Mail Order Fountains: Avoiding The Shipping Pitfalls
Most people, when thinking of fountains, either envision a drinking fountain or one of the massive, elaborately sculpted fountains which decorate so many of the world’s public gathering places. But not every fountain is designed on such a gargantuan scale; homeowners now have the option of purchasing miniature fountains to add the soothing sounds of water to the nooks and crannies of their homes.
Min fountains, however, are not always easy to find in normal retail stores, but they are readily available by mail order. Yet there are those who hesitate to purchase anything by mail, for a number of reasons. Some people, for instance, might worry about fragile miniature fountains becoming damaged in transit.
Fountains are constructed of numerous small parts and should even one of them be damaged the entire fountain may fail to work as it should. While that is a reasonable concern, the truth is that damage to items when they are being shipped is very unusual, and mail carriers are experienced in keeping even fragile packages intake during the delivery prices.
Insuring your Fountains
If you wish to purchase miniature fountains by mail order, you can allay your fears of damage by purchasing mail insurance, which is available from the Post Office at a reasonable price. The cost of mail insurance correlates directly to the values of the item being shipped, so you will not have to spend much to protect your investment in you miniature fountains.
You will probably be given the option to purchase postal insurance from they mail order company itself, and if you do not see that option listed on their order form, get in touch with them directly. Inform them that you want to purchase some to their miniature fountains, and do not want them shipped without postal insurance coverage. Usually they will provide the coverage in order to keep your business.
Shipping Alternatives
If you are still reluctant to receive your fountains via the mail, see if you have the option to have them delivered by a private shipper like FedEx or the United Parcel Service. Either of these shipping companies has the capacity to track the progress of your package from the moment it leaves their shipping center. They also simplify the process of compensating you for items damaged in transit.
The negative to shipping with private shippers like UPS or FedEx is that they charge more than the Post Office, but that may be an acceptable tradeoff is you are really concerned about getting your miniature fountains in proper working order.
