Help/FAQ Questions and Answers
We hope you will be able to find all the answers
to the questions that you may have. If there are still something that is unclear please don't hesitate to
contact us at jack@chowrentoys.com.
List of questions and answers
General Terms and Conditions
Are you affiliated with LEGO?
Is there a phone number to call?
Can I return my purchases to you?
Can I cancel my order?
Are your LEGO sets brand new and have never been opened?
Are your LEGO sets from a smoke free home?
Do you do trades?
Payment and Payment Methods
How can I pay by credit card?
What other forms of payments do you accept?
What currencies do you accept?
How long do I have to pay?
Shippping, Handling and Insurance
How much is shipping?
Why do you charge a handling fee?
Do you combine shipping?
How long before you ship things out?
Can I purchase insurance?
How long is the delivery time?
How come the tracking number is not working?
Taxes and Import Duty for International Buyers
Do I have to pay taxes?
Do I have to pay any duty or import taxes?
Why was I charged with so much duty and import tax?
General Terms and Conditions
Q: Are you affiliated with LEGO?
A: LEGO®, is a trademark or registered trademark of the LEGO Company,
which does not sponsor, authorize, or endorse this site. Other names
such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, etc are the trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respected owners.
Q: Is there a phone number to call?
A: At this time we do not have a contact phone number. Email is the best way to get a hold of us. We usually answer any
questions within 24 hours. As our business expands we eventually would like to have a phone
number for our customers to call, but right now we just do not have the man power to provide this service. Our sincere apologies for the inconvenience. That said, we also believe email is a good way to communicate since everything is in writing so we can have a record what is agreed on.
Q: Can I return my purchases to you?
A: All sales are final. Please ask all questions before making your purchase. There will be no returns.
Q: Can I cancel my order?
A: Yes, we just ask that you
email us with the request to cancel. We
will however, cancel your order if we do not receive your reply to
our
confirmation in 5 days or receive your payment within 7 days. If you
require more time to pay please let us know. Please note once the order
has been canceled we can not guarantee that the item will be available
again.
Q: Are your LEGO sets brand new and have never been opened?
A:
We normally do not sell used LEGO
sets, we do carry few used parts and minifigures. All of our sets are
brand new and
factory sealed unless stated otherwise. Some times due to the age
of the sets the seals on the sets do become unglued, but the contents
inside are still in original packaging and brand new. Most of our parts
and minifigures are brand new and never played with unless
statedotherwise. Our new parts and minifigures were only handled during
sorting or repackaging. If you would like to know more about the
condition of a particular set, all the information will be stated in
the “Description and Condition” section. If you are still not satisfied
please do not hesitate to contact us.
Q: Are your LEGO sets from a smoke free home?
A: We do not smoke so yes, all
of our sets are from a smoke free environment. However, we have had
problems with one or two sets in the past that we purchased from
someone else that smoked. If this was to happen again we will certainly
state it in our “Description and Condition" section of the item.
Q: Do you do trades?
A: Yes, we will trade LEGO for LEGO. We only trade for brand new factory sets in good condition and from a smoke free enviornments.
Payment and Payment Methods
Q: How can I pay by credit card?
A:
Please note we do not a have credit card terminal to process
credit cards, so please do not email us with your credit card number.
There are two options for you to pay by credit cards, Paypal, an eBay
company, and Bidpay. Both are very convenient and safe.
Using either service we will not actually see your credit
card information. We will only get a notice that a payment is made and
the email of the buyer and the shipping address. To use Paypal all
you need is a credit card and an email address and is free to use. If
you like to set up a paypal account please log onto www.paypal.com and
follow the set up instructions. Payments then can be made to
jack@chowrentoys.com. If you do not want to set up a paypal account
just let us know and we will send you an invoice via email. The email
will provide you with directions on how to pay us using credit card without
signing up for Paypal. Please note, credit card will still be process by
Paypal but you will not need a paypal account for that.
The second
option is Bidpay. What Bidpay does is for a mall fee you can pay them
by credit card and they will send us a money order on your behalf. For
this service please log onto www.bidpay.com and follow their payment
instruction.
Q: What other forms of payments do you accept?
A: We will accept Money Order, Bank Draft, Certified Check or Cash (AT YOUR OWN RISK! Please send it via a trackable mailing method).
If you pay by any of these methods we usually offer a small discount to
cover your money order and postal fees. We also believe in giving you
back some of the money we saved on Paypal fees. Sorry absolutely NO PERSONAL CHECKS!
Q: What currencies do you accept?
A: Currently US dollars only please.
Q: How long do I have to pay?
A: Generally we would like to have Paypal payments within 5 days and
money order with 7 business days. However, if you require more time we
just ask that you let us know ahead of time. If no payment or notice is
received within 7 days after confirmation of order we will
automatically cancel your order. Please note once the order has been
canceled we can not guarantee that the same item or price will be available.
Shippping, Handling and Insurance
Q: How much is shipping?
Shipping charges for both domestic and international parcels are
based on weight and distance from our location. There is a handling fee
added to the shipping charge, the cost of the fee will depend on the size
of the item. If you would like to know the exact shipping and insurance
costs please proceed to the check out screen and fill out all your
shipping information. For international buyers, if you would like to
know the description and the delivery time of the shipping options
please click here or log on
to www.usps.com for more details.
Q: Why do you charge a handling fee?
A: Our shipping rate will be slightly higher than actual shipping cost due to our handling fees. ONLY 1
handling fee will be charged per order and the item with the highest
handling fees will be used. With it you will get well packed parcels
and tracking numbers for all domestic (WITHIN UNITED STATES ONLY)
parcels excluding APOs. Our goal at Chowren Toys is to make sure you
get your item in the same condition as when it left our facilities. We
do not believe in making money on shipping. A portion of the handling
charges go towards covering shipping supplies and the manpower required
to pack the package properly. All sellers must pay fees to sell on eBay
and to receive money from Paypal. We must also pay Vendio, our auction
service a fee to sell on eBay and to list items in our on-line store. A
portion of our handling fees goes towards the cost of covering these
fees and most of the time our handling fees will only cover a very
small part of it. In terms of shipping material we try to use new
shipping material whenever possible, however when none are available we
will use good recycled shipping boxes. We generally use new boxes and
padded envelope for first class mail. Often we will use the free
materials we receive from USPS
for domestic
Priority Mail parcels. The handling fees can be high for international
shipping. International shipping involves more time to pack, more paper
work and additional Paypal fees. We do offer discounts on shipping and
handling to buyers paying by money order or cash (at your own risk). PLEASE NOTE: OUR SHIPPING AND HANDLING RATES ARE NOT NEGOTIABLE ESPECIALLY AFTER YOU ALREADY MADE THE PURCHASE.
Q: Do you combine shipping?
A: We
ALWAYS combine shipping for all domestic and international buyers. If
you intend to purchase more than one listing or items from
both our online toy store and eBay we will be more than happy to
combine shipping for you.
Q: How long before you ship things out?
A:
Unfortunately we are unable to pack and go to the post office everyday
therefore our domestic parcels are usually ship within 48 hours and
international usually within 72 hours. Domestic has a shorter
turnaround time because we can have it picked up by the post office.
International turnaround time is slightly longer because we have to
take it to the post office and wait in line. If your item needs
immediate delivery please email us ahead of time so that we can make
special arrangements. Please also allow us enough time to work around the request.
Q: Can I purchase insurance?
A: Insurance is optional on most sets, however for more expensive sets
insurance will be required on both domestic and international parcels
for your protection. For domestic parcels insurance for USPS
will be $1.35 for the first $50, $2.30 for up to $100 and $1.05 per
each additional $100.
For international parcels please note insurance
is not always available due to the size and the country it is going to.
For small sets there are usually no insurance available and if it is
being offered it will be very expensive. For larger sets there will
usually be an option for insurance. For international insurance rates please click here . If you would like to know if insurance is being offered to your country you can either log on to
www.usps.com to check for availability or email us and we can find out
for you.
Q: How long is the delivery time?
A: Based
on some interesting information generated from our shipping software
from 2005 it showed that of the 789 USPS Priority Mail parcels
(domestic) that we shipped out 2.7 days was the average delivery time.
The shortest time was one day and the longest was 12 days. Priority
Mail is usually 2 to 3 business days depending on your location. It
will be shorter if you live on the West Coast, since we are located on
the West Coast and longer if you are on the East Coast. The statistics show that for the 316 First Class mail package that we sent 2.9 days was the average. The shortest time was 1 day and the lognest was 13 days. If you would like
more specific information please log on to www.usps.com. Special note
during Christmas rush, the delivery time will be much longer. We had a
couple of problems last Christmas with parcelstaking much longer than
the expected time of 2 to 3 business days so please allow more time for
delivery when placing a Christmas order. We currently do not have any
stats on international shipping time. International shipping time will
mostly depend on the speed in which it is processed by your local
customs office. The delivery time to your country is usually within the
time frame stated by the shipping method you selected. However, from
our past experience any delays are almost always caused by time needed
to clear customs. The best thing before you place an order is to phone
your local customs office and find out what the normal clearance time
will be.
Q: How come the tracking number is not working?
A: According to our shipping software from 2005, USPS
only scan deliver confirmation about 5% of the time when they receive
the package. They then scan only 0.9% (9 out of 1,000 packages that they received) of the package en-route. When USPS deliver the package they only scan it at 93.6% of the time. Unlike other carriers like UPS
or FedEx, the post office does not scan their parcels at every sorting
station. We wish they will do better job of it since we paid for the
deliver confirmation.
Taxes and Import Duty for International Buyers
Q: Do I have to pay taxes?
A:
As a registered business in Washington state we are required to collect
sales taxes including shipping and handling and insurance from any
Washingston state shipping address. Washington state address must add
8.6% sales taxes.
Q: Do I have to pay any duty or import taxes?
A: For all international buyers (anyone outside of United States or territories) please note you are responsible for all the Duty, Custom, VAT, GST and any other imported related levies imposed by your country. Chowren Toys LLC DOES NOT
collect any of the above mention tax and levies. We do not have
information on the levies specific to your country. Your postal system
will collect the necessary tax from you before they release the parcel.
Please obtain all these information from your government before making your purchase. For our integrity and your protection we WILL NOT
fill out false information on the custom form. Any under reporting of
the value might result in confiscation of the parcel by your local
customs office.
Q: Why was I charged with so much duty and import tax?
A: Please note we do not charge or collect any duty, custom or import
tax nor do we have any specific information about it in regards to your
home country. It is usually your postal system or customs who will collect
the necessary tax from you before they release the parcel. It is best
that you find out from your local custom office and find out what is the maximum amount you can
bring in before being taxed by your home country. For our integrity and
your protection we WILL NOT fill out false
information on the custom form. Any under reporting of the value might
result in confiscation of the parcel by your local customs office.
UPS & FedEx Shipping
All buyers please be aware we will from time to time change UPS shipping method to FedEx. We may not be able to drop UPS parcels off to their shipping locations at certain days, therefore we will have to substitute it with FedEx. The prices, services and delivery time are very similar for both of these two couriers. If you insist on UPS please let us know and we will ship it by your desire courier, otherwise it may go by FedEx. We apologize for any confusion this may cause. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
NEW POLICY
Due to recent fraudulent Paypal payments we have received, we will be holding all domestic unverified Paypal payments over $50.00 for minimum of 72 hours. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
All buyers please read our terms and conditions before making your purchase. If you have any questions or concerns in regards to them feel free to email us and we will be more than happy to answer them all. If you find you are unable accept our terms an conditions then we kindly ask you not to purchase from us. Thank you.
Shipping & Handling
Enter ZIP Code and click button to see prices: 
USPS Priority Mail®
US Insurance optional, prices calculated at checkout
Terms & Condition
PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASING
1) Purchasing
Only buy if you intend to pay. Payment must be received within 5 days after order has been placed or else it will automatically be canceled. If you require additional time please email us. Item will be sent out within 72 hrs after payment is received. We will do our very best to make our listings as clearly and accurately as possible, however mistakes can be made so please ask all your questions before placing an order.
2) Insurance
We highly recommend purchasing insurance for your items. Once shipped we will not and can not be responsible for lost or damaged items. We always make insurance an available option whenever possible. Please note: When file an insurance claim it may take up to 30 days for the post office or our insurance company to resolve the claim. We will not be able to offer a refund or send out replacement products (if we have them) until the claim is resolved. Often the package is just delayed in transit and is taking longer than expected.
3) US Sales Taxes
Washington State residents must add 8.6% sales tax to total amount including shipping and handling.
5) Multiple Purchases
We ALWAYS combine shipping for all buyers. If you do make multiple purchases please wait for our invoice as we will need to figure out the combined shipping charge for you.
6) Handling Fees
Our shipping rates are slightly higher than actual shipping cost due to our handling fees. With it you will get well packed and tracking numbers for all parcels. Our goal at Chowren Toys is to make sure you get your item(s) in the same condition as when it left our facilities. In terms of shipping material we try to use new whenever possible, however when none are available we will use good recycled shipping boxes. We generally use new boxes and padded envelope for first class mail. Often we will use the free materials we receive from USPS for domestic Priority Mail parcels. PLEASE NOTE: OUR SHIPPING AND HANDLING RATES ARE NONE NEGOTIABLE ESPECIALLY AFTER YOU ALREADY MADE THE PURCHASE. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THE RATES PLEASE DO NOT MAKE A PURCHASE.
Please only make a purchase if you agree with these terms and conditions. Thank you for visiting our store!
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