How does insurance work with freight shipments?
Every freight shipment is insured. But in order to collect the insurance on damaged goods the receiver must inspect the shipment before signing for it! Legally, when ZESCO.COM or its manufacturers sign the shipment over to the freight carrier, the freight carrier owns it. When you receive the item and sign for it, you own it. Therefore it is imperative that you carefully inspect your shipment for any damage. If there is any damage at all you must note the damage on the freight bill/delivery receipt. This is the only way you will be compensated for any damage by the freight carrier at the time of delivery.
What should I look for when inspecting my shipment?
About 2% of freight shipments arrive damaged, so be sure to inspect your item when it arrives. Open cartons, inspect items for damage, and verify the number of items you are receiving matches what appears on the freight bill/delivery receipt. The driver may be impatient but that beats having to settle for damaged merchandise. Unlike UPS, if you sign your freight bill free of any claims then you have little recourse if you later discover that it is damaged.
What if my freight shipment is damaged/short-shipped?
It is the customer's responsibility to check cartons for signs of damage, shortage, or abuse upon delivery. The customer should open the cartons and inspect the contents, count packaging and note any shortages or damages on the delivery receipt before signing. It is the customer's right to refuse any shipment that shows obvious signs of damage at the time of delivery. If you have refused or short shipment please notify customer service at once.
If damage or shortage is discovered after signing the delivery receipt free/clear and the delivery driver has left, retain damaged packaging materials and contact the freight carrier immediately for inspection. Do not move the item from original address it was delivered to. Doing so will void any claim you may have against the freight carrier for compensation.
Note: When the delivery receipt has been signed free and clear (without noted damage or shortages) it releases ZESCO/shipper from all ownership responsibilities of merchandise/freight. It will then be your responsibility to file a damage or shortage claim with the carrier and we/Zesco do not guarantee any form of compensation.
Our Indiana warehouse strives to have orders processed and ready to ship within 1 business day on available stocked items. Non-stocked items will be shipped directly from the manufacturer, in which case the delivery times may vary. Your sales order confirmation gives estimated lead times for shipping. Estimated ship dates are just estimates and you will be notified via email of any changes.
There are rare occasions when our carriers will lose a shipment. In these situations, it’s our priority to locate your shipment and will work with the carrier to do so.
For ground shipments (UPS & FedEx), a tracer will be started with the carrier that is delivering your shipment and will take up to 9 business days to complete. If there is no movement on the tracking, the manufacturer’s dock and carrier terminals that your package went through will be checked. If your shipment is delivered but you do not have the package, the driver that delivered the package will be asked to confirm where it was delivered to.
For freight carrier shipments that are lost in transit, we will initiate a dock check with the freight company and all terminals the shipment moved through for the lost product.
Locating lost freight with carrier usually takes 5-7 business days to complete, or more. We make it our priority to keep you updated as to the status of the trace or dock check while it is completed. If your shipment is found, we will continue the delivery to your location. If it is deemed lost, we will work with you to provide a satisfactory resolution.
Split Shipments
ZESCO.COM tries to consolidate shipments as much as possible, we cannot guarantee every item will ship together due to stock and where drop ship items are sourced from. If multiple shipments of your order are required due to a back order, the full amount of the shipping costs will be charged on the first shipment's invoice. The remaining merchandise will ship and invoice upon availability.
Shipping / Freight Damage Policies
Items which exceed UPS's weight and size limitations must be shipped via a commercial 'over the road' freight carrier. These freight carriers normally use a semi-truck to deliver to businesses with loading docks and will offer the cheapest rates for this kind of delivery. Please note that freight shipments DO NOT include unloading, uncrating, or inside delivery. Expect additional fees for 'residential delivery' and 'lift-gate delivery' (if you do not have a receiving dock or cannot unload the shipment).
Do I need a Delivery Appointment?
You would need a delivery appointment if you require that the freight carrier contact you at least 24 hours in advance to schedule a time to deliver your freight shipment. An appointment charge will be assessed for this service.
A lift-gate is a device used to raise and lower items from ground level to the level of a tractor trailer. Freight carriers deliver items on a tractor trailer which is 56 inches above the ground. These trailers are designed to load and unload at a loading dock or with a fork-lift. If your delivery location does not have a loading dock or fork-lift and the item is too heavy to remove from the trailer by hand, then you may need a lift-gate.
There are several ways to avoid paying lift-gate delivery costs. If your delivery location has a loading dock or fork-lift you do not need a lift-gate. If the individual items in your shipment are light enough for you and your friends to remove from the truck you do not need a lift-gate. If none of these options work for you then you will need lift-gate delivery.
Note: Additional charges will be incurred for such deliveries.
Residential delivery is a term and fee used by freight carriers to describe delivery to any address which is not zoned commercial. Usually this is a home, but it could be a church, farm community center, etc. Businesses run from a home are still considered residential.
Note: Additional charges will be incurred for such deliveries.
What if my ground shipment is damaged/short-shipped
Keep all packaging and damaged merchandise in carton, take pictures then contact ZESCO.com customer service by calling 1-800-901-5051 (option 4) for assistance.
ZESCO.Com offers free shipping on a select restaurant equipment and supply items. Look for the "FREE SHIPPING!" tag as you browse ZESCO.Com for restaurant equipment and supply items that ship free of charge. Please note that our "Free Shipping" guarantee only applies to shipments to commercial addresses within the contiguous United States. Customers with a residential address within the contiguous United States will be charged a reduced rate for these items.
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