Terms & Conditions • Residential Delivery Fee • Power Liftgate Service Fee

We want your kiln purchase to be a pleasant one!
You need to be prepared. We have found that many customers have either never received a shipment from a common carrier or have had serious misconceptions about the general rules of receiving.

Because of this fact, we have explained the essential facts that you must know about receiving your kiln by common carrier freight. Take the time to read all this important information before you place your order and call us with any questions...

1. Read Everything!
   It is very important that you read all the information on this page. Receiving a kiln that weighs over 100 lbs requires shipment by common carrier.

2. Commercial or Residential Delivery? Location matters!
   Our Free Freight program for the contiguous US (only) covers the cost of shipping the kiln to a commercial address with no assistance for removing the kiln. You may have a commercial business, but if your business is located in a residential area, you pay residential rates.

If you have your kiln delivered in a residential area (specifically zoned “residential”), there will be an additional fee by the carrier which you will have to pay. By ordering for residential delivery now, a special nominal extra fee will be added to your order. Remember, metropolitan areas or some inaccessible or extremely remote areas of the country might effect your cost status. See further details below.

3. Want the kiln taken off the truck?
   You can specifically arrange for a power lift-gate delivery. In this instance, the driver is responsible for removing the kiln from the truck by placing it on the hydraulic platform and lowering it to the ground. The driver is not responsible for putting the kiln in your studio, so you need to make arrangements to finish receiving your kiln. You must order the lift-gate service here:

4. Live in an inaccessible area?
   Because of other possible unique factors regarding your location (small islands, extremely remote locations), we will not be responsible for any additional fees that might be incurred in delivering your kiln. We will make every attempt to secure all pertinent costs before your order is shipped and let you know these costs. Our staff is very thorough.

5. What is a common carrier?
   A common carrier is a large truck also known as a tractor trailer. If you have never had a delivery at your business or residence by a common carrier, you need to be sure that your location is accessible by the truck.

6. What is the driver responsible for?
   It is important to know that the driver is not required to remove the kiln from the truck, only bring it to the rear of the trailer. However you can arrange for a power lift-gate delivery. We have a special low rate for the power lift-gate service.

7. Metropolitan Areas will Cost More.
   If you are located in NYC, Chicago, or a large metropolitan city, you will have to pay additional delivery fees over our standard Free Delivery Service. This is because metropolitan locations have more expensive freight rates and conditions than standard commercial and residential locations. We will email you a quote for delivery in such metropolitan areas which will include a cost reduction equal to our standard Free Freight factor.

8. Inspect before signing!
   If you see any damage to the exterior of the crating, you need to make an immediate decision, “do I receive or refuse the shipment”? This may depend on the drivers cooperation. A slightly creased box or tear in the cardboard does not mean there was damage, but, it does mean you need investigate BEFORE signing off. Once you sign for the kiln, it’s yours! Bailey Ceramic Supply or the trucking company are no longer responsible.

9. Looks can be deceiving.
   If the cardboard box looks damaged, try to have a look at the interior without removing all the strapping used to secure it to the pallet.

Carefully cutting with a box cutter is one way to quickly survey for damage. You can make an incision to see if there is serious damage. If there is, refuse the shipment. If you see that the kiln was physically damaged, have a taper ready to reseal the box. If the kiln looks good, do the following:

10. Be on the safe side.
    It is strongly advised to inspect your kiln completely BEFORE the driver leaves. So if the kiln passed your initial inspection, be prepared to quickly open it and make a final inspection for concealed damage before your driver leaves. Drivers have a way of not wanting to stay for a final inspection, so be persistent and quick about it! It only takes a minute to remove the cardboard for the final inspection.

11. Don’t let the driver get away until...
    Before the driver leaves, inspect for concealed damage. If you find damage, note it on his paperwork! Never let a driver get away without a description of the concealed damage noted on the Bill of Lading and have the driver sign by your notation. If you report damage later, you may never get a claim honored. They will say you damaged the kiln!

If the damage is easily repairable (like replacing a broken lid when everything else is OK), we will get a claim entered quickly. Note: a small chip (the size of a small pea or less) on the edge of a lid is not a reason to refuse an entire shipment. This can be easily repaired. We will supply the patching material immediately at no expense.

12. When you sign for a shipment in OK condition, it’s yours.
    When you sign for a kiln in good condition, Bailey Ceramic Supply and the manufacturer of the kiln are no longer responsible for any claims or later discoveries. Your signature on the Bill of Lading confirms that goods have been received in satisfactory condition and it is your acceptance of the shipping transaction. If someone else is going to receive the kiln (a receiving department or a contractor) and they sign for a damaged kiln, you are totally responsible for their actions. There is not recourse for later claims if they don’t follow procedure.

If it turns out that your kiln was received and you had concealed damage which you (or someone else) failed to note on the Bill of Lading at time of delivery, you should contact the trucking company immediately and report the concealed damage. Write down the name of your contacts at the trucking company. Explain the damage and file a concealed damage report promptly.

13. If the kiln has major damage..
    If it is immediately obvious that the kiln has major damage, try to call us while the driver is there. If you can’t contact us (because you are calling after hours), Refuse it. Notify us immediately by phone message and email. We will take over from there. We will do everything we can to expedite another shipment of a new kiln and take over the claim.

14. The Good News is...
    The good news is, damages are very rare. Kilns are very well protected with the packing materials. Reading this information may be intimidating, but if you were not aware of proper receiving procedures for your protection, you now can receive any freight confidently.

We strive to educate our customers who are new to business (or teaching) and unaware of standard “common sense” rules for receiving freight. We don’t want you to learn the hard way in the unlikely event your kiln is damaged in transit.

We care about you. Call us with any questions.
(845) 339-3721 or (800) 431-6067

Terms & Conditions • Residential Delivery Fee • Power Lift-gate Service Fee