Shipping policy

Thank you for visiting and shopping at batesdisplay.com. This Shipping Policy outlines our order-processing procedures, production timelines, shipping terms, claims procedures, and customer responsibilities.

Order Processing and Production Timing

All orders are reviewed and processed internally within approximately 2–3 business days in preparation for manufacturing.

Because many of our products are made to order, shipments are scheduled following production and final inspection. Estimated ship dates may be provided on the applicable quotation, order confirmation, invoice, or other sales document.

Estimated production and shipment dates are provided as a courtesy and are not guaranteed delivery dates. During periods of high order volume or circumstances outside our control, production and processing timelines may be extended. If a significant delay occurs, we will make reasonable efforts to contact the customer by email or telephone.

We do not ship on weekends or holidays.

Shipping Methods and Charges

Unless otherwise requested or agreed to in writing, orders are shipped using standard ground service through carriers such as UPS, FedEx, USPS, or a freight carrier selected based on the shipment’s size and requirements.

Shipping charges may be calculated at checkout, estimated on a quotation or order confirmation, added to the final invoice, or invoiced separately.

Quoted or estimated shipping charges are subject to adjustment based on the carrier’s final charges. Any additional charges assessed by the carrier—including address-correction, residential-delivery, liftgate, inside-delivery, limited-access, redelivery, reconsignment, storage, detention, oversized-package, or other accessorial charges—will be passed on to the customer and remain due and payable.

Carrier delays may occur and are outside the control of Bates Display & Packaging.

We do not ship to P.O. Boxes or APO/FPO addresses.

Shipment Confirmation and Tracking

Tracking information is not automatically provided for every shipment. Tracking numbers and shipment-status information are available upon request.

Tracking information may take up to 24 hours after carrier pickup to become active.

FOB Origin; Title and Risk of Loss

Unless otherwise expressly agreed to in writing, all sales are shipment contracts, and all products are shipped FOB Origin (Shipping Point) from our facility in Corona, California.

Title to the products and risk of loss or damage pass to the customer when the shipment is delivered to and accepted by the carrier. This applies whether shipping charges are prepaid, added to the invoice, billed separately, or charged using the customer’s carrier account.

Bates Display & Packaging is not responsible for loss, theft, damage, shortage, or delay occurring after the shipment has been accepted by the carrier.

When Bates Display & Packaging is the shipper of record, we will reasonably assist the customer with submitting a carrier claim, provided the customer supplies all required information and documentation within the carrier’s applicable filing period.

Package Inspection and Shipping Claims

Customers must inspect all shipments promptly upon delivery.

If a shipment appears damaged or incomplete, or has been lost in transit, the customer must:

Retain all products, cartons, pallets, packing materials, shipping labels, and related documentation.
Take clear photographs of the products, interior and exterior packaging, shipping labels, tracking numbers, and all visible damage.
Document the affected part numbers, quantities, and a description of the damage or shortage.
Notify Bates Display & Packaging immediately.
Cooperate with any inspection requested by the carrier.
Refrain from discarding packaging, repairing products, altering products, or disposing of damaged products until the claim has been resolved or written authorization has been provided.

If Bates Display & Packaging is the shipper of record, we will reasonably assist with submitting the carrier claim. If the customer arranged the transportation or used its own carrier account, the customer is responsible for filing the claim directly with the carrier.

Carrier claim-filing periods are limited. Incomplete or late documentation may delay a claim or cause it to be denied. Bates Display & Packaging cannot provide reimbursement when a claim is denied because the customer failed to report the issue promptly, retain the packaging, make the product available for inspection, or provide the required documentation.

Freight and Palletized Deliveries

The customer is responsible for inspecting all freight and palletized shipments before signing the delivery receipt or bill of lading (“BOL”).

Before accepting delivery, the customer must:

Verify that all pallets, cartons, and packages shown on the shipping documents are present.
Inspect the pallet, cartons, wrapping, straps, and products for visible damage.
Note every shortage, missing carton, damaged pallet, crushed box, tear, puncture, or other visible discrepancy directly on the BOL before signing it.
Take photographs of the shipment and any visible damage before unloading whenever possible.

General statements such as “subject to inspection” may not protect the customer’s right to make a claim. All visible damage and shortages should be described specifically on the BOL.

Signing the BOL without noting visible damage, missing cartons, or other discrepancies may result in the carrier automatically denying the claim.

Concealed damage must be reported to Bates Display & Packaging and the carrier immediately after discovery and within the carrier’s applicable reporting period. All original packaging must be retained for inspection.

Insurance and Declared Value

Carrier liability may be limited and may not equal the full invoice, retail, or replacement value of the products.

Unless specifically stated on the applicable sales document, shipments are not guaranteed to be insured for their full invoice or replacement value. Customers requiring additional cargo insurance, declared-value coverage, or special shipping protection must request it before shipment and are responsible for all associated costs.

Product Return for Inspection

If a customer asks Bates Display & Packaging to inspect or evaluate a product for a potential manufacturing defect, shipping-related damage, misuse, or other damage, the product must be returned to our facility for inspection.

Before returning any product, the customer must contact Bates Display & Packaging and obtain return authorization and shipping instructions. Unauthorized or collect-on-delivery returns may be refused.

The customer is responsible for securely packaging the product and returning it by an insured common carrier at the customer’s initial cost and risk. The customer must retain all tracking information, shipping receipts, and proof of insurance until our review is complete.

For shipping-related damage, the customer must retain all original cartons, packing materials, labels, and shipping documentation and must not return the product until authorized by Bates Display & Packaging or the carrier. Prematurely returning, repairing, altering, or repackaging a damaged product may affect or invalidate the carrier claim.

Receipt or inspection of a returned product does not constitute an admission that the product has a manufacturing defect or that Bates Display & Packaging is responsible for the reported condition.

Handmade Products and Acceptable Variations

All Bates Display & Packaging products are handmade or hand-finished. As a result, slight variations may occur between individual products and between a finished product and an approved sample, prototype, rendering, photograph, previous order, or production run.

These variations may include minor differences in:

Dimensions
Color or dye lot
Texture, grain, or material nap
Stitching or seams
Padding or firmness
Alignment or placement
Surface appearance or finish
Other appearance-related characteristics

Minor variations that do not materially affect the product’s intended function, overall appearance, or compliance with approved specifications are inherent characteristics of handmade products and do not constitute manufacturing defects.

Colors and textures may also appear differently in photographs, renderings, digital images, monitors, and printed materials. Slight differences caused by lighting, photography, screen settings, material dye lots, or the natural characteristics of the selected material do not constitute manufacturing defects.

Inspection Findings and Resolution

After inspecting a returned product, Bates Display & Packaging will notify the customer of its findings and any available resolution.

Confirmed Manufacturing Defect

If we determine that the product has a manufacturing defect covered under our policies, Bates Display & Packaging will:

Reimburse the customer for reasonable standard insured shipping costs incurred to return the product to us, subject to receipt of acceptable proof of payment.
Repair or replace the defective product at our discretion.
Cover the cost of standard shipping to return the repaired or replacement product to the customer.

Reimbursement is limited to reasonable standard insured shipping charges. Expedited, oversized, special-handling, or premium shipping charges will not be reimbursed unless approved by Bates Display & Packaging in writing before shipment.

Shipping Damage, Misuse, or Other Non-Manufacturing Damage

If we determine that the condition resulted from shipping damage, improper handling, misuse, neglect, unauthorized modification or repair, normal wear and tear, improper storage, or another cause unrelated to manufacturing, the customer will be responsible for all applicable:

Inspection and evaluation costs
Repair or replacement costs
Materials and labor
Handling and repackaging costs
Inbound and outbound shipping and insurance costs

No repair or replacement work will be performed until the customer has been advised of and approved the applicable charges.

Shipping-related damage may be eligible for reimbursement through the applicable carrier claim. However, the customer’s payment obligations are not contingent upon the carrier’s approval or payment of a claim.

No Manufacturing Defect Found

If our inspection determines that the product meets the approved specifications, order requirements, samples, drawings, and applicable quality standards, the product will not be considered defective.

A product will not be considered defective solely because of:

A customer’s personal or subjective preference
Minor cosmetic or appearance-related differences
Variations inherent in handmade or hand-finished products
Variations within reasonable manufacturing tolerances
Differences between material dye lots or production runs
Differences in color or texture caused by lighting, photography, monitors, or printed materials
Characteristics of a material that were disclosed, approved, or reasonably observable from samples provided before production

In these circumstances, the customer will not be entitled to reimbursement, repair, replacement, credit, or refund. The customer will be responsible for all inspection, handling, packaging, insurance, and shipping costs, including the cost of returning the product to the customer.

The product will be returned only after all applicable charges have been paid.

Payment Obligations During a Claim or Inspection

All balances owed—including product charges, shipping charges, accessorial fees, inspection charges, repair charges, and other carrier-assessed or service-related costs—remain due and payable regardless of any loss, damage, delay, shortage, product evaluation, or pending carrier claim.

The customer may not withhold payment, deduct an anticipated claim amount, or issue a chargeback while a carrier claim, product inspection, or damage evaluation is pending.

Any reimbursement relating to transit loss or damage will be limited to the amount approved and paid by the carrier or applicable insurer, except as otherwise required by law.

International Shipping

Bates Display & Packaging ships internationally to certain destinations. Please contact us before placing an order if you are unsure whether we can ship to your location.

International customers are responsible for all customs duties, tariffs, taxes, brokerage charges, import fees, permits, and other costs imposed during or after shipping.

International shipments may be subject to customs inspections and delays outside our control. Unless otherwise agreed to in writing, international customers are responsible for arranging and paying for any additional cargo insurance or declared-value coverage they require.

Governing Law

These Shipping Terms and all sales by Bates Display & Packaging are governed by the laws of the State of California, including applicable provisions of the California Commercial Code, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Returns and Exchanges

Please refer to our Return & Exchange Policy for complete information regarding returns, exchanges, custom or made-to-order products, and product eligibility.