Details: Shopping & Shipping

Shopping

Come have fun in the convenience of shopping wherever you are. You’ll find a little bit of everything in the Benny’s Barktique ShopAll purchases are confidential.

Find something you love? It’s simple, just Buy Now.  When you’re done shopping, pay your Cart and voila. The Dachshund Mafia pack will soon be busy getting your package on its way. For ease and familiarity, we use PayPal which also takes credit cards. All taxes were paid on the item when originally purchased. Please note that PayPal does take 2.9% of every purchase plus 30 cents per transaction, regardless of the number of the items in the cart. This is somewhat offset by the shipping savings we get by purchasing shipping labels through them.

Need a gift?  Dachshund Mafia offers a gift service.  You can also purchase any of the individual cards, box of cards, wrapping paper (as available) for your own use.

Want to create a custom package for someone you love who LOVES Dachshunds? I LOVE doing this and I am really really great at it. I’ve been told my entire life how thoughtful my gifts are; it’s one of my own gifts (pun intended). Send me your contact information including your phone number.  I’ll give you a call, we’ll discuss what budget over $100 you’d like to stay within, anything you see that you know the person will enjoy, any hints you may have, timing you’d like to receive it by, etc. There will be a small fee for my services, agreed upon in advance. I do ask for a 50% deposit to start the process.

Packaging and Related Shipping Basics

Unless indicated otherwise, all items come from Jacksonville, Florida from my home which is a non-smoking, non-cat non-fragrance home. Of course, we do have dogs and well, as much as I try to get dog hair off EVERYTHING, you may find a hair or two. It seems to be Missy‘s more than others’ as she stays the closest to mommy and her fur is just a bit thicker. If an item is being sent by a different participant, their location will be on the item listing.

Out of respect for the environment and people’s money, I re-use boxes and shipping materials. Everything is clean but there may be writing on an envelope, or the bubble wrap and wrapping paper may likely have been used. If you purchase a custom package creation, new materials will be used.

I kindly ask that you not request a refund for any reason except that the item was damaged during shipping. In spite of how put-together the website looks, this really is a grassroots project. I offer a lot, in some cases maybe too many, photos. There are sizes in the descriptions, etc. If you find you got something and you just don’t like it, perhaps you could donate it to

We will ship to CANADA, AUSTRALIA, EUROPE, and any other location you are willing to pay the shipping for and take all risk that the item may not arrive, based on shipping issues in that country. If you have an item you love, you’ll need to buy it and then send me a message. We’ll work out the best shipping options for your needs.

Buyers are responsible for all shipping costs, unless otherwise indicated. While I wish it was otherwise, we would not be able to make money for Dachshund groups or individuals if we were paying shipping.  We’re not competing with the “free shipping options” because, well … we’re not competing with anyone. Shopping with Benny’s Barktique will be a great option for some; for others, it may not be a fit.

What does fit everyone is our suggestion that every Dachshund lover consider signing up to donate monthly on an automatic basis with some Dachshund group or effort.  Plus, it makes a great gift. Find a great card to send this gift to someone.

Shipping Options

I’ve tried to make shipping as simple and streamlined as possible. Shipping is an art … and I am overly conscientiously about shipping costs. My goal is to make the shipping as efficient in cost as possible without taking a risk with any glass item. I LOVE logistics, and the shipping options even make my head spin. Feel free to send a message if you need more clarity on shipping.

I will primarily ship via USPS for most purchases as they are convenient and seem to have the best prices for certain items.  The specific shipping options will depend on the size of the item, the material it’s made out of, plus the number of items. Glass and metal products may or may not be shipped together.  If you have an account with FedEx or UPS that you would like me to use, let me know.  I also check out pricing on FedEx for many packages, in case it’s less expensive and still delivers on a timely basis.  

Through the United States Postal Service (USPS), they offer first class (2 to 8 days), Priority Mail (1 to 3 days), and Priority Express (overnight). There are flat rate prices using their specific boxes which means everything that fits regardless of weight, can close, and be easily sealed, will be a flat rate. They also offer “regional boxes” which can be most efficient for heavier items and closer in location to the shipping location. On some packages and especially those under 1 pound, the shipping rate may be less although it could take an extra few days to be delivered. If the total package is over 1 pound, it can NOT be sent First Class. There is a Priority option which is based on weight and distance the package is being sent, which is for items which don’t fit into the flat rate boxes which are provided.  When looking at shipping, I will also have my FedEx account open and compare prices to USPS options.

I use PayPal to create the shipping labels. This option offers a small discount which in some cases covers the 2.9% fee charged for processing charges related to items, plus the one-time fee of 30 cents per transaction.

To make it easy for people to Buy Now, all items have a shipping price in the listing. This amount is based off the maximum shipping costs which will show up in the shopping cart. If you buy more than one item and there is an efficiency in shipping costs, that amount can either be refunded to you or you could choose to have it donated/gifted to one of the participating groups in the Monthly Doxie Club.

IF THERE IS AN ITEM YOU WANT, I highly suggest you BUY IT IMMEDIATELY and then we can discuss shipping options. Items will not be held unless I am creating a custom package for you and items are held for 3 days from contact for approval and purchase.

I’ve assumed most people prefer the lowest cost and have set that as the standard shipping cost for many items unless it compromises the safe delivery of the item. I’ve added a shipping up-charge (I hand-created this) for most items that could go first class. This is the incremental charge between what the standard first class cost and the priority cost. The up-charge is linked in the item description. So if you want to have something sent in the priority box open …. click on that link …. add it to the cart …. with the item(s) you are buying.  When you check-out, the standard shipping costs will be shown in the final cart.  ~smiles warmly~ I am hoping this is stated in a clear and simple fashion.

In order for a package to arrive by Christmas: A purchase must be made and paid for by 9 am, East Coast time, Tuesday, December 20th, East Coast time. For orders after that date and/or unless you request another service, or if you’re not in a rush for Christmas, the other services may be more cost-efficient for certain items. ALL package mail is processed after the close at 9 pm at the local mail outlet which processes all mail from our area of 1 million people. I will need time to package everything, etc.

If you live in my general area and want to pick up your items ,,,,  OR you can wait, I will be driving I-10 across the country in January and want to make arrangements to meet up, let me know and again, you will either be refunded your shipping or you can choose to donate/gift it.

General flat rate prices for USPS Priority Mail (delivered within 2-3 day) are as below. One benefit of using USPS Priority Flat Rate is regardless of weight, if it fits in the official box, there is a “flat rate” for cost:

  • For Priority Mail Express, all items must be paid for by 9 am, East Coast time, Friday, 22 December:
    • Flat rate envelopes: between $23.75 to $24.45
    • Medium boxes; $44.95
  • USPS shipments sent Priority Mail includes $50 insurance; Priority Mail Express includes $100 insurance. Both include tracking.
  • Additional options for USPS include “Signature required” service: $3.00

If you are purchasing a gift wrap service to be sent directly to someone, I’ll be happy to provide a photo of the package before it goes out, or you can check it out via a Skype or Zoom.