FAQ / How to Buy with BirdXCanada.com

1.  How do I Look for Product?

2.  How do I Buy Product Once I have Decided What I Want?

3.  What Taxes Will be Charged on My Order?

4.  How Much Will Shipping Cost?

5.  How Long Will it Take to Receive My Order?

6.  Wouldn't it Be Cheaper to Order from a US Location if the Price is Less?

7.  How Do I Pay for My Order?

8.  What are Your Return Policies?

9.  What if I Receive a Defective Product or My Product Develops a Defect Within the Warranty Period?

10.  What if UPS or Canada Post Fails to Deliver the Shipment on Time?

1. How do I Look for Product?

If you have an idea of what you are looking for, click on the products link in the navigation menu at the top of the page to browse our online catalogue. Once you find a product you would like to purchase, simply indicate the quantity (and the model and accessories, if applicable) and click the 'Add to Cart' button.

If you are not sure what you are looking for, BirdXCanada recommends you phone in and speak with a member of our staff.

2. How do I Buy Product Once I have Decided What I Want?

Once you have added all the items you wish to purchase to your cart, click the 'View Cart' button and then the 'Complete Order' button. This will take you to a screen where you can change the quantity of each product in your cart and delete items you do not want to purchase. Once you have finalized your decisions, you will be prompted to enter in your billing and shipping information.The web site will generate a temporary invoice for you including all applicable taxes.

The shipping cost will vary depending on the size, weight and quantity of products shipped, and destination of the shipment. As a rule of thumb shipping costs vary between $15 and $35 for single items. Once BirdXCanada receives your order you will be contacted to confirm your order, and will be provided the exact shipping cost and final bill, and have your method of payment confirmed.

3. What Taxes Will Be Charged on My Order?

GST of 5% (or HST, see below) will be charged on all shipments delivered or billed to Canadian addresses unless a GST Exemption Number is provided and a form is faxed advising us of such exemption PRIOR to the release of the shipment. PST of 6% will be charged on all shipments delivered to or orders billed to Saskatchewan addresses unless a PST Exemption Number is provided and a form is faxed advising us of such exemption PRIOR to the release of the shipment.

HST will be charged to all shipments delivered or orders billed to Ontario at 13%, and to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland/Labrador, PEI, and New Brunswick addresses at 15%.

4. How Much Will Shipping Cost?

Shipping/handling charges vary greatly depending not only on the number of products and type of product, but where BirdXCanada is shipping to (in Canada). In general for UPS Standard, Purolator Ground, or Canada Post Expedited level of service you can expect a charge of between $20 and $30 for most single speaker electronic bird control products and between $30 and $45 for multi speaker devices. Express services are typically available at approximately double the above rates. If you need an exact quote, please call or email BirdXCanada for more information.

NOTE: All products from BirdXCanada are shipped FOB Saskatoon i.e. if the product is damaged or lost in transit to the customer, BirdXCanada will pursue a claim with the courier company, but the ownership of the product transfers to the customer when the product is picked up from BirdXCanada's warehouse. By default, insurance will only cover the first $100 of damage or loss to a product in transit; should you wish full insurance, please mention this when placing your order. For Purolator shipments, it is available at a cost of $2.25 for every $100 above the first $100 you wish insured (e.g. products who total value is $490.00 would cost an additional $9.00 to insure ($100 free plus 4 x $2.25 = $400 of additional coverage).

5. How Long Will It Take To Receive My Order?

Delivery time varies greatly depending on the location the product is being shipped. The graphic below shows the delivery times for UPS Standard Ground Service in Canada. BirdXCanada also offer Purolator Express Service to all of Canada which is next business day to most of Canada. Canada Post Expedited and Purolator Ground are also available and typically the same transit time as UPS Standard Ground. BirdXCanada typically ships orders within 2 business days, with the majority of orders shipping out on the next business day. Express orders confirmed prior to 10:00 AM Saskatchewan time (which is CST during Daylight Savings, MDT after Daylight Savings), will be shipped the same day. If BirdXCanada receives your Express order after 10:00 AM, then every effort will be made to ensure it is shipped out to you that day but BirdXCanada cannot guarantee that it will ship. BirdXCanada does typically maintain stock on all the product SKUs shown on the web site, and when you place your order you can always confirm that stock is available in the quantity and model that you require.

The colours are coded as follows (note transit time is number of business days not including day of shipment):

6. Wouldn't it be Cheaper to Order from a US Location if the Price is Less?

There are a couple of factors you should keep in mind if ordering from the United States.

First: The exchange does vary - here at BirdXCanada we make a reasonable effort to adjust prices as the US-Canadian dollar exchange rate varies but fluctuations happen constantly. Keep in mind that if you pay by a Canadian credit card to a US company, your bank will charge a commission on converting the Canadian funds to US dollars (usually around 3-5%).

Second: The cost of shipping from a US location is usually higher than within Canada - especially for larger or heavier items.

Third: The courier company or Canada Post will charge you GST/HST on the value of your shipment, so you don't 'beat the GST/HST' by ordering from the United States. In addition, you are usually charged a fee for collecting the GST/HST (this is called the disbursement or bond fee - usually between $5 and $10 CDN).

Fourth: All couriers charge a brokerage fee (for air shipments, the fee is usually incorporated into the shipping charge) which varies from courier to courier but is quite substantial. Here is the fee guide from UPS as of January 1st, 2011 (and they are more reasonable than some):

VALUE FOR DUTY (CDN $)	BROKERAGE FEE LEVIED (CDN $)
$0.00 TO $20.00	FREE
$20.01 TO $40.00	$7.00
$40.01 TO $100.00	$19.45
$100.01 TO $200.00	$29.00
$200.01 TO $350.00	$44.25
$350.01 TO $500.00	$49.70
$500.01 TO $750.00	$56.50
$750.01 TO $1000.00	$63.25
$1000.01 TO $1250.00	$70.00

As a consequence, what looks like a 'great deal' at first may end up costing you significantly more. For example...

Say you find a product on our site which is listed at $270.00 CDN. In addition, you find a web site in the United States that is having a sale on that same keyboard and listing it for $249.95 US. Let's say the posted exchange rate (that you see in the newspaper, etc.) is 1.00 CDN = 1.10 US. Sounds like a great deal doesn't it? Let's run the numbers on it...

COSTS	BirdXCanada.com	US Store
Base Cost	$270.00 CDN	$250.00 US * 1.10 = $275.00 CDN
Shipping/Handling	$20.00 CDN	$25.00 US * 1.10 = $27.50 CDN
TOTAL CHARGED AT TIME OF PURCHASE	$290.00 + 5% GST ($14.50) = $304.50 CDN	$302.50
Courier Brokerage Fee	N/a	$44.25 + 5% GST ($2.21) = $46.46
GST	Already paid	$13.75 (5% of $275.00)
Disbursement Fee	N/a	$5.85
TOTAL COST	$304.50	$368.56

What looked like a great deal initially (save over $20 dollars) actually was a more expensive option, and with the time your package sits in Customs awaiting clearance, you may not see your shipment for a week or two at least.

Fifth and finally, if you ever have a problem with the product or want to return it (if they even offer a customer satisfaction guarantee) you have the added hassle of getting the product over the border again (perhaps more than once if repair or replacement is required), and you will not be able to receive a refund on any of the import costs you have incurred.

7. How Do I Pay for My Order (Terms of Payment)?

If you are a government institution or established business, request a quotation and BirdXCanada will issue you a formal quotation. Then your procurement department can either fax or email a PDF of your purchase order, and subject to your purchase order being approved, BirdXCanada will release the shipment and provide you Net 15 terms with an additional 15 day grace period. If you are a consumer, there are a couple of options:

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please make all money orders and/or bank drafts payable to Micwil Group of Companies Ltd. , NOT BirdXCanada.com.

OPTION 1: Money order or bank draft in advance, which can be mailed to our billing address

Micwil Group of Companies Ltd.
Bird Control Portal: BirdXCanada.com
P.O. Box 9022
Saskatoon, SK
S7K 7E7
CANADA

Once BirdXCanada receives your payment, your order will be released.

You must provide complete information on the online form (or simply call the toll-free number), and for first time customers BirdXCanada requires a valid billing address for the cardholder. For security purposes BirdXCanada can only ship to the billing address of the credit card or a secondary shipping address which you have registered with the issuing bank for your credit card. BirdXCanada reserves the right to ship to only the billing address and will advise you if this is the case. PLEASE NOTE: BirdXCanada does not take your credit card information online; a sales representative will contact you after you place your order to confirm your order and obtain your credit card information.

Sorry, BirdXCanada does not accept American Express.

OPTION 3: Direct Deposit

This is the most secure and simplest method of payment available. Simply select this method of payment, and BirdXCanada will email you the information you need to perform a direct deposit. Then go to your nearest branch of the Bank of Montreal and make a direct deposit into the specified bank account. Once you have deposited the funds, email BirdXCanada with the transit number of the branch where you made the deposit and the amount and after the receipt of the funds has been verified, your order will be released.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Some branches will not allow this method of payment, it is at the discretion of the branch manager. Customers have indicated that most branches will allow direct deposits however there are a portion that will not (approximately 5-10%). In the event that your branch will not allow a direct deposit, an alternative is to purchase a money order and mail it as an alternative.

OPTION 4: Purchase Order

BirdXCanadatypically accepts purchase orders from companies and organizations who have established a sales history with our company. If you would like to order by purchase order, please request a formal quotation and have your Purchasing / Procurement Department send in a purchase order along with any terms and conditions, and BirdXCanada will advise when and under what terms purchase orders from your organization will be accepted.

8. What are Your Return Policies?

BirdXCanada only offers a return policy on electronic items. Non electronic items may only be returned if they are unused, undamaged, and in their original product packaging.  BirdXCanada offers a 90 day Customer Satisfaction Guarantee on electronic bird scare devices less a restocking charge, and a 30 day Customer Satisfaction Guarantee on unused, undamaged non-electronic items. In certain cases the restocking charge may be adjusted depending on the condition of the product and the amount of time required to restock the product. In cases where the product or its inclusions (including the product box, inclusions, cables, adapters, manuals, etc.) is damaged either cosmetically or functionally, there may be an additional restocking fee (as it will require repair, repackaging, refurbishing or new packaging before it can be sold again). In all cases the customer is responsible for all shipping charges (both on the initial shipment and on the return shipment).

For electronic items, the restocking charge is a minimum of 15% if the RMA is requested within 30 days of the invoice date, 25% if the RMA is requested within 60 days, and 50% within 90 days. After 90 days there is no return policy, unless there is a warranty issue. In certain cases the handling charge may be reduced or waived depending on the condition of the product and the amount of time required to restock the product.  For non-electronic items that are unused, undamaged, and in their original product packaging, the restocking fee is 10%.

In the event that the payment was made by credit card, an additional 5% administrative fee will apply.

Any items to which a quantity or other discount has been applied will be charged a 25% restocking fee in the event of a partial or complete return.

BirdXCanada does not offer a return policy on items which have consumables (such as Ring Pens) as well as certain other items as noted on the web site.

To qualify for a customer satisfaction guarantee, the following procedure must be followed:

1) Verify that the product is in as-new condition. Damaged, abused or obviously used products will be subject to additional restocking fees.
2) Please phone BirdXCanada at 1 (866) 412-4739 within 90 days of the date of your invoice to advise that you would like to return a product.
3) If your concerns with the product cannot be addressed (or the product is not suitable for your application), the Returns Department will provide you with RMA instructions.
4) Please repack the product in the original product packaging with all original enclosures.
5) Returns without a valid RMA number will be refused at our warehouse.
6) Returns must be shipped freight pre-paid by a method that provides proof of delivery.
7) Please note all refunds are made in the same form as the original method of payment.

NOTE: This policy only applies to initial purchases of the product. If a product is returned and then purchased again by the same customer, BirdXCanada reserves the right to restrict this return policy, including increasing the restocking charge. The intent of this return policy is to provide customers the opportunity to try out a product that they have not had the opportunity to use.

9. What if I Receive a Defective Product or My Product Develops
a Defect within the Warranty Period?

If you feel your product is defective, please contact BirdXCanada through our toll-free phone number at 1 (866) 412-4739 and one of our technical support staff will contact you concerning your issue so that the problem can be troubleshooted remotely.

Your first step is always to try plugging different speakers in each port.  That way, you should be able to tell if a single port or speaker is defective, or the control box is defective.

There are 5 possible situations with respect to warranty:

1) The product arrived in a damaged condition, i.e. the box is damaged or the product appears to have been damaged in transit

In this case, a claim must be made with the courier company. If the product was shipped out on BirdXCanada's account using UPS, please indicate the nature of the damage and keep all packaging (external) and packing (fill, etc.) as all these items will have to be provided to Purolator as part of the claim process. BirdXCanada will contact Purolator and they will retrieve the parcel (at their expense) within 7-10 business days and evaluate the damage, and then return it to BirdXCanada. Once the product is returned, either a warranty replacement will be issued or the original product repaired at the expense of BirdXCanada.

NOTE: All products from BirdXCanada are shipped FOB Saskatoon i.e. if the product is damaged or lost in transit to the customer, BirdXCanada will pursue a claim with the courier company, but the ownership of the product transfers to the customer when the product is picked up from BirdXCanada's warehouse. By default, insurance will only cover the first $100 of damage or loss to a product in transit; should you wish full insurance, please mention this when placing your order. For Purolator shipments, it is available at a cost of $2.25 for every $100 above the first $100 you wish insured (e.g. products who total value is $490.00 would cost an additional $9.00 to insure ($100 free plus 4 x $2.25 = $400 of additional coverage). For UPS, the cost is $1.80 per $100 (excluding first $100.00 of value).

2) The purchase was within the initial 30 day Customer Satisfaction Guarantee period

In this case, contact BirdXCanada through our toll-free number to obtain an RMA number and ship the product back to BirdXCanada at your expense. BirdXCanada will attempt to verify the defect and send out either a warranty replacement or repair the product at BirdXCanada's expense if the product is indeed defective. Should the product turn out to not be defective, then you are responsible for the shipping cost to send the original product back to you.

An alternative procedure if you need a replacement immediately would be for you to place an order for a new replacement unit, and pay for the shipping cost on the new unit. You would still be responsible for sending the original unit back to BirdXCanada, and should the product be defective, a refund would be issued for the cost of the product (but not for the shipping/handling). If the original product was not defective, then the return would be processed as a return under the Customer Satisfaction Guarantee, and normal restocking charges would apply.

3) The purchase is outside of the initial 30 day Customer Satisfaction Guarantee period but within the warranty period of the product

In this case, the normal procedure is for you to phone in, obtain an RMA number and ship the product back to BirdXCanada at your expense. BirdXCanada will attempt verify the defect and send out a warranty replacement or repair the product at BirdXCanada's expense if the product is indeed defective. Should the product turn out to not be defective, then you are responsible for the shipping cost to send the original product back to you.

4) The purchase is outside of the warranty period

In this case, the product cannot be covered; in certain limited cases BirdXCanada may be able to repair a product (e.g. replacement of a cable); please call for more details.

5) The warranty is handled directly by the manufacturer

For certain products, and certain types of warranty issues, the manufacturer will handle the warranty directly. You will be advised if this is the case when you contact BirdXCanada with your issue.

10. What if the Shipping Company Fails to Deliver the Shipment on Time?

When you place your order, BirdXCanada will provide you with an estimate of the time in transit to your location, for example if you are in Toronto, the time in transit is usually 3 business days, so that if you order from us on a Monday, and it ships out on a Tuesday, it should be delivered on Friday. If the shipment does not arrive as scheduled, please notify BirdXCanada as soon as possible, providing your contact information, the reference number for your order, and what you ordered. BirdXCanada will investigate the status of the shipment and if it appears to be delayed provide you with this information. If it appears to be lost or misplaced, we will initiate a trace with the appropriate carrier, which can take up to 15 business days to be resolved. During this process either the package will be located and delivered to its original intended recipient or if the item is lost, a claim will be initiated. Depending on individual circumstances, a replacement product may be shipped at this time or the value of the claim returned to the customer once the claim process is complete.