Untitled Document
Terms and Conditions
Contents
Click on the links below to scroll down to the information you require.
Do not hesitate to call us at 1.800.206.6544 or e-mail us at info@naturalexotics.com if you have any questions. Overseas callers may call our Canadian administrative office at +1.416.232.0376. We do not accept collect calls.
Why buy from us
We have been in business since 1992 and provide quality merchandise to major museums, theme parks, stores, catalog companies, movie production companies, manufacturers, and individuals world wide. Many of these products are not readily found elsewhere. This is what we do for a living, and we want to remain in business for many more years. See About Us for more information about our company.
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Payment Options
We accept payment by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and PayPal. Our website is with Americommerce and is PCI Compliant. It is secured from the top down with multiple layers of firewalls and high encryption, guaranteeing you a secure shopping cart.
Wholesale Customers
- We accept major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, and Discover), cash (all major currencies), PayPal, money orders, bank drafts, some business checks with an approved application on file, prepayment by personal checks (orders will be held until check clears), and wire payments.
a) Credit cards and PayPal are our preferred means of settlement. Credit card orders will be limited to US$500.00 per month per customer for a minimum of six months. We may lift the credit card limit at our discretion.
b) Large orders can be paid for by bank draft or wire transfer (T/T). For wire/banking instructions, see Chichester Banking Information. There is a US$39.50 additional charge for wire payments to cover the cost of the incoming wire fees.
c) To pay by PayPal, go to www.paypal.com and enter in the requested information. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can sign up for a free Personal account. Provide us with the email address to send the PayPal invoice to. Please do not pay us until you receive the PayPal invoice from us.
- Net 30 terms to select institutions, museums, and corporations only with proper identification.
- Interest will be charged to overdue accounts at the rate of 2% per month. Late accounts may be denied future credit terms.
- No merchandise will be shipped to overdue accounts until payment in full is received.
- A US$52.50 NSF fee will be charged for all bounced checks. If your bounced check causes us to bounce checks, you will be held liable for any NSF charnges incurred.
- We can hold orders for seven (7) business days should you wish to send a Walmart or Postal money order. We can call you with the total. We generally do not like to hold orders for customers who want to send payment by money order or wire transfer. Too often these checks and wires never arrive. We have turned down customers who wanted to purchase merchandise by credit card while we were waiting for funds that never came. If we give you a quote for merchandise and you send funds promptly, chances are that the merchandise will still be there and can be shipped promptly. Should we sell out of an item while you are sending payment, we will give you an option to backorder the item, take a partial shipment, or get a complete and prompt refund. If you do not send the payment as promised, we will not offer this service to you again.
- We restrict payment by COD money order to approved customers only. We ship promptly and will inform you of the COD amount so you can have a U.S. postal money order or Wal-Mart money order ready. We only offer COD by UPS and will charge you a COD fee per box. This is not a preferred means of settlement by us. If you are interested in paying by COD, please review our COD policy.
- If you send a personal check or Cashier's check with an order, we will hold the check for up to 10 business days to ensure that it clears prior to shipping any merchandise. If we decide not to accept your order, we will return the check. In general, we prefer payment by Walmart or Postal money order instead of personal check--we have had too many problems with personal checks. We will ship promptly all orders that are paid for by Walmart or Postal money order.
Banking Information
We accept payment by wire transfer from customers only if we can establish a strong comfort level about the person or business with whom we are dealing. We will need to be able to establish who you are and where you live or work prior to releasing our banking data.
If you are wiring payment for an order, please confirm the total amount with us to ensure that we have the merchandise in stock and that your total includes freight.
Please remember to include the US$39.50 incoming wire fee in your total to cover the cost of paying by wire transfer.
If your bank deducts its fee from the amount being wired, please remember to add sufficient funds to cover this cost or your order may be held up pending payment of the outstanding amount.
If you are calling from within the United States and Canada, you can call us at 1.800.206.6544. For overseas orders, please call our Toronto administrative office at +1.416.232.0376 or send an e-mail to info@chichesterinc.com.
Remember to send us an e-mail once you wire funds to confirm payment so we can watch for this with our on-line banking software.
COD Policy
Sending merchandise by COD has always been a dicey business. The merchant must incur the costs of shipping the goods whether the parcel is accepted and paid for or not. Because of increasing abuse, primarily by first-time Internet customers, we have restricted shipments by COD to existing customers and approved new customers within the USA only. We cannot send parcels outside of the USA on a COD basis.
Before we will ship to you on a COD basis, we must have a signed COD Application on file. We want to know who we are dealing with before risking the cost of sending out parcels by COD. Most accounts will be set up for COD money order only. Some established business accounts may be authorized for payment by company check. If you are in a hurry to get your first shipment, COD is not the way to pay.
In the past, we have incurred large freight bills for parcels that have not been paid for even though the "buyers" agreed to pay for the merchandise by COD money order and we informed them of the exact amounts due at the time of shipping. These losses have been more than we are willing to absorb and have become more frequent. We have, for example, recently lost US$60.00 on a shipment to one "customer" and US$50.00 to another. These losses drive up the costs for everyone else and will no longer be tolerated.
We ship promptly and will inform you of the COD amount so you can have a money order or check ready. COD by UPS only with a COD fee of US$26.25 per box. Unless you are authorized for payment by company check, you will have to pay by money order. If you do not have the funds on hand or time to swing by Wal-Mart, the post office, or a gas station to get a money order, please do not order from us on a COD basis.
We realize that there may be circumstances beyond your control that make it impossible to accept COD parcels when they arrive. This happens and we understand that not everything works according to plan. Nevertheless, you are responsible for the costs incurred to send the parcel. These costs (freight and COD fee) must be cleared by check or money order promptly. We will also insist on a prepayment of the goods and shipping costs before attempting to send the parcel again. If you have honored your side of the transaction, we will continue to offer COD terms in the future. If the freight costs are not settled within 30 days, the outstanding amount will be turned over to a collection agency.
Responsible buyers will not encounter any problems buying from us a on COD basis.
If you have any questions about doing business with us, please do not hesitate to call us at 1.800.206.6544.
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Minimum Order
Given the high cost of handling small orders, we enforce a retail minimum of US$75.00 and a wholesale minimum of US$175.00 per shipment before shipping cost.
We have a minimum order of US$250.00 for Canadian orders and US$500.00 for other international orders (see Minimum Order and Paperwork Fee for International Shipments below).
Occasional we get calls from people hoping that we will waive the minimum order. Unfortunately, the cost of preparing an invoice, packing an order, tracking, getting credit card approval, providing a box, etc., is too high for us to justify shipping orders under this amount. Consequently, we enforce this policy. Sorry.
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New York State Sales Tax
All New York residents will be charged New York State sales tax on both the value of the goods and freight unless a tax exemption certificate is on file prior to shipping.
In order to comply with IRS requirements, please complete a NYS Resale Certificate ST-120 when ordering products for resale for the first time. If we do not have this information on file prior to shipping, we will have to charge sales tax for the order. We can credit you the NYS sales tax upon receipt of completed certificate.
We have to collect New York sales tax based on the final location of the shipment. All sales in our Niagara Falls, New York warehouse will be charged the local tax rate. Shipments to each zip code in New York will be charged at the rate required by the state of New York.
Sales to Native Americans are taxable unless the merchandise is delivered to a reservation. We cannot allow customers to pick up merchandise from our warehouse and deliver it themselves. We must either ship it or drop it off ourselves at your cost. A number of Native Americans have said that they have accounts at Wal-Mart, Office Depot, and Home Depot that give them tax-free status. According to a representative of the New York State Sales Tax Information Center, this is not supposed to happen. Once Native Americans step off the reservation, unless they are purchasing an automobile, they are no longer considered an Indian for tax purposes and therefore do not have tax exempt status. He said Wal-Mart, etc. are wrong to give them exempt status.
Not all deliveries to reservations are exempt from New York State Sales Tax, only if the recipient has a DTF801: “Certificate of Individual Indian Exemption from State Taxes on Property or Services Delivered on a Reservation.” If they are picking up the goods, it doesn't matter if they have a DTF801; they have to pay sales tax. The goods must be delivered by us or a courier company. ALSO, the certificate states: “This certificate may not be used to purchase property or services for resale.” The only way they don't have to pay sales tax anywhere is if they are an exempt organization and have an ST-119.2 Exempt Organization Certificate or have a DTF-17-A Certificate of Authority and collect sales tax on items for resale.
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Pricing
- All merchandise is priced in U.S. dollars unless explicitly stated otherwise. Some large-scale trade deals are denominated in other currencies, such as euros, South African Rand, Canadian dollars, or British pounds, etc.
- All prices are subject to change without notice. Price changes will be confirmed before shipping.
This website is updated frequently, so the prices shown should be the ones in force. If there has been a change that has been overlooked or is in error, we will notify you before shipping and update the website promptly.
We usually try to maintain stable prices, but recent volatility in foreign exchange rates has caused us to review prices more frequently.
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Shipping Options in the USA
- Shipping by UPS
- Shipping by USPS
UPS
Please note the following:
- We rely on UPS ground service. If you have special shipping requirements, please let us know.
- All shipping charges are to the account of the buyer.
- Please note that UPS does not guarantee shipping times from December 12-24, so if you are ordering around the holidays, please allow a couple of days extra to be sure you get your package on time.
- See the picture below to determine shipping times by UPS Ground:
We are located in Niagara Falls, New York (the yellow zone above). The farther away you are from us, the longer it will take for the order to get to you. These times are based on using UPS regular ground service. For example, to ship to Missouri takes three business days, to California takes five business days. Expedited services are available, but cost from 2 to 4 times as much as regular ground. Shipping cost varies depending upon the size of your order. For UPS Services, please contact UPS directly; see www.ups.com for more information. We are not affiliated with them and have no further information concerning their services beyond the above.
Regular UPS ground service is cheap and relatively fast, usually 1-5 business days anywhere in the continental U.S.
Because of problems with credit card fraud, we no longer offer express services to new customers. We need time to establish that you are the legitimate credit card holder and that the goods are going to a legitimate address. We will not rush this process. If you call at the end of the day and are in a rush, we will not be able to help you.
If you have ordered from us before and require express service, please keep in mind that using 3-day select generally doubles the cost of shipping and using next-day air doubles it again. For express shipments you pay for either weight OR volume. Express service is expensive! We usually alert customers to this fact of life, but many people often don't have a clue as to what it will cost for express service. If in doubt, please ask before having us send you something by express service and then charge you four to five times what you believe is "reasonable".
For retail orders over US$500, we will ship with Signature Required. An adult will have to sign for the package.
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U.S. Mail
We can send parcels by U.S. mail if you wish. Keep in mind that we cannot track the parcels once they are mailed. Normally, delivery time is 2-3 days anywhere in the U.S. for Priority Mail. We will insure the goods, but cannot be held accountable if the U.S. Post Office takes a month or more to deliver your parcel.
If you request that we ship by mail, we will send the parcel by Priority Post unless you instruct us otherwise. For Alaska or other remote areas, there can be significant differences in price and delivery times between priority mail and parcel post. For larger cities, there is not much difference in the service or price. If you want slower, cheaper service, please let us know.
For shipping quotes by U.S. mail, you can see their website at www.usps.com and then click on Calculate Postage in the red bar at the top of the home page. Follow the instructions and you can see how much it costs to ship varying weights by different service levels (priority mail, parcel post, etc.). All shipments by mail are entered into the USPS on-line system and are picked up the next day. If you require immediate shipment, we can take the parcel to the post office for same day shipping for an extra rush fee.
For retail orders over US$500, we will ship with Signature Required. An adult will have to sign for the package.
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International Orders
We export to many countries. Shipments to Puerto Rico are considered to be U.S. domestic orders. Shipments containing fish and wildlife products are controlled and require export permits. We have been in the import and export business of exotic natural products since 1992 and are experts in this field.
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Minimum Order and Paperwork Fee for International Shipments
Miniumum order is US$250.00 for Canadian orders and US$500.00 for other international orders.
We will charge a US$39.50 international admin fee on all exports. This fee is for filing the paperwork for the export declaration and taking the parcel to the post office. We will also charge a US$2.65 fee for each additional line item on the export declaration.
We charge a US$26.25 fee for a USMCA/CUSMA Certificate of Origin.
The following are optional documents should you wish us to include them with your shipment. These are not required documents but it is in your best interest to have them.
Fumigation Certificate - US$5.25 fee
Non-Endangered (No-CITES) Certificate - US$5.25 fee
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Countries We Do Not Ship To
We are not shipping to Germany as of May 2022 because the country now wants all companies shipping to Germany to register with a German agency to control packaging, provide reports, pay taxes, etc.
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Shipments Containing Common Fish and Wildlife Products
The United States government imposes strict regulations on the import or export of merchandise containing fish and wildlife products. These regulations make it mandatory for us to obtain export permits for things as simple as deerskin straps on wood masks, porcupine quill trim on baskets or canoes, and a plethora of other simple items.
Depending upon the origin of the products, there is an export permit fee for a shipment, regardless of value of the shipment. It also takes one to two hours to complete the paperwork and to have the merchandise inspected. Any orders for export containing fish and wildlife products are therefore subject to a US$294.00 export fee for merchandise containing items from North America and US$363.00 for merchandise containing items from outside of North America. This fee must be paid prior to our preparing the paperwork and is non-refundable.
Please call us or write us if you have any questions about whether the shipment is subject to fish and wildlife controls.
Should an item containing fish and wildlife products need to be returned for any reason, all returns must be made to our Canadian office by air mail to avoid being charged the import fee from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or brokerage charges associated with using couriers such as UPS, TNT, DHL, and FedEx. If you ignore these instructions and send a return by courier, we will bill you for any brokerage fees and additional costs incurred on our part by using a courier company. These fees can often be unreasonable, so please save yourself money and irritation by sending authorized returns by insured air mail.
We will only offer refunds (less shipping costs) on fish and wildlife items that are returned to our Canadian office at the buyer's expense by airmail. No exchanges will be given because of the requirement for us to obtain another export permit.
We regret that we cannot serve our overseas and Canadian customers more readily and at lower cost. If you have any questions about any of our products, please call us at +1.416.232.0376 or e-mail us at info@naturalexotics.com.
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Shipments of Fish and Wildlife Products from CITES Animals
We
are not prepared to export skins, teeth, claws, or products made from black
bear, lynx, otter, or wolf. These animals are controlled by CITES (the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). While they may
legally be exported, the paperwork is very expensive and time consuming.
No CITES items will be shipped to individuals.
Commercial shipments of
CITES items will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but must exceed at least
US$2,500. The US$2,500 is for the total value of CITES items and does not include the value of any non-CITES items on the same order/shipment, shipping costs, or other fees. All CITES orders are subject to a US$525 CITES export permit fee. This fee must be paid prior to our preparing the paperwork and is non-refundable.
If a CITES item needs to be returned for any reason, its return
must be approved by us in advance and it must be cleared for export from
the country it was shipped to with another CITES permit.
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Shipments of Feathers
Many countries require health certificates to permit the importation of feathers. We will do our best to advise you of this requirement when you order, but it is your responsibility to arrange for customs clearance into your country. If a health certificate is required, we will advise you if it is possible for us to get one and what the fee will be. If the certificate is sent afterward by courier, you are responsible for courier charges as well.
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Payment Terms
For overseas customers, our preferred method of settlement is by credit card (or by wire transfer for large orders). Charging the total to a credit card allows us to fine tune the exact amount of the charge. This is particularly useful if something is out of stock, the customer increases or decreases the order at the last minute, or the shipping amount is higher or lower than our original estimate. Payment by credit card also allows us to ship as soon as the order is ready without waiting for a check to arrive from the customer. Credit card payments also remove the hassle of dealing with exchange rates. Payment will be limited to US$500.00 per customer per month for a minimum of six months. Acceptance of payment by credit card is at our discretion.
We also accept payment by PayPal, but please allow us to confirm the total prior to making payment.
We reserve the right to charge a maximum credit card fee of 4% for certain transactions paid by credit card.
The second best payment method is pre-payment by U.S. dollar bank draft.
To pay by Swift or T/T, please see our Chichester Banking Information for further information and call us for our banking information.
Letters of credit will only be accept for orders more than US$50,000.
We are unable to send shipments COD overseas.
We will accept payment in cash for small orders, i.e., less than US$250.00. At the moment, we accept Australian dollars, British pounds, Canadian dollars, euros, New Zealand dollars, Swiss Francs, and South African Rand.
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Taxes, Duties, and Customs Clearance
Nearly all countries impose taxes, duties, and customs charges for shipments purchased from overseas. Please keep this in mind when ordering. If you have to pay VAT or GST/HST in your country (as in most countries other than the U.S.), the government may charge you this when the shipment arrives at the border. If you have to pay 17% VAT for goods that you buy locally, expect to pay 17% VAT for goods that you import. Many countries also impose a minor customs clearance fee for items imported by mail (e.g., in Canada, the government charges C$8.00 per shipment). All taxes, duties, and customs clearances charges are to the account of the buyer.
We have found that it is often cheapest to send shipments by air mail. The government then clears the shipment. If a courier such as UPS, FedEx, DHL, or TNT is used there are often more expensive customs clearances costs involved. UPS will charge a customs brokerage fee for most shipments to Canada and overseas. You may also have to pay duty and taxes.
When we quote a shipping cost for overseas shipments, this amount only includes the rate that the United States post office charges us to send the goods to you. It does not include additional charges for duty, VAT, GST or PST, and handling that your customs agents may levy.
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International Shipping Information
In general, the best way to ship orders outside of the U.S. is via the U.S. Mail Service's Global Express Mail. With Global Express Mail, a tracking number is available and we can e-mail or call you with that information. Shipping time is usually 3-5 business days not including customs delays.
You can save money by having your order shipped via the U.S. Mail Service's Priority Mail, but this takes 6-10 business days (plus customs delays, which can add up to 3 or 4 weeks). The post office will not investigate a shipment until at least one month has passed.
We charge a paperwork fee for all international shipments, see Minimum Order and Paperwork Fee for International Shipments.
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A Special Note for Canadian Customers
Although a number of our products are from Canada, there are only a limited number that can be shipped easily from within Canada. We usually buy Canadian merchandise in volume, consolidate the shipments, and then forward them to our U.S. warehouse.
Most of our merchandise is stored at our warehouse in Niagara Falls, New York. It is neither easy nor cheap to bring items back across the border nor is it possible to order many individual items to sell one or two at a time within Canada. We are slowly stocking more items in our Canadian office in order to be able to sell to our Canadian customers directly within the country. Please see our Canadian company's website at www.chichestercanada.com to see what is available in Canada.
Despite what many Canadians believe, the Free-Trade Agreement (FTA) mainly lowered the duty rates to zero on most items. Prior to the implementation of the FTA, duty rates ranged from 10% to 25% on most items imported into Canada from the U.S. and from about 5% to 10% on items imported into the U.S. from Canada. Now, with the exception of a handful of products (e.g., dairy products and softwood lumber), the duty rates are zero. Items imported into Canada from the U.S. still attract GST and PST. Merchandise from overseas is usually subject to duty as well when imported into Canada, even if it is sent from the United States. It is the country of origin that matters for deciding whether an item is subject to duty, not where it is shipped from. For example, a wire-wrapped motorcycle from South Africa is not made in the U.S.
Until Canada and the U.S. enter into a formal customs union which creates an integrated internal market with a single external border and harmonized agencies and policies for both countries, the border will continue to prevent the free flow of goods and services between countries.
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Insurance
All shipments are insured at the buyer’s expense unless prepaid in full and an insurance waiver is signed. Insuring parcels with UPS is generally very inexpensive, so why not do this? Our packers have an excellent record in guarding against damage, but damage can occur, truck drivers have accidents, and parcels occasionally go missing. In the event of an insurance claim, UPS requires you to keep the original carton. Put all damaged items as well as packing materials back into the original carton it was received in and hold for UPS. Write or call us within five (5) days so UPS can examine or pick up the carton.
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Rush Orders
We process shipments in the order in which they were received. We will charge a US$78.75 rush fee if you place an order at or after 2PM EST and would like us to ship the same day. This service is subject to time constraints. The later in the day you call, the less likely we can ship the same day.
We will charge a US$52.50 drop off fee to make a special run to the UPS or USPS shipping depot in Niagara Falls, New York.
We will charge a US$105.00 drop off fee to make a special run to the UPS or USPS shipping depot in Antwerp, New York.
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Drop Shipments
We will not provide drop shipments unless we have a very high comfort level about the transaction. In general, all orders must be shipped to the same address as the billing address for the credit card. If you prepay by wire transfer or bank draft, we are more willing to consider drop shipments.
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Back Orders
We stock thousands of items. Many of these items are made by artisans or are imported. Our goal is to attempt maintaining adequate inventory in all catalogued items. In general, we can inform you of availability on our specific web pages or at the time of ordering. If something is out of stock, we will attempt to let you know immediately. You can either request that we backorder this or cancel the order. We do not enforce the minimum order for merchandise that is backordered. Back orders are open, active orders for a period of six months and will be filled as soon as the goods become available. If you do not want this service, it is your responsibility to cancel back orders. Returned back orders are subject to a 15% restocking fee. Shipping charges for back orders are to the account of the buyer.
If you specify a credit card for payment and there is a backorder, we will use the same card to process the backorder unless you tell us differently. We will send a copy of the invoice along with your order. The invoice will be put inside the box or put inside a pouch taped to the outside of the box. If you require a phone call with the total, please let us know at the time of ordering.
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Return Policy
Natural Exotics is an online store of Chichester Inc. We will not accept returns without prior authorization. All returns must be approved in advance and have a return authorization number labelled clearly on the package.
Rest assured that you may return any item that you buy from us if you are not 100% satisfied at the time of receipt. You can contact us within five (5) days of receipt to let us know that there is a problem and return the merchandise promptly - have back in our warehouse within 30 days after our ship date:
- By phone: 1.800.206.6544 or +1.416.232.0376
- By mail: Chichester, Inc., 35 Main Street, , Antwerp, New York 13608-4157, United States
- By fax: +1.+1.416.232.2297
- By e-mail: info@naturalexotics.com
We will provide you with a return authorization number to write on the box. The return authorization number will be in the format: RAyymmddXX where RA is for the return authorization, yymmdd is the date, and XX is the initials of the person you spoke to. The return authorization number must be on the outside of the box for our warehouse to accept the shipment.
- Retail customers, there is no re-stocking fee for returns on up to three (3) items on a single order as long as we do not explicitly state on the invoice or by email that we reserve the right to impose a 15% restocking fee. We understand that customers may not like something that we send for whatever reason and respect this decision. Upon receipt of the returned merchandise in its original condition, we will issue a full refund for the value of merchandise, but not for shipping costs. For example, you could return 50 rabbit skins without any problem, but not one each of 100 different products. It is very rare that someone will buy a bunch of items and then return most or all of them. Nonetheless, there are some zingers out there who have no compunction about ordering 30 items and then sending most of them back. If you place a frivolous order and want us to spend time picking and packing an order, preparing an invoice, incurring fees for using the credit-card payment system, and then send all of this stuff back and have us reverse the process, be prepared to pay for this service. We also charge shipping and insurance both ways.
- Wholesale customers, a 15% re-stocking fee applies.
- For returns on all international shipments, there will be no refund on shipping or customs clearance costs. We will charge a 15% restocking fee on the total value of the merchandise and you will have to pay shipping and clearance costs for the return.
Upon receipt of the returned merchandise in its original condition, we will issue a full refund for the value of merchandise less a 15% restocking fee if applicable. You are responsible for shipping and insurance costs both ways. We have had customers request that we ship something by next-day air and then want to return the item and get a full refund on the value of the goods and shipping. Sorry, but we do not think this is reasonable. If you are in a rush, please keep in mind that you will be paying the cost of expedited shipping.
All refunds will be processed within 7 business days upon receipt of the returned merchandise.
Please understand that we do not offer merchandise on a consignment or trial basis. No returns will be accepted after our guarantee period.
We do not allow a longer return period for gifts. Sorry. If you do not think that what you are considering ordering is something that the recipient will want, please do not order.
We have very few returns. We do our best to ship quality merchandise and to encourage customers to ask questions about our products prior to shipping. If in doubt, please ask first. This will save both of us time, money, and hassle. If you have any questions or concerns, please send us an e-mail at
info@naturalexotics.com or call us at 1.800.206.6544.
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Claims and Disputes
Our goal is to deal with any problems that arise as quickly as possible (i.e., less than 30 days). If we owe you money for some reason, we will either send a check or credit your credit card or PayPal account promptly. If there is a problem or we have overlooked something (lost fax, deleted e-mail, misplaced message, etc.), it is your responsibility to stay in touch with us to resolve the matter as soon as possible. We will not process claims more than 30 days after the ship date. Please help us resolve claims or disputes quickly. It's better for both of us.
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Wildlife Products
U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE STATUS
Chichester, Inc., is licensed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as an importer/exporter of wildlife products.
We do not sell any species proscribed by the U.S. Endangered Species list.
LIST OF ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES IN NEW YORK STATE
See the following link for the full list of endangered or threatened species in New York State: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7494.html
In compliance with New York State law, we possess a special permit that permits the sale of legally acquired alligator, crocodile, and caiman products at both the retail and wholesale level.
The following species are relevant to our line of business and are listed as specific items we do not stock, buy, or sell in New York as a service to our customers and as reference for our staff as they are considered to be endangered in New York State:
| Common Name |
Genus and Species |
New York Status |
| Cougar |
Felis concolor |
Endangered |
| Gray Wolf |
Canis lupus |
Endangered |
| Massasauga Rattlesnake |
Sistrurus catenatus |
Endangered |
The following species are relevant to our line of business and are listed as specific items we do not stock, buy, or sell in New York as a service to our customers and as reference for our staff as they are considered to be threatened in New York State:
| Common Name |
Genus and Species |
New York Status |
| Canadian Lynx |
Lynx canadensis |
Threatened |
| Northern Long-Eared Bat |
Myotis septentrionalis |
Threatened |
| Timber Rattlesnake |
Crotalus horridus |
Threatened |
| Canebrake Rattlesnake |
Crotalus horridus |
Threatened |
| Banded Rattlesnake |
Crotalus horridus |
Threatened |
Sales of grizzly bear furs, hides, skins, etc., are heavily restricted and are considered endangered from most U.S. populations. Consequently, we do not deal in this item and list it here as a reference for our customers and staff.
| Common Name |
Genus and Species |
New York Status |
| Grizzly Bear |
Ursus arctos |
Not Listed |
All wildlife products are shipped with the understanding that it is the buyer's responsibility to ensure that he or she may legally possess and/or re-sell the purchased wildlife products (e.g., furs, hides, skins, claws, teeth, etc.) in his or her jurisdiction. Any fines, fees, legal fees, penalties, loss of business, and/or court costs, etc. incurred on the part of Chichester, Inc. for illegal shipments will be to the account of the buyer. We will not knowingly ship illegal products. Each state, however, has its own laws. There is no way we can keep track of all these changing laws. If you are uncertain about the legality of owning a specific wildlife product, check with your state's officials before ordering.
All wildlife products are shipped on an ex-works basis. The final sale occurs at our loading dock in Niagara Falls, New York. We engage UPS, FedEx, the United States Postal System, or any other carrier on your behalf to transport products purchased at our warehouse for final delivery to your destination.
Please note that although we have sent tanned furs and feathers to many countries without any problems, we have had problems recently shipping a tanned beaver skin to Germany and dried horse tails to Italy. We have no control over Customs and can never be sure what Customs in every country will do. It is your responsibility to check the import laws in your country. If your country's Customs refuses your order for any reason, we can credit you for the product once we receive it back in our US warehouse, but you will still have to pay postage and insurance both ways.
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Suitability for Children
Abuses by Chinese suppliers have resulted in legislation in the United States by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) concerning lead and phthalate content in toys and other items designed for sale to children. In order to comply with CPSIA regulations regarding the sale of merchandise to children 12 and under, we must run tests on items targeted to children. Each test costs nearly US$500 and must often be done on multiple parts of an item. While we have no reason to believe that any of our products contain lead, the legal system in the U.S. is such that we cannot recommend any of our products for children under the age of 13 unless we offer explicit certification that the items comply with CPSIA regulations. We are working with U.S. suppliers who are certifying their products and we expect to certify a small subset of the merchandise that we import or manufacture as well. In general, if this new legislation retains its existing form we expect to discontinue many items generally purchased by children 12 and under.
At this time, none of our products are properly certified to meet CPSIA regulations and we DO NOT RECOMMEND THEM FOR CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER.
NONE OF OUR ITEMS ARE SUITABLE FOR INFANTS OR TODDLERS.
For more information on the CPSIA, please see the government website www.cpsc.gov.
Tymeagain products are not recommended for aggressive or extremely physical individuals. They are designed for role playing and as use in theatrical props, not for combat. If you have doubts about the suitability of the Tymeagain toys, please do not order them.
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Country of Origin and Authenticity
We sell a variety of Native American-made products, products made by non-Natives, and imported products. In order to ensure compliance with the laws concerning product markings and Native authenticity, it is important to leave the country of origin and authenticity tags on all products.
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Native American Products
If you have any questions about the authenticity or Native American origin of any of our products, please do not hesitate to call us at 1.800.206.6544. Ask to speak with Paul Crosby. Paul is the only person in the company authorized to make formal statements concerning the authenticity of any products. We indicate as clearly as possible in our literature and on the website which products are Native-made or Native-assembled and which ones are not.
We are strong supporters of recent legislation designed to stop the misrepresentation of imported or non-Native merchandise being sold as though it were Native made. We also work closely with many Native American artists and craftsmen and want to ensure that there will always be a market for their work.
For more information on the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 and the Indian Arts and Crafts Enforcement Act of 2000, please see the website of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board at www.iacb.doi.gov.
In the 22 years that I have been buying and selling items from the Native American community, a number of our customers have asked us why we call some items Native Made and others Native Assembled. There have also been questions about the authenticity of items we offer. In the essay “The Native Art Continuum”, I do my best to explain my understanding of various levels of Native Authenticity and the relative purity of the arts and crafts in the marketplace.
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Legal Jurisdiction
In the unlikely event of any legal proceedings, all parties agree that the jurisdiction shall be Niagara Falls, New York, USA.
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Privacy Policy
We cherish our own privacy and respect yours. We will neither sell nor give your e-mail address, address, phone number, or other contact information to anyone else. When we ask for a phone number or e-mail address it is so we can contact you in case of a problem with your credit card or if we have a question about your order. E-mail addresses are used to send out tracking data from UPS or the U.S. mail so you can monitor the progress of your shipment. We hate spam and will not send any to you.
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Federal Employer Identification Number
Please call our staff in Toronto at 1.800.206.6544 or +1.416.232.0376 if you require our federal EIN.
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Copyright Notice and Use Agreement
Copyright © 2000-2024, Chichester, Inc., all rights reserved, including the world-wide web.
The text, photographs, images, videos, and any other material found on this website (Natural Exotics) may not be published, broadcast, incorporated in another work, or redistributed by any means without the prior written permission of and a license from Chichester, Inc., by any entity, including, but not limited to, individuals, corporations, international organizations, the U.S. government and its agencies, foreign governments and their agencies, any university, and any web service providers.
Anyone taking any text, photographs, images, videos, or any other material found on this website (Natural Exotics) and reprinting them, posting them on the web, or distributing them as an electronic file without the prior written permission of and a license from Chichester, Inc., including for educational use, agrees to pay on demand for the use of this material liquidated damages of US$350.00 per day per sentence, photograph, image, video file, or other item taken. The statutory penalties for infringement of each registered copyright range from US$750 to US$150,000, plus costs and attorneys' fees. 17 USC § § 504, 505.
Use of any materials without the prior written permission of and a license from Chichester, Inc., constitutes acceptance of this use agreement. If you do not agree with these terms, do not take and use this material.
In simple English, you must obtain written permission and a license from Chichester, Inc., before using any material from this website or pay us US$350.00 per day for each item taken from our website. We can be reached at info@naturalexotics.com.
We have thousands of pictures on our website. We have invested thousands of dollars in camera equipment and countless hours of staff time to produce this material. These pictures and videos may be used only with our written permission in advance and with an annual license agreement in place. We value our relationship with our retailers, wholesalers, and distributors, but do not permit the use of any of our photographs or videos without prior written permission stating the exact items being used and the time period permitted.
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A Final Note
We value your business and look forward to serving you. These terms and conditions are designed to help avoid any misunderstandings between us and to facilitate a good business relationship.
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Thank you for letting us serve you!