Our marketplace is made up of independent brands, and as such, each ship their products directly to retailers. At checkout, you’ll see either an estimated shipping cost, or a fixed price shipping rate if available.
When you see shipping cost estimates, the final cost of shipping will be available once your order has shipped, and your invoice will be updated to include the final cost.
If you see flat rate shipping, the cost you see at checkout is the final cost you’ll pay to ship your order. The flat rate may change if items are added or removed from your order, if the brand incurs unexpected costs during fulfillment, or if you make a special request such as expedited shipping. You’ll have the opportunity to review the new shipping cost before the brand fulfills your order. If needed, you can choose to cancel the order.
What should I expect after I place my order?
Once your order has been accepted by the brand, you will receive an email with the estimated ship date. Brands will ship your order either using Faire’s shipping partnerships, or using their own fulfillment processes and their carrier of choice.
As a retailer, it is your responsibility to facilitate the reception of your orders, this may include responding to carriers or getting in contact with them to ensure a successful delivery.
Products that ship from another country may be reviewed at customs upon import into your country and may be subject to duties and taxes. To read more about importing into Europe, visit Buying and importing into Europe (UK and EU), importing into Canada Buying and importing into Canada, and importing into the U.S. Buying and importing into the US.
Why does the shipping on my invoice say TBD?
You may see TBD (to be determined) listed on your invoice if the brand has not fulfilled your order yet. Once the brand has selected the shipping carrier and entered the shipping details to fulfill the order, the shipping cost on your invoice will be updated to reflect the final cost.
Can I select my preferred carriers?
Yes. The cheapest option among your selected carriers will be recommended to brands. Brands may still use a carrier you haven’t selected as your preferred carrier.
To select your preferred carriers:
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Go to your Shipping preferences page
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Select the checkbox for all of your preferred carriers
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Select Save
You can also exclude carriers you don't want to use from the list, and we will inform the brand. To exclude carriers select Exclude Carrier on the right-hand side of the carrier's name. Keep in mind, however, that the brand may still choose to use this carrier for shipping.
Can I get expedited shipping?
Faire does not offer expedited shipping options. We recommend contacting the brand through your Messages tab to discuss expedited shipping requests to confirm if it’s something they can accommodate.
What is flat rate shipping?
When you are shopping on Faire you may see flat rate shipping when you checkout, instead of shipping estimates. Brands can set their shipping rates ahead of fulfillment to help you calculate more accurate margins at checkout. As a result, when you review and place your order you’ll start to see fixed price shipping listed in the shipping section.
The fixed price shipping rate may change if:
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Items are added or removed from your order
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If the brand incurs unexpected costs during fulfillment
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If you make a special request such as expedited shipping.
You’ll have the opportunity to review the new cost, or cancel the order.
When placing an order for multiple brands with varying shipping rate types, you can click the Learn more link under Shipping Method to view itemized shipping details per brand before placing your order.
How do brands determine their flat rate shipping?
Brands have the option to set their shipping prices based on rates calculated by the shipping carrier of their choice, or by setting a flat rate price based on the order weight or the order total. You can reach out to the brand directly through Faire Messenger and request more information about how their fixed shipping prices are calculated if prices are different than anticipated.
Does the flat rate include import duties?
No, the flat rate only includes the cost of shipping. It does not include import duties or fees.
What if the set shipping rate is higher than expected?
You can reach out to the brand directly through Faire Messenger and request more information about how their fixed shipping prices are calculated.
What is a shipping rate adjustment request?
If the brand has to adjust the shipping cost after the order is placed (e.g. because they incur unexpected costs), they may request a shipping cost adjustment from you. If you approve the cost adjustment, you will be charged the adjusted shipping cost total. If the brand does not request a shipping cost adjustment from you, the set shipping rate that you confirmed at checkout will remain unchanged.
How are shipping costs estimated at checkout?
When checking out your order from a brand, you will see an estimated shipping cost included in the Order Summary. This amount does not determine the actual shipping cost that you will be charged, but is a predicted estimate calculated by our system based on different dynamic factors, including but not limited to:
- Product weight and dimensions
- The brand’s historical total shipping costs
- Your shipping address
- The available courier options to ship the order from the brand’s location to you
The actual shipping costs that you will be charged are applied after the brand ships your order. If your order is eligible for free shipping, a shipping cost estimate won’t be provided and instead, “free shipping” will be listed in the Order Summary.
What if the estimated shipping cost is higher than I expected?
Brands are in control of how they choose to ship their orders. If you are seeing estimated shipping costs at checkout that are higher than you expected in relation to the contents of your order, you can reach out to the brand through Faire messenger and ask about the following factors:
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Shipping method and speed
- Air expedited shipments will have a higher shipping cost than those transported by ground. If you are flexible with the shipping date, you can request for the brand to select a slower and less expensive shipping method.
- Where the order is shipping from
- Product/order weight and packaging
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Historical shipping costs for retailers in your area
- The brand will be able to confirm if they anticipate shipping costs for your order to be lower than the estimated amount you see at checkout.
If I’ve ordered from the brand before, can I expect the actual shipping costs to stay consistent?
If you are reordering from a brand, you can refer to your past order invoices to find the actual shipping costs charged, which are applied after the brand ships the order. Although past shipping costs do not directly determine the shipping cost on your new order.
When in doubt, we recommend that you contact the brand to ask if they have made any changes to the way they ship their orders since your last order with them.
I’ve placed multiple orders with a brand, can they be shipped together?
Yes, brands can now combine your orders into one shipment. The full shipping costs will be listed on one of the orders while the others will have a shipping cost of $0. Please note that orders can not be shipped together if they meet any of the following criteria:
- Orders shipping to different addresses
- International orders
- Orders shipping from different brands
- Orders that have already shipped more than 2 days ago
Who determines the final shipping cost?
The final shipping cost is determined by the carrier that the brand is using for your order. Even if the brand is shipping your order through a Faire partnered carrier, the final costs will be determined once the brand enters the shipping details. Shipping costs are calculated by the carrier based on several factors including:
- Package dimensions and weight
- Shipping distance
- Selected carrier and shipping method
How can I get an estimate of the final shipping cost?
If a brand refers you to Faire for a shipping cost estimate, they may not realize that Faire does not set shipping rates, as these are set by the carrier. The brand can determine the final shipping cost by entering the shipping details during order fulfillment.
You'll see an estimated shipping cost at checkout, but this is subject to change depending on how the brand ends up shipping your order. If you have concerns about shipping costs, we recommend:
- Asking the brand which carrier and shipping method they plan to use
- Requesting the brand to enter package details before shipping