Contact
Us
Questions?
We prefer email,
because that allows us to research your question and get you
in touch with the best possible person to answer it.
Submitting your orders online also allows us to process your
order faster as well as keep costs low so we can offer great
prices.
However, we understand that
sometimes you just need to speak with someone in person, so
you are welcome to call us toll free at 888-513-5303.
When you call, you will hear a greeting and may wait up to
30 seconds as we ring several phones trying to find someone
available to take your call. Please be patient, and if
no one is able to pick up, please leave a message including
what you are calling about. We are often with other
customers, but we really do call people back. But we
can't call you back if you don't leave a message!!!
Our usual hours for
answering the phone are 8-5 PST, but sometimes we answer the
phone outside our normal business hours, such as on evenings
and weekends. We almost always check the messages on
weekends, and can email or call you with responses if
required.
Remember, if you have
already placed your order, you can get order
status online.
Purchasing On-Line, Security
and Privacy
When you buy from BigCeramicStore.com, we guarantee
that all purchase transactions are completely secure
transactions. Our shopping cart and checkout
system uses encryption and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) security features provided by the Web
browser using Versign. This ensures that your transactions are secure.
To provide
extra
assurance, many credit card companies will also
guarantee the use of your card for web transactions, and not charge you for any
misuse.
Your personal information will never be given
away or sold to a third party without your permission.
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Payment
Methods
We accept PayPal, Google Checkout, Visa, Mastercard, Discover,
American Express. You may also pay by check. To pay by
check, add the items to your
shopping cart and check out. Select the "pay by check"
option. You will get an order form to print out, with our address on
it. Send your check in with the order. We wait 10 business days for checks to
clear before processing the order. (This extra time usually applies to
cashiers checks and money orders as well.)
Purchase Orders
We accept purchase orders for schools and government agencies.
To place an order using a PO, add items to your shopping cart
and select "pay by check." Minimum purchase is
$150. Include your Purchase
Order number in the comments area of the checkout form, and fax a copy of your purchase
order to 419-858-9679 or mail it to: BigCeramicStore.com 881 E Glendale Ave,
Sparks, NV 89431. Please include an
email address for us to provide status on the order. We
also require a purchasing or accounts payable contact, including
name and phone number.
Sales Tax
We collect sales tax on orders shipped to Nevada. The
cart adds the highest Nevada tax rate, but it gets adjusted to
the correct rate for your city when we import it into our
database. There are a few items which are drop shipped
where we collect sales tax in other states. These are stated
on the specific page.
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Shipping
You can select several shipping options at checkout.
West Coast orders will be delivered in 1-2 business days by
ground. The rest of the continental United States takes 3-5 business days.
Shipping days (whether ground, 3 day, 2nd day air, or overnight) begin
the day after the shipment. So an order that ships Monday by 2nd
day air will arrive Wednesday. If you note that you are in a
hurry, we can often get orders out the same day if you order by about
1pm PST. Mondays are very busy so it is most difficult on
Monday.
If you have any other shipping preferences
please state them in the comments on the order form. For example,
whether you would rather have an item sooner and pay higher shipping, or
you would like lowest cost shipping even if it takes a little
longer.
In the Continental US, our shipping methods
are FedEx and UPS. They are economical, and packages are insured and tracked.
Please read the backorder
section to determine how backorders will affect shipping costs.
Please note that there is a minimum
FedEx/UPS charge to ship a package, regardless
of the size of the item or the price of the item. There is nothing we can
do to change this. Therefore, if you order a single inexpensive item you
are likely to pay more for shipping than the cost of the item. That is
simply the nature of shipping. Often you can add many more items to your
shopping cart and your shipping cost will go up marginally if at
all.
Large items often have to ship by
truck. In
some cases, a truck shipping quote must be generated. You can
email us for a quote, or submit your order and we will email you a
quote for your approval.
Heavy or fragile items (such as most kilns, wheels, and pug mills, some slab rollers, and large quantities of clay or chemicals)
ship by truck. In many cases, free shipping is included.
If shipping is not included, you will be contacted with a shipping
quote for your approval. Sometimes you may desire a liftgate
to get large items off the truck. The liftgate charge is
$40. Residential delivery fees are included with our free
shipping.
We offer Free Shipping on
many medium and large kilns, as
well as other select items. Free shipping applies to most destinations
in the continental US. It does not include HI, AK or US
territories. (Although sometimes we can ship kilns for free to
Hawaii!) It also does not include some remote
areas of the continental US. If you're wondering about the location
where you live, just email
and ask us about it. (Note: It is very unusual for an address
in the continental US to not be covered by the free shipping.
Manhattan and islands that can only be reached by boat/air are the most
common, and some remote locations.)
Undeliverable or returned packages: If a package
shipped to you is not deliverable at the address you provided,
you will be charged a $6 re-addressing fee. That assumes
they are able to correct the address and deliver the package. If
the address can not be corrected and the package is returned to
us, you will be charged for both the original shipping cost, and
the return shipping cost. PLEASE double-check the addresses you
provide when ordering. For freight shipments, similar
rules apply, but at possibly higher cost, as it varies from
carrier to carrier.
Please note that just because we don't take returns on wheels and
kilns, does not mean that you have to be concerned that you might be
stuck with a product that does not work. If there is any problem
when your product arrives, we will always work
with you and the manufacturer to get you a product that works.
You also are covered under the manufacturers warranty. Customers
cannot however return a wheel or kiln just because they have changed their mind.
One reason for this is the difficulty for the customer to pack the
product correctly to avoid shipping damage.
Return Procedure: To request a refund
1) Email support@bigceramicstore.com.
We will give you an RMA number and work out any complications before
you return the item. That helps everything go smoothly once the
items arrive and then you can be refunded promptly.
YOU MUST SUBMIT REQUESTS BY EMAIL. PHONE
REQUESTS ARE NOT ACCEPTED.
2) Pack the items well, insure them, and ship to the address we
provide with the RMA number. We are not be responsible for
shipping damage, packages sent to other addresses or packages without
RMA numbers.
Other than refunding the price of an item you
purchased from us,
BigCeramicStore is not responsible for loss or damages caused by use of
any products we sell. Materials (especially clay, glazes and
chemicals) may vary and may not always perform the same from batch to
batch; users are encouraged to always TEST before using large
quantities of any material, and never to assume a material or other
product will perform as described until tested.
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Back Orders
We stock a great many of the items we sell, so most orders will
be filled and shipped quickly. However we cannot guarantee that any
particular item will be in stock at any time. Below is our
policy on filling orders.
1) We attempt to fill all orders complete upon
receipt, and can do so most of the time. If we can't, we try to
use common sense and fairness in determining how to proceed with the
order.
2) If an item is small, and doesn't seem like a
large part of your order, we may cancel it. For example, if you
order 12 glazes and we don't have 1. Or you order 20 stilts at 50c
each and
we only have 16, we'll ship what we have, cancel the remainder and close
the order.
3) We may decide to ship what we have, and ship
the remainder later. This would be most likely if we were out of
several items in your order.
4) In many cases, if we are out of something we
will contact you to see if you want to cancel that item, or wait until
it arrives and ship the order complete. We probably won't contact
you if we can ship complete within a few business days, but if we expect it to be
1-2 weeks, we would contact you.
5) In almost all cases, we will split your order
(with backorders) into 2 shipments for an additional $4 shipping cost, if you ask us
to. It costs about $8 to make 2 shipments instead of 1, so we are essentially
splitting this cost with you so you can get some of the items faster.
6) PLEASE give us guidance. When ordering,
please enter what you
would like to do in the order comments. For example, if you really
need 1 item and the rest is filler, tell us that. Or if you are
not in a hurry and would rather get your order complete, tell us that. We try very hard to help you when we know what you
want. (Unfortunately we haven't learned how to read minds yet!)
* We may occasionally deviate from these criteria/rules when it
makes sense for the situation, but our goal is to operate as
described.
Liability
Other than refunding the price of an item you purchased from
us, BigCeramicStore is not responsible for loss or damages caused
by use of any products we sell. Materials (especially clay,
glazes and chemicals) may vary and may not always perform the same
from batch to batch; users are encouraged to always TEST before
using large quantities of any material, and never to assume a
material or other product will perform as described until
tested.
If errors in pricing are shown on the website, we reserve the right to not
sell at the listed price.
Kiln Orders
All non-120 volt kiln orders will
be confirmed prior to shipment. This is to assure you ordered the options and
features you wanted, in particular voltage and phase. Most
kilns are built to order, non-cancelable, and non-returnable.
If you need to cancel your kiln order after we submit it to the manufacturer, and
before it ships, it may be possible to cancel for a
cancellation/restocking fee. This is dependent on the policies of the
manufacturer and will be handled on a case by case basis. Most
kilns are custom made and take 2-4 weeks plus transit time.
Smaller kilns usually take less than larger kilns. If you
need a kiln faster, you can see models we have in
stock on this page.
When you purchase a non 120v kiln,
or most items that ship by truck, you will receive
an email from us with questions about your
delivery and any questions about product options.
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When
we Charge Your Credit Card
If you are paying by credit card (not
check or p.o.), we "pre-authorize" your charges during the
checkout process. This verifies that the card information has
been entered correctly, that the card is valid, and that you have
not reached your card limit. If everything is ok, we
"reserve" the amount shown in your shopping cart on that
credit card. The card is not actually charged at this point.
We review every order before we actually
charge your card. So if you have items which ship by truck and
need a shipping quote, or if you have some notes to us in the
comments, or if there are any pricing adjustments necessary, we take
care of all this before actually charging your card.
If you are having any trouble getting the
shopping cart to accept your credit card, first check the 3 or 4
digit security code. This changes when you get issued
replacement cards, and is the most common problem. If you
still cannot get it to work, back out and select "pay by
check". This will get us your order and we can contact
you to resolve the credit card issue.
Sometimes (usually with visa check cards)
people have daily limits that can be charged, and we have to spread
large charges over several days. We are happy to do this for
you.
Special Orders -
Credit Card Charges
Special-order items (such as kilns, pug mills, mixers, wheels and
slab rollers) may be charged to your credit card at the time of
ordering, not upon shipment of the order.
This is done because of the custom/special-order nature of the
item. If you've ordered one of these items and have a question
or concern about this, feel free to contact
us.
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How to Shop
Your shopping cart will be created when you add your first
item. When you check out you will have the option to delete
items, to save them for later, to change quantities, or to
purchase them. You can stop the process at any time prior to
submitting your final order. You can purchase on-line with a credit
card, or mail us your check. To pay by check, select that
option at checkout and print out the order form as
instructed. Our address is printed on the order form.
If you make an error or change your mind after submitting the
order, email us and
we can correct it as long as the item has not shipped.
Please note that your shopping cart is not saved
indefinitely. If you stop shopping and want to come back to it
later, please print out your shopping cart just to be safe.
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Catalog
Sorry, but we do not have a
printed catalog. By only maintaining a web site
we can add items and product information constantly, and keep prices and other
information up to date. If you have a slow internet connection or little
time for browsing, click the index/search button at the top of each page.
From there you can find things quickly. Or email us if you need help.
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Freezing
Glaze will Freeze:
During the Winter months, we may hold
packages a couple of days if you've ordered wet glaze or wax resist.
If the package will be traveling through severe,
prolonged cold weather, we will hold it until the weather eases. If glaze freezes,
it can expand and burst the jar. If that hasn't happened, then the
glaze will be fine with thawed and remixed. Wax resist is ruined
and needs to be replaced.
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Order
Status
You may check
your order status here.
If you enjoy painting designs, painting or glazing bisque pieces made from
molds might be the answer. You can use paints if items are purely
decorative. Or for functional work you may be able to find a "paint
your own" place that will fire your pieces for a fee.
Another option, especially if you want to make small items such as jewelry or
ornaments, is polymer clay. It is colored clay which is baked to
harden. There are also standard clays that are baked in the
oven.
If you want to make your own items from clay, the least expensive way to get
started is hand building. The equipment needed is very minimal, and it is
easy to teach yourself with books. All you really need is clay, but other
useful tools are a rolling pin, items for making textures, items around the
house to use as molds, cloth or newspaper for keeping the clay from sticking to
surfaces. You can make some nice pieces right away, while you learn about
working with clay.
Of course you still need a kiln to fire your work. You can check our
Kiln Timesharing listings to see if there are studios near you that will fire
your work. Another good option is to take a local community college or
community center class. Many people find they like to get their own clay
and glazes to work at home at their own piece, but bring the pieces in to be
fired.
On the other hand, electric kilns start as low as a few hundred dollars, so
explore the small kilns pages.
Lastly is throwing on the wheel. It is best to take a class to get
started in this, but there are some good videotapes that may be able to get you
by. Throwing on the wheel takes practice. It will be a while before
you can make a simple nice bowl. But it is very addicting. A good
wheel that will last you many years can be had for about $500. It is
possible to find used wheels, but there are always more people looking than are
selling. Some used wheels are as much as you can get a new one for.
There are additional tools you need for wheel throwing. Most of the basic
ones can be purchased in an inexpensive kit found under Kemper
Tools.
For more information, please read Articles
and Past Tips of the Week.
Where do you ship from?
We ship from various locations. Most shipments come from our
warehouse in Nevada. Sometimes (especially on large, custom
items) we will ship directly from the manufacturer. This mostly happens with kilns
because
it is hard to stock all the options.
Shipping Days Table shows how many
days it will take to ship supplies by UPS ground. These are
business days. If you need it faster, please select UPS 2nd day or
3 day. Also if you select fast shipping, or put a note in the
comments, we will let you know if there is something we don't have in
stock. When counting days, the day of shipment does not
count. So if we ship on Monday by 2nd day air, you would receive
the package on Wednesday.
Can you ship my order by USPS (United States Post
Office)?
Sorry, we only ship by FedEx/UPS or LTL (truck lines). The main reason we do not ship by Post Office is that packages cannot be
tracked. It is also difficult to recover costs for lost or damaged
packages, even when insurance is purchased. Also we have found
that most people who want USPS shipping believe it is less expensive,
but in fact in the Continental US it typically is not.
Why
do you prefer emails for support questions?
There are several reasons why we have built our business model around
communication by email.
- Our mission is to ship internet orders correctly and fast.
We achieve that by minimizing interruptions. Not having
walk-ins and phone calls interrupt our employees while they are in
the middle of a task is why we can ship orders better than brick and
mortars.
- We believe that when you have a question, you deserve a good
answer. Honestly we can answer most questions better by
email. We can look up information, send you links to
information, find the best person to answer your questions,
etc. Also, we find that most customers that want to call us
have product questions, and we need experienced people to answer
those questions. When I bought my equipment from a large
supplier (before the internet), I called with my questions and was
given a lot of "yes" answers. I realized later that
many of the answers I was given were plain wrong, and I doubt the
person I was talking to knew much about the equipment they were
selling. So we can't have just anyone answering
phones. So we request that you please email us your questions,
and we are confident you will find that it works better than you
think. If your question is one of the few that is best answered
over the phone, we will call you or give you a number to call us.
- We get thousands of visitors a day, and hundreds of emails.
Many of these emails are from people who are not customers but are
looking for information. That is the nature of the
internet. Anybody that is looking for information can find
us. So we get questions about why firings did not go well and
other technical troubleshooting. We get questions about laying
ceramic tiles and other things unrelated to our business. And
questions like "I don't know anything about ceramics but I want
to do it. What do I need to know?" In fact, we
often get asked to do ceramics students' homework assignments for
them! We answer as many of these questions as we can (except
the homework assignments), and email allows us to do that. But
frankly if we posted our phone number, and even if only a fraction
of these people called us, we could not deal with the number of
calls.
- However, if you need to talk about your order, ask
questions about inventory, or provide a credit card number, please
feel free to call our toll free number, 888-513-5303. If you
do email
us, the more information you give us in the email, the
better we will be able to help. If you just want to provide a credit card
number, please purchase the items you wish and select "pay by
check", and in the comments write that you want to be called
for a credit card number.
If your question is not answered here,
please email us at support@bigceramicstore.com or
call 888-513-5303.
Revised: November 21, 2007
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