Shipping policy
This policy lays out how Great White North Pottery Supplies (GWN) handles order fulfillment, including shipping, in-store pick ups, and pre-orders. It also explains how the company facilitates claims for lost, damaged, and defective products, and fulfillment errors.
Shipping Policy
All items sold through GWN, whether in person or through our online store, are eligible for shipping anywhere in Canada, with the exception of ceramic earthenware products, which are available exclusively at our retail location in Sudbury, ON.
Shipping rates and fees
Shipping rates are made available at checkout based on the contents of your cart. We offer a combination of live calculated shipping rates from carriers like Purolator, UPS, CanPar, and Canada Post, and flat rate shipping discounts.
Eligible rates, fees, and promotions vary based on the weight and value of the products in your cart and your location, determined by the Shipping Address you enter at checkout. Please note that fees for domestic shipments in Canada are taxable in all Canadian provinces and territories based on the tax rates of the shipping destination.
Orders containing large or heavy products/equipment, such as large amounts clay, kilns, and pottery wheels, that cannot be carried by our standard shipping partners will be contracted to a freight carrier chosen by GWN. To inquire about freight shipping rates, email us at info@gwnpottery.ca or call us at 1-705-586-1080.
Our shipping process
When you place your order, we send you an order confirmation via email. Your order is then picked, packed, and handed off to our shipping partners within 2 business days, excluding weekends and holidays.
After your order is picked up by a carrier, we send you a shipping confirmation email, which includes a list of items contained in the shipment and a tracking number that can be used to determine the estimated delivery date for your order.
Transit time ranges from 1-7 business days on average, depending on your shipping location. Delays due to weather, volume, or other unexpected events will be communicated to you by our shipping partners on your order tracking page. Please allow additional transit time for orders being delivered to rural and remote areas of Canada.
Cancellations and order modifications
Our goal is to ship your orders as quickly as possible, within 2 business days of placing your order. If you change your mind about your order, reach out the GWN Team as soon as possible to inquire about modifying or cancelling your order. If you reach us in time, we may be able to cancel your order before it is packed and handed off to our shipping partners.
Orders that have already been handed off to a carrier are considered shipped, and are governed by our Returns Policy.
Custom orders, special orders, and pre-orders are not eligible for cancellation or returns.
In-store pick up
If you live in Sudbury, or are passing through and would like to avoid shipping fees, take advantage of the In-Store Pick Up option in our checkout.
Our goal is to have pick ups available within 2 hours of placement, but we will email you to let you know when your order is ready to be collected. Orders that are ready for pickup can be collected between 9 AM and 6 PM, Monday to Friday, and between 10 AM and 2 PM on Saturdays.
If you select In-Store Pick Up, we will hold your order for a maximum of 14 days. To ensure space in our warehouse is prioritized for incoming and unsold inventory, Pick Up Orders that are not retrieved within 14 days will be restocked and sold as needed.
Pre-orders
When you purchase a pre-order item, you are buying an out-of-stock or soon-to-be-available product not yet in inventory. Your entire order will be held until the pre-order item(s) restock at our warehouse in Sudbury, ON, unless you request a split shipment.
You may request to cancel a pre-order that has not yet been fulfilled, but please note that special order items that are not regularly stocked are considered final sale and cannot be cancelled. This is determined at the discretion of GWN at the time of your request.
If the order has been fulfilled, it is considered shipped and cannot be cancelled. Shipped orders are governed by our Returns Policy. Click here to learn more about returns and refunds.
Shipping discounts
Shipping discounts are determined by GWN, and are subject to change. Eligibility is determined by the value of products in your cart. Shipping discounts cannot be stacked or combined across multiple orders.
Exclusions: At this time, clay, slip, hydrobats, kilns, raw materials and pottery wheels are not eligible for free or flat rate shipping discounts.
In the event of a return, you may be responsible for paying the label cost of the original order shipment if your order subtotal falls below the minimum threshold for the shipping discount used on your order. See our Returns Policy for more information.
Loss, damage & fulfillment errors
If your order is lost or damaged in transit, GWN will perform a thorough investigation with our shipping partners, including opening claims as needed. Pending the outcome of the investigation, we will provide a full replacement or refund at our discretion.
If your order is lost or damaged after delivery, we may require you to file a police report to ensure the event is documented thoroughly. GWN will also perform a thorough investigation with our shipping partners. Pending the completion of the report and investigation, we will provide a full replacement or refund at our discretion.
If you receive the wrong items, or if anything is missing from your order, we will perform a quick internal investigation before providing a replacement or refund at our discretion. Items that are shipped to you by accident must be returned via a pre-paid label provided by GWN.
Defects and warranty claims
If any item purchased from GWN is defective upon delivery or presents defects with regular use, please contact us immediately at info@gwnpottery.ca or 1-705-586-1080. From there, we will either open a claim with the manufacturer on your behalf or provide a hand-off to the manufacturer with all necessary information required to open a claim with them directly.
Temperature-sensitive products
Some products may become damaged or unusable if they freeze during shipping. By purchasing temperature-sensitive products, you acknowledge the potential for receiving damaged or unusable products, and Great White North Pottery will proceed with fulfillment per your request, with consent. To obtain your consent for shipping temperature-sensitive products, Great White North Pottery Supplies uses a mandatory opt-in on https://www.gwnpottery.ca/cart to ensure you are aware of these terms, and records your consent with a timestamp on your order at the time of purchase. GWN does not assume liability for any damage or defects caused by exposure to low temperatures after your order leaves our warehouse.
Products that should not be frozen include, but are not limited to: clay, glaze additives, wax emulsions, latex rubber, gum solutions, darvan, Bisque Fix/Crack Pot/Ware Repair. Most brushable glazes and underglazes will perform as expected if they have become frozen. In the event a thawed glaze separates or clumps, brushability may be affected. Should this be the case, adding a gum solution should restore the glaze's brushability.
A heated truck carrier can be arranged if necessary. Call (705) 586-1080 or email us at info@gwnpottery.ca and we can provide shipping rates to protect your shipment from freezing.
We may modify these terms at any time
GWN may, at its sole discretion, suspend or terminate your access to all or part of its website and resources for any reason, including, without limitations, breach of these terms. This includes that there may be change to these terms at any time. If the changes are material, we’ll let you know by email or posting a notice on the site before the changes go into effect. The notice will designate a reasonable amount of time (the “Notice Period”) after which the new terms will go into effect for all users. Any suspected illegal, fraudulent, or abusive activity may be grounds for terminating your relationship and may be referred to appropriate law enforcement authorities. Upon suspension or termination, your right to use the resources we provide will immediately cease, and we reserve the right to remove or delete any information that you may have on file with us, including any account or login information.