Welcome! This page explains how orders ship from The Snuggly Tail and how returns work. We’ve kept it in plain English because policies shouldn’t need a lawyer to read. If anything here doesn’t match your situation, just contact us — we’d rather fix a problem than point at fine print.
Who we are
The Snuggly Tail is a small, pet-parent–owned online store based in Utah, USA. To offer you a wide selection of well-made dog gear at fair prices, we work with trusted fulfillment partners and suppliers — some in the US and some overseas — who ship certain items directly to you. This is called “dropshipping,” and it’s common across online retail. What it means for you: your order may arrive in more than one package, from more than one location, on slightly different schedules. Everything below explains exactly how that works.
Shipping
Processing time
Orders are prepared and handed to the carrier within 1–3 business days (weekends and US holidays don’t count as business days). Items that ship from overseas partners can need the full 3 days; domestic items often go out faster.
Transit time — the honest version
Because some items ship directly from our suppliers, transit times vary more than at a big-box store. Here are our realistic ranges:
- Items shipped from US suppliers: typically arrive in 3–7 business days after processing.
- Items shipped from overseas suppliers: typically arrive in 7–15 business days after processing, occasionally up to 20 for remote addresses or busy shipping seasons.
We know that’s slower than the mega-retailers, and we’d rather tell you the truth up front than promise 2-day delivery we can’t control. If your order is time-sensitive (a birthday, a new-puppy homecoming), email us first and we’ll tell you honestly which items can make the deadline.
Our shipping commitment
We will ship your order (or each item in it) within 30 days of your purchase date — no exceptions. If we ever can’t meet that window, you get to choose: cancel for a full refund, or wait and we’ll stay in touch until it’s on its way. That’s our promise to you.
Shipping rates
Free standard shipping on all US orders. No minimum, no code — it’s built into the price. We currently ship within the United States; if you’re outside the US, contact us and we’ll quote a rate honestly before you order.
Tracking
You’ll get a tracking number by email as soon as each package ships. Because orders can ship in multiple packages from different locations, you may receive more than one tracking number — each one covers part of your order. Tracking numbers can take 24–48 hours to show movement after they’re issued; that’s normal carrier behavior, not a lost package.
If your package is lost or damaged
Sometimes carriers let us down. Here’s exactly what to do:
- Damaged on arrival: email us a photo of the item and the shipping packaging within 7 days of delivery. That’s all the evidence we need — no forms, no phone trees.
- Tracking says “delivered” but nothing arrived: check around porches, mailrooms, and with household members first (it happens to all of us), then email us within 7 days. We’ll work with the carrier and, if it’s genuinely lost, send a replacement or issue a full refund — your choice when both are in stock.
- Stuck in transit with no movement for 7+ days: email us and we’ll chase the carrier for you.
We handle every lost or damaged claim personally — you’ll never be asked to argue with a shipping company on our behalf.
Customs, duties, and international deliveries
For US orders: nothing extra to pay — there are no customs charges on domestic deliveries. For the rare international shipment we arrange by special request: the customer is responsible for any import duties or taxes charged by their country’s customs office. We’ll flag this clearly before you pay for any such order, so there are no surprises.
Order cancellations
You can cancel for a full refund within 12 hours of ordering — just email us with your order number. After 12 hours, orders often enter our suppliers’ fulfillment queue and may already be picked, packed, or beyond cancellation. Once an order has shipped, it can’t be cancelled, but it can be returned under our return policy below.
Returns & refunds
The 30-day happiness guarantee
If your pup doesn’t love it, send it back within 30 days of delivery for a refund to your original payment method. We built this store around one idea: your dog’s happiness is the whole point.
How to start a return
- Email us with your order number and a sentence about what’s up.
- We’ll reply within 1–2 business days with return instructions and the right return address (it varies by item, since some ship from different partners).
- Ship it back, and once it arrives we’ll inspect it (usually within 3 business days) and issue your refund.
Who pays return shipping
If we got something wrong — wrong item, defective, damaged in transit, or not as described — we pay return shipping, full stop. If it’s a change of heart (wrong size for your pup, color looked different at home, dog just prefers another toy), the customer covers return shipping, and we’ll suggest the most economical option we know of. We never charge restocking fees.
Condition requirements
To be resold to another pet family, items should come back unused, unwashed, and in their original packaging with tags attached. We know real life is messier: if your dog sniffed it once or you opened the package to check the size, that’s fine — it’s the dog-hair-covered, well-chewed items we can’t take back. If an item arrives already damaged or defective, none of this applies — you’re covered by the lost/damaged process above regardless of condition.
Items that can’t be returned
- Personalized items (custom-engraved ID tags and similar) — they’re made just for your dog and can’t be resold, unless they arrive defective.
- Gift cards, if you’ve purchased one.
- Final-sale items marked as such at checkout.
Refund method and timing
Approved refunds go back to your original payment method. Once we approve your refund, your bank or card issuer typically takes 5–10 business days to post it — that part is out of our hands, and we’ll send you the refund confirmation email the moment we issue it.
Order errors — ours, not yours
If we shipped the wrong item or something arrived defective, we’ll fix it fast: a free replacement or a full refund including any shipping you paid, and we may not even need the item back — we’ll tell you either way so you’re not stuck paying postage for our mistake.
Questions?
Anything unclear, anything at all — contact us and a real person (the owner, actually) will get back to you within 1–2 business days.