Freight, Shipping Policy and Other F.A.Qs.

Receiving / Freight Policy

Inspection / Damages (Truck Shipments)

How to receive a freight/truck shipment:

Shipping damages are fairly common when transporting large items like whiteboards and chalkboards. If an item arrives with damage, we will be happy to replace it for free provided you follow these simple steps.

When your Package Arrives:

DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING UNTIL YOU DO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:

Open and Inspect: If possible, open each carton and inspect contents of all packages prior to signing the Bill of Lading. In the event, an item is damaged simply refuse the damaged items and then contact us at 1-866-366-1500.
If the driver won't wait or allow you to open your packages for inspection, then carefully look at the packaging itself. If you see ANY damage to the package including dents, rips or tears to the cardboard, signs of crushing, observe foot prints or anything that might indicate that the contents may be damaged, then sign for that carton as "DAMAGED" on the Bill of Lading.

Example: One of the boxes has rips and tears in the cover. Another shows a dent in the outside of the package. Sign the Bill of Lading: 2 of 5 boxes damaged.

This will cover you completely if you open the box after the driver leaves and the board is in fact damaged. We will be able to ship you a replacement at no charge.

You See Obvious Damages: REFUSE any and all packages where you can see obvious damage to the merchandise inside a package. Example: You see a dented whiteboard through a hole in the box, refuse this item. Then make a note on the Bill of Lading noting how many parcels were damaged such as 1 of 5 boxes damaged and refused.It is not necessary to write anything else on the bill.
Again, this will cover you completely if you open the box after the driver leaves and the board is in fact damaged. We will be able to ship you a replacement at no charge.
Note: You're only concerned with damage to the writing surface, the frame or the marker tray. You don't need to be concerned with rips in the foil backing of the board. This will not affect how your board works and once installed will not be visible. This material is used in the construction of the panel itself and once the panel is created, its job is done.
Open and inspect all packages without delay and report any and all damages immediately to Customer Service at 1-866-366-1500. All damage claims must be made within 4 days. We will ask for a copy of the bill of lading signed as instructed above. Once received, we will begin to process your replacement order.

If you do not follow these instructions and simply sign for your shipment you are telling the trucking company that all of the boards were received in fine condition. If you find damages later, the trucking company will not honor any kind of damage claim. You have cleared them of any future financial responsibilities by signing without inspection. We are trying our best to protect your interest and want your transaction to go as smoothly as possible. Please help us to help you.

Damage Claims

All claims to OptiMA Inc. for damages or shortages must be made within 4 working days of delivery. The trucking companies only allow a certain window for claims and if they're beyond 4 working days, they may be denied after that date.

Freight carriers all have their own restrictions and time limits so please check with your delivering carrier for their rules.

If you have received or refused a damaged item please call us immediately at 866-366-1500 The trucking company will not notify us of damages.

If you have an order that was damaged and shipped via UPS or FedEx please contact us immediately at 1-866-366-1500.

If you have received damaged items but didn't follow these instructions please still contact us so we can review any options that may be available to you. This could include discounted replacements or filing claims directly with the freight company.

Shipping Costs

Please know that we are constantly negotiating with carriers to get the lowest shipping rates possible for our customers. Getting your items to you for the lowest possible price and in the best condition is our top priority.

Orders shipping from multiple vendors may incur multiple shipping charges. Contact customer service. We may be able to suggest alternative products from OptiMA to limit the amount of shipments and help to reduce your freight charges.

Truck orders shipping to Alaska and or Hawaii do not qualify for our Free Shipping program. Please contact customer service for a quote.

Orders shipping to California include an LTL Carrier California imposed surcharge of $7.50 which is imposed on All Truck shipments by the state of California.

Certain products such as Horizontal Sliders may not qualify for the published shipping rates due to their excessive size and weight. The rate will vary based upon the number of units, the size of the unit and the location to which the order is being shipped.

Orders that can ship within the continental U.S. by UPS will be calculated using the current published UPS charges.

Delivery

Freight delivery is curbside or loading dock only. The trucking company is only responsible for taking the freight to the back of their truck. It is your responsibility to take the freight into the building. Your freight charges billed through the OptiMA Companies only cover you to this point.

If you request Inside Delivery, there is an additional charge from the trucking company for this service and you are 100% responsible for these charges regardless of the size of your order. The charges are determined and controlled by the trucking company. OptiMA has no control over this charge.

You can make arrangements with the delivering carrier directly for inside delivery and they will collect the fees from you accordingly. OptiMA does not get involved with this process.

In addition to inside delivery charges, the customer is responsible for any additional delivery service charges and fees including but not limited to, limited access, liftgate, call ahead service and redelivery charges.

Shipping Options

We try to offer you the most options in terms of shipments. Some items will be too large or too heavy to ship by UPS, FedEx or USPS. These items will be required to ship by truck. We pride ourselves on offering some of the lowest shipping cost in the industry.

Whenever possible we will offer expedited shipping on items that we stock. This will apply only to items that can ship by UPS, FedEx or USPS. We do not offer expedited shipping on any items that must ship by truck.

If you have a preferred trucking company, we can ship your order freight collect by that carrier. Simply contact customer service to make arrangements.

If your order is shipping by Truck it is very important that you take time to read the Receiving Instructions above.

International Shipping

Please note that international customers are responsible for all applicable freight, duties, fees and taxes.

Almost Hassle Free Returns

MyWhiteBoards will accept any item back for full credit or refund provided the following conditions are met:

Conditions:

Item(s) must be in unused and re-sellable condition.
Item(s) must be in original packaging.
Return Merchandise Authorization Number (RMA) must be obtained from customer service and written on outside of returning package(s)
Return initiated within 4 days of receipt of item(s)
Items considered custom may not be returned*

Steps to return item:

Call customer service at 1-866-366-1500 within the continental U.S.
Get an RMA number from customer service.
Write the RMA number on the outside of each carton being returned
Ship package as instructed by customer service.
Customer service will provide you with the correct shipping address
Insure each package for the full value of the contents
Ship the package(s) freight pre-paid to the address provided by customer service. No freight collect shipments will be accepted

If your return does not meet the conditions listed above please still contact us at 1-866-366-1500 and we will see what options may be available.

The Fine Print:
*Custom items may include anything custom sized, custom printed, special ordered, this may include some items that are made to order which may otherwise appear to be stock items.

Examples of custom units: Custom length Opti-Rite material, 5', 6' tall, 8' tall boards, full height walls, horizontal slider units, enclosed bulletin boards or letter boards with custom fabric backgrounds, fabric bulletin boards and many other items. It is best to check with customer service prior to ordering if your item is considered a custom unit. We will always provide fabric samples, etc. free of charge so that you know exactly what you are receiving prior to ordering.

The customer is responsible for all freight charges. This includes both inbound to your location and outbound back to the manufacturer. The items must be shipped back to the manufacturer Freight Prepaid by the customer. No Freight Collect Shipments will be accepted and the shipments must be insured for the full value of the board. Customer service will provide you with the proper address.

Once the items are received, inspected and found to be in good order, a check will be issued or original credit card will be credited for the amount of the returned items. It is normal to have credits take several days to appear in your account.

Lead Times & Quick Ship

Our normal lead time for magnetic items and accessories is usually about 5-7 business days. Our normal lead or production time for boards is 10 to 15 Working Days. This means that your order will leave the factory in 10 to 15 working days. You still need to add transit time to your location.

Some of our boards are denoted as "Quick Ship" items and we try our best to ship these boards out in 1 to 2 business days. Quick ship items are NOT guaranteed to ship in this time frame. At certain times of the year, we are so busy trying to keep up with school orders and exceptionally high demand that even "Quick Ship" items may be delayed. Summer months of June - September our lead time may increase on certain products because of increased demand. We do our best to build our inventories before the rush season begins.

Shipping method does not change lead times. For example: If an item is ordered with a lead time of 3-5 days and overnight shipping is chosen the item will ship overnight after the 3-5 day lead time. That said we do make every effort to process expedited shipments through processing as quickly as possible.

Please call if you have a question.

Please note that if you have a combination of both "Quick Ship" and Non-"Quick Ship" items your order will be held until it can ship complete unless you are willing to pay the freight for two separate orders. We will not pay freight on a split order regardless of the dollar volume if you request a split shipment.

Please also note, "Blind Ship" orders are exempt from "Quick Ship" fulfillment commitments as these orders take extra care and time to process. Thank you for your understanding.