Almost all transactions and deliveries go smoothly – we have set up our system to work that way. We send between a dozen and several dozen sails out into the world every month. Almost all have no problems and the process works well. But every few months we do have packages or sails that are delayed or have unexpected problems.
If you want to find out more about particular types of delay or communication problem please read through this article. It answers many of the main questions of what is our normal process and its timelines.
if you know how they system normally works then you can more easily identify if there is a problem.
First Step if there has been a delay or delivery problem is to first check the tracking number you were sent in the email that informed you that we were shipping and see where the package actually is.
And if there are any concerns Email us at Really Simple Sails.
(monitored weekdays and sometimes weekends).
If that doesn’t work try a different email method in case there is a glitch.
What normally happens when we ship a sail package to you.
When the sail is about to be completed and packaged we arrange shipping.
A few hours later the sail or sails are heat sealed in a plastic wrapper and packaged. We add the customer name address and phone number. These are all copy pasted from information sent by the customer, we don’t normally type details.
When the item is physically picked up by the carrier we send you an email with the tracking number and to tell you the sails have shipped.
How long does delivery take once the sail or sails are picked up from Really Simple Sails?
Almost all deliveries take between 3 and 7 days to most worldwide destinations. Sometimes a bit longer. But over 90 percent of items send get there reliably within this timeframe. Give us a few extra days, check the tracking to see if it makes sense and contact us if something seems wrong.
If your location does normally experience delivery delays for other items then that may happen. Outback country towns in Australia, The Alaskan tundra, a small town on the Red Sea. Check the tracking first.
What if there are Customs delays for delivery of your sails
Most countries have fast and automatic Customs systems. We also have experienced international shippers working for us and paperwork that goes with the shipping is complete for most countries and we only very occasionally have problems.
If your customs department contacts you for any information please Email us at Really Simple Sails. immediately if they require extra paperwork or ask the value of the package. The details of the value are included in the paperwork attached to the package.
It is important to contact us first for the package value to avoid extra customs charges.
What do I do if the delivered sails are damaged when I receive them?
It is a good idea to open the package even if it seems in good condition. If the package is damaged on the outside then don’t accept delivery until you have a chance to open the item. Take photos or, better, a video if possible of the unopened package showing the external damage then the inner plastic bag if that has been opened or is damaged.
If the sail is in an unopened clear plastic bag that has been heat sealed then it is very unlikely that there are any problems inside that package that won’t be clearly visible.
Claims will have to be processed through the delivery contractor and your local system.
However, there are some things we can do from this end by negotiating with the shipping company … you know the drill by now … for damaged sails please email Email us at Really Simple Sails.
To which countries and regions does Really Simple Sails supply sails?
Really Simple Sails ships sails worldwide. There are not many countries we have not shipped to.
How Long does sail manufacture take and how long will I wait for shipping of my new sails?
The time to manufacture sails varies a lot through the year mostly depending on demand from the northern hemisphere.
The schedule varies a lot
At the slow time of year – usually around the New Year timelines may be as low as 4 weeks. But that is fairly rare. The normal timeframe for sails to be delivered is 6 to 14 weeks with peak period starting when the snow stops falling and the weather warms in the Northern Hemisphere.
We tell you the timeline in our quote email and also in the payment confirmation email.
I’ve Paid for the sails but they have not arrived – Manufacturing Delays for sails
Our normal production time for sails varies through the year. We provide an estimated date at the time of order. If you have not heard that the sails have been shipped by the expected date in the payment request email then please get back to us. Or if you just want to check please email us.
The actual sail assembly (sewing, attaching fittings) process is pretty quick once we get the Laser cut panels.
Most delays are because the contractor that supplies the cloth and laser cuts the sails has a delay. Sometimes the cloth does not get delivered to them at the promised time. Sometimes cloth delivery delays can take several weeks even up to several months***. We will try to keep your informed.
*** Delays happen more often with non-mainstream cloth. To prevent delays for orders of Tanbark (traditional rusty red colour) sailcloth we have negotiated with our contractor that they inventory our normal range of cloth weights in Tanbark and we pay to own those rolls of cloth in advance. We have set up this system because of serious delays in the first half of 2023 but also since the post covid period.
This inventory has increased our up front costs. But it is an investment we needed to make because there are delays in cloth production and sea freight has had significant delays since COVID. So hopefully the new inventory will mean much faster service from August 2023 for tanbark sails.
Really Simple Sails didn’t answer my email
We are really sorry for no reply. We really do try to process email quickly, but sometimes there is a glitch.
If you have not received a reply after a few days there may be a reason – see below. But if there has been no reply for a few days try another email method – use a different email account if you have tried a second time and nothing has happened – a second email account or a friends email.
Remember we are probably in a different time zone and probably won’t see an incoming email until the next working day. That’s why you receive emails from us in the evening that say “good morning”.
Also we don’t process paperwork through the weekend. Though we sometimes spot check our email accounts for anything important on weekends and public holidays.
At Christmas our cutting contractor takes two weeks off from two days before Christmas to the second week in January. Easter is almost a week long break in this region. We cannot get details on delayed sails at that time, but we will contact you as soon as they get back to work.