Shipping policy
At Cheese Grotto, we care about each and every shipment, from our Cheese of the Month Subscription, to our signature Grottos, to our exciting gift boxes and virtual cheese tasting shipments! In order to ensure your products arrive in the best condition possible, we take extra measures in our packing and shipping procedures.
Many of our cheeses are cut-to-order by our team, and are hand wrapped. We want to ensure the freshest possible experience, and show these fantastic artisan cheeses as the producers intended.
To ensure every item arrives in peak condition, additional packing materials are used for the safest transit, such as ice packs to keep your cheeses at the ideal temperature throughout shipping, as well as the newest technology in insulation. These packaging considerations add weight and size to the shipping boxes. All of these factors will impact the costs charged by our carriers. There are so many questions when it comes to shipping, and below you will find additional information on our shipping policies, procedures and helpful information on your Cheese Grotto packages.
I PLACED MY ORDER, WHEN WILL IT SHIP?
You will receive a confirmation email when your order is placed, and another email when it has been shipped out with tracking information. Typically, your order will ship within 24-48 hours. During peak times of the year, especially during the holiday season, there may be a longer lead time for packing your order for shipping.
If you have purchased cheese hardware from our Grotto collection, it usually takes us 1 to 3 business days to ship your order, unless otherwise listed on the respective product page.
Cheese subscriptions and cheese orders ship on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and orders must be placed by Sunday in order to ship along that schedule. As the cheeses are a fresh product, we want to ensure the quickest transit time as possible, so your order arrives in the best possible condition. Express shipping costs range from $25 - $55 depending on the package size, delivery window, location and carrier. For cheese subscriptions, express shipping is included in the retail price, and most locations ship free. However, certain areas of the country that are much farther away from our Ohio warehouse may see a long distance surcharge at checkout. We ship Tuesdays and Wednesdays only each week, and orders must be placed by Sunday to be included in the following week's shipments. If you purchased a cheese subscription with a set shipping schedule (Meet the Makers or any Gift Subscription), please refer to the respective product page for the fixed shipping schedule.
WHAT SHIPPING CARRIERS DO YOU USE?
We use a variety of different shipping carriers to ensure the most efficient and cost effective shipping for your Cheese Grotto items.
We use FedEx and UPS for all perishable shipments.
If you purchase a Grotto and qualify for free shipping, we ship via UPS or USPS Ground Advantage (1-7 business days).
WHAT IS THE COST OF SHIPPING?
Cheese shipping costs fluctuate greatly depending on the size, shape and weight of the package as well as the shipping carrier. As the cheeses are a fresh product, we want to ensure the quickest transit time as possible, so your order arrives in the best possible condition.
Shipping costs range from $20 - $55 depending on the package size, delivery window, location and carrier.
We try our best to keep the shipping rate as low as possible for all of our customers. You will see your total shipping charge on your order confirmation.
We offer Free Shipping on Cheese & Food orders over $250, and for Hardware orders, free shipping applies to purchases over $150. Please note: if you have both food perishables and hardware in your cart, there will be a shipping charge for the cheese portion of your order if the cart is less than $250, even if there is free shipping on your hardware order. This is because cheese ships from a different warehouse and requires express shipping as mentioned above.
WHERE DO I FIND MY TRACKING NUMBER?
Your tracking number is found on your shipping confirmation email. You will also receive an email when your package is out for delivery, so you know exactly when to expect it.
If you created an account during the checkout process, you can log into your account page to check your order status anytime!
WHAT DO I DO IF MY PACKAGE HASN’T ARRIVED?
If you do not see any updates on your tracking information, please reach out to Cheese Grotto for assistance.
If your tracking number has shown your cheese has been delivered, but you have not received it, please reach out to the shipping carrier directly, as they often will have a delivery verification system.
WHAT DO I DO IF MY PACKAGE ARRIVES LATE OR NEVER ARRIVES?
If your package arrives after the expected arrival time, first check the cheeses for quality. If your ice packs have melted, it may not be a cause for concern. Feel free to reach out to Cheese Grotto (info@cheesegrotto.com) for assistance with late cheese deliveries, as we may be able to ship a replacement.
WHAT DO I DO IF MY PACKAGE ARRIVES DAMAGED?
Please reach out to Cheese Grotto (info@cheesegrotto.com) with information on your damaged package. Include description of the damage and photos if possible. This information is helpful in assessing the best packing and shipping methods and helps to prevent issues in the future. We will be sure to follow up with a solution and replacement if applicable.
WHAT DO I DO IF THE ICE PACKS HAVE MELTED?
If your package arrives on time, but the ice pack has melted via transit, the cheese is typically completely fine and still safe to eat! The quality of the cheese has not been compromised, as our hand-selected specialty cheeses are resilient, safe and hardy. Look for the included card in your shipment for more information on the best methods for cheese storage.
DO YOU SHIP INTERNATIONALLY?
We are sorry, but we aren't legally allowed to ship cheese across the US border! We can, however, ship our hardware from our Grotto collection worldwide. Please note that the shipping costs options you see at checkout do not include customs, duties, and taxes which will be billed to you upon reaching the border, and will be an additional expense. Those costs vary from country to country, but we recommend calculating at an additional 20% charge. If you refuse the package due to these additional fees and the hardware is returned to us, we will be able to issue a refund minus the outbound and return shipping costs.
WHY DO I HAVE MORE THAN ONE TRACKING NUMBER?
If you ordered a Grotto as well as perishable items, we pack and ship those separately. Each Grotto requires its own special packaging to ensure it transports safely to your doorstep. Cheeses and other perishable items are packaged from our warehouse with extra insulation and ice packs to keep the products as fresh as possible in transit.