Shipping policy

Do you offer Free Shipping?

Yes, some of our larger items ship for free on their own. These products include furniture and cases of disposable sheets or soap. Products that ship free will be noted on the item page.

In addition, we currently have a Free Shipping promotion for orders totaling over $200. Please note that items that already ship free on their own (see above), will not be counted toward the $200 condition. Other items that are not counted toward the Free Shipping promotion are any shipment protection services and sales taxes. PO Boxes are not eligible for this promotion.

We also have a free Will Call option for our local customers.

Please note: All Free Shipping offers are only available for delivery addresses in the Contiguous (a.k.a. the Conterminous or “Lower 48”) United States, and exclude P.O. Boxes.

How much does usual shipping cost?

All orders that do not fall into the categories above still enjoy discounted shipping rates. We’ve got awesome rates from FedEx as well as some special flat rates. To see the rates and service levels available for your order, simply add the items to cart and proceed to checkout. The rates and services will show up after you’ve submitted your shipping address.

What’s Will Call?

The Will Call/Pick Up option allows customers to come pick their orders up directly from our warehouse. There’s no charge for this delivery option. After we’ve received a Will Call order, and the warehouse has prepared it, we’ll send out an email to you to let you know your order is ready for pick up. This is usually within 2 hours of order submission (during business hours).

Our warehouse address is:
     1000 W Cienega Avenue
     San Dimas, Ca 91773

Because artists are often traveling, this option pops up regardless of where your billing address is located. Orders not picked up within 10 business days will be cancelled and subject to a 5% restocking fee. If you have any questions or concerns about will call pick ups, just contact us at info@theneedleparlor.com or 626.508.5588.

When will my order ship?

Unless there are any special circumstances or delays (see below), most orders will ship out the same business day (Monday through Friday) when received by the following times:

Orders received after these times will ship the next business day. Please keep in mind that carrier pick-ups are limited to business days only (Monday to Friday). For example, an order received on Wednesday at 12:15PM PST will ship the same day, whereas an order received at 4:00PM PST on a Friday would ship on Monday.

Are there any exceptions?

There always are, right? As mentioned above, sometimes there are special circumstances or delays. Usually it’s something we have to contact a customer about, like confirming an order or address. To ensure your order gets processed and shipped quickly, it's a good idea to keep an eye out for any emails or calls from us following an order submission. Make sure our email domain (@theneedleparlor.com) is added to your email service's whitelist so our emails don't end up in your SPAM folder.

Couriers like FedEx are also off on major holidays. Orders that come in on or the evening before these major holidays will ship the next business day.

What can I do to ensure a speedy delivery?

As mentioned above, the number one thing that keeps a package from going out is some sort of confirmation we need from the customer. So make sure our email domain (@theneedleparlor.com) is whitelisted in your email service to ensure you get email messages from us. Other than that, here are a few more things you can do:

• Make sure your delivery address is correct. Double check before you submit the order. Missing Suite/Unit numbers, or unverified addresses will lead to delays.
• Make sure contact information like email and phone numbers are correct. While you're at it, make sure your voicemail boxes aren't full (believe it or not, we're unable to leave a message at most of the unanswered calls come across). We tend to reach out by email, but also attempt calling. We get that you probably can't pick up because you're a dope-ass artist in the middle of a session, but give us some room to tell you why we're calling. We promise you won't hear us plead for your help in moving our enormous fortune out of our native Nigeria. But for real, can you help with that?
  

So when will my order get here?

After your order gets picked up from our warehouse, it’s up to the delivery company to get it to you. Transit times depend mainly on the shipping service you selected, as well as your shipping address. It’s important to note that shipping companies do not count weekend days or holidays when estimating transit times, only business days.

Ground and Standard delivery services take 1-5 business days for the Contiguous US (Alaska can take a couple days longer). Take a look at the FedEx Ground map below for a better idea of the number of days (weekends not counted) for your location:

Express and other date-specific services will follow the number of days specified in their service level.

Also note that while shipping carriers will make every effort possible to ensure that packages meet their delivery estimate dates, there are instances where the ability to deliver on time is outside of everyone’s control, like extreme weather, incomplete addresses, nobody home or business at address closed. It happens — that's just life.

Are transit times guaranteed?

For the most part, no. Shipping times are estimates and are not guaranteed. Unfortunately we do not have our own fleet of delivery vans (maybe one day!), so we are unable to control the transit/delivery of orders, and depend on standard couriers like FedEx, DHL, and the US Postal Service. Actual delivery times may vary depending on factors outside of our control, such as carrier delays, weather conditions, and unforeseen circumstances. Any payments made for shipping services are transferred to a delivery company to perform the delivery service. 

FedEx deliveries tend to be on par with estimates well over 99.5% of the time. USPS services are more prone to delays. Please note that USPS First Class (Ground Advantage) is the same service as mailing a stamped envelope. It is the most economical option, but transit times are also more flexible.

Delivery estimates are almost always met, but, sometimes there are going to be delays. Does it suck? Sure. But even though the chance of a delay is small (especially on Express shipments), we suggest ordering ahead, just in case.

That being said, both FedEx and UPS do have money-back guarantees on their Overnight (Next Day) services, as long as the delay was under their control. Meaning delays including but not limited to weather, terrorism, accidents, and acts of God would not be covered.

Was my shipping upgraded?

Maybe! Sometimes a Ground, Standard or USPS shipment might get upgraded to FedEx Express. We occasionally do this for a number of reasons. If this is something you don’t want, please let us know in the Customer Message field during checkout.

Do you ship internationally?

Yes, we do, and we’ve got great rates for that as well! Follow the same procedure mentioned above. The available rates will display after you submit your shipping address. Please note that The Needle Parlor is not responsible for any import fees or duties.

By purchasing, international buyers agree to understand the import policies and restrictions of their own respective country. Any fees incurred for a rejected shipment due to the importing country's restrictions, unpaid duties/taxes, or similar (including shipping, return shipping, customs brokers fees, etc) is solely the buyer's responsibility and will be deducted from any refunds (if due). Basically, if you're not sure you can get the shipment released in your country, don't order it.

Can you lower the value of the invoices?

We’re often asked to lower the invoiced values by our international customers, in order to lower the import duties, so allow us to answer here: we cannot do this. It’s not just the legal issues, we’d also be unable to fully insure the shipment if we did this. And again… not legal!

Anything else?

Not sure. You tell us! If you have any other questions about shipping, email us or call us at 626.508.5588, and we’ll be more than happy to help where we can.