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International Shipping Details

Brian Halstrom
Updated

International Shipping Details

Quick Summary

BowlersMart ships internationally to most countries. Shipping rates, transit times, customs fees, and product restrictions vary by destination. This guide covers what you need to know before placing an international order.

Table of Contents

🌎 Countries We Ship To

Standard International Destinations

  • Canada
  • Mexico
  • United Kingdom
  • Most EU countries
  • Australia, New Zealand
  • Japan, South Korea, Singapore
  • APO/FPO military addresses (treated as US shipping)

Limited or Special Handling

  • Some Caribbean and Central/South American countries — extra documentation required
  • Middle East — varies by country
  • Africa — case-by-case

Countries We Cannot Ship To

Due to trade restrictions or carrier limitations:

  • Sanctioned countries (per US Treasury OFAC list)
  • Countries without reliable carrier delivery service

If your country isn't listed at checkout, contact us at support@bowlersmart.com — we may be able to arrange shipping for select orders.

📦 Shipping Methods & Rates

Standard International (FedEx International Economy)

  • 5–10 business days transit (varies by destination)
  • Calculated by weight and destination at checkout
  • Includes basic tracking

Express International (FedEx International Priority)

  • 2–4 business days transit to most major destinations
  • Higher cost, but faster and with priority handling
  • Recommended for time-sensitive orders

Free Shipping Threshold

International shipping is paid by the customer at checkout. Free shipping promotions and bowlersmart.com's standard free US shipping do not apply to international orders.

⏱️ Transit Times

Region Standard Express
Canada 3–7 business days 1–3 business days
Mexico 5–10 business days 2–4 business days
UK / Europe 7–14 business days 3–5 business days
Australia / NZ 10–14 business days 3–5 business days
Asia (Japan, Korea, Singapore) 7–14 business days 3–5 business days
APO/FPO 7–21 business days N/A (USPS only)

Note: Transit times don't include customs clearance, which can add 1–7 business days depending on destination country.

📋 Customs, Duties & Taxes

⚠️ Important: All customs duties, taxes, VAT, and brokerage fees are the responsibility of the recipient. These charges are NOT included in your order total or shipping cost at checkout.

What to Expect

  • Customs duties — vary by country (typically 5–25% of declared value)
  • VAT / GST — added in EU, UK, Canada, Australia, and others (typically 10–25%)
  • Brokerage fees — small handling fee charged by the carrier
  • Charges are typically collected at delivery; some countries collect upfront

Estimating Your Total Cost

Most countries publish duty rates online. As a rough estimate:

  • Canada: ~5–13% GST/HST + small duty
  • UK: 20% VAT + 4% duty
  • EU: VAT (varies 17–27%) + small duty
  • Australia: 10% GST + small duty (no GST under AUD $1,000)

Refused Deliveries

If you refuse delivery due to customs charges, the package will be returned to BowlersMart. You'll receive a refund for the order minus the original shipping cost and any return shipping fees.

🚫 Product Restrictions

Items That May Have Restrictions

  • Bowling balls with embedded electronics (rare) — restricted in some countries
  • Cleaners and chemicals — most restricted internationally; we cannot ship aerosol cleaners overseas
  • Lithium battery accessories — restricted air shipping
  • Licensed character apparel (Disney, Marvel, etc.) — see Territory Restrictions

Drilled vs Undrilled Balls

We can ship drilled balls internationally, but customs documentation must list the ball as "personalized sporting goods." This may slightly extend customs clearance time.

📍 Tracking International Orders

What You'll See

  • Origin scans at our US warehouse
  • Export clearance when leaving the US
  • In transit across regions
  • Customs clearance in destination country (may pause for 1–7 days)
  • Local delivery by destination country's carrier

Tracking Gaps

It's normal for international tracking to go silent for 2–4 days during the ocean/air transit and customs portion. If there's no update for 7+ business days, contact us for a trace.

🔄 International Returns

Return Eligibility

International orders can be returned within 60 days, but the customer is responsible for return shipping costs. Items must meet the same return condition standards as US orders (see Return Policy).

How to Return

  1. Contact us at support@bowlersmart.com to start a return
  2. We'll provide return instructions and a US return address
  3. You arrange and pay for return shipping (recommend tracked, insured)
  4. Once received and inspected, refund is processed (excluding original shipping)

Defective International Orders

For defective items received internationally, we cover replacement shipping costs. See Defect Claims for the full process.

Need Help?

📞 Customer Excellence Team

  • Phone: 1-256-579-1039 (US toll; international callers can use email or contact form)
  • Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM EST
  • Email: support@bowlersmart.com

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