Policies and Procedures

For Dowell Dealers

How You Place Orders

Use your Dealer Login at www.dowellusa.com or contact us to open a Dealer Account

Email us:

order@dowellusa.com

Visit us:

www.dowellusa.com

Distribution Center

800 Old Country Road

Westbury, NY 11590

Factory

11 Skyline Drive

Plainview, NY 11803

Business Hours

Monday to Friday

8:30AM to 5:30PM EST (pickups until 5:00PM)

Saturday

9:00AM to 5:00PM EST (pickups until 4:30PM)

How You Pay Us

We accept the following forms of payment:

Cash

We accept cash payment at time of pickup.  Email us to arrange an order for cash on delivery.

Bank/Wire Transfer

Email us to get the information that you will need to make a transfer to our bank account.

Check

Orders paid by business/personal check will be held until funds are placed in our account, which typically takes up to 3 to 5 business days.  Orders paid by check will ship when the check clears.

Credit/Debit Card

We accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express and any debit card.  All credit/debit card payments are subject to a 4% handling charge.

How You Cancel Orders

You may cancel your order, for any reason, and receive a refund provided your order has not shipped.  Cancellations of orders that have been prepared for shipment may be subject to a 25% restocking fee.

Please email us during business hours and we will confirm whether or not the order can be cancelled for a full refund.

Once an item is shipped, the terms of our Return Policy will apply.

How We Ship Orders

We ship orders in one of three ways:

Via Courier Delivery

We use FedEx, UPS and/or USPS to ship orders whenever practical, typically to destinations in the US and Canada for packages that are small- or medium-size.  We will send you an email with your shipment tracking number so you can follow the progress of your order.  Please refer to the courier’s website for more information about its shipping terms and policies.

Via Dowell Delivery

We use our own trucks to deliver orders whenever practical, typically to destinations within driving range of our warehouse for orders that include multiple cartons or are on pallets.  We will arrange delivery details with you by phone and/or email. Our shipment terms are FOB Destination, Freight Prepaid and Added.  Please refer to the section “When You Receive Orders” for tips on how to minimize issues relating to potential shipping/freight claims.

Via Third Party Freight

For larger orders outside of our delivery range (typically packaged on pallets) we use third party freight carriers with terms FOB Origin, Freight Prepaid and Added.  We will send you an email with your shipment information.  Unless otherwise noted, all third party freight shipments will originate at our warehouse.  You own the goods in transit and must file claims for loss and damage with the carrier.  Please refer to the section “When You Receive Orders” for tips on how to minimize issues relating to potential shipping/freight claims.

When You Receive Orders

Regardless of how the order is shipped, when you receive an order from us please be sure to do the following:

Count and Visually Inspect Your Order

Count the number of cartons and/or pallets in the shipment and compare this amount to the quantity listed on your delivery receipt.  Note any discrepancies on the delivery receipt.

Check for damage to cartons and or/pallets in the shipment, such as crushing, tears/punctures, opened/repackaged cases, etc.

Open Visibly Damaged Cartons

Open any carton that is visibly damaged and determine whether or not the enclosed item is damaged.  You should accept delivery of any item that is not damaged.

Refuse Delivery of Damaged Items

You should refuse to accept delivery of any item that is delivered to you in damaged condition.  You should accept delivery of any undamaged items that are delivered as part of an order that includes a damaged item.  Make sure to note any specific damage on the delivery receipt, as this will help in processing your damage claim with the carrier. If possible, take pictures of damaged cartons before and after opening (and take pictures of any damaged items) as this can facilitate the claims process.

Sign Your Delivery Receipt

If there are notations of damage or shortages, ask the driver to sign or initial copies of the delivery receipt.  Then sign the delivery receipt yourself.

When you sign the delivery receipt, you are signing for the goods as having been delivered in good order except for the specific notations that you made on the delivery receipt.  Failure to note damage or shortage at the time of delivery greatly reduces your chances of collecting a shipping/freight claim.

Contact Us Whenever There is Any Shipping Problem

Whenever you receive an order from us with any shortage or damage, please email us immediately so that we can work on your behalf with the carrier to track any missing items and help document and process any claims.

How to Handle Concealed Damage

“Concealed Damage” exists when an item is discovered to be damaged after you accepted the delivery and signed the delivery receipt without notation of damage.  As per the NMFC rules as amended on April 18, 2015 by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, you have five (5) business days from the date of delivery to report any damage to the carrier.  Please email us immediately so that we can work on your behalf with the carrier to help document and process any claims.  You will need to retain all packaging and items until the concealed damage claim is resolved.

Return Policy

We accept only items in new, unused and saleable condition for refund/exchange as long as the return is within 30 days of receipt.  Used, damaged or discontinued items cannot be returned.

You must have prior authorization from us before returning your item to us at your expense.  When your item is returned and received at our warehouse, we will inspect the item and allow a refund/exchange if there is no damage.  Items may be returned by a Dowell driver; however, Dowell will not be responsible for any damage that may occur during the return trip.  Items returned by a Dowell driver may be subject to fees in addition to the 25% restocking fee.