Why is my order delayed?

We try our best to ship orders as quickly as possible. About 95% of all orders ship and arrive on time. However, delays sometimes arise. Here is a list of the most common reasons why orders are delayed, to help you understand the process and avoid delays. They are listed in descending order of their approximate frequency of occurrence.

Orders are shipped the same day if processed by 3:30pm EST. The earlier you send a PO the better.

  • Billing information given is inconsistent with what's on the credit card record, requiring phone verification. To protect the credit card holder, we must call, email or use other means to verify that the credit card holder authorized this purchase. The verification process starts soon after an order is received.
  • Billing address/name is different from shipping address/name, requiring phone verification. Again, we must verify the credit card information before shipping in order to protect credit card holders. If you need your order delivered next day, we strongly suggest using the same address for billing and shipping.
  • High-value and consumer items are ordered without a manned, working phone number for phone verification. Chances for credit card fraud are much higher for these items. You must have a working phone number with your order so we can verify that you placed it.
  • Wrong address or zip code is given for the order. If the shipping company can't deliver to the given address, they may send the packages back to us.
  • P.O. Box, FOP and some International Orders. We cannot ship Fedex or UPS to these type of addresses, so we have to use the slower US Postal Service.
  • Delays by shipping companies. Shipment could be temporarily "lost" by shipping companies for shipping addresses that are far away from Texas, especially for Fedex Ground. Occasionally but rarely it may take 10 or more business days for the package to show up. Please note that USPS does not provide tracking information but only a delivery confirmation.
  • Delays during holiday seasons between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Shipping companies often do not guarantee any shipment a couple of weeks before Christmas. Make your gift arrangements early.
  • Shortage of ordered item(s). We try to contact customers in case of shortages that will delay orders for more than one business day. We may split an order and ship items separately. Back ordered items are marked as "BO" on your packing slip.
  • Drop shipped items require more time to be processed. They are normally shipped in 2-3 business days.
  • Purchase orders may be delayed in order for us to verify account information. This is especially true for first time customers.