Shipping Methods

We ship using express couriers (UPS, FedEx, and DHL), air freight and ocean freight. For small and sample orders, post office express (EMS) and regular air mail are available. Buyers are welcome to use their own couriers or freight forwarders to satisfy their logistics needs. However, such requests should be clearly stated when placing orders.

Buyers agree that Smarts Dance may occasionally and without prior notice use an alternative shipping method of equal service level to ship the order to avoid delays, unreachable destinations, or other restrictions. Buyer will be notified in such a case and shipping cost will remain the same.



Using Buyer's Own Courier

If buyers choose to use their own couriers, Smarts Dance will contact the couriers to confirm the shipping details and costs. Orders will not be processed until the shipping details are confirmed by both buyers and couriers.



Destinations

Smarts Dance ships worldwide. For hard-to-reach destinations, the shipping cost may be higher and the transit time may be longer. Unless agreed otherwise by both Smarts Dance and the buyer, Smarts Dance does not ship to any P.O. Box, FPO/APO, and other military addresses if payment is made using credit cards or other forms of online payments.

During the order confirmation, if Smarts Dance is unable to ship to the destination, Smarts Dance will notify the buyer and recommend alternative shipping options. In the rare cases that the selected courier is unable to ship to the destination after the order is confirmed and Smarts Dance is unable to contact the buyer, Smarts Dance may use an alternative shipping method of similar service level to minimize any delay.



Shipping Date

Small orders will be shipped in 3-6 working days after the order is processed. Medium and large orders take longer. Shipping dates will be updated after the order payments are cleared and Smarts Dance begins processing the orders. Shipping date is estimated only and may vary significantly. Buyers with strict delivery deadline are advised to place orders well in advance.



Shipping Transit Time

Shipping transit time (the time it takes to deliver the goods from the actual ship date) for express couriers (UPS, FedEx, and DHL) usually takes 2-4 working days. It usually takes 4-7 working days for air freight, 12-30 days for ocean freight, and 6-15 working days for post office air mail to deliver the shipments. Shipping transit time may vary significantly due to hard-to-reach destinations, seasons, weather, and occasional customs clearance delay.

While Smarts Dance will try its best to ensure a prompt shipment, Smarts Dance does not guarantee any shipping transit time and delivery time, and is not responsible for any delay during shipment. Request for cancelling the order after production begins because the delivery date no longer fit buyer's needs will not be accepted. Buyers who need the goods to be delivered by certain date are strongly advised to place orders as early as possible, especially during peak seasons.



Total Delivery Time

Total Delivery Time = Production Time + Shipping Transit Time

The production time varies significantly based on the quantity ordered, the stock availability, and the factory production capacity.



Shipment Tracking

Major express couriers (UPS, FedEx, and DHL) offer full end-to-end shipment tracking via their websites or customer service phone numbers. Post Office air mail offers basic proof of shipment for all orders and proof of delivery in some countries including the USA and Canada. Shipment tracking is available for air freights and ocean freights in the form of flight numbers and vessel names/voyages respectively.

Shipment tracking information may not be immediately available right after the goods are shipped. Please allow 12-24 hours after the dispatch before using the shipment tracking numbers.



Shipping Weight Calculation

Gross shipping weight is calculated based on the actual measured weight or IATA dimensional (volumetric) weight, whichever is larger. The volumetric weight of a shipment is calculated by Length x Width x Height in centimeter (cm) of all cartons combined then divided by 6000.



Shipping Cost Calculation

Smarts Dance charges the shipping and handling cost based on gross shipping weight. Estimated shipping cost is available when buyers place orders online or obtained from our sales representatives.

Unless specified otherwise, shipping cost must be paid in advance and in full. Buyer who chooses to use his/her own shipping courier may still be responsible for the local transportation costs from Smarts Dance's warehouse to the courier's drop-off location.



Shipping Weight Limits

Major express couriers (UPS, FedEx, and DHL), air freight, and ocean freight do not have a maximum gross shipping weight per shipment. Post office express (EMS) is limited to 20kg gross shipping weight per shipment. Orders over 20kg and shipped using EMS may be split into multiple EMS packages. Regular air mail is limited to 2kg gross shipping weight per shipment.



Insurance

Goods shipped using FedEx, UPS, and DHL are insured by standard insurance as defined by the FedEx, UPS and DHL service terms and conditions. Additional insurance can be purchased if the standard insurance does not cover the full goods value. Various types of insurance for air freight and ocean freight can be purchased when placing the order. Please contact our sales representatives for more detail. Insurance for post office express is not included by default but can be purchased at additional cost. Very small order shipped using regular air mail has build-in insurance for up to US$30 and cannot be upgraded at additional cost.



Lost & Damage during Shipment

In the rare cases of lost and damaged goods during the shipment, buyer should immediately notify the courier within the first 24 hours after the delivery and file a formal claim. All evidence and documents must be retained as proof. The courier may investigate the claim before compensation can be assessed. Buyer should also notify Smarts Dance immediately to help process the claim.

Lost mail investigation may take time, and pre-mature filing of chargeback or payment dispute that Smarts Dance is not at fault is completely unnecessary. Buyer agrees not to file any chargeback or payment dispute until the investigation completes and is compensated before taking any further action.



Re-delivery & Failed Delivery

FedEx, UPS, and DHL attempt to deliver the shipment for up to three times. If delivery still fails, the express couriers will attempt to contact buyer via phone number and email. If buyer still fails to take delivery, the goods may be returned to Smarts Dance at buyer's expense.

For post office express (EMS) and regular air mail, the shipment will be returned to Smarts Dance after multiple delivery attempts and no phone or email contact will be made by the courier.

Certain couriers, especially the post office, leave the package outside the recipient's premises when the delivery fails. Smarts Dance is not responsible for any lost due to that.

Re-deliveries and returns to sender due to delivery failures usually incur significant delays. In any circumstances, Smarts Dance is not responsible for such delays, failed deliveries, wrong shipping addresses provided by buyers, and any other situations that Smarts Dance is not at fault.

If buyer fails to take delivery, the goods shall be held at buyer's sole risk in all respects. In such a case, Smarts Dance, acting on buyer's behalf and at buyer's expense, may store, insure, protect, and resell the goods for the buyer.



Returns Due to Refused Delivery

Unless specified otherwise, Smarts Dance does not accept returns due to refusal of the delivery by the buyer or consignee. If the courier returns the shipment due to refused delivery or any other reason that Smarts Dance is not at fault, buyer agrees to pay all costs associated with the return.



Customs Duties

Many countries offer duty-free or reduced duty for importing goods from certain countries. For example, there is no import duty or tax for importing consumer electronics goods from Hong Kong to USA. Many countries offer duty-free allowance for gifts and small quantity imports from most countries.

Smarts Dance will provide the basic export documents and information, including commercial invoice and packing slip, for customs clearance at the designated country. For small to medium shipment using express couriers, Smarts Dance may help buyer to clear the customs as a courtesy.

Smarts Dance will help buyers minimize their customs duties and will cooperate with them to satisfy their requirements legitimately. However, Smarts Dance is not responsible for customs duties, fees, and other taxes imposed by the consignee's or buyer's countries. Smarts Dance is also not responsible for informing the customer or consignee about their own country's import regulations, taxes or duties.

In any circumstances, customs clearance is buyer's responsibility. Smarts Dance recommends buyers to consult with their countries' customs authority before importing any merchandise in large quantity to minimize customs duties and avoid delay.

If the shipment is held or impounded by the customs in consignee's country because the customer or consignee refuses to pay customs fees, duties, or taxes, buyer will assume all additional fees and penalties associated with such an act.



Import Requirement

All products ordered from Smarts Dance pass the customs clearance without any issue most of the time. However, import requirement varies from country to country. It is buyer's responsibility to make sure the goods meet all import requirements. Buyers who plan to place large orders are strongly advised to contact their countries' customs office for more detail.

If the whole shipment is held or impounded by the delivery country's customs due to missing import requirement, Smarts Dance may offer courtesy help by communicating with the customer / consignee and the courier. Such cases are extremely rare and can normally be resolved by providing necessary paperwork.



Other Shipping Issues

In the rare cases of shipping issues, Smarts Dance will help the customer in resolving them. These issues include:

- Damaged goods or packages during shipment: The customer should refuse the receipt of the goods if possible and immediately file a claim to the courier. If the goods are found to be damaged after the receipt, the customer should notify the courier within the first 24 hours. Customer should also contact Smarts Dance. Smarts Dance will help process the claim with the courier. Once the issue has been confirmed, Smarts Dance will follow up the insurance claim with the courier and prepare for sending the replacement as soon as the lost is compensated.

- Lost or misrouted shipment at courier's fault: Smarts Dance will pursue the insurance claim with the courier and will either recover the shipment or send replacements to the customer as soon as the claim has been confirmed and the lost compensated.

- Delivery to the wrong address: If the courier causes the error, Smarts Dance will work with the courier to recover the shipment or resend replacement after the insurance claim is confirmed and lost compensated. If Smarts Dance causes the error, Smarts Dance will try to recover the lost shipment in reasonable time frame or compensate the lost up to the total order value once the recovery attempt is deem futile. Such a case is extremely rare because all order details is confirmed and verified in writing by both parties and the courier before the goods are shipped. If the buyer provides a wrong shipping address, Smarts Dance will help the buyer to recover the lost shipment at buyer's cost. No other compensation will be made in such a case.



Additional Shipping Terms

The default international shipping term is FOB (Free On Board) Hong Kong or FOB, China. For destinations within Hong Kong and China, the default shipping term is EXW (Ex Works). Please refer to the Incoterms 2000 or visit International Chamber of Commerce website at http://www.iccwbo.org/incoterms/ for more detail.