INTRODUCTION
When your Fetching Foods order ships we want you to have confidence it’s going to arrive safely. Despite our careful management of the complex logistics to get your order to you, sometimes no amount of planning can prevent the unexpected from happening. With the Replacement Program we are able to extend our exceptional customer service to cover gaps in the carrier’s policies, creating that peace of mind.
Most carriers do not cover perishables at all — even if they lose your shipment they’ll often deny coverage if they discover it’s perishable — and others only offer partial coverage, forcing you through an excruciatingly slow process-heavy refund procedure. A lost or damaged shipment is not your fault and not ours, but it creates a distasteful situation. We’ve purchased the ingredients and shipping label, box, dry ice, made the food, shipped it, paid for labor to do all of that stuff, and you’ve spent good money to feed your hungry kitties or pups. Who pays when a carrier destroys your box when neither of us are at fault and are both out of pocket?
This coverage is our solution. We tried to plainly word things so the policy is easy to understand, structured it in such a way so the program won’t be abused, and we cover your shipment reasonably well for product damage the carriers will otherwise deny. We may update the wording in the future once we see how this new process works in practice. Right now we believe it’ll easily cover the majority of issues we’ve seen over the years. You’ll have confidence your expensive order will arrive safely, or it will be promptly replaced if something happens without additional expense or hassle.
We all have a responsibility to make sure shipments go smoothly; we’ll always go the extra mile to get your food to you and won’t knowingly ship to your location when it’s being slammed by a hurricane, for example. You will need to do your part too, like giving the correct address and being diligent picking up your order. But when all that fails, we intend this policy will fill most gaps in the process. We want you to shop with confidence and know you’re covered.
POLICY
You must purchase this policy for every order. It is automatically added to every order, but comes with an opt out button in the check-out process. You must have purchased the policy for any order you’re making a claim against.
Fetching Foods Inc replacement policy is intended cover shipments damaged by UPS, FedEx, Roadie, and other delivery services (carriers) Fetching Foods uses to deliver your purchase, which do NOT offer compensation for damage while in their care. This includes excessive delays delivering the package.
The decision to issue a refund, replacement, credit, how the process works, evaluation criteria, what and how much to replace or refund, is at the sole discretion of Fetching Foods, Inc. Fetching Foods, Inc can cancel or modify this policy in whole or part without notice and for any reason.
The Replacement Policy COVERS:
- Loss or damage caused by the carriers delivering from Fetching Foods to the address you provide.
- Spoilage* due to significant delays, improper handling by the carriers, or lost shipments while in the care of the carriers.
- Gaps in coverage. Differences between reimbursements the carrier may provide and the replacement cost of your order.
The Replacement Policy DOES NOT cover:
- Delivered shipments that remain outside more than 2hrs after delivery
- Shipments stolen or misplaced once delivered
- Selecting a shipping option with an estimated transit time of 4 days or more
- Products that are open, have been tampered with, or are not in their original packaging
- Delivery errors created by the customer resulting in damage: incorrect address, building not open, no gate code, insufficient information eg missing apartment number, refused delivery, and the like.
- Forces of nature and acts of God, including but not limited to natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, named storms, blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, mud slides, monsoon, tsunamis, lightning, and fire. Weather events, such as thunderstorms, rainstorms and snowstorms that cause abnormal and wide-spread disruption to logistics services. Acts of public authority that disrupt delivery services.
- Defrosting* when ambient temperatures along the delivery route are at or below 85’ F without the shipment being substantially delayed. Spoilage and defrosting are not the same. Defrosting does not constitute damage.
- Substantial delays around major holidays like Christmas where the carrier suspends or delays their service for weather, capacity, or other similar issues.
- Shipments to PO, APO, or FPO box addresses.
- Minor package damage that does not affect the quality or safety of the food eg, scuffed labels or inconsequential rips or tears in the packaging.
- Not promptly retrieving your shipment from air-cargo.
CLAIM PROCESS
- Take a photo and/or video of the damage and item(s) you believe have been impacted. More is better. Include any explanation you feel is necessary.
- Submit your claim the same day as the delivery, preferably within 4hrs of delivery. Email the photos and all information to shipping@fetchingfoods.com. Claims are not considered 48hrs after delivery.
- We will process your request within 1 to 3 business days. One of our friendly team members will be in touch to finalize the course of action.
- You may need to return or provide additional data for the damaged item(s) before the refund or replacement is issued. Do not discard the insulated box in case you’re asked to return items.
- Refunds are processed immediately by us, but know there is a delay between banks that can be up to 10 business days. Replacements will be prioritized in our production cycle and will be made and shipped out at the earliest opportunity. If you like we can also issue a credit.
- You may need to file a claim with the carrier. A helpful team member will guide you through the process if necessary.
GENERAL INFORMATION
- We are shipping perishable Product(s) and therefore are not able to accept returns. Unlike items that have a longer shelf life, say t-shirts, items that are perishable cannot be restocked or resold even if they remain perfectly stored and in the original packaging.
- We pack the shipment with enough dry ice to facilitate the delivery and reasonable delays but packages should not remain outside longer than 2-4 hours after delivery. When retrieved within that time window, your food should arrive refrigerator cold.
- Though you don’t need to be home for delivery, all orders should be retrieved within 2hrs.
- We ship UPS and FedEx on the first day of the week (Mondays unless it’s a holiday). Air-cargo ships when your order is ready.
*Spoilage vs Defrosting: There is a distinction between the two. Defrosted does not mean spoiled or unfit to feed. In fact defrosting/defrosted is usually harmless. You defrost the food to feed; meat can be safely refrozen. Spoiled means the product has been irreversibly compromised by microorganisms and is unsafe to feed, happening because of prolonged exposure to room or warmer temps. If your food has been defrosted, you can read more HERE.