FAQ
Mailbox Groceries office hours? Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm, Closed all major holidays.
How can I order from Mailbox Groceries Alaska LLC.?
- Order from Computer 24/7 Just log in, go thru the store and mark the number of each item you want. If you look at the top right hand corner of the page you will see a place to click view your cart to see what you ordered and next to that you will see check out. So click it if you ready to check out at anytime.
- Order by Phone Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm, Closed all major holidays. Call 1-800-248-4419. Please have your shopping list written down and your credit card information available before you call.
- By Fax send your order to 1-877-346-1330 24/7 Please include your full name, phone contact number, shipping address, description of merchandise with amount and sizes desired and your credit card number with expiration date and security code number. For credit card security and order verification, our policy is that before any fax order can be sent out we will need to make phone contact with you.
- By mail send your order to Mailbox Groceries Alaska LLC. PO Box 11-0396, Anchorage, Ak 99511. Please include your full name, phone contact number, shipping address, Item number, description of merchandise with amount and sizes desired and your credit card number with expiration date and card code pvc code number. For credit card security and order verification, before any order can be sent out we will need to make phone contact with you.
- Prepaid order by mail, Please include your full name, phone contact number, shipping address, Item number, description of merchandise with amount and sizes desired and your payment.
We suggest that before you mail your order in to please call 1-800-248-4419 after you have made your shopping list. Your call will give is chance to verify the prices listed are correct so when you send your check or money order in with your order it is for the correct amount.
What is the Minimum order amount? One-hundred forty nine dollars and ninety nine cents ($149.99) We encourage you to buy more then the minimum order amount. Check out our prices and you will notice the more you order the less it cost for your food. Want to stretch those dollars? combine your orders with your friends and extended family. Merchandise sizes listed are subject to change without notice - we do our best to try to keep this information current.
How long does it take to get my order?
Regular order service: from the time we receive your order to the time you receive your merchandise it currently takes on average 12-20 days. ( 5 -7 business days to process order and 7-15 days shipping by parcel post mail)
Shipping by air freight will decrease the normal shipping time. The delivery time depends on the type of air freight service requested. (Additional shipping charges will apply)
Expedited order service: from the time we receive your order to the time you receive your merchandise varies depending on the air freight service you request. (additional service charge of $125.00 will apply) With Expedited order service: it can take as little as 3 days and up to 14 days. ( 24-48 hours to process your order) and the shipping time depends on type of air freight requested.
Mailbox Groceries Alaska LLC. Expedited order service guarantee's that your order will be delivered to the carrier in good condition within 24-48 hrs from the time your order and payment has been received.
Mailbox Groceries Alaska LLC. is not responsible for the performace of the carrier after your merchandise has been tendered to the carrier of your choice.
Your catalog does not have what you want. Can we special order it? Yes, Please call our office for help at 1-800-248-4419
How can I pay for my order? We are able to accept money orders, bank transfers, checks, MasterCard, Discover, American Express and Visa credit / debt cards. All payments made with other then money orders or bank transfers will be subject to a 3% admin fee. All merchandise must be paid for in full before leaving our warehouse.
Can I pay with my Quest Card? Mailbox Groceries is authorized to accept Quest cards for all food items including the shipping charges. All perishables have to send by airfreight and all dry merchandise by USPS parcel post. To use your Quest card, Mailbox Groceries Alaska , you have to have on file a signed copy of the Long Distance Quest Card agreement. To get a copy of this agreement please call our office at 1-800-248-4419.
What different shipping methods are available? All prices for non-perishables include the cost of shipping by parcel post mail to zip codes 995, 996 and 997. Priority mail service for non-perishables is available upon request. There will be a additional fee to cover the difference between parcel post and priority mail service. No estimate of the cost difference can be calculated until an actual order is filled. Please contact our office. 1-800-248-4419 Air freight service is available upon request for non-perishables. Since the USPS postage is calculated in the prices of non-perishables, a credit for not shipping by USPS will be given toward the purchase price of the merchandise. No estimate of the cost difference can be calculated until an actual order is filled. Please contact our office. 1-800-248-4419
Can I get merchandise sent to other locations outside the zip codes of 995, 996 and 997? Yes, There will be a additional fee to cover the difference in the postage rates
Can you ship my order by Bypass Mail? Yes, if you order qualifies for the shipping service Bypass mail is defined as bulk Standard Mail (B) that is prepared so as not to require handling in a postal facility. The bypass mail program was established to alleviate congestion of mail in processing centers by creating bypass acceptance points How it works: Because villages aren't connected to the rest of the state by roads, the Postal Service pays airlines to deliver bypass mail, also called bulk mail. Cost to Shipper: a fraction of the actual shipping cost. You get basic air freight service with a average shipping cost of less then one half of what normal air freight rates would be. The Postal Service will accept for bypass mail with a minimum amount per order of 1000 lbs including freeze and chill items. However, shippers and addressees must understand that these types of items are entered into the mail stream at own risk. The Postal Service does not have freezers or coolers to store such items, nor does the Postal Service require carriers to have freezers or coolers. Some carriers have freezers and coolers at hub locations. The carriers have offered the use of their freezers and coolers for temporary storage until flight time
Can you send my perishables by parcel post or priority mail? No, to help protect the health of the people that live and work in rural Alaska, Mailbox Groceries Alaska LLC. has a health certificate issued by the State of Alaska, Health and Human Services. We are required to follow the prescribed mandates: All edible food products labeled to Keep Refrigerated, Keep Chilled or Keep Frozen until ready to consume has to be handled in that manner. Lead packaging personnel have to be trained and certified in safe food handling and have our warehouse checked for sanitary conditions and the refrigeration and freezer equipment inspected to verify everything is in good working order. For details on sending perishable merchandise through the mail see Shipping with Bypass Mail
What does it mean if we receive a order and the date on the food package has one of the following on it.
"Best if Used By (or Before)" date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.This is the date it should be used by unless it has been frozen before that date. All meat delivered has been purchased and frozen before this date without exception.
"Sell-By" date tells the store how long to display the product for sale, All meat sent out has been purchased and frozen before this date without exception.
"Use-By" date is the last date recommended for the
use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined
by the manufacturer of the product. If by a remote chance you receive a product and the date has expired when you receive it, contact our office immediately to arrange for a replacement.
Why was my order delayed or cancelled? An order cancellation/delay may occur if any one of the following things might happen: We were not able to make contact with you because of a question on your order or credit card. We could have a unverifiable address or maybe the credit card has expired. Incorrect credit card number or CV code. When you place an order, Mailbox Groceries Alaska LLC. usually electronically requests a approval of your credit from your credit card company in an attempt to authorize your purchase. If your card is declined, your order may be cancelled /delayed until another form of payment is made. You have exceeded your credit limit on your card or you have exceeded your daily limit set by your bank. Your bank needs you to contact them before they will give any authorization for security purposes. Due to unforeseen circumstances as an example: poor telephone connections or the person won't be by a phone. Most people that place an order are in need of their merchandise we have several customers that give us information on two different credit cards to avoid any delays.
Can I schedule to have the same order sent out automatically every 30 days to restock our fishing and mining camps? Yes, Can we get a order sent out on the weekend, after normal business hours or with-in 2 business days? Yes, All orders are sent out in the order they are received. The average order fulfillment time is 3-5 business days. On occasion due to the time of year order fulfillment time may exceed the average time. Expedited Order Service is available for an additional fee of $125.00. It works like this: from the time your order was received and paid for, it can be delivered to the carrier of your choice within two business days. The expedited order service fee also applies to any order that needs to be delivered after normal business hours or on weekends or holidays. Mailbox Groceries Alaska LLC. is not responsible for the amount of time that the carrier takes to get your order shipped out to you.
Definitions
Acceptance of goods: When shipper or consignee accepts a receipt of a shipment, and delivers a signed receipt to Mailbox Groceries Alaska LLC, he or she accepts the goods as delivered and terminates Mailbox Groceries Alaska LLC. liability regarding damages and shortages.
Admin fee - All payments made with other then money orders or bank transfers will be subject to a 3% admin fee.
EA - Estimated Amount
Bnl - Boneless
Carrier of Choice - The delivery agent or carrier selected to deliver merchandise from Anchorage to destination
Ct - Count Expedited Order - For an extra charge over and above the general/regular order rates is an order that will be delivered to the carrier of the purchaser's choice within two business days or after normal working hours, on a holiday and or weekend. This service has to be requested at the same time your order is placed.
Expedited Order charge is $125.00 minimum per order and up.
Food Dating -Open Dating" From the USDA site dated September 16, 2011(use of a calendar date as opposed to a code) on a food product is a date stamped on a product's package to help the store determine how long to display the product for sale. It can also help the purchaser to know the time limit to purchase or use the product at its best quality. It is not a safety date. After the date passes, while not of best quality, the product should still be safe if handled properly and kept at 40 °F or below for the recommended storage times. If product has a "use-by" date, follow that date.
Is Food Dating required by Federal Law -Except for infant formula, product dating is not generally required by Federal
regulations. However, if a calendar date is used, it must express both the month and day of the month (and the year,
in the case of shelf-stable and frozen products). If a calendar date is shown, immediately adjacent to the date must
be a phrase explaining the meaning of that date such as "sell-by" or "use before."
There is no uniform or universally accepted system used for food dating in the United States. Although dating of
some foods is required by more than 20 states, there are areas of the country where much of the food supply has some
type of open date and other areas where almost no food is dated.
Fuel Surcharge - a levy in additional to other customary charges, imposed on per order basis to recover the increased cost of fuel. The fuel surcharge is applied to the gross merchandise sales price, excluding other accesorial charges
Insurance - for replacement of damaged* or lost merchandise can be purchased through Mailbox Groceries Alaska LLC on orders of non-perishable merchandise if shipped through USPS, The insurance has to be purchased before merchandise is shipped. . Insurance fee is $6.00 per $100.00 of merchandise value for non-perishables. No insurance is available for any perishables through Mailbox Groceries Alaska LLC. Our normal insurance covers replacement cost of the item, but not the transportation charge to send it back out to you. Please contact us if you have a problem and we will try to resolve the claim so everyone is happy.
Claim payments - It is always Mailbox Groceries Alaska LLC option on how to pay any viable claim. Some of the options are as follows: replacement merchandise may be shipped to you by the same shipping method it was originally sent, a credit for the loss may be applied to your next order, depending on how the order was paid for a credit issued back to your Quest card, credit or debit card or if paid by a check, a check will be sent to you to cover the claim.
*USPS Delivered Merchandise as of Nov. 27, 2011 - Frozen or Water Damaged Products - Please note damage due to water or items that have been frozen are not covered by insurance. Recently it has been reported - that the USPS has not been able to fullfill their obligation to protect some of the items mailed to a few of the Alaskan bush communities from weather damage. Food products have been frozen while they are in USPS possesion.
We are sorry if this happens to your food. If this happens - Our suggestion you should file a claim with your local post office, they may need proof of loss (take product to them or maybe a picture may work), a copy of your receipt (what you paid for the destroyed items(s) so it can be included in with the form they will have you fill out. Everytime we have had to file a claim with USPS, it takes a min. of 60 days before they will process it in another state. Good Luck
If by a error, and you where charged for insurance on a item that is listed as uninsurable because of the type of product or because of the method of shipping and you have a claim for that item or items - Mailbox Groceries Alaska will only be responsible to refund an amount not to exceed the insurance fee originally charged on the items that where damaged.
Min Chg - the minimum amount of money that we charge per a general/regular single order
NQ/nq - a sale unit not qualified to be purchased with a Quest Card Size - Identifies the size of each container in one sell unit
Pack - Identifies the number of units in the package
Price - Sale Price of Unit
Regular Order - an order received and processed in 3-5 business day turn around time- this is an estimated time only and can increase without notice due to seasonal volume increases and other delays beyond our control
Skl - Skinless
SKU - is the Mailbox Groceries Alaska LLC. product ID code
Turn Around Time - From the time your order is received in our office to the time the order is delivered to the carrier of your choice.
Donations Mailbox Groceries Alaska LLC. has a discretionary fund and/or in-kind services that we will use to help support various rural Alaska charities. Spending of these funds must be approved by our leadership team that meets every four to five weeks. The party wishing a contribution must mail or email us at least 30 days before the event The following list of questions must be answered before any contribution will be considered.
1. What organization is asking for a donation?
2. What will this donation be used for?
3. The Persons name, mailing address and phone number who is making the request
4. What amount are you asking for?
5. To what address do we send our donation to?
6. What long lasting effects do you believe this donation will help come about?
7. Why did you decide to contact us for a donation? Have you or someone you know used our service before?
After reviewing the request as well as considering funds available, we will let you know of our decision