FAQ
PAYMENT:
PAYPAL: Shannons cannot process these payments currently due to a dispute with them.
Credit card payment: Preferred: In an effort to become even more secure with your data, we are moving to a new system if paying by Credit Card.
If you wish to pay by MC, Visa, AMEX, Discover, etc, we can invoice you directly by SquareUp.com, once a final total, including ACCURATE shipping, is determined.
Simply place your order. At payment, select check or money order, but put into the Customer comments section "please invoice me for CC payment". Once the order is packed, I will invoice you by e-mail via SquareUp.com. You then enter your data on their secure server to pay and once payment is completed I will ship your order.
Far safer and far more secure than you sending your data to me, then me to the CC processor! ;-)
Personal check or money order works fine and neither one of us is stuck with credit card fees... the downside of this is this I do have to wait until your payment arrives and clears.
PRICES:
Prices are listed in US-Dollars.
TAXES:
ORDERS SHIPPED OUTSIDE THE STATE OF ARIZONA ARE NOT SUBJECT TO ARIZONA SALES TAX. If you are in AZ and are purchasing for resale please contact me with your AZ resale number to avoid paying the tax. ALL other sales within the state are subject to 7.80% tax.
ORDER PROCESS:
OUR STANDARD TURN AROUND IS 7 WORKING DAYS FOR ITEMS IN STOCK IN AZ. However we are in the field often and this can increase turn around; Mineral shows (Tucson in Feb & NJ in April, Denver in Sept) can also put us behind in transaction time. Please advise me if delivery of orders are of critical nature (like you are preparing for a show) by putting info in the comments section about necessary delivery specifications. For items NOT in AZ inventory turn-around is based on how quickly you need/want it and your choice of shipping (see just below under shipping).When I review your order I will advise by email which items are coming direct and ask how you would like to have the rest shipped.
PHOTOS ON LISTINGS:
All photos, esp. of flat quantities, are representative ONLY; We cannot take a shot of every single flat or SPECIMEN and change it each time one sells-the costs are prohibitive and would easily triple the price you pay. IF you see a photo of a flat and MUST have that mix of sizes PLEASE ADD THAT TO THE CUSTOMER COMMENT SECTION SO WE CAN MOST ACCURATELY MEET YOUR NEEDS.
PURCHASING OF FLATS OF MINERALS:
By now you are likely aware that the standard "UNIT" of a mineral sales, is the "flat". Originally, the cardboard box that 4 six packs of beer came in, obtained by "dumpster diving". When 2 are nested, they become a convenient box, with a top, for field collectors to wrap & carry their discoveries in.
Fast forward to world where corrugated cardboard is recycled instead of re-used, mineral dealers now manufacture an approximately 11" x 15" box with a top and bottom nested, to place boxed minerals for display and sale. This is a stock flat.
When this unit of measure is listed for sale, the buyer should be aware of several facts:
1 Not all flats contain equal numbers of specimens: if all small (TNs for example) you might get from 54-126 pcs per flat. If all cabinet specimens you might get as few as 2 per flat; if a mix of sizes, then you can expect somewhere in between those numbers of specimens. If the listing does not specify size/ number and that is critical to you, PLEASE enter that info in the customer comment section when ordering so you get what you need/want.
2. You are agreeing to buy the specimens in the flat, NOT the flat set up, with boxes, cotton, and specimens. NOT because we are saving money by not providing those items, but because logistically it is nearly impossible to sell & ship a flat "as is" and "as seen" in the listing. Mainly due to the fact that each specimen requires individual wrapping care to make it through the Postal and parcel systems intact. But also because the volume of the flat itself would make shipping unrealistically expensive, even if all specimens were wrapped individually & flats and specimens boxes shipped with them. If you want the flats & the specimen boxes as shown, PLEASE specify in the comments section when ordering and we will endeavor to provide a means to ship them as economically as possible.
SHIPPING:
Please read the info below: If unclear please contact me by e-mail at michael@shannonsminerals.com for clarification.
Please, be assured, WE ARE NOT IN BUSINESS TO MAKE MONEY ON YOUR SHIPPING COSTS! BUT we cannot lose it there either!
As noted on the home page, many items are in the inventory of our web partners and not in stock in AZ, so we do shipping in 2 ways:
1. we ship direct and you cover ACTUAL shipping costs from Germany etc. This is often not as expensive as you might imagine, esp. for small light items.
2. for large bulky or heavy items: Make your selections from our site; we immediately ship what we can from AZ at actual shipping cost;
Items in Germany are accumulated and put on a pallet and shipped regularly to AZ, then costs (freight/customs) are amortized against the total cost of the shipment based on weight/value, and this is the portion of the delivery charges is billed to you. The pallets are broken down and individual orders shipped from Gilbert, AZ,85234, with inter- U.S. shipping added.
NOW, WITH ALL THAT SAID, THE WEBSITE CANNOT PRE-CALCULATE ACCURATELY THE SHIPPING COST BEFORE ORDERING. IF THE SITE HAS OVERCHARGED YOU, I WILL CHARGE YOU WHAT IT COSTS ME TO SHIP ;
IF HOWEVER YOU ARE UNDERCHARGED I WILL NEED TO INVOICE YOU FOR THE HIGER AMOUNT.
MANY ASK ABOUT A FLAT RATE OR "FREE" SHIPPING:
Sorry! If we were to just charge a flat rate 3 things would happen:
1. We would have to over-charge you (ie make a profit).
2. We would undercharge (ie "free shipping"- which just means we make it up elsewhere and our margins are high and you pay too much to start with)
3. We would undercharge some overcharge others; not fair to you if you overpay!
I hope this explanation helps. If you have specific questions about what items are in what inventory, please feel free to call or e-mail and I will do the best I can with a "real time guesstimate"
INSURANCE:
I advise insuring your parcel for its full value, but those costs are up to you. **** Please note: overseas mineral specimen parcels that are sent with the title ‘geological specimens for study purposes only, zero commercial value’ cannot be insured and you as the customer must bear the full risk of possible damage and destruction of your minerals. Small parcels of less than 4 pounds weight can be sent via global PRIORITY MAIL, very economically and in my experience the less time a parcel is in transit ,the less time they have to drop a refrigerator on it, and the more reliably it arrives intact.
DAMAGED PARCELS / DAMAGE WITH MISSING ITEMS:
PLEASE, immediately, before opening, preferably in presence of a postal employee, if obvious damage & loss has occurred, photograph the parcel, including mailing address label; torn, crushed or destroyed areas of the outer box. Email these phots to me so that I may begin the process to assist you in a claim against the shipper; All USPS parcels sent by Priority mail are automatically insured for $50; UPS parcels sent from our AZ, USA address will be fully insured as part of the shipping cost. IF you requested & paid an insurance premium then a claim is YOUR responsibility; THE RECEIVER NOT THE SHIPPER MUST APPLY FOR AN INSURANCE SETTLEMENT WITH THE SHIPPING COMPANY. RETURNING ITEMS FOR REFUND EVERYTHING WE SELL IS SENT SATISFACTION GUARANTEED You can send back your order within 14 days to us. Please announce the return to us by email and take care that the postage of your parcel is totally paid by you. The return has to take place WRAPPED AND PACKAGED IN A SAFE SECURE MANNER.
MISIDENTIFIED SPECIES:
For several years we have been working with institutions around the globe in analytical matters. In general we describe material accurately and your satisfaction is guaranteed. Nevertheless, errors may happen, but in that case you will get complete refund right away.
ABBREVIATIONS:
Abbreviations in mineral descriptions:
“xx” & xl means clearly visible crystals possibly requiring magnification, where practical crystal size (range) will be given “(xx)” stands for damaged, inter-grown or somehow not freestanding crystals. “X” means one crystal, not necessarily off matrix. If there is nothing mentioned behind the mineral name, it is massive or amorphous. “TYP” indicates typ(e) locality. These minerals are from the locality, where their first description came from. “(KW) FL-UV” says the mineral shows activity under short wave ultraviolet light. “UV” indicates both: long and short wave. “MM” is a micromount, KS/TN = larger than a MM, but able to fit in a 1 inch cube; if you have strict size requirements for your pieces (like they must fit within a “perky box” please let me know and I will choose specimens appropriately; KS/MIN = miniature; able fit in a 2 inch cube; but larger than a TN.; NS/SC = about 3 x 3 inches; HS/CAB: cabinet specimen larger than a small cab but generally less than 5 x5 inches; GS/MS/MUS = museum piece; generally larger than 5 inches, but without upper limits.
OTHER ABBEVIATIONS USED ON THE SITE (ESP. ON MINERAL LOCALES) Concerning the countries, we use the international abbreviations as you can find on cars or postal codes. In order to avoid misunderstanding some explanations for customers from other countries: E = Spain, D = Germany, S = Sweden, A = Austria, CH = Suisse, I = Italy, F = France, GR = Greece. Additionally, we use the state abbreviations of the United States, for example: AZ = Arizona, CA = California, NH = New Hampshire, NM = New Mexico and so on. In Australia NSW = New South Wales and so on. "E/SC" means self collected, “U” only one specimen available.