.
NOTES ON SHIPPING SERVICE OPTIONS
FedEx: Ground service is available to the 48 contiguous states, taking from 1 to 6 work days to reach customer. No package may exceed 150 lbs or 130 inches combined length and girth. Insurance to $100 per package is included in rates. Hundred weight service offers lower rates for shipments exceeding 200 lbs. FedEx offers service to Canada and for a fee will act as Customs broker. Canadian customers should check with them for rates; a phone number must be included with the order. Next Day and Second Day Air Service: These services cover all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Saturday delivery is available with FedEx Next Day Air in most of the USA with an additional fee. 3 Day service has some utility especially in the far west.
SmartPost: With SmartPost your package will be picked up by FedEx and delivered by FedEx to your local Post Office for final delivery to your location by your regular US Postal Service carrier. This can be a less expensive shipping method than traditional FedEx, particularly for smaller packages, but you will also experience a longer delivery time than traditional FedEx - in some cases an additional 3-5 days. You MUST use the address where you receive mail through the USPS as your shipping address or your package may not get delivered. SmartPost can be delivered to Post Office Boxes or to physical addresses with established USPS delivery service. Savings with SmartPost are typically seen on small, lightweight packages. On heavier, larger orders FedEx home service may be more cost effective, and faster. We recommend SmartPost not be used for perishable items. SmartPost is trackable while in FedEx hands enroute to your Post Office but not thereafter. Wine CANNOT ship via FedEx Smartpost. If this is chosen as the shipping method, we will automatically change the shipper to FedEx. Extra charges may be incurred.
USPS (Parcel Post): This service reaches all states and territories. Some items such as presses, barrels and crusher-stemmers cannot be sent this way. Maximum weight is 70 lbs. Each package is charged separately. Rates do not include insurance, which we recommend getting on packages of any great value to be sent by USPS. Priority Mail is usually 2 day service, is delivered on Saturday, and is often cost effective for light packages. Express Mail can be delivered overnight 365 days a year to certain areas and, and 2nd day to other areas and is trackable. We strongly recommend paying for delivery confirmation on all USPS packages that don’t have tracking numbers.
Motor Freight: Covers continental USA and much of Canada and is best for shipping large or heavy items. We work with several carriers who offer discounts. We will check multiple carriers to find the best quote. Carriers add a substantial surcharge for delivery to a residential address so it is may be better to arrange shipping to a business address. Carriers also typically add a significant fee ($75 or more) if a lift gate is required so you should have a forklift available or some way to unload the truck to avoid that cost. Call the carrier directly to arrange delivery time rather than request they call you (they have been known to charge as much as $40 for the call). Call us if you desire the carrier’s ‘PRO’ number (tracking number) and local terminal number. Shipping glass (carboys and bottles) by truck becomes cost effective somewhere between 500 and 1000 lbs. You must be home when delivery is made, you will be required to unload your truck delivery, not the truck driver.
RECEIVING, DAMAGE, & RETURNS INFORMATION
It is very important to check all packages/items, preferably in the presence of the delivery company’s driver, to make certain all items are received and in good condition. If you refuse damaged shipments, matters become more complicated and reduce the carrier’s liability. Have the driver acknowledge obvious damage or shortages in writing on the shipping bill before you sign it. If the damage is concealed, report it upon discovery and retain goods and packages until your claim is satisfied unless the carrier acknowledges responsibility in writing. It is also always a good idea to photo document the damage. The longer package inspection is delayed on the receiver’s part, the greater the chance becomes that a claim will not be allowed.
Please DO NOT RETURN goods without first checking with us. Give us details of any problems or dissatisfactions. We may be able to resolve the matter without further shipping costs to either party. Please e-mail us or call us at (814) 725-1314.
Parcel post shipments are not insured unless you request and pay for it. All other carriers’ shipments are insured for up to$100 per package and the insurance is included in their rates. We reserve the right to insure packages for the actual value of the shipment if we deem it necessary; an additional fee will be included in the shipping and handling charge. If concealed damage is discovered, contact the Carrier immediately. Although our responsibility ends when we have delivered your order to the carrier we are willing to assist with the handling of claims. It is your responsibility to report damage upon delivery or discovery. It is also always a good idea to photo document the concealed damage in the context of the packaging. E-mail or call PIWC and we will assist you with your claim to the best of our ability.
SHIPPING ERRORS
Our packing staff is very diligent and proud of their work but occasionally we make mistakes. If we make a shipping mistake, we will correct the problem. Please e-mail or call us immediately if you believe we have made an error – wrong product, missing product, incorrect quantity, etc. - and we will work with you to resolve the problem in the most advantageous way.