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Hope For Paws Foundation Marketplace

Shipping & Combined Shipping Policy

Effective Date: August 26, 2026

Marketplace Support: [email protected]

This Shipping & Combined Shipping Policy applies to merchandise purchased through the Hope For Paws Foundation Marketplace.

Shipping terms shown in an individual listing supplement this Policy. If an item has special shipping or pickup requirements, those requirements will be stated in the listing when applicable.

1. Review Shipping Before Bidding or Buying

Review the shipping information shown on the item listing before placing a bid or completing a purchase.

Depending on the item, the listing may show:

Do not place a bid based on an assumption that shipping will later be reduced, combined, changed, or waived.

2. Shipping Methods

Marketplace listings may use one of the following methods:

Calculated Shipping

Shipping is calculated using information such as the delivery destination, package weight and dimensions, carrier, service level, and applicable carrier charges.

Flat-Rate Shipping

A fixed Shipping & Handling charge is disclosed before purchase.

The flat rate may reflect postage, packaging, dimensions, weight, insurance, signature services, or other reasonable fulfillment costs. It does not necessarily equal the amount printed on the carrier's postage label.

Free Shipping

Items marked FREE SHIPPING include the standard shipping method stated or provided for that listing.

Optional upgraded or special shipping services requested by the buyer may result in an additional charge if Hope For Paws Foundation agrees to provide them.

Local Pickup Only

Items marked LOCAL PICKUP ONLY are not ordinarily available for shipment and must be collected according to the pickup instructions provided with the order.

3. Shipping & Handling Charges and Estimates

Calculated Shipping & Handling may be based on:

A pre-purchase shipping estimate may change before final payment if, for example, the buyer changes the delivery address or the final packed weight or dimensions differ from preliminary information.

The applicable Shipping & Handling charge will be displayed before final payment authorization whenever reasonably practicable.

Hope For Paws Foundation will not silently charge a customer's payment method an additional Shipping & Handling amount after payment unless the customer has lawfully authorized that adjustment.

If a material additional Shipping & Handling charge is necessary before shipment, the buyer may be contacted for approval. If the buyer does not approve the additional amount and shipment cannot reasonably be completed at the amount already paid, the transaction may be cancelled and appropriately refunded.

4. Handling and Shipment Time

Unless an individual listing states a different handling period, Hope For Paws Foundation will use reasonable efforts to tender paid orders to the shipping carrier within one to two (1-2) business days after cleared payment and receipt of the information reasonably necessary to ship the order.

For purposes of this Policy, an order is shipped when the package is physically tendered to the applicable carrier.

Business days generally do not include Saturdays, Sundays, federal holidays, or days when fulfillment or carrier pickup is unavailable because of an emergency or circumstances outside the Foundation's reasonable control.

Oversized, unusually heavy, fragile, high-value, freight, custom-packed, or specially restricted merchandise may require additional handling time. When a longer handling period is reasonably anticipated, it may be stated in the listing.

5. Shipping Delays

If Hope For Paws Foundation determines that an order cannot be shipped within the timeframe promised to the buyer, the buyer will receive the notice, revised shipping information, cancellation opportunity, or refund required by applicable law.

If an item cannot be shipped, the affected transaction will be cancelled and the buyer will receive the refund required by applicable law.

Hope For Paws Foundation will not substitute another item for unavailable merchandise without the buyer's authorization.

6. Carrier Transit and Delivery Estimates

Marketplace handling time and carrier transit time are different.

Handling Time is the period before the package is tendered to the carrier.

Transit Time begins after the carrier accepts the shipment.

Carrier delivery dates and transit estimates are generally estimates and are not guarantees by Hope For Paws Foundation.

Weather, transportation disruptions, carrier delays, mechanical problems, governmental actions, natural disasters, and other events may affect carrier delivery after a package has been shipped.

7. Shipping Addresses

Buyers are responsible for providing a complete and accurate shipping address.

Review the recipient name, street address, apartment or unit number, city, state, ZIP Code, and other delivery information before completing payment.

Changing the shipping address may change:

Address Changes After Payment

Address changes after payment are not guaranteed.

Contact Marketplace Support promptly if you discover an address error.

An address change may be refused when reasonably necessary for payment security, fraud prevention, carrier requirements, insurance requirements, or other legitimate transaction requirements.

Once a package has been tendered to the carrier, Hope For Paws Foundation cannot guarantee that the destination can be changed.

Additional carrier costs caused by incorrect or incomplete buyer-provided address information may be charged to the buyer when permitted by law and disclosed or approved as required.

8. P.O. Boxes and Military Addresses

Shipping to P.O. Box, APO, FPO, DPO, or similar addresses is available only when the carrier and service used for the shipment support that destination.

If the selected shipping service cannot deliver to the address provided, the buyer may be asked to provide an eligible alternative address.

If an eligible address cannot be provided, the transaction may be cancelled and appropriately refunded.

9. Shipping Area

Unless an individual listing states otherwise, Marketplace shipping is limited to eligible United States addresses and other U.S. destinations supported by the applicable carrier.

Availability and cost may differ for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, APO/FPO/DPO addresses, remote locations, or restricted ZIP Codes.

International shipping is available only when expressly stated in the listing or enabled by the Marketplace.

10. Combined Shipping

Eligible items placed into the same Marketplace order may be packed and rated together when Hope For Paws Foundation determines that they can be shipped together safely, practically, and economically.

Combined shipping within an order is not guaranteed. The Marketplace may split an order into multiple packages when item characteristics, package limits, carrier requirements, or safe handling make separate shipment appropriate.

Safe packaging takes priority over reducing Shipping & Handling cost.

11. Eligibility for Combined Shipment

The Marketplace evaluates combined shipment using the order and item information available at checkout or fulfillment.

Items generally must:

12. Auction Orders and Combined Shipping

Auction wins may remain separate orders.

Combined shipping may be offered when the Marketplace provides a combined-shipping option or confirmation before shipment, but it is not guaranteed.

Unless the listing or order expressly provides a different deadline, payment for an auction win is due within forty-eight (48) hours after the Marketplace system finalizes the auction and creates the winning bidder's order.

A separate auction order is not automatically combined with another auction win or purchase.

Do not leave an auction purchase unpaid simply because you expect to win or purchase another item.

13. Items That Must or May Ship Separately

Some items must or may be shipped separately even when purchased in the same order.

Examples may include:

14. Shipping & Handling for Combined Packages

When eligible items are packed and rated together, Shipping & Handling is based on the final package or packages used to fulfill the order.

The amount may take into account:

A combined package rate may be higher than the Shipping & Handling amount for one individual item while still being less than the cost of shipping the items separately.

If the Marketplace determines that an order requires more than one package, the Shipping & Handling amount may reflect multiple packages or services.

15. Separate Orders

Orders created separately are ordinarily processed as separate orders.

The Marketplace does not guarantee that separately paid orders will be combined or that a retroactive Shipping & Handling adjustment or refund will be available.

If Hope For Paws Foundation expressly offers or approves combined shipment of separate orders before fulfillment, the applicable instructions or confirmation will control.

Once an order has been tendered to the carrier, it cannot be combined with a later order.

16. Flat-Rate Shipping

For an item sold with Flat-Rate Shipping, the disclosed flat amount is the agreed Shipping & Handling charge.

A buyer is not automatically entitled to a refund merely because the postage amount printed on the shipping label is less than the disclosed flat Shipping & Handling charge.

Likewise, Hope For Paws Foundation will not ordinarily increase the buyer's Shipping & Handling charge merely because the actual postage is greater than the disclosed flat rate.

Nothing in this section permits deceptive or materially misleading shipping charges.

17. Tracking

Tracking information will be provided when available for the applicable carrier and shipping service.

Carrier tracking information is generated and controlled by the carrier and may not update in real time.

Hope For Paws Foundation cannot guarantee the timing or accuracy of every carrier scan.

18. Signature and Insurance Requirements

Hope For Paws Foundation may require shipping insurance, declared-value coverage, signature confirmation, or another delivery-verification method when reasonably appropriate based on the item's value, type, destination, carrier, or fraud risk.

Any charge passed to the buyer will be disclosed as required before payment and may be included in the displayed Shipping & Handling amount when applicable.

19. Packaging

Hope For Paws Foundation will use reasonable care in packaging merchandise based on the item's characteristics and the selected shipping method.

Because Marketplace merchandise may be donated, pre-owned, vintage, collectible, fragile, or one of a kind, packaging requirements vary.

Orders may be shipped using new, clean reused, recycled, or specialty packaging when appropriate.

20. Lost Packages

If tracking indicates that a package may be lost in transit, contact Marketplace Support promptly.

Hope For Paws Foundation may review the tracking history, contact the carrier, initiate a carrier trace or insurance claim, and request information reasonably necessary to investigate.

Refunds or other remedies are determined under the Marketplace Returns, Refunds & Damaged Items Policy, applicable carrier procedures, payment protections, and applicable law.

Because many Marketplace items are unique or donated, an identical replacement may not be available.

21. Damaged Shipments

If an item arrives damaged, contact Marketplace Support promptly. Visible shipping damage should be reported within three (3) calendar days after delivery, as provided in the Returns, Refunds & Damaged Items Policy.

You may be asked to provide photographs of:

You may also be asked to provide a description of the damage or other information reasonably necessary to investigate or process a claim.

Do not discard the item, shipping box, label, or packing materials until the claim has been resolved or Marketplace Support tells you they are no longer needed.

22. Packages Marked Delivered

If carrier tracking shows a package as delivered but you cannot locate it:

  1. verify the delivery address;
  2. check the delivery area, mailbox, porch, parcel locker, or other location;
  3. check with household members or other authorized recipients;
  4. review any available carrier delivery photograph or notice;
  5. contact the carrier when appropriate; and
  6. contact Marketplace Support promptly if the package remains missing.

A carrier's delivery scan is relevant evidence of delivery but does not automatically prevent review of credible evidence that a delivery problem occurred.

23. Returned-to-Sender Packages

If a package is returned because of an incorrect or incomplete address, refused delivery, failure to retrieve a held package, unsuccessful delivery attempts, or another buyer-related delivery problem, Hope For Paws Foundation may contact the buyer regarding available options.

If reshipment is available, the buyer may be responsible for reasonable additional Shipping & Handling costs caused by the failed delivery, to the extent permitted by law.

24. Local Pickup

Items marked LOCAL PICKUP ONLY must be collected from the location designated by Hope For Paws Foundation.

Pickup items generally must be paid in full before release.

Identification, order confirmation, a pickup code, or other reasonable verification may be required.

Local-pickup timing and collection instructions will be provided in the listing, order, or pickup notice when applicable.

If you need additional time or have a pickup problem, contact Marketplace Support promptly.

Unclaimed merchandise will be handled in accordance with applicable Marketplace policy and law and will not automatically be treated as abandoned merely because an anticipated pickup date passes.

25. Shipping Restrictions

Hope For Paws Foundation will not knowingly ship merchandise using a method prohibited by law or applicable carrier requirements.

Some products may have special transportation restrictions, including certain batteries, aerosols, liquids, perfumes, chemicals, hazardous materials, magnets, pressurized containers, food, medical products, or other regulated merchandise.

If an item cannot lawfully or safely be shipped to the buyer's destination, the transaction may be cancelled and any required refund issued.

26. Carrier Selection

Unless a listing specifically guarantees a particular carrier or service, Hope For Paws Foundation may use or substitute a reasonably comparable carrier or shipping service when appropriate to complete the shipment safely and economically.

A substitution will not intentionally reduce a specific upgraded service for which the buyer paid without an appropriate adjustment.

27. Policy Changes

Hope For Paws Foundation may update this Shipping & Combined Shipping Policy from time to time.

Material changes will apply prospectively as appropriate.

Unless a later change is required by law or affirmatively accepted by the customer, the Marketplace Terms and policies in effect when a customer places a bid or completes a purchase will generally govern that transaction.

28. Buyer Acknowledgment

By placing a bid or completing a purchase, you acknowledge that:

  1. shipping terms are available for review before purchase;
  2. calculated shipping may depend on destination, weight, dimensions, and carrier service;
  3. the buyer is responsible for providing an accurate shipping address;
  4. carrier delivery estimates are separate from Marketplace handling time;
  5. combined shipping is available only for eligible items and is not guaranteed;
  6. auction wins may remain separate orders, and payment deadlines are governed by the Auction Rules and Payment, Sales Tax & Checkout Policy;
  7. special, oversized, fragile, or restricted merchandise may require additional handling;
  8. local-pickup items are subject to the stated pickup requirements; and
  9. you agree to this Shipping & Combined Shipping Policy.

Hope For Paws Foundation Marketplace · [email protected]