Village Craftsmen

170 Howard Street 

Ordering Information

Shopping Cart  (How it works.)

"Cookies"  (What are they and why do we use them?)

Shipping  (How our web site is configured.  See below for how we calculate shipping charges.)

Expedited Service  (What extra services do we offer & how reliable is it?)

International Orders  (Why we do not ship outside the USA.)

Returns/Refunds/Exchanges  (What if you're not satisfied?)

Shipping Charges  (Exactly how are shipping charges calculated, and why do they sometimes seem high?)

Additional Shipping Information  (How to contact us if shipping charges for one small, lightweight item, or for a number of identical items, seem excessive.)

Using Our Shopping Cart:

Using our On-line catalog can be the fastest and most convenient way to order from Village Craftsmen.  Our site incorporates a simple, convenient shopping cart system and secure service.

If you prefer to order by phone or mail please click here. 

If, while using the shopping cart,  you experience any problems viewing all of your selections it may be because you have disabled "cookies" on your computer.  Click here for more information.

Our shopping cart allows you to browse our catalog and add orders at any time.  You can also add, delete or change the quantity or options of any item as you shop. 

All of this is done over a secure server that encrypts your order and prevents anyone else from viewing credit card or other information.  You also have the option of paying for purchases with PayPal.

To begin shopping, use any of the photo links on the left to go to our on-line catalog & simply enter the quantity for the item you are interested in, choose any options available, and then click on the "Order......" button.

After each selection you will see a screen displaying all of the items you have ordered.  You can change the quantities and/or options ordered, delete any items, empty your shopping cart or return to our catalog at any time.

You can return to the shopping cart page at any time by clicking this button, from any catalog page:

You can cancel your order at any time from any catalog page by clicking on this button:

When you are finished shopping, simply follow the instructions on the shopping cart page.  Continue to click on the "Continue" & "Send Order Now" buttons.  You will have an opportunity to choose shipping options & payment options. 

You can safely enter your credit card number or choose to have us call for credit card information.  You can also place your order on-line and then pay by check or money order. If you choose this option we will ship your order after we receive your check or money order.

North Carolina residents will be charged 6% sales tax. An additional 1/2% tax will be added to orders shipped to Mecklenburg County, NC. 

Shipping and tax (if applicable) will be automatically calculated.  When everything is in order, click "Confirm Order."

Your order will be processed and you will be billed only after you have provided all of the required information and have clicked the "Confirm Order" button. 

Although we make every effort to keep the information on our site accurate and up-to-date, we sometimes make mistakes.  Prices, sizes, colors, etc. are subject to change at any time and without notice.  We apologize for any inconvenience.

If an item you request is not immediately available, or if there are any changes we will contact you promptly before processing your order. 

Cookies

A "cookie" is simply a small file that is entered into the memory of your browser that contains details of your customization and is used to help with on-line sales/services. 

Cookies are not dangerous to your computer.  A cookie is not a program or plug-in and cannot be used as a virus or to access your hard drive.  It is simply a piece of text that helps us process your order more efficiently.

Village Craftsmen uses cookies to expedite use of the shopping cart system.  If you are having any problems using the shopping cart you can probably correct them by enabling your browser to accept cookies.  It is generally very easy to change your cookie preferences. The following instructions were accurate when written, however some versions of browsers may require slightly different steps.

For earlier versions of MS Internet Explorer:
Click on "Tools" from the browser's menu. Select "Internet Options." Choose the tab on top labeled "Advanced." Scroll down to the section entitled "Security." Under the subtitle "Cookies" you can choose either "Always accept cookies" or "Prompt before  accepting cookies."  Select the latter if you want your browser to inform you before it accepts a cookie on this and other sites. Click "Apply," then "OK."

For MS Internet Explorer 5, custom cookies settings can be set for each security zone. To do so, follow these steps:
Click on "Tools." Click on the "Security" tab. Click the Web content zone you want, and then click "Custom Level." Under "Cookies" click the options you want ("Enable" or "Prompt"), click OK and then repeat steps 1-2 for each zone.
 

In Netscape Navigator:
Click on "Edit." Select the option "Preferences." Under "Category" choose "Advanced." On the right, choose "Accept all Cookies."  If you want your browser to inform you before it accepts a cookie on this and other sites, click on "Warn me before accepting a cookie." Click "OK."
 

Alternatively, you can circumvent any problems simply by clicking on one of our catalog pages (see photo-links to the left of this message) and then clicking on "View Shopping Cart" before sending your order.

Our web site Search Engine also uses cookies.  Again, to avoid repeated alert messages you may want to enable cookies.

Shipping

Shipping charges will be calculated automatically with shopping cart orders. We only ship to addresses within the United States of America.  For phone orders please contact us.  As of  2002 we have reconfigured our website to calculate these charges based on shipping weights and UPS rates, plus a small fee to cover shipping materials and extra paperwork.  For your convenience, most customers will receive a "shipment notification" e-mail that includes a UPS tracking number. 

Click here for more information about how we calculate shipping costs.

We ship almost exclusively  within the United States of America.  See below for information about international orders.

Expedited Service

If your order must arrive by a specific date, please keep the following in mind:

Because we are located on an island with unpredictable (and at times severe) weather, and because our suppliers are real human beings (who sometimes are not able to supply us as promptly as we'd like) we cannot guarantee  delivery by a specific date even with expedited service. We do have an excellent history of quick reliable service, however, and strive to maintain that record. 

Orders to be shipped "Next Day," "Second Day," or "Third Day" must be received by us no later than 9 a.m. in order to be shipped off the island that day.  Village Craftsmen is not responsible for orders delayed because of disrupted internet or telephone connections.

UPS has designated Ocracoke Island an "Extended and/or Remote Area."  Although expedited service is generally available UPS will not guarantee this service because of potential weather and ferry-related delays. We also do not receive UPS service on Saturdays, Sundays or legal holidays.

If you are asking us to call for your credit card number, please know that we do not ship without credit card authorization.  It may not be possible to obtain credit card information & authorization quickly enough to be able to have your package ready for expedited shipping before noon, when UPS makes pick-ups.  Entering your credit card information on our secure shopping cart system will avoid this potential delay.

Please keep this information in mind when requesting next day, 2nd day and 3rd day shipments.  For example, an order with a request for next day service that is received by us at 1 o'clock on a Friday cannot be shipped until Monday (or Tuesday, if Monday is a holiday). Barring unforeseen weather-related delays, delivery would be on Tuesday (or Wednesday, if Monday is a holiday).

International Orders

Village Craftsmen is a small business dedicated to the promotion and sale of US handcrafts.  Due to the complexity of international regulations and the high cost of overseas shipping, we fill orders only within the United States of America.  Thank you for your understanding. 

Returns, Refunds & Exchanges

We hope you are delighted and satisfied with every purchase from Village Craftsmen.  Sometimes, however, things may go wrong.  Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.  Following is our return policy:

Defective items--We will gladly replace or refund the full purchase price of any item which is defective in any way.  Please contact us before returning items.

Other items--We will accept for credit or refund any item that you are not satisfied with if returned within 30 days of purchase.  Items returned must be in salable condition and may be subject to a 15% restocking fee.  Please contact us before returning items.