Help Center

It's important to understand why ordering online through the web site is preferable to ordering by phone or fax in every way.

• Security: Phones and faxes do not employ encryption technology.
  Relaying your credit card number over a phone line or via fax is every bit as "electronic" as transmitting your credit card number on the web. However, phone and fax lines are not encrypted through Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology. If you are concerned about the security of your credit card information, the last thing you want to do is to relay that information over a phone or fax line. When you submit your credit card information through this or any other web site using an SSL-secured connection, the data can only be deciphered by the computer to which the data is sent. Phone and fax transmissions are far more vulnerable to interception.
• Documentation: Online orders receive confirmation emails, tracking emails, etc. Phone orders do not.
  When you place an order online, you receive documentation of what you ordered, when you ordered it, your order total and other pertinent information. Phone orders do not offer this audit trail.
• Accuracy: The information comes to us exactly as you submitted it.
  The absence of human interaction greatly reduces the chance for error. When you place your order online, there is no possibility of the person on the other end of the phone hearing "quantity 30" when you said "quantity 13".
• Speed: Online orders are processed far more quickly, with minimal cause for delay.
  Shipping facilities function in "assembly line fashion". When you submit your order online, it goes "onto the line" immediately, and is processed far more quickly than a phone order, which must be manually processed outside the normal workflow of the shipping staff.

We are happy to answer any questions you may have over the phone, though you may be directed back to the web site if the information you seek is already presented here. If it is imperative that you place an order by phone, a phone order surcharge may apply.

• Internet Explorer: In your browser window's toolbar, select Tools > Internet Options. In the Internet Options window, select the Privacy tab. Click the Advanced button. In the Advanced Privacy Settings window, ensure that the check boxes marked "Override automatic cookie handling" and "Always allow session cookies" are checked. Click the OK button in this window, then the Apply button and the OK button in the previous window.
  
  
• Netscape 7: In your browser window's toolbar, select Tools > Cookie Manager > Unblock Cookies from this Site.
  Still using Netscape 4? Yikes.
  
  
• Mozilla: In your browser window's toolbar, select Tools > Cookie Manager > Allow Session Cookies from this Site.
  
  
• Mozilla Firefox: In your browser window's toolbar, select Tools > Options. In the left bar of the Options window, click the Privacy icon. In the main window, expand Cookies. Ensure that the check box marked "Enable cookies" is checked. Whichever sub-setting you choose should be fine.
  
  
• Opera 9: In your browser window's toolbar, select Tools > Preferences. Click the advanced tab. Select cookies from the left menu. Ensure that the radio button marked "Accept cookies" is enabled. Click OK.

It's less likely, but also possible, that your browser is configured to disallow the execution of Javascript code. If the above doesn't help, ensure your browser is configured to execute Javascript. You may have to start again in a new browser window after changing the configuration.

Please remember your charge will appear from "Stay Online" on your credit card statement. Any charge disputed by the customer which is proven to be delivered and transaction closed is subject to the $20 fee we incur from Visa/MC/Amex/Disc for the dispute. Please call 1-888-346-4688 or email orders@stayonline.com first before disputing a charge. We'll be glad to research your order.

Credit card orders are accepted for Canadian customers.

All other international orders are processed via wire transfer or PayPal invoice and are subject to a $20 processing fee.

For orders less than 750 USD payment may be sent via wire transfer or PayPal. PayPal is only accepted from verified buyers and a PayPal invoice will be issued to your PayPal email address. For orders greater than 750 USD a wire transfer is required. Your order will ship once payment has been received.

International Sales Contact:

Laura Garcia
International Sales/Ventas Internacionales
(919) 529-3133 ext 116
English/Español

Wire transfer instructions:

1. Print the final checkout page.
2. Click the "Complete Order" button on the final checkout page to submit the order to us.
3. We will contact you via email with our banking account number and wire transfer details.
4. Arrange with your bank for a wire transfer in the amount of the "Grand Total" on the "Payment Information" page. You are responsible for any wire transfer fees required by your bank.

We will process and ship your order when our bank notifies us that the funds have been received. Orders ship via Federal Express International Priority service, and typically will arrive 1-3 business days after the date the order ships.

You are responsible for any customs, duties, brokerage fees and any other charges that may be assessed upon delivery. International deliveries are made pursuant to a shipment contract. This means that the risk of loss and title for such items pass to you upon our delivery to the carrier.

Please Note: We are unable to ship orders via DHL unless you provide your DHL shipping account number.

We ship outside the U.S. and Canada via FedEx International Priority service only.

To ensure the timely delivery of your order, please use the "Special Instructions" field on the Shipping page to provide the shipping address exactly as it should appear on the shipping label. The address forms used during checkout are formatted for U.S. and Canadian addresses. International addresses are often formatted differently, and these differences can lead to delays in the delivery of the shipment.

Items which are in stock in sufficient quantities to fill the order ship same day, if the order is received by 2:00pm Eastern time Mon-Fri. In-stock items ship the next business day (Mon-Fri) if the order is placed after 2:00pm on a weekday, or on a weekend or holiday.

Items which ship directly from manufacturers are subject to the manufacturer's shipping policies and procedures, and are not under our control. Generally, manufacturers will ship items within two business days (Mon-Fri), provided they are in stock at the manufacturer's warehouse. Some items are built-to-order or require configuration prior to shipping, and do not ship immediately.

To reasonably determine when to expect your order, several factors need to be considered:

• The date and time you place the order:
  If your order is placed after 2:00pm on a weekday, or anytime on a weekend or holiday, your order will be processed the next business day (Mon-Fri, excluding holidays).
• The shipping origin of the order:
  If the item is designated as "Ship Only" as indicated on the item's page, the item will probably ship directly from the manufacturer's facility. The order will be subject to the manufacturer's shipping policies and procedures (usually within two business days, which excludes weekends and holidays).
• Lead time to ship, if applicable:
  Some items are built-to-order or customized at the factory, and require lead time to build or modify before they ship. When a lead time to ship is usually required for an item, the estimated or usual lead time is noted on the item's page.
• The carrier's estimated time-in-transit:
  Please keep in mind that time-in-transit is expressed in business days (Mon-Fri, excluding holidays), and does not take into account the other factors listed above. Carriers also observe legal holidays and can be affected by inclement weather at any point along the path of the shipment.

It is very important to understand that selecting "Next Day" shipping does not necessarily mean you will have the item tomorrow morning.

Ex. Order placed 8:00pm Fri, Next Day shipping:

Order processed Monday >> built-to-order item requires 3 days to build >> order ships Friday >> carrier delivers Mon-Fri, not Sat >> order arrives the following Monday.

Selecting Next Day shipping gets it to you as quickly as possible, but not necessarily literally the next day.

YES. Very glad you asked. Please note these important shipping restrictions:

• We ship via USPS only to U.S. Military (APO/FPO) addresses.
• We ship to Canada only via FedEx.
• We ship to the rest of the world only via FedEx International Priority.
• We do not ship to post office boxes under any circumstances.
• We do not ship to construction sites or undeveloped land.
• Some items we sell are not eligible for certain carriers and/or services, usually because the item exceeds the carrier's weight or dimensional limits for a particular service. Products of this nature usually ship via common carrier (trucking company) and may require extra time to arrive.

Our site retrieves rates from each of our carriers' own rate servers as you add items to your cart and again at checkout. These charges are calculated by the carriers themselves based on their own current rates, the shipping origin (provided by us), the shipping destination ZIP code (provided by you), and the weights and/or dimensions of the items in your order.

The rates provided when you preview estimated shipping charges may vary from the actual charges at checkout based on the specific street address (estimates use only ZIP code), whether or not you decide to change your selected service, and other factors.

Shipping charges are calculated by the carriers' own rate servers, and are based on their own policies. Several "behind-the-scenes" factors which may not be obvious to you as you check out can impact the carriers' shipping calculations, and make the resulting charges seem high:

• One or more of the items in your order may be shipping from a manufacturer's warehouse.
  The destination address may be only a few miles from our warehouse in North Carolina, but one or more of the items may be shipping from a warehouse clear across the country in California. The carrier's rate servers will calculate the charges based on the actual shipping origin in California, which will make the charges seem high if you're assuming the items will be shipping from North Carolina. Furthermore, items shipping from different origins of course ship in separate packages, which increases the total shipping charge for the order.
• One or more of the items in your order may be deemed by the carrier as an "oversized" package.
  Carriers usually calculate shipping charges based on weight. However, for items that exceed dimensional limits set by the carriers, charges are calculated based on what's called "dimensional weight". In other words, the charges are higher because the item occupies a lot of space on the truck. Many of the items we sell are "large, but light" (long power strips, slotted duct, etc.) and the "billable weight", per the carriers' policies, may bear no relation to the item's actual weight. For example, a long power strip that qualifies as "Oversize 1" by UPS based on its dimensions has a billable weight of 30 lbs., even though its actual weight is more like 8 lbs. Obviously, the effect of this disparity between billable weight and actual weight multiplies as the quantity ordered increases. It's not uncommon to assemble an order whose items' total combined weight might be 20 lbs., but because of the items' dimensions, billable weight might be 100 lbs. or more.

Please reply to your order confirmation email and let us know as soon as possible. If we are made aware of the error before the item ships, we will correct it.

Carriers charge $10.00 for modifying an incorrect address on a shipment already en route to its destination. You assume responsibility for this $10.00 charge if you enter an incorrect or invalid destination address when checking out, and we are not notified of the error prior to shipping the order. This will also result in a significant delay in receiving your order.

Items which are in stock in sufficient quantities to fill the order ship same day, if the order is received by 2:00pm Eastern time Mon-Fri. In-stock items ship the next business day (Mon-Fri) if the order is placed after 2:00pm on a weekday, or on a weekend or holiday.

Items which ship directly from manufacturers are subject to the manufacturer's shipping policies and procedures, and are not under our control. Generally, manufacturers will ship items within two business days (Mon-Fri), provided they are in stock at the manufacturer's warehouse. Some items are built-to-order or require configuration prior to shipping, and do not ship immediately.

To reasonably determine when to expect your order, several factors need to be considered:

• The date and time you place the order:
  If your order is placed after 2:00pm on a weekday, or anytime on a weekend or holiday, your order will be processed the next business day (Mon-Fri, excluding holidays).
• The shipping origin of the order:
  If the item is designated as "Ship Only" as indicated on the item's page, the item will probably ship directly from the manufacturer's facility. The order will be subject to the manufacturer's shipping policies and procedures (usually within two business days, which excludes weekends and holidays).
• Lead time to ship, if applicable:
  Some items are built-to-order or customized at the factory, and require lead time to build or modify before they ship. When a lead time to ship is usually required for an item, the estimated or usual lead time is noted on the item's page.
• The carrier's estimated time-in-transit:
  Please keep in mind that time-in-transit is expressed in business days (Mon-Fri, excluding holidays), and does not take into account the other factors listed above. Carriers also observe legal holidays and can be affected by inclement weather at any point along the path of the shipment.

It is very important to understand that selecting "Next Day" shipping does not necessarily mean you will have the item tomorrow morning.

Ex. Order placed 8:00pm Fri, Next Day shipping:

Order processed Monday >> built-to-order item requires 3 days to build >> order ships Friday >> carrier delivers Mon-Fri, not Sat >> order arrives the following Monday.

Selecting Next Day shipping gets it to you as quickly as possible, but not necessarily literally the next day.

If it's past the expected delivery date and your order has not yet arrived, the delay is probably a result of one of the following:

• Have you taken into account weekends and/or holidays?
  Shipping carriers operate Mon-Fri and observe legal holidays. These days must be excluded when calculating time-in-transit.
• Was an item you ordered designated "Ship Only"?
  If so, the item probably shipped from the manufacturer's warehouse directly. These items are subject to the manufacturer's shipping policies and procedures, which are beyond our control.
• Did an item you ordered require a lead time?
  Some items are built-to-order or require configuration prior to shipping. This information, when applicable, is noted on the item's page.
• Has there been an unexpected delay during shipment?
  If you have been emailed a tracking number, you might find that your shipment has been delayed by one or more days en route. Occasionally this happens in shipping facilities due to inclement weather, or a plain old fashioned mix-up.
• Has the order actually been delivered?
  If the tracking information indicates that the package has been delivered, it's possible that the package was received by a receptionist, receiving personnel at a loading dock, mailroom staff, co-worker, etc. This is very often the case for missing or delayed shipments to an office environment. If the order shipped to a residence, the driver may have left the package in a semi-concealed place for safety, such as a porch, a garage, even behind bushes. If a signature was required, the driver may have left the package with a family member or neighbor.
• Have there been one or more failed delivery attempts?
  It is generally the driver's discretion that determines whether or not a signature is required to complete delivery. Expensive items generally require a signature. If the driver thinks it's best to obtain a signature, but no one is present to accept the delivery, the item will be returned to the carrier's local facility and another delivery attempt scheduled. The driver will always leave a notice of the delivery attempt, but these notices can get blown away by wind, discarded or otherwise lost. After three failed attempts, the package will be returned to us. Tracking information will indicate when a delivery has been attempted.
• Has the shipment been refused by someone else?
  If the carrier attempted to deliver the package to someone who was not expecting it, that person may have refused the shipment. This frequently happens with receiving personnel and office staff who are not familiar with us as a vendor.
• Has the carrier deemed the package undeliverable?
  Our carriers may deem a package undeliverable for a variety of reasons. The most common reason is a typo in the delivery address. Please check your order confirmation to ensure the accuracy of the shipping address you entered during checkout. If the address is incorrect, the package is typically returned to us by the carrier or the unintended recipient.
• If you are sure none of these apply, please reply to your order confirmation email and let us know so that we may investigate.

Our carriers may deem a package undeliverable for a variety of reasons:

• Incorrect address:
  Please check your order confirmation to ensure the accuracy of the shipping address you entered during checkout. If the address is incorrect, the package is typically returned to us by the carrier or the unintended recipient.
• Failed delivery attempts:
  It is generally the driver's discretion that determines whether or not a signature is required to complete delivery. Expensive items generally require a signature. If the driver thinks it's best to obtain a signature, but no one is present to accept the delivery, the item will be returned to the carrier's local facility and another delivery attempt scheduled. The driver will always leave a notice of the delivery attempt, but these notices can get blown away by wind, discarded or otherwise lost. After three failed attempts, the package will be returned to us. Tracking information will indicate when a delivery has been attempted.
• Refused by recipient:
  If the carrier attempted to deliver the package to someone who was not expecting it, that person may have refused the shipment. This frequently happens with receiving personnel and office staff who are not familiar with us as a vendor.

Shipping charges are not refundable unless the failed delivery was a result of our error.

Yes! We ship via USPS to APO/FPO addresses anywhere in the world. Please observe the following conventions to ensure prompt and accurate delivery of your APO/FPO shipment:

• Select USPS as your carrier. APO/FPO addresses are served only by USPS.
• During checkout, enter APO or FPO (as applicable) in the City field.
• Select one of the following (as applicable) from the "State" menu:
  • Armed Forces America (AA)
    The U.S. and South America
  • Armed Forces Other Areas (AE)
    Europe, Canada, Africa, Middle East
  • Armed Forces Pacific (AP)
    Asia and the Pacific
• Select United States from the "Country" menu, regardless of where the recipient is stationed.

Items which are not eligible for shipment via USPS due to weight, dimensional or other restrictions cannot be shipped to APO/FPO addresses.

Yes, within a very strict set of policies and restrictions for which there are no exceptions.

• We will ship internationally for a U.S. or Canadian customer via credit card only if the billing address for the card is a U.S. or Canadian address, and the card is issued by a U.S. or Canadian bank.
• We do not, under any circumstances, ship an order placed with an international credit card. If the billing address is not a U.S. or Canadian address, and/or if the card is issued by a non-U.S. or Canadian bank, the order will be discarded and no product will ship.
• International orders require pre-payment via wire transfer or PayPal. PayPal is only accepted for orders less than 750USD.
• Orders shipping outside the U.S. and Canada will ship only via FedEx International Priority service.