Finding the perfect gift for holiday and Christmas can be challenging enough, but getting your Christmas gift baskets delivered on time without breaking the bank can be a real nightmare! Food gift baskets, gourmet foods, fruit baskets, holiday chocolate, gift towers – all are delicious treats and can be the perfect choice for your Christmas gift, but don’t get crossed up with the delivery! Here’s what you need to know to make a lasting impression and get your gifts delivered for Christmas in a timely and cost effective manner:
Place Your Orders Early, If At All Possible.
One of the most important tips is to order your gift baskets as early as possible. This will help ensures that you will have the best selection of holiday gift and business gifts and that your gifts arrive in time. It also gives you the best chance of getting them delivered at an affordable rate. Some companies, like Design It Yourself Gift Baskets, allow you to place your order well in advance of the holidays and delay the delivery until the week of Christmas! This is a great option as you can, for example, shop the Black Friday sale and place your order so that your gift baskets are delivered for Christmas. You’ll get the biggest discount and pay the least for the Ground Shipping service. Getting your gift deliveries scheduled early is key so make sure your gift ships on time!
Review the Company’s Shipping and Delivery Policies.
If you can’t order early, make sure that before you order, you read the company’s Shipping and Delivery Policies very carefully. Look for any delivery requirements or restrictions, as well as other important information such as the estimated delivery times and costs. This will help you ensure your gift baskets and sweet treats arrive when they’re supposed to.
Make Sure You Choose the Appropriate Shipping Method To Get Your Baskets Delivered Before Christmas.
When selecting a shipping method, make sure you choose one that will get your gift box or gourmet gift baskets delivered by the date needed. We highly recommend building in a little extra time to allow for unforeseen issues with the shipping carrier – the holiday season is their busiest time of the year and sometimes they run a little behind.
What Are The Different Shipping Methods?
Most companies offering a variety of shipping methods to get your holiday gift delivered in a timely manner. Ground shipping is the most popular as it is the most cost effective. However, depending on where the package is delivering, it may take up to 5 days (or more) to arrive. If you need your Christmas gift to arrive sooner, you may want to select 3 Day Express (delivers within 3 days or less), 2 Day Express (delivers in 2 days or less) or Standard Overnight (delivers next day).
What Are Delivery Days?
In most cases and with most shipping carriers, ground – residential shipping delivers Monday – Saturday. There may be an occasional Sunday delivery depending on where your recipient lives. Ground – commercial shipping delivers Monday – Friday. Despite the fact that many people now work out of their homes, it’s still considered a residential address. Most carriers do deliver on Christmas Eve, but don’t count on it and allow enough time for your gift to arrive.
How Will I Know How Long It Takes To Get Delivered?
Not all companies display the exact travel time to get the package to it’s destination. There are always a variety of variables – is it residential, commercial, rural, etc. If you need your Christmas gift delivered by a specific day, you’re best bet would be to call the company and have them verify the transit times.
Shipping To An Incorrect Address.
It is imperative that you double check the shipping address is correct before hitting the submit button. If we ship your beautiful gifts to an incorrect address then they might be returned to us. Often times, the carrier will notify us of the incorrect address and we in turn will attempt to reach you or the recipient to verify. Please know that carriers charge a fee (between $15 and $18) to return and/or re-route your gift basket, which we must in turn charge you.
Are Deliveries Guaranteed?
Not all companies offer a guarantee for deliveries and holiday gift baskets can be even more challenging. Make sure you review the company’s shipping policies before submitting a claim. Please know that if the recipient is not home and the carrier was unable to deliver your holiday present, this would not qualify as missing the delivery. Also, circumstances beyond anyone’s control, such as severe weather, natural disasters and so forth void the delivery guarantee. Most companies will not guarantee deliveries during peak holiday season due to the increase in carrier volume. If you procrastinated and tried to schedule your gift basket delivery too late, you may want to opt for a gift card instead!
Can You Deliver Same Day?
YES! Design It Yourself Gift Baskets can definitely deliver same day! If your order is placed by noon, CT, we will make sure you gift is delivered that day. Orders are typically delivered Monday – Friday. If you want your holiday gift basket delivered on the weekends, you’ll need to call our office to make the necessary arrangements. Not all companies offer same day delivery. Be sure to read their shipping/delivery policies to confirm.
How To Track Your Order.
In most cases you should have received a tracking number once your Christmas gift shipped. Alternately, you can find the Track My Order link on the company’s website and enter the necessary information. If you created an account, you will be able to log into your account, and click on View Order Status. If your order shows ‘pending’ or ‘processing’, that indicates that your order has not yet shipped. If your Christmas gift has shipped, you can view your tracking number, track your package in route, and verify delivery details.
What Should I Know About Shipping Alcohol?
Unfortunately, not all states allow the shipment of wine gift baskets to consumers from a retailer. The wine type doesn’t matter. Most companies that do ship alcohol should have the allowed and/or not allowed states displayed on their website. All gifts containing alcohol will require an adult over 21 to be at the delivery location at the time of delivery and there is a $7.95 alcohol signature fee required by FedEx and UPS per package. We’re sorry, there are no exceptions to this. If no one available to sign for your gift, the FedEx or UPS driver will leave a door tag behind to notify your recipient of the unsuccessful attempt. They will attempt delivery 3 times before sending back to the shipper.
Shipping Chocolate
Trying to appease a Sweet Tooth or Chocoholic? You should have a wide selection of amazing gifts in the chocolate category! A classic Ghirardelli gift basket, a bountiful gift basket of assorted chocolates, and gourmet chocolate gift boxes all make delicious options. Since winter conditions are favorable for shipping chocolate you shouldn’t have any issues. But shipping chocolate during the summer? Different story. Most companies will ship chocolate gift baskets in the summer. However, due to extreme temperatures in most of the states, your gift will require ice packs to ensure your chocolate gift arrives in pristine condition. Where many companies charge for ice packs, Design It Yourself Gift Baskets does not. Also be aware that delivery may be limited to Overnight shipping or local hand delivery only. This is done to limit the gift’s time in transit so the chocolates won’t melt! Everyone wants to ensure quality gift baskets and that your thoughtful gift arrives in perfect condition. . Also make note that holiday cookie gifts and baked goods gifts are often subject to the same restrictions as chocolate.
Can You Ship To More Than One Address?
Yes! Design It Yourself Gift Baskets can most definitely ship to multiple addresses. If you have a large order, we suggest emailing or calling us to obtain a spreadsheet to fill out your recipient shipping details. It’s fast and easy!
Can I Ship To An International Address?
Not all companies ship outside of the Continental US. You’ll need to review their shipping policies and/or call them to see where they ship. Many countries have so many restrictions and guidelines, it’s challenging to keep up with all of them. Orders placed online at Design It Yourself Gift Baskets allows deliveries within the continental US. only. However, if you wish to ship to HI and AK or any Canadian address you will need to call our office, taxes and shipping quotes will be provided at that time.
