Frequently Asked Questions

This page contains the terms and conditions for shopping on our site.  It also contains some frequently asked questions.  Please be sure you have read the information below before placing an order with this.   If there is something that you need clarified or has not been addressed, please feel free to email us.

What is the minimum order?

Our minimum order is $20.00.  Shipping and handling charges cannot be included to meet the $20.00 minimum.  While the shopping cart has a bypass feature, we will not ship any orders that are not legitimately $20.00 or more. 

How can I submit my order?

Orders may be submitted through this website.  We use a secure server which incorporates SSL Secured 128 bit technology.  All the information you submit upon checkout is encrypted while it travels over the Internet.  For those of you that do not wish to use your credit card online, change the selection on the shopping cart page to "printable order form" and fax it to us at (407) 892-5298 with your payment information.  You can also call in your order to (407) 892-5255.  Since we are in and out of the shop during the day, there is not always someone available to answer the phone.  If you leave a message, we will return your phone call as soon as possible.

What is the best way to contact you with questions or to get an order status?

As mentioned above, most of our time is spent in the workshop so phone calls are usually answered by voicemail.   Due to our limited hours of operation, our preferred method of communication is email.  We try and respond within 24 hours during the work week (except Wednesdays).

Orders are normally shipped in 10 days or less.  An explanation of why it may take so long is provided below.  When checking on the status of an order that has not been shipped in 10 days, please be sure to include your order number.  It makes it easier for us to check the order status and respond quickly.

Our hours of operation are as follows:

Monday            10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday           10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday     CLOSED
Thursday          CLOSED
Friday               10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday          CLOSED
Sunday             CLOSED

Our Email:  Nalanitoys@cfl.rr.com

Do you accept orders from outside the Continental United States?

We accept orders from Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and any international destination that the United States Postal service delivers to.  

What happens if an item I ordered is out-of-stock?

We try to keep a fair amount of stock on hand, but from time to time we may run out of something that we depend upon other manufacturers for.  If an item that is out of stock is on order and will arrive within a few days, it is our policy to hold your order until it comes in.  If you don't want your order held up for anything, you can request that we don't wait for out-of-stock items.

We try to notify customers by email when we will not be able to ship item(s) on their order and allow them the opportunity to adjust their orders.  Please understand this may not always be possible and your order may be shipped without an item or two.  If there are must haves on your order, if you want your order shipped complete or if you want the option to select replacement items, please make sure to note this in the comments box.  We will contact you by email to discuss timeframes and substitutions.

If an item is out of stock and not shipped with your order, you are not charged for it.  It is not our policy to ship backordered items unless specifically requested by the customer.  If you request that we ship a backordered item, you will be charged shipping when we send it out.

Since we have more control over the products that we manufacture, we are able to restock our sold-out items prior to shipping.  If circumstances arise where we are unable to do this for a particular toy, we will contact you prior to shipping

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept Visa and MasterCard, Discover and American Express.  Our shopping cart checks out WITHOUT adding in the shipping costs.  For customers without credit cards, we will accept money orders.  Please contact us for details.  We do not accept checks.  

Do you charge Sales Tax?

All Florida customers are charged 7% sales tax.  Local residents get a 5% discount on their shopping cart total to help offset the tax and/or shipping costs.

How long will it take to ship my order?

How will my order be shipped?

Upon checkout, domestic customers within the Continental United States can choose UPS Ground, Priority Mail or Most Economical.  In the case of Most Economical, we will check the options offered and ship through the cheapest service.  If the services are close in price, our default will be UPS Ground.  We also use the Flat Rate service offered by the Post Office (if your order meets the postal service box size requirements).  Orders shipping to Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico will be sent using the Postal Service.

International customers can choose from Express Mail International or Priority Mail International.  We also ship Flat Rate International.  If you choose Priority Mail International (6-10 day service) we will check to see if your box qualifies for Flat Rate service and if it offers the best shipping value.

If you do not choose an option, we will ship your order UPS Ground within the continental United States; Priority Mail to Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico; and Priority Mail International for International Customers.  If you reside in the United States, do not select a shipping option and provide a P.O. Box for your shipping address, your order will be shipped Priority Mail.  Our apologies, but we do not allow orders to be picked up at our location.

How will I know if my order has been shipped?

If your order has been shipped either Postal Service or UPS, you will receive a customer shipping notification by email.  Priority Mail notifications will provide the shipping date and delivery confirmation number.  International notifications will confirm shipping and provide tracking information.  UPS notifications provide the tracking number and delivery date.

If you have questions about the status of your order, please feel free to email us and we will respond as soon as possible. Be sure to include your name and email order number.  

How much will I be charged for shipping and handling?

Shipping charges are computed by zip code and weight.  Shipping charges are actual and we do not add any handling or packing fees.  What this means is that what we are charged is what you pay - no tacked on costs hidden in the charge.  This applies to all the methods of shipping that we use.  While shipping by this method is more work for us, we find it a more honest way to do business.  We don't feel that you should have to pay a shipping charged based on how much you spend.

UPS charges us a correction fee for incomplete or incorrect addresses.  To avoid having this fee charged to you, please make sure that your address is accurate and complete prior to submitting your order.  This includes making sure that the street address contains road, lane, street, court or any other terms that appear on your street sign. Any charges stemming from a mistake on our part will be not be charged to you.

UPS rates for commercial delivery are slightly cheaper than residential.  UPS considers a home based business a residential delivery.  In most instances, UPS Ground shipping within the continental United States is the cheapest method to use.  

Shipping to international destinations is computed by weight and location.  If you are curious about what the shipping charges to your country would be, you can visit the Postal Website and try inputting a variety of weights.   Most international countries will add customs fees or some kind of tariff for imported goods.  You may be able to find out what these fees are by contacting your local postal facility or by contacting customs in your country.  All international paperwork is filled out completely AND honestly.  We will NOT mark "Gift" on the customs forms to help you avoid paying taxes.

If you need to know the shipping amount once your order has shipped, please let us know and we will send the information by email.  We do not provide shipping quotes for tentative orders nor we do we fill orders that require an authorization before processing and shipping.  Our staff are paid a good wage to pack orders and they get paid for their efforts whether an order ships or not.  It is not cost effective to have them put together orders simply so you can figure out which company will give you the best overall deal.  

What we recommend you do is visit the following websites and use their calculators to get some idea of shipping.  The origination zip code is 34769. 

UPS - Please note that our charges are noticeably less than the calculations listed here.  We pass along our discount to our customers.  The majority of packages we ship fall into the $7.50 - $11.50 range.

Priority Mail /Postal Website - These charges are what you will pay and are computed by zip code and package weight

International Shipping/Postal Website - Please see the explanation that appears earlier in the subheading.

Do you offer any shipping discounts?

We offer 10% shipping discounts to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico ONLY if we cannot ship using USPS Flat Rate Service.  We also offer 10% discounts to all International destinations. Shopping cart totals over $275.00 are shipped free within the Continental United States.  Shopping cart totals over $275.00 shipping to destinations outside the continental united States receive a substantial shipping discount.

How long will it take my order to arrive once it has been shipped?

UPS Service:

Packages are shipped Monday through Friday by UPS.   For your convenience a map of the Ground Service Transit Times has been provided below:   

Priority Mail:

Most Priority Mail packages arrive in 2-3 days.  Packages to Hawaii and Alaska usually take about 5 -10 days.

International Shipping:

Packages shipped by Express International take 3-5 business days to arrive, Priority International about 7-10 days.  Please note that these delivery dates are ranges and most countries deliver within the time frame quoted.  The exceptions are Canada and the United Kingdom, with Canada being the slower of the two.  Priority International to Canada and United Kingdom can take 2-3 weeks to clear customs and be delivered.  If you cannot wait, we recommend that you ship Express.   Insurance is optional, but recommended.  We are not responsible for uninsured packages.

What happens if my order suffers damage in shipment and possible shortages result?

If your boxes arrive looking like they've been through a war and the contents are damaged and/or missing, please save all packing material and immediately contact us so we can file a claim on your behalf.  All UPS shipments are insured for the full amount.  We do not insure Postal and International packages unless requested by the customer.  We are not responsible for damage or loss on uninsured packages.

Can I return items that I received?

Nalani Toys has a firm no-return policy and all sales are final once they are shipped.   There are two main reasons behind this policy:

1.  Not all bird diseases are transmitted strictly by bird-to-bird contact.  By not allowing our merchandise to come into contact (even ambient) with any birds (including our own), we are trying to eliminate any risk for disease introduction into your home, as well as ours.  When you purchase from a store which allows returns, you will never know if that toy was exposed in some way to a sick bird before you bought it home and gave it to your own.

2.  We need to insure that our merchandise has not come into contact with any kind of substance that can be harmful to birds.  This also includes being in a smoker's environment or being handled by someone who smokes..   

The whole concept behind our no-return policy is to safeguard our household as well as the households of our customers. Please shop carefully and ask any questions you might have prior to making your purchase. If you require assistance in picking out the perfect toy parts, let us know and we will be happy to help you.

Will the items I receive look exactly like the photos?

All our toys are handcrafted and as such, will differ in color and sometimes slightly in style.  In some instances we may upgrade or beef up a toy that we know is going to an aggressive chewer or include a little more of a bird's favorite items in a toy.  On occasion, we may run out of a part and need to make a substitution or sometimes we get a new part that will work in a particular toy better than what is currently used.  Photos in most instances will be reflective of what will be received and if a toy needs to be altered slightly in a rare instance, what is sent will be equal to or greater in value of what is ordered.

With regard to other items listed on our website, photos and descriptions are a representation of the item you will receive.  The actual item(s) may differ slightly in color or style depending upon what we are sent by the respective manufacturer.  If color is an important part of your order, please contact us for specifics about the item(s) you are interested in..

Will my information be kept confidential?

All information submitted is kept confidential.  We do not trade, sell or share any information that we receive from you.  Not even generic, non-personal information.

You have birds.  Is it safe to be making purchases from you?

People who know me personally know that there is NOBODY more paranoid about bird disease and illness.  Not only do we take the responsibility of safeguarding the health of our flock seriously but as retailers, we have the responsibility of doing the same for everyone that purchases items from us.  That being said:

1.  Our flock:  All our birds have been checked for the various bird diseases and are vet checked annually.   We maintain a closed flock (our last addition was nine years ago) and do not breed birds.  Our birds do not go "visiting" or on excursions, with the exception of their annual checkup.  We also do not have birds come "visiting" us.

2.  Our shop: We do not allow our own birds in the shop nor do they have exposure to items that are for sale. Customers are not allowed to pick up their orders nor do we allow any visitors who own birds to enter the shop.
  
3.  Business practices:  We do not allow merchandise to be returned.  We do not sell at any bird shows or bird marts that sell birds.  All merchandise stays in the shop or warehouse until it is sold.  We also do not shop at bird stores that sell birds or accept returned merchandise.  We do not employ people who have birds.

We are having a bird seminar coming up.  Could you make a donation?

We will not support any club functions, marts, shows or seminars that have birds in attendance or that raffle off birds.  We feel very strongly about the risks of disease transmission and will not contribute to functions that put birds at risk.

We support reputable rescues and sanctuaries, avian science and research, reputable educational research and seminars.  Please note that we get a lot of requests for donations and are unable to accommodate them all.